Been a while, any new policies we should be aware of?

[SpeedsterX]

My experience is that most hotels/resorts will let you check in early. Your room may not be ready, but they will hold your luggage and allow you to use the pool and other facilities until the room is ready. And if you are a member of that hotel chain's club, often times your room will be ready when an early check in is requested. We are sailing out of Galveston on Thursday and have purchased FTTF for all 3 cabins. We plan on arriving at our usual time, about 10am. We'll see how it goes.

 

Exactly! I stay at the beautiful Whyndam Resort in Orlando alot and the rooms are usually ready around noon but we get there early and enjoy the amenities. Yes, they even hold our luggage until the room is ready. That's all lm saying...

[SpeedsterX]

I work in Mishawaka and live near ND! :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Very cool! I sometimes work the games in security.

[lele100]

That's true every hotel I have ever gone to. From Miami to NYC to Paris to Rome. doesn't matter where have always let us use the amenities at the resort and they held our luggage until the room was ready. So basically what Carnival was doing until this change came along with assigned check in times.

 

Doesn't affect me because I am platinum but what's fair is fair

Edited December 22, 2015 by lele100

[JaniceB]

Great thread. My sister is cruising next week and wanted to know the new rules/changes. She just got her first ipad and is very internet challenged. She needs to get her own CC login soon.

[peppergal]

With the change in policy that you can not bring on bottled water does anyone know if it is ok to bring on your own empty drink bottle? I would hate to bring it and have it confiscated.

 

I've done it with no problem even after the no bottled drinks rule went into effect. I found that if it is in my checked luggage, they will open the luggage to see what it is unless I leave the top off so that they can tell it's empty from the x-ray (I just put the bottle and top together in a large plastic bag so I don't lose it)

[Denisomo]

I've brought on an empty bottle the last few cruises with my cans of drinks, if they have said anything I've explained that I can't finish an entire can and don't want it to go flat, no problem

[SpeedsterX]

That's true every hotel I have ever gone to. From Miami to NYC to Paris to Rome. doesn't matter where have always let us use the amenities at the resort and they held our luggage until the room was ready. So basically what Carnival was doing until this change came along with assigned check in times.

 

Doesn't affect me because I am platinum but what's fair is fair

 

That's how I feel. If I am assigned 3pm, let's say,, there are people that have been enjoying the ship for 5 hours already. Like you said, fair is fair and like I said, doesn't hurt me because I usually don't board until around 2pm or so anyway. I just know others try and get on as early as possible and it seems important to them.

[CrimsonTideGal]

Right, I never get why anyone fusses about the "I paid for that day" part (I do get why this change might be a bit inconvenient or anxiety-inducing, especially while you're not sure when you need to select a window, because it's coming to your port but not available to select yet or because you're not sure if it's coming before your pre-booked cruise). Do people do this with hotels? The first day I check into a hotel for a vacation, they never let me check in particularly early. I've stayed at some that you could check in at early, but usually it's not before 2pm or so. The cruise ship is a floating hotel. They have to push people off as well as get people on in one day.

 

Edit: I do think it's important they let people select times in a fair way and that's hard for cruises when implementing it near to the cruise (like saying it will roll out in January for the NO port now -- it should be true first-come, first-serve with these things, and it's a little slapdash with cruises so close-up).

 

So what should one do if they are flying to the port and stay overnight in a hotel. Check out time is usually 11am. I usually use the hotel shuttle to the port. What am I supposed to do for a few hours if I have a late check-in time? I have luggage to deal with, no car and am not allowed in the terminal. I guess I sit on top my luggage in the hot sun or rain for a few hours guarding my luggage until my check-in time comes. This doesn't work for me at all! I would be one very unhappy cruiser.

[Star1]

I have to agree. We fly the red eye into Miami from San Francisco. Get on the first shuttle from airport to the port. Do not tell me after I just flew all night that I have to sit outside for hours to get on the ship. They better be bringing me food and a drink and a nice pillow for my nap. I don't think they are gonna like me to much if I have to wait. I have learned with Carnival the more noise you make....the more they let you get your way. The don't want you to upset the perfect vacation mood of others.

Relax and enjoy life,

[ouachita]

Liquer now gets picked up as you debark the ship. The assigned times for boarding are only in effect at Galveston, sometime next year the rest of the fleet will be instituting the policy. When you fill out your documents you can choose what time you would like to board. The earlier you book the better chance of getting on early. This does not affect platinum and diamond. Have not seen how FTTF fits into the program. The captians party is now only for platinum and diamond. The golds get free bottle of water and a free drink the last day of the cruise.

 

This is all I could find so far re: Faster to the Fun and the new check in schedule for Galveston. According to the FAQ's on Carnival's check in web site:

 

"Q: When should I arrive at the terminal?"

"A: You must arrive at the cruise terminal within the 30 minute check-in window you selected. Check-in windows will be strictly enforced so that we can minimize wait times in the terminal. Guests who are part of our Priority Program (Diamond, Platinum and suites), have purchased transfers with Carnival or 'Faster to the Fun' must still select a window online, but are invited to come at their leisure, up to one (1) hour prior to sailing. Departure times can be found on your boarding pass."

 

Sounds like if you are in a "priority program" or "FTTF" you have to select a check in time but then it's business as usual - show up when you want as long as it is at least an hour before departure. Naturally, your interpretation may differ.

[islandgirl70]

I have to agree. We fly the red eye into Miami from San Francisco. Get on the first shuttle from airport to the port. Do not tell me after I just flew all night that I have to sit outside for hours to get on the ship. They better be bringing me food and a drink and a nice pillow for my nap. I don't think they are gonna like me to much if I have to wait. I have learned with Carnival the more noise you make....the more they let you get your way. The don't want you to upset the perfect vacation mood of others.

 

Relax and enjoy life,

 

 

 

What would you do if you had a red eye flight and couldn't check into your hotel until 3pm? Like someone said above, this is literally a giant floating hotel and they have way bigger of a turnaround to do. It is hectic and people complain about waiting hours at the terminal to check in so it's better for everyone if you have a check in time and know when to arrive.

[CrimsonTideGal]

What would you do if you had a red eye flight and couldn't check into your hotel until 3pm? Like someone said above, this is literally a giant floating hotel and they have way bigger of a turnaround to do. It is hectic and people complain about waiting hours at the terminal to check in so it's better for everyone if you have a check in time and know when to arrive.

 

A hotel would let you sit in their lobby or bar, use their pool not tell you to wait outside in the hot Florida sun. I also am concerned if this will impact hotel shuttles. Several I have used in the past did not run all day.

[islandgirl70]

A hotel would let you sit in their lobby or bar, use their pool not tell you to wait outside in the hot Florida sun. I also am concerned if this will impact hotel shuttles. Several I have used in the past did not run all day.

 

 

Has CCL said we can't wait in the lobby? I know it's not what anyone is used too but I can see why they are doing it. Once you are given your check in time you can plan accordingly. It will be the same as debarkation, they will have staggered times so it is easier and not so crowded. But either way people will complain, if they have to wait in line at security and through check in or if they don't have to wait but are given a later check in.

[kingoftheicedragons]

A hotel would let you sit in their lobby or bar, use their pool not tell you to wait outside in the hot Florida sun. I also am concerned if this will impact hotel shuttles. Several I have used in the past did not run all day.

 

I shake my head when I see comments like this. I have gone to check in to hotels early in the past, and I have literally been told that I have to come back in 1-2 hours when the rooms are ready. Some will hold luggage a head of time, but not all. I'm not going to become a pushy person or start making demands when I'm told that...I just abide by the rules and wishes of the hotel.

 

And our travel history is more than most--during the spring/summer/fall months, we stay in hotels anywhere between 1-3 weekends per month, so I'd say I have a lot of experience with dealing with hotels.

[kingoftheicedragons]

That's how I feel. If I am assigned 3pm, let's say,, there are people that have been enjoying the ship for 5 hours already. Like you said, fair is fair and like I said, doesn't hurt me because I usually don't board until around 2pm or so anyway. I just know others try and get on as early as possible and it seems important to them.

 

While I'm not a fan of the staggered check-in, I have yet to see many good arguments against it.

 

But you say that if you board at 3 pm, others have been enjoying the ship for five hours. This isn't true. People may check in at 10 a.m., true, but they're not enjoying the ship. If someone checks in at 10 a.m., they sit in a terminal until 11:30 or 12 typically when they start the boarding process. This is an hour and a half to two hours of waiting similar to waiting at the airport--except there are no restaurants or shops to browse in while you're waiting at the cruise port. Even when they start boarding the ship, it's similar to boarding an airplane, and they do so in zones, and these zones can extend into some pretty high numbers, so you're still sitting and waiting awhile even when they start boarding, depending on what time you showed up at the port.

 

If you check in at 2 pm, chances are, you check in and you board the ship immediately. No waiting involved. What staggered check-in will do, however, is probably increase the lines later into the afternoon so that the check-in process probably won't be as quick for those who usually wait later in the day to check-in. And, if you check-in at 2:00, those already on the ship have only been there a couple of hours before you.