Enforced Check In Times?

[cruzeluver]

I would have no problem with the boarding times being enforced, but to make that happen Carnival would need to do their due diligence and attempt to contact every passenger and be clear that arriving prior to your assigned boarding time will result in being turned away.

[BullDawg91]

This is an issue CCL could easily fix by implementing a system like Disney. Your online check in date varies by your status with the line. If you are Platinum, you get to check in online and choose a Port Arrival Time at 120 days out. A Silver member can check in at 90 days. Concierge at any level (even new cruisers) board in the first group and don't have to worry about a Port Arrival Time.

 

You can arrive early, but it won't necessarily get you on the ship any earlier unless boarding is moving fast. You get assigned a boarding group based on your assigned Port Arrival Time. So if they let you check in at the port at 10:30 when your PAT was 12:00, you still get a boarding group number tied to 12:00. So, no incentive to be so early.

[Davey Wavey]

It would make the whole embarkation process a lot smoother if everyone did not show up by 10AM expecting to board.

 

Everyone doesn't show up at 10AM. There is barely anyone there that early. There is certainly no congestion from that handful of people. It's all the people who show up around noon that swells the line outside the terminal. The communications mostly tell people to show up after 1PM.

 

The letters right now hope to work on the power of suggestion. There is nothing in place to enforce when people get into line. They would have to assign times to EVERYONE and then start checking boarding passes at the terminal door to stop people from getting in line. If they can get a fraction of those noon people to delay arrival by just sending emails, it would be much more effective and way less expensive than putting in a whole new checkpoint system.

 

In other words, come early or come late to avoid the big wait in line. Or earn Platinum or buy FTTF. Since the letter actually directs people to show up later, it is actually a good thing to follow to avoid the longest lines.

[TerReuv]

At some point in time, Carnival should start enforcing the boarding times they give to embarkating passengers. It would make the whole embarkation process a lot smoother if everyone did not show up by 10AM expecting to board.

 

It is probably better to have no policy at all than to have a policy that is rarely enforced. Look at the group boarding processes for airlines. If adhered to, it's usually a painless way to get everyone into their seats. If not, it's just a cattle call.

 

While I agree with this, they need to work on filtering those e-mails. Why would you send that e-mail to someone who has FTTF or is Platinum or above? That is where all the confusion comes from and the people that are ticked off.

 

We purchase FTTF - one of the reasons is to get on board early and have our room early. If I have paid for that, then you can be sure that I will not show up between 2-3. That is where is gets crazy.

 

Platinum and above have earned the right to be there early, wedding partys & disabled too. If Carnival sends out those e-mails randomly (which they are) with no regards to status, special circumstances, or FTTF then how are we to take them seriously?

[tigereye]

UKJJ...Nailed It!

[cruiser fanatic]

I am Platinum and I have never received one of those emails (yet). I sail Saturday on the Freedom and I haven't gotten it yet. If I did, get those emails I would laugh, then delete it, and I would ignore it.

[stargate fan]

We are sailing on the Breeze on May 23rd. There is a lot of debate among fellow cruisers as to whether Carnival will enforce our arrival times. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the times. We got 2-3 which I do not appreciate considering muster is at 3:30 and sail away at 4:00!

 

Anyone have experience with Carnival actually enforcing those arrival times?

 

We've sailed DCL a couple of time where they have scheduled times that they DO enforce, but usually they open boarding to everyone by around 1:00 I think. And you check in online and chose a time instead of it being arbitrarily assigned.

 

I don't know what we're supposed to do between hotel check out and cruise check in if they enforce this.

 

We are Platinum and have received similar emails and phone calls prior to most of our cruises. We ignore them. We arrive at the port at our usual 9:00 am. We check right in and wait in the VIP lounge. We usually embark by noon. I'll be darned if I'm going to wait until 2:00 to even arrive at the port after embarkation has begun, especially with priority embarkation as one of our perks.

[JLee1973]

I have gotten the email and ignored it saying to arrive between 1 and 3. I was onboard by 1130.

[dljones]

I told her to be sure to type in on my call log that I am indeed very unhappy before stepping foot on their cruise ship this time. And that depending on how this turns out, our cruising business may go to RCI for now on out.:mad:

 

::One Hippie Chick:: (not in a groovy and peace-ful mood):eek:

 

As the other poster said, show up when you want. No one from CCL will be checking to see if you are arriving at your "scheduled" time. It's a silly effort to reduce the numbers waiting to board. We show up as early as possible ROFL no matter what time we are told.

[kdinkus1]

We are Platinum and have received similar emails and phone calls prior to most of our cruises. We ignore them. We arrive at the port at our usual 9:00 am. We check right in and wait in the VIP lounge. We usually embark by noon. I'll be darned if I'm going to wait until 2:00 to even arrive at the port after embarkation has begun, especially with priority embarkation as one of our perks.

 

We also arrive at the port at 9 am (When my DH and I travel together), otherwise with others, 10 am. Being Platinum ourselves, we like to check in early and wait in the VIP lounge. We enjoy the opportunity to meet fellow passengers before we board. Oftentimes, we have continued our conversations on the ship and become fast friends. There have been a couple of times that boarding was nutty crazy but it wasn't so much because we were at the port early. EX: Our last cruise from Long Beach. The port people didn't seem to know what each other were doing so it was chaos! I really do hope that we never have to go thru that type of mass confusion again...

[Taters]

We always leave home a day or two ahead of time. We read one of these emails after we arried back home from that cruise. Seems that Carnival sent us the email approximately 24 hours before our cruise. We were already gone and to destress, we do not check email while traveling.

 

We usually arrive at the port at about 10:30 AM and have not had to wait long to board, with the exception of our Mexican Riviera cruise last November. The ship arrived in port late and Long Beach was a mad house. Did we fret? No. We chatted with our friends and enjoyed not being in the cold, dark environment of Fairbanks, Alaska in late November.

[vakayaker]

The email is sent out randomly. We've received it before every Carnival cruise. However, each time we have arrived at port around 10:00 am and been on the ship by 11:30am. It's your vacation and you paid for it. Get on the ship and start enjoying it as soon as possible. They won't turn you away. I promise.

 

 

A curious cat is wondering.. how can you promise they won't be turned away? Will you be at the pier to ensure this doesn't happen? :confused: j/s - no reply needed.

[Sparky2]

]So people are waiting to be the last person off the ship because they THINK they should be able to "disembark" whenever they like. Thus delaying others getting on the ship' date=' causing the longer embarkation lines, and creating the need for these emails.[/u'][/b]

One would also have to assume that those not getting off the ship in a timely manner would directly contribute the joke that the parking lots have become.

 

People can choose to do what they want but it is becoming tiresome to hear all the negatives when someone's traditional plans don't work out for them and they continue to complain about the mess of embark or debark. They are the "CAUSE" of the mess though they will never allow themselves to take responsibility.

 

People who have late afternoon flights do not want to be the first ones off of the ship so wait till last call. The latest time would be around 10 AM. Not that big a deal.

[Sparky2]

Didn't know you could pick the time you wanted to board??

 

I think the person who posted that you could pick the time you wanted to board was talking about Disney Cruiseline.

[BullDawg91]

I think the person who posted that you could pick the time you wanted to board was talking about Disney Cruiseline.

 

 

That is correct. I was saying DCL has you pick a time and they generally enforce the time. Generally you don't get to board early if you arrive earlier than you are scheduled for.

 

Carnival seems to have assigned times arbitrarily. To boot, my boarding pass has a different time than my email.

[Grumpy100]

People who have late afternoon flights do not want to be the first ones off of the ship so wait till last call. The latest time would be around 10 AM. Not that big a deal.

 

I think they are talking about embarkation not disembarkation.

[AmberTeka]

Before we were platinum, before new meds made my rheumatoid arthritis much more manageable as in greatly improving my mobility ( God Bless Medical advances!)

 

We always boarded after two o'clock on Carnival. it was always a Walk On. One time we got caught up in a Wedding party, could not escape, and wound up having more fun boarding than anyone should.

 

A couple of times, we sat on the benches outside until the lines thinned. People watched. I brought a paperback. Sitting in the sun. Waiting to board a cruise ship. Not a bad way to spend an hour or so.

 

Now that Daughter and family, with small child sail with us..........I buy Faster to the Fun for them. Not wanting other passengers to see a Toddler meltdown. which she has never done on a cruise.......but at Four......is not out of the danger period yet.

 

AND I think other posters are right. Go when you want to or NEED too due to transportation issues. Happy Sails. Happy boarding.

[K.T.B.]

This Monday, I'll need to be checked out of my hotel room by 11am. I'll be heading right over to Long Beach port to get on board, probably leaving the hotel by 10:30. The email I received said to be there between "12:30 and 1:30". If I have to wait, I have to wait. Regardless, I'll be at the port at 11am.

[crazychuckie]

So people are waiting to be the last person off the ship because they THINK they should be able to "disembark" whenever they like. Thus delaying others getting on the ship, causing the longer embarkation lines, and creating the need for these emails.

 

One would also have to assume that those not getting off the ship in a timely manner would directly contribute the joke that the parking lots have become.

 

People can choose to do what they want but it is becoming tiresome to hear all the negatives when someone's traditional plans don't work out for them and they continue to complain about the mess of embark or debark. They are the "CAUSE" of the mess though they will never allow themselves to take responsibility.

 

Touche!!

[BullDawg91]

To follow up on this, Carnival did not enforce the check in times. We arrived about 10:30 and there was no waiting to check in. We did have to wait to board for a little while, but it was very reasonable. The terminal was pretty full when we arrived too.

[Merchant43]

I've been on 18 cruises with CCL. I don't think I've ever received an email but my boarding pass always has a time on it.

I generally get there around 11:30 or 12.

I did participate in a survey and I think they will probably start sometime in the near future with enforcing these times. It will probably be at the Miami port.

Platinum, Diamond and FttF will still get to board early