Embarkation time at Port Canaveral

[kivvo]

My family and I are sailing on Carnival Dream next Saturday, January 5, 2013! We anticipated leaving the house (in GA) early and getting to the port around 10 am...I am a bit concerned now, though, because I got an email from Carnival earlier today asking us not to arrive until 1pm because our boarding time is between 1-3pm. Does anyone have experience with embarking at Port Canaveral and could reassure me that arriving at Port Canaveral around 10 am will enable to get on board when the begin boarding at 11 am?

 

I appreciate you input!

[stargate fan]

My family and I are sailing on Carnival Dream next Saturday, January 5, 2013! We anticipated leaving the house (in GA) early and getting to the port around 10 am...I am a bit concerned now, though, because I got an email from Carnival earlier today asking us not to arrive until 1pm because our boarding time is between 1-3pm. Does anyone have experience with embarking at Port Canaveral and could reassure me that arriving at Port Canaveral around 10 am will enable to get on board when the begin boarding at 11 am?

 

I appreciate you input!

 

Ignore the email.

 

We have received the emails a few times and arrived at the port at our normal 9:00 am. We were the first ones in Port Canaveral back in April.

 

When we sailed Glory out of Boston this past June, we again had received the email. We got to the port before 9:00 and were in the port building by 9:30. Boarding began right before 11:00, and there were only about 200 people in the port building. As we met people on the ship and chatted, many heeded the email and were so upset that they didn't arrive early. They got stuck in very long lines and could have been enjoying themselves on a mostly empty ship instead. And the ship was pretty empty until after 2:00. It was almost creepy.

 

Happy cruising!

[kivvo]

Thank you for your input! I feel much better about Saturday now! Can't wait!

[stargate fan]

Thank you for your input! I feel much better about Saturday now! Can't wait!

 

You are most welcome.

 

Dream is an awesome ship, BTW. We really loved her. We are sailing Liberty and Breeze next year (ooh, I can almost say "this year"!) and will be at the Port of Miami before 9:00 both times, just like every other cruise, regardless of whether or not we receive that email.

 

Happy New Year.

[kivvo]

You are most welcome.

 

Dream is an awesome ship, BTW. We really loved her. We are sailing Liberty and Breeze next year (ooh, I can almost say "this year"!) and will be at the Port of Miami before 9:00 both times, just like every other cruise, regardless of whether or not we receive that email.

 

Happy New Year.

Perfect! I haven't been on a cruise since early 2009, so needless to say the excitement and anticipation has been building for some time! Carnival's ships are are incredible, so I I'm really looking forward to my first time on a "Dream-Class" ship :)

 

Happy New Year!

[relic937]

As others have said that email is what they would hope you do but those of us here know its merely a suggestion.....lol

 

It's does help them a little bit because we found the crowds haven't been quite as big when we go early.

 

Hope u have a wonderful cruise!!!

[kivvo]

As others have said that email is what they would hope you do but those of us here know its merely a suggestion.....lol

 

It's does help them a little bit because we found the crowds haven't been quite as big when we go early.

 

Hope u have a wonderful cruise!!!

Awesome! Thank you for your input, too! It has also been brought to my attention that Carnival boards the ship by "Zones" like the airlines to. If we are zone 11, does this really matter? I understand the FTTF and Diamond level guests deserve to be aboard before the rest of us, but I just don't want us to be sitting around for more than an hour inside the terminal.