When to arrive at port without online check-in?

[SMASHROX]

Long story short, we booked our cruise on Disney Dream departing tomorrow with our TA yesterday. Because of the late booking, we could not do online check-in, pre reserve activities, etc. Since we did not do online check-in, we do not have (or just do not know) what our port arrival time is. My TA said to show up around 11, but without an arrival time, I don't want to wait around for an hour or two waiting to board with our two year DD.

 

Any advice or suggestions here as to whether we follow TA's advice or not is appreciated. Last thing we want to sinus get there so early we are stuck waiting to board. Thanks!

[Shmoo here]

Long story short, we booked our cruise on Disney Dream departing tomorrow with our TA yesterday. Because of the late booking, we could not do online check-in, pre reserve activities, etc. Since we did not do online check-in, we do not have (or just do not know) what our port arrival time is. My TA said to show up around 11, but without an arrival time, I don't want to wait around for an hour or two waiting to board with our two year DD.

 

Any advice or suggestions here as to whether we follow TA's advice or not is appreciated. Last thing we want to sinus get there so early we are stuck waiting to board. Thanks!

 

Let's see if I can say this clearly - when you check in at the port you receive a boarding number. Now, this boarding number is typically tied to the Port Arrival Time that was selected during the online checkin process. Earlier PAT = lower boarding number. Each PAT window will have XX amount of boarding numbers assigned to it. For example: PAT of 10:30-10:45 has boarding numbers 1-4; PAT of 10:45-11:00 has boarding numbers 5-10; etc. (These numbers are just for example purposes - I really have no idea of how many numbers are in each window).

 

So, boarding numbers 1-55 are used up for the PAT windows of 10:30 though, say 1:00.

 

Any guest arriving without a PAT will receive the next available boarding number (56).

 

All that being said, if you arrive at the port around 12:15-12:30, Open Boarding will most likely have been called (or soon will be). Anyone holding any boarding number may board at that time.

 

Arriving at 11:00, you may not be allowed to enter the terminal until such time as the terminal is not full. And, since actual boarding doesn't even start until 11:15-11:30, the crowd won't start moving out until after that.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Shmoo here

[moki'smommy]

I concur. The "sweet spot" for arrivals if you don't want to wait at the terminal is typically between 12:30 and 1:30.

 

Arrive at 11 and you'll be in the crowds. You'll wait in the terminal for at least an hour (maybe longer). Arrive after 1:30 and you'll hit the bus traffic from WDW--again, lines and waiting.

 

Arrive about 12:30 and the "early birds" will already be on the ship. Lines are typically short, and open boarding is usually called before 1 pm.