Staggered Boarding??????????

[caribill]

Here is the notice from Princess:

 

To ensure a relaxed and organized start to your voyage, we operate a staggered

We kindly request that you arrive at or shortly after your scheduled check in

 

If your cabin number starts with a B or a S, please arrive at 12:00pm.

If your cabin number starts with a C or a F, please arrive at 12:30pm.

If your cabin number starts with an D, please arrive at 1:00pm.

If your cabin number starts with an E, please arrive at 1:30pm.

If your cabin number starts with a L or an A, please arrive at 2:00pm.

If your cabin number starts with a P, please arrive at 2:30pm.

 

Please note all passengers must be onboard 1 hour prior to sailing due to

immigration procedures, failure to do so will result in denied boarding

 

 

I wonder if Princess EZAir will offer flights so that those with a B or S cabin will arrive at the airport 2.5 hours earlier than those with a P cabin.

 

This staggered boarding makes no sense when an airplane arrives with passengers from various decks. If the plane arrives at 10 AM, Princess is asking some passengers to wait an extra 2.5 hours to board. Not a very good idea.

[Jasperdo]

I have some problems with this staggered boarding idea. I really like to get to the ship as early as possible. We are always there by 10:30am. We enjoy getting on the ship as soon as it opens and heading right up to Horizon Court for lunch before it gets busy. If we couldn't check in until 2:30pm, that would completely ruin that experience for us. Plus, if we timed ourselves to arrive at 2:30pm, there might be heavy traffic, an accident, we could get a flat tire. Any number of things could delay us, and cause us to miss the ship. I don't like this idea at all. The lines are never very long when we arrive early. I don't see how this is going to improve an already efficient check in system.

[4cats4me]

I'm just going to continue to arrive at my normal time. I don't care

WHAT their suggestions are. We are also Platinum/Elites so I'm sure

there wouldn't be a problem anyway.

 

When arriving to San Francisco a few years ago, we received a last minute

e-mail stating not to arrive until two. We left our house at 10:30,

parked the car over there in SF at 11:20, checked in, were on the

ship by 11:55/ Thank goodness we didn't heed Princess' advice to

arrive at 2:00, because those we spoke with waited in line

for up to 2 hours to check in because they were all told to arrive

after one o'clock.

 

Their system is arbitrary, with the A's and L's having to arrive the latest.

After all, A's and L's tend to spend more for their cabins, so that's

rather unfair.

 

How about suite guests board first [which is already the rule]

followed by mini suites, followed by balcony cabins, followed by

ocean view, followed by partial ocean view and on down to

the cheapest cabins which are the insides? LOL

 

Of course, after the Plats, Elites and Suites have boarded, then everyone

else should be able to board.

 

Who comes up with this stuff?:rolleyes:

Neither system makes sense, IMHO.

[ofc9e07]

Disney is now starting to use a staggered boarding. Their new ships are much larger, so I guess spreading out arrivals is necessary.

[Pam in CA]

Also, the debate between what is a "rule" or a "suggestion" will continue. (Dress codes, deck chairs and so on). People will do what they want to do. They pick and choose what they are going to follow. It will be interesting to see how those who are adamant about dress "guidelines" will handle boarding "guidelines". The bottom line is to use commonsense and respect others.

You're right that the bottom line is to respect requests, and others.

 

On the other hand, staggered boarding presents problems for some that go beyond whether someone respects the request or not, or how they "handle" it. For instance, in January, we took a family cruise. Four cabins on four different decks. Most of us arrived in one limo so the question is, if we'd received the email request, should we have planned to arrive at the earliest time? The latest? Should those of us on a different deck have to wait to board? Or, should we have arranged for four different limos, at $120/limo? Decisions, decisions. IMHO, there's no easy answer or solution.

[san diego sue]

Dropped friends off at pier on Wednesday for the Golden. They were insisting that their boarding time was 2:00PM. I figured they were wrong. Dropped them off at 1:00 and the port hardly had anyone arriving.

Must have been an easy check in for them. I didn't know about the staggered arrival thing. They were on Dolphin deck.:D

[NJRonbo]

Are they doing this for all the ships?

 

Are they strictly following this policy or

is this a suggestion?

 

Are people who are showing up early (and

not Platinum/Elite members) allowed to board

early?

[Kamloops50]

We did staggered boarding on the Sapphire in Jan 2011.

The only reason was that there where four ship at the same terminal.

An the shore staff where run of there feet.:cool:

[NJRonbo]

You guys are going to laugh....

 

I am considering upgrading from an "E"

outside to a "B" balcony just to be among

the first to board....

 

...that is, if Princess actually enforces the

staggered boarding.

 

(The Crown and RC Oasis are both in port

that day)

 

We have always arrived to ship early to

take advantage of a quiet lunch and choice

choosing of seats in Sanctuary.

 

So, being in the first wave to board is

important to us. You can see why I am

concerned about how Princess is going to

enforce this.

 

Next cruise I become Platinum so the

staggered boarding will not be an issue.

[rdsqrl]

Their failure to hire sufficient check-in people is, in my opinion, so not my problem. That day is day one of my cruise and I'd be very unhappy if I were forced to wait until mid-afternoon to board, thereby missing most of that day. I want to be onboard at noon, have lunch, and enjoy my first afternoon onboard. I'm generally a pretty rule-abiding person but I would totally ignore a request for staggered boarding.

And ditto re the issues on Sanctuary booking. Plus booking in for the UST and Chef's Table.

No, no, no, Princess, you can't mandate that some people get to start their vacation up to 2.5 hours earlier than others. That's not right.

[Pearlbill]

Like I said. It's going to be interesting how some of the most adamant rule, regulation, suggestion, guideline followers handle this one. We all have our stories as to why we are the exception.

 

Pearl

[Quenby]

Princess sent out these same notices for our Jan 5th cruise on the Sapphire. The Golden was also there that day as well as two other smaller ships. It was a zoo at 11:00 a.m. but Princess processed everyone whenever they arrived.

[Pam in CA]

Princess sent out these same notices for our Jan 5th cruise on the Sapphire. The Golden was also there that day as well as two other smaller ships. It was a zoo at 11:00 a.m. but Princess processed everyone whenever they arrived.

Chris, interesting. We were on that cruise and never received them. None of us. Weird.

[4cats4me]

Princess sent out these same notices for our Jan 5th cruise on the Sapphire. The Golden was also there that day as well as two other smaller ships. It was a zoo at 11:00 a.m. but Princess processed everyone whenever they arrived.

 

How far in advance does Princess send out these notices?

 

I checked my cruise personalizer tonight thinking maybe there would

be some type of heads-up but I couldn't find a thing:confused:

 

We sail in two weeks

[Quenby]

Pam - my TA was on vacation, and I ended up receiving multiple phone messages and emails from other staff at his agency just a few days before the cruise. I had already read about it on our roll call about a week before the cruise.

[nycruiser80]

Actually this is not that new of a concept. Other lines have been doing this for years. I was a TA for 10 years and I began to notice on docs sent by Royal Caribbean different boarding times for the same cruise. Must have been 5 years ago I had a group of 10 cabins on the Voyager from Bayonne and some had 1pm boarding times and 2pm boarding times (of course they were suggested times). Also, when I sailed on the QM2 in 2008 out of Brooklyn I was told that the deck I was on was to check-in at 2pm. I'm sorry, I hate to sound rude but I PAID for the 1st day so I always get to the ship around 11:30/12 or so. I always instructed my clients to do that too! I always told them to ignore the "suggested times" you paid for that 1st day, might as well get your money's worth!

[Pam in CA]

Pam - my TA was on vacation, and I ended up receiving multiple phone messages and emails from other staff at his agency just a few days before the cruise. I had already read about it on our roll call about a week before the cruise.

Maybe they didn't send it to everyone? My TA wasn't on vacation and she always forwards on any notification from Princess. It didn't matter since we weren't planning to arrive until 12:30pm anyway and we were all Platinum or Elite. Odd.

[1 HappyCruiser]

It appears like some people won't be eating lunch in the dining room on embarkation day. :rolleyes:

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

There is no WAY I am waiting to board the ship until 3:15!!! I am so jumpy at 6:00am the day of sailing. I am sure not waiting until 3!;)

[denims]

Princess sent out these same notices for our Jan 5th cruise on the Sapphire. The Golden was also there that day as well as two other smaller ships. It was a zoo at 11:00 a.m. but Princess processed everyone whenever they arrived.

 

We too were on this cruise and also received the email from Princess.

We were supposed to board at 2:30pm. The problem was that we received the email 7 days before the cruise! We already had a hotel the night before and were due to check out at 11am and get to the ship early as usual.

There is no way we were going to stay in the hotel until 2pm. We got to the pier at 11:30 and boarded about 45 minutes later!

[The Wilkies]

Never heard of this and it makes absolutely no sense. Did your TA forward a letter directly from Princess? No matter what, arrive when you want. If you really want to check, look at your Cruise Personalizer which will probably have a boarding time of 1pm. That's a suggested time to avoid crowds, which most people ignore.

 

We had a letter from Princess. Caribe deck is at 12.30. At that time we will probably be having lunch in Beijing !!!!

[NJRonbo]

So, the general consensus here is that this is

a suggested arrive time and Princess is not going

to be strictly boarding according to this protocol?

[Pam in CA]

So, the general consensus here is that this is a suggested arrive time and Princess is not going to be strictly boarding according to this protocol?

Yes.

[Jasperdo]

Princess sent out these same notices for our Jan 5th cruise on the Sapphire. The Golden was also there that day as well as two other smaller ships. It was a zoo at 11:00 a.m. but Princess processed everyone whenever they arrived.

Interesting. I was on the Jan. 5th Golden sailing, with four ships in port, as you said. We never received a staggered boarding notice. We arrived at 10:30am, and were on the ship by 11:45am. So they can process quickly even on a very busy turnaround day.

[DonnasMom&Dad]

My wife and I were on the January 5 cruise on the Sapphire, we had been given a staggered

boarding time, by e-mail, from out TA, which we disregarded, for two reasons, first I embark in a

wheelchair, and need assistance, second we were on our first cruise as Platinum members, both

reasons qualified us for preferred boarding status. As it turned out, after checking in, identifying

ourselves as Platinum members, and getting all the paperwork in order, we were wheeled over

into a corner, with others in wheelchairs, including a large selection of veterans of different wars,

WWII, Korea, Viet Nam and probably some other skirmishes around the world. The so called

refreshments were the distance of about 2 city blocks away, and you had to help yourself.

 

After about an hour, to an hour and a half, attendants started wheeling us aboard, having to use

an elevator, which could possibly hold about 12 wheelchairs at a time, and being a freight

elevator, it was quite slow.

 

So much for our first experience as Platinum members, and staggered boarding, I hope our next

cruise in May turns out a little better!!

 

Cato

 

Completed Cruises !

 

First cruise - Coral Princess, 19 November 2008, 10 day Panama Canal, FLL to ACA

Second cruise - Coral Princess, 15 May 2009, 3 day Repositioning, Los Angeles to Vancouver.

Third cruise - Sapphire Princess, 25 November 2009? 7 day Mexican Riviera.

Fourth cruise - Golden Princes, 12 June 2010, 7 day Alaska. (Golden Anniversary Cruise)

Fifth Cruise - Island Princess, 04 October 2010, Vancouver - Los Angeles, Repositioning

Sixth cruise - Sapphire Princess, 05 January 2011, 10 day Mexican Riviera. LA to LA.

Seventh cruise - Golden Princess, 11 May 2011, 3 day, LA to Vancouver, Repositioning

Future & Hopeful Cruises !

( Already booked )

Eighth cruise - Sapphire Princess, 14 May 2011, 1 day, Vancouver to Seattle, Repositioning

Ninth cruise - Oasis of the Seas, 26 Nov. 2011, 7 day, Western Caribbean