check-in vs boarding and FTTF

[gladahc]

Been reading, lurking, learning, and THANKS FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL INFORMATION!

 

Just getting a little clarification for myself (1st timer here): is there a benefit to checking in early (10am-noon ish) for embarkation? If boarding at Miami is 12:30-4, and we already have FTTF, is there any real benefit to a 10am check-in? Or is that more for the non-diamond/platinum/FTTF people who want to get on the boat faster (as in....zone 1)?

[It's a Ship!!!]

Been reading, lurking, learning, and THANKS FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL INFORMATION!

 

Just getting a little clarification for myself (1st timer here): is there a benefit to checking in early (10am-noon ish) for embarkation? If boarding at Miami is 12:30-4, and we already have FTTF, is there any real benefit to a 10am check-in? Or is that more for the non-diamond/platinum/FTTF people who want to get on the boat faster (as in....zone 1)?

Most ships will board at around 11:30 at the earliest, but could be later depending on customs and how fast people get off the ship. So if you really want to be one of the first on the ship, then you can go early and wait for boarding, but if you arrive after they have already started boarding you will just get on the ship immediately after check in. A non FTTF person would have to arrive early to get on board early.

[maldenmusic]

The one time we did FTTF, we got onboard the ship just before the Zone 1 passengers that had arrived earliest. We gained about 5 minutes with our FTTF.

[HectorAchilleus]

The one time we did FTTF, we got onboard the ship just before the Zone 1 passengers that had arrived earliest. We gained about 5 minutes with our FTTF.

 

Wow! $60.00 to get on 5 minutes earlier!

 

Unless a cruise has a tender port, it really is not much of a benefit, but, then again, I usually use GS late when there are no lines, and I give all of my stuff to the porters, so most of the other benefits do not mean much to me.

[poobears]

$59.99 buys me a room that's ready when I get on. I am not leaving a bag with my passsports and meds with a porter. I can drop my bag, grab some lunch, hit my balcony and start my vacation in peace. Worth every penny :D

 

Whatever works for you, it's your cruise.

[lablover61]

We love FTTF, try to get every cruise. So many benefits for $50/$60 . Best bargain on Carnival.

[gladahc]

Wow! $60.00 to get on 5 minutes earlier!

 

Unless a cruise has a tender port, it really is not much of a benefit, but, then again, I usually use GS late when there are no lines, and I give all of my stuff to the porters, so most of the other benefits do not mean much to me.

 

And $60 to not have to sit in the terminal for 2.5 hours before boarding. All of our port stops have tenders I believe as well. I'm trying to think of it as a Disney Park fastpass. I'm all for less time having to hurry up and wait. :)

[erinmarie424]

We love FTTF, try to get every cruise. So many benefits for $50/$60 . Best bargain on Carnival.

 

Depends on how many people you have in the cabin. A real bargain for four people, a nice convenience for two, total ripoff for one.

 

I've had FTTF on the past three cruises where I was with one other person. First two cruises I loved it, last time I did not get my luggage until after dinner and after going to GS twice to ask about it. They did the right thing and refunded my money without me even having to ask for it. I will continue to get it when I am with one other person for the convenience of getting on early. But next time i might put my dinner clothes in my carry-on. :o

 

My next cruise I'm going solo and just like everything else on Carnival no breaks for the solo cruisers (not complaining, just stating a fact) so I'll be hanging out at the hotel until my 12:00 noon checkout time, get to port when the lines have started moving (hopefully,) carry on my bag, and hang out at the atrium bar for a tick tock until the rooms are ready and I can drop my stuff. $50 is a day of Cheers! and for me is just too much to pay for one person to get on an hour or two early. Again, not complaining as I realize the stewards have to get a whole room ready no matter how many people are staying in it.

[TerReuv]

$59.99 buys me a room that's ready when I get on. I am not leaving a bag with my passsports and meds with a porter. I can drop my bag, grab some lunch, hit my balcony and start my vacation in peace. Worth every penny :D

 

Whatever works for you, it's your cruise.

 

For us it helps when debarking too. We can be off early (after self carry) and get back on the road to home. Not that I want to leave the ship, but if I have to leave, I want to get back on the road and get on home!

[Sabalon]

Lurk a little more - tons of threads with the same question answered. However there is soooo much that returns with a search, I can understand asking again :)

 

But as others have said, FTTF isn't just early boarding.

 

They clear the ship from prior sailing, do whatever turnover, and when they're ready to start boarding they're ready. They don't board the Diamond/Platinum/FTTF people and then make everyone else wait. So if they call all the early boarders and get done, then they will begin with the general boarding. So yes, you may get on 5 minutes before someone who has the cheapest ticket possible with no frills.

 

HOWEVER, you get to stay out of some of the general queues. So if you show up at 1pm and there are 500ppl lined up for check-in, you get to walk around them to the FTTF security and checkin line.

 

When you do get on board, your stateroom is ready for you. Drop off those carryon bags so you don't have to haul them around for 2-3 hours.

 

Your baggage delivery is expedited.

 

If you have lots of tendered ports on your cruise, you get priority on them.

 

Guest Service lines - same thing.

 

And disembarking - get off when you are ready to, which if you have travel home, you're good to go.

 

So yes, you may get on the boat right before someone without it. Miami in July - I'm looking forward to ditching everything I can so I can get food and get in the pool ASAP before it's full of kids. Also, it really helps me, because I usually end up carrying my wife and kids stuff as well !!!

 

Since you already have FTTF, then (from what I understand) the check-in times are meaningless to you. You can show up whenever. My check-in time is 10:30 and we'll probably get there right around then. My thinking is you never know when the ship will be ready, so I want to be ready when it is.

 

I get anxious in situations like this, so it means I get things out of the way - parking, checkin, baggage drop off, etc so at 10:45 or so instead of thinking "Did my birth certificate fall out of our folder? Did they cancel our reservation for some crazy unfounded reason?" I can instead just sit there, watch people and contently wait. The other reason for the earlier checkin time (before we got FTTF) is I don't know Miami. But it's a big city, and I prefer to be able to get there before most of the city wakes up and clogs the streets. It may be a non-issue, but again - see anxiety above :)

 

All that said - our first two were without FTTF, had no idea what we were doing, and had a blast :)

[RWolver672]

The one time we did FTTF, we got onboard the ship just before the Zone 1 passengers that had arrived earliest. We gained about 5 minutes with our FTTF.

 

Wow! $60.00 to get on 5 minutes earlier!

 

But they got on a whole lot earlier than those that had a Zone 5 that arrived later. Lets say I paid $2400 for an 8 day cruise. That's $300 for the first day. Do I want to be sitting in a warehouse waiting to board when my zone is called or do I want to pay and additional $60 to be able to be on the ship along with the other benefits. To us, that's a no brainer.

[theprincessfromohio]

We just booked our second cruise and I want to make sure that I do everything correctly with our FTTF purchase. We cruised for the first time in June and had it, but I have a sneaky suspicion that we did something wrong lol.

 

When we got on the ship, which was about 12:30, our rooms were not ready. Or at least, they were behind the closed doors with the signs that said rooms wouldn't be ready until 1:30.

 

Also, currently our boarding time says 12:30 or something like that. Can we simply arrive early since we are FTTF?

 

What do I need to do with my luggage so it might get delivered earlier? Last time it arrived JUST before we had to get dressed for dinner.

 

Thanks!

[firemanbobswife]

We just booked our second cruise and I want to make sure that I do everything correctly with our FTTF purchase. We cruised for the first time in June and had it, but I have a sneaky suspicion that we did something wrong lol.

 

 

 

When we got on the ship, which was about 12:30, our rooms were not ready. Or at least, they were behind the closed doors with the signs that said rooms wouldn't be ready until 1:30.

 

 

 

Also, currently our boarding time says 12:30 or something like that. Can we simply arrive early since we are FTTF?

 

 

 

What do I need to do with my luggage so it might get delivered earlier? Last time it arrived JUST before we had to get dressed for dinner.

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

That sign says Diamond/Platinum/FTTF can go through the doors. Your room would have been ready.

 

You need to make sure you have the Porters put on the orange tags. No orange tags - no Priority luggage delivery.

 

Edited June 25, 2016 by firemanbobswife

[theprincessfromohio]

Hmm. Maybe I shouldn't have taken someone else's word for what the sign said. Thanks!

[firemanbobswife]

Hmm. Maybe I shouldn't have taken someone else's word for what the sign said. Thanks!

 

 

You're welcome. Now you know for next time!