Staggered Boarding in Seattle

[mr green]

The main reason I like to board early is that this is Day 1 of the cruise. Since Princess counts it as Day 1, then I'd like to be on board to enjoy it, especially since I've paid for it.

 

I know I'm being petty, but if I've paid for a 7-day cruise, then I'd like to be able to enjoy lunch on board, relax, unpack, have a drink, etc. I shouldn't have to buy lunch or bottled water or snacks while I'm "lugging" my luggage (or at least my carry-ons) around with me, then board right before sailway, drop off my carry-ons, rush to my muster station for the safety briefing, then rush back to the cabin and try to unpack so I can rush to the dining room for dinner. That is definietly not my idea of how I'd like to spend the first day of my vacation cruise.

 

If I can't embark until right before sailaway, then I'm scheduled for disembarkation in the first group, I feel like I've lost an entire day, like I've paid for a 7 day cruise, but only got 6.

 

(On the other hand, 6 days on a cruise is definitely better than 6 days at work :D.)

 

As you say you, are paying for it, so, why not use it if you can?

Consider buying a couple of football tickets, only to be told that it would be better to show up a half time!

 

john

[bellebaby]

I booked two weeks ago, and received no sort of notice. I only found out about this from Cruise Critic...

 

I'm not exactly sure if they plan to do staggered boarding on my June 3 cruise or not. My booking confirmation says 12-3pm. My cabin assignment email (was a GTY booking) says 12-3pm. The most easily found info on my Cruise Personalizer online says 12-3pm. But, yes, if you dig into the Personalizer deep enough, you can find a note about how Princess does staggered boarding. So, who knows?

 

The itinerary on the Cruise Personalizer now says: REFER TO TRAVEL SUMMARY

FOR STAGGERED CHECK IN TIME instead of 12 - 3. Seems like Princess intends to implement the new process.

 

Fiesta Deck is still not listed.

 

B

[gdisney]

The itinerary on the Cruise Personalizer now says: REFER TO TRAVEL SUMMARY

FOR STAGGERED CHECK IN TIME instead of 12 - 3. Seems like Princess intends to implement the new process.

 

Fiesta Deck is still not listed.

 

B

 

You're right, they changed it...well at least now I know!

[brfan]

They do need to submit the passenger manifest to Homeland Security, but they typically have this together beforehand because everyone enters the information online (hopefully). If someone doesn't than they would need to check-in 90 minutes before so Princess can supply the necessary info.

 

Now if someone didn't enter this all online and had a 2:30 check-in time for all aboard by 3pm, they don't have a lot of time to sort out any potential issues. I have seen some problems (documentation, on board account setup/credit card issues) all of which could take longer than 30 minutes to resolve.

 

Sure, you really should have all this organized beforehand, but things do happen, and not everyone is aware of what is needed when they arrive at the pier. Who knows what Princess would do in this situation. I would imagine if someone arrived at 12 and was turned away and then had a problem when they came back at their "assigned" time closer to departure they would be quite upset if they don't have enough time to resolve it, but would have at 12.

 

 

Hopefully that is correct, but I thought the manifest was passengers actually on board. Someone could fill out the online check-in and then not show up for some reason. Anyway I was wondering what might happen since I have read of passengers being denied boarding if they arrived after the deadline and were not allowed to check-in, even though the ship was still there.

[Vanilla]

Bassettmom and Mr Green said it best - 6 days only and arriving at half time.

Maybe Fiesta deck isn't listed because those 6 rooms are full suites and they can arrive when they desire. ???

[2fercruzin]

Bassettmom and Mr Green said it best - 6 days only and arriving at half time.

Maybe Fiesta deck isn't listed because those 6 rooms are full suites and they can arrive when they desire. ???

 

Sounds like a great idea to me ;) but Princess hasn't officially told us that yet. I really think they completely forgot about Fiesta deck because only 3 ships have those suites. Anyway, we're planning on taking our prescheduled shuttle at 10am and if after checking our luggage we are denied entry - then we'll wait until it's our "Fiesta deck time". We sure won't wreck our cruise getting upset, but hopefully Princess will listen and end the madness in the near future.

[Matcodixon]

I simply cannot wait to here the reports of how it actually went after all the fear and loathing that has taken place here.

 

Hopefully it was truly "Much ado about nothing"

 

Hey, I could be wrong. You should hope I am right!

[Teacher_91]

I booked two weeks ago, and received no sort of notice. I only found out about this from Cruise Critic...

I'm not exactly sure if they plan to do staggered boarding on my June 3 cruise or not. My booking confirmation says 12-3pm. My cabin assignment email (was a GTY booking) says 12-3pm. The most easily found info on my Cruise Personalizer online says 12-3pm. But, yes, if you dig into the Personalizer deep enough, you can find a note about how Princess does staggered boarding. So, who knows?

Have you printed your eTicket Boarding Pass yet? I just printed ours for our July 1st sailing on the STAR to Alaska and under remarks it says: "Refer to Travel Summary For Staggered Check in Time"

This is our first cruise on Princess so we are super HAPPY & EXCITED to be going!! :D

[aaerobear]

Teacher,

 

You are assuming that people actually READ the boarding pass. It has been proven time and time again that most people do not really read it.

 

The best example is the very first paragraph. I can't tell you how many times passengers show up and are "shocked" that they can't board because they have packed their passport in their luggage. The typical response from them is, "well I will show them after I get my luggage"....... Sorry, it is now or never. Your luggage has to be found and your passport has to be retrieved BEFORE you are checked in and board the ship.

 

So, please read ALL of the information on the boarding pass.

[Teacher_91]

Teacher,

 

You are assuming that people actually READ the boarding pass. It has been proven time and time again that most people do not really read it.

 

The best example is the very first paragraph. I can't tell you how many times passengers show up and are "shocked" that they can't board because they have packed their passport in their luggage. The typical response from them is, "well I will show them after I get my luggage"....... Sorry, it is now or never. Your luggage has to be found and your passport has to be retrieved BEFORE you are checked in and board the ship.

So, please read ALL of the information on the boarding pass.

 

 

These are probably the same people who never read the directions on a paper when given an assignment in school! :D

[gdisney]

Have you printed your eTicket Boarding Pass yet? I just printed ours for our July 1st sailing on the STAR to Alaska and under remarks it says: "Refer to Travel Summary For Staggered Check in Time"

 

No, but I noted yesterday that the info on my cruise personalizer changed and now reflects that same message :)

[bdjam]

They do need to submit the passenger manifest to Homeland Security, but they typically have this together beforehand because everyone enters the information online (hopefully). If someone doesn't than they would need to check-in 90 minutes before so Princess can supply the necessary info.

 

Now if someone didn't enter this all online and had a 2:30 check-in time for all aboard by 3pm, they don't have a lot of time to sort out any potential issues. I have seen some problems (documentation, on board account setup/credit card issues) all of which could take longer than 30 minutes to resolve.

I thought Princess wouldn't issue a boarding pass until all of the immigration information was completed.

[aaerobear]

bdjam,

 

You are correct, and if the information is all completed, that is what they use for the preliminary manifest. If that information has not been completed and they show up after the cutoff, they will not be boarded. I believe the amended/final manifest is resent just after the shoreside computers are shut down. The last thing the ships personnel do before leaving the shoreside check-in area is to radio the names and cabin numbers of those keycards still not picked up to the First Purser.

[critterchick]

If you go from your Cruise Personalizer to Important Notices you'll find the staggered boarding times listed there. Right, it's not advertised as a possibility when you book and neither is the 12 - 3 boarding time with a recommendation to get there after 1. But given the information that's been traded on this board, people should be fairly aware of the situation.

 

If enough complaints made Princess change the balcony furniture, it should do the same with this. If I were on a cruise and I really thought having to wait to get on board two hours later than I planned was going to ruin the whole experience, I'd make a complaint and then look somewhere else.

 

Remember that Cruise Critics only make up something like 5% of the cruising public. So IMO it's not realistic to think that most people will know about the staggered boarding times.

 

In LA they aren't adhering to them. I hope they won't in Seattle, either.

[caribill]

I thought Princess wouldn't issue a boarding pass until all of the immigration information was completed.

 

True, but you actually do not need a boarding pass to check in. Having one just makes it easier.

[mr green]

Remember that Cruise Critics only make up something like 5% of the cruising public. So IMO it's not realistic to think that most people will know about the staggered boarding times.

 

In LA they aren't adhering to them. I hope they won't in Seattle, either.

 

Somehow I don't believe that Princess would rely on Cruise Critics alone, to get their bad news across to the cruising public.

 

john

[ace6636634]

Looking forward to hearing how this works in Seattle when the GP dry dock is complete!

[critterchick]

Greetings from the Star somewhere west of Vancouver Island! We did not have any problem boarding before our scheduled time of 1:30. There was a long line to get to security, and the regular line after check in was pretty long (priority boarding had a secret back door, lol). :)

Edited May 22, 2012 by critterchick

[Cabunit]

Thanks Jean!

 

Anyone else with on-the-ground experience to report?

[RickEk]

Thanks Jean!

 

Anyone else with on-the-ground experience to report?

 

Check this thread...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1641628

[lesharona]

I definitely do not like their new rule. One of things I liked about the cruise experience was having lunch the day of the cruise up at the Horizon court, we are on dolphin deck for this next cruse, which means it will be way past lunch time when we are even allowed to board. But yet someone who is on Caribe or Lido deck will get this experience. I really don't think that is fair, all cruises should be created equal. What about the person who is on Caribe but has a 1pm flight, they certainly are not going to adhere to this rule. If this is going to be a standard practice I see a lot of people purposely booking cabins on Caribe and Lido deck. I know for my next cruise I will certainly consider it. Check out time at most hotels is 11 am, now we have to kill time for 3 hours.

[lesharona]

Just heard back from my agent on this, she said they have been fighting this for 6 months and she said go at your regular time, it will be fine. So that is what I intend to do

[Matcodixon]

SO the main thing that Princess needs to do is to change the wording on their announcement to something similar to this:

 

If you wish to avoid long lines at check in, we have set up a list of recommended times based on cabin decks:

 

Insert times and deck names.

 

Problem Solved!

[caribill]

If this is going to be a standard practice I see a lot of people purposely booking cabins on Caribe and Lido deck. I know for my next cruise I will certainly consider it.

 

Princess will thwart this.

 

They do not use the same order of decks boarding on all of the cruises.

[azseas]

Greetings from the Star somewhere west of Vancouver Island! We did not have any problem boarding before our scheduled time of 1:30. There was a long line to get to security, and the regular line after check in was pretty long (priority boarding had a secret back door, lol). :)

 

 

HOw do you get to the secret back door? Is it after security? Thank you!