New or is this common

[tomahawk246]

I am leaving on Oasis Saturday, Royal sent me an email telling me what time to check in and they had different times for each deck. Is this new?

[Gayle V]

They've been doing this for quite some time. Doing it by e-mail and automated phone calls. We got the auto-call prior to our Allure cruise last November. Most people are just ignoring it and showing up at the time they normally would. There are other threads about this same thing on the board right now. one is currently directly below this one. Try this link:

 

(I hope this works as a link, otherwise copy and paste)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2061953

 

Like I posted there, I believe it's only a effort to spread out arrivals at the pier, to keep down the traffic congestion and the wait lines. It is not an actual assignment of boarding time, or at least they are not treating it so, since people are still boarding as they arrive . (Not counting those who have other reasons for getting early boarding).

Edited June 25, 2014 by Gayle V

[joepeka]

The email regarding arrival time is not new but (according to what I've seen on this board recently), the breakdown of times by deck seems to be new. As mentioned above, arrive when it's convenient for you.

Edited June 25, 2014 by joepeka

[Havingfun2010]

I am leaving on Oasis Saturday, Royal sent me an email telling me what time to check in and they had different times for each deck. Is this new?

 

I would ignore any email such as that. People arrive from all modes of transportation and will arrive when it is convenient for them. It's a big ship, and they try to "spread" out the arrivals but somehow I think it doesn't work.

[bighairtexan]

I've gotten the email w/ staggered boarding a couple of times recently. They're obviously trying to avoid lots of lines and waiting. But if for any reason that's not convenient for you, they don't "enforce" the times. We were in a group and were all on different decks and we arrived at the same time. No one checks what your "assigned" time is.

[steveru621]

These boarding times by deck started showing up in eDocs last year for most ships. Whether RCI decides to enforce this is quite another matter. It would probably be difficult because checkout time for most pre-cruise hotels is 11:00AM and no one wants to sit around for hours waiting for their deck.

[Lionesss]

If you pay attention to the message, you will probably be the only one.

 

Heck , its the first day of your cruise get out and enjoy it early.....we did, and no one stopped us on any of our sailings.

 

Last year on the Allure we were at port at 10:30, and thru check in in under 10 min.

 

On board with everyone at 11:30.

 

Sea Ya

[MichaelCMTX]

Despite looking forward to the trip so badly, I now question the logic of arriving as early as possible at the port.

 

Even having priority boarding, on the last two trips we showed up to the port fairly late. Maybe 3pm for Serenade in New Orleans and about 4:30 in Hawaii for Radiance. Both times we absolutely breezed through check in because there were more people available for check in than people actually checking in at that time.

 

For Serenade we went so far as to drive by in the late morning to drop off our tagged luggage, go goof off in French Quarter and win at Harrah's for a few hours, then I dropped off DW, parked across the street at Marriott (we did a room and parking for the week deal) and walked back over.

 

If the ship isn't leaving until the evening, no need to hurry (or wait in absurdly long lines), especially if all I'm going to do is eat.

[Paulette3028]

Despite looking forward to the trip so badly, I now question the logic of arriving as early as possible at the port.

 

Even having priority boarding, on the last two trips we showed up to the port fairly late. Maybe 3pm for Serenade in New Orleans and about 4:30 in Hawaii for Radiance. Both times we absolutely breezed through check in because there were more people available for check in than people actually checking in at that time.

 

For Serenade we went so far as to drive by in the late morning to drop off our tagged luggage, go goof off in French Quarter and win at Harrah's for a few hours, then I dropped off DW, parked across the street at Marriott (we did a room and parking for the week deal) and walked back over.

 

If the ship isn't leaving until the evening, no need to hurry (or wait in absurdly long lines), especially if all I'm going to do is eat.

 

I guess it depends on what you like or want to do. We like arriving early, and getting on board early. We like 'the first day pool time'....it gives DH and I time to learn where we can find each other for our 'pool time' later in the week. Then we have lunch...more pool time perhaps, learn our new ship (or be reacquainted if we have cruised her before). I find it fun to watch the later arriving cruising....searching out their family members....all while I am already 'on vacation'.

 

However, the next time I have to fly to a port to take a cruise I might do it differently and do some sight seeing in the departure port city, and get on board a little later in the day.

[Big_G]

Despite looking forward to the trip so badly, I now question the logic of arriving as early as possible at the port.

 

 

We enjoy eating lunch in Giovanni's and with the speed in which you can breeze through check-in on Oasis and Allure, it's a great option.