New policy about having to select firm embarkation time

[BallFour4]

... when these people did get on board if they weren't a priority class you had luggage strewn all over the Lido deck because rooms aren't typically ready until 1 or 1:30

 

Four cruises on three ships since the policy went into place and luggage is everywhere on the lido until the cabins are ready. If the system was designed to stop that it didn't.The buffet areas are full of families sitting and waiting for their cabins to be ready. Same with the area along deck 5 by the casino. We take our friends cruising with us to our cabin and store their carry-on luggage until their cabins are ready.

 

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Edited August 19, 2016 by BallFour4

[First and Ten]

 

Four cruises on three ships since the policy went into place and luggage is everywhere on the lido until the cabins are ready. If the system was designed to stop that it didn't.The buffet areas are full of families sitting and waiting for their cabins to be ready. Same with the area along deck 5 by the casino. We take our friends cruising with us to our cabin and store their carry-on luggage until their cabins are ready.

 

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no system is perfect, but if you are limiting the number of passengers showing up early with staggered checkin, obviously that can help the situation. You still have plenty of people without priority boarding that are picking earlier checkin times, thus the luggage on Lido....Carnival should implement a rule, Priority boarders can show up at 10 or 11....If you aren't priority, show up after 1:30. This way your room is ready and you can drop off your carryon luggage

Edited August 19, 2016 by First and Ten

[Bonnie J.]

In September we will get on Carnival for our 72nd Carnival cruise- had been cruising for 11 years before Carnival in 1997. We have 435 days on Carnival and 6 Carnival cruises booked now. So, We know all about Diamond boarding and Carnival! (We have also been on 5 other current lines and 5 that no longer exist.)

I know everything you posted in your reply to me, nothing was new but I am sure it helped others.

 

I have never seen luggage on the Lido deck, or casino area, never. Yes, by the elevators on passenger cabin decks but no where else. There is no problem with luggage outside cabin doors.

 

In Port Everglades they have a large lounge for Diamond & Platinum. This is where you check in. When the ship is cleared, all Diamonds are called and escorted onto the ship. Then Platinum & FTTF. All other passengers hold cards with a number on it. When their number is called, they board.

Edited August 19, 2016 by Bonnie J.

[First and Ten]

In September we will get on Carnival for our 72nd Carnival cruise- had been cruising for 11 years before Carnival in 1997. We have 435 days on Carnival and 6 Carnival cruises booked now. So, We know all about Diamond boarding and Carnival! (We have also been on 5 other current lines and 5 that no longer exist.)

I know everything you posted in your reply to me, nothing was new but I am sure it helped others.

 

I have never seen luggage on the Lido deck, or casino area, never. Yes, by the elevators on passenger cabin decks but no where else. There is no problem with luggage outside cabin doors.

 

In Port Everglades they have a large lounge for Diamond & Platinum. This is where you check in. When the ship is cleared, all Diamonds are called and escorted onto the ship. Then Platinum & FTTF. All other passengers hold cards with a number on it. When their number is called, they board.

 

Bonnie, I have not cruised nearly as much as you, but I will say that on a few cruises, where I have gotten onboard at 11 am or so (I had FTTF on those). By I would say 12 or 12:30, there were plenty of people with luggage on their tables and even down in the Atrium Bar, a lot of luggage around while people waited for their rooms to be ready

Edited August 19, 2016 by First and Ten

[marcyjane]

Unless you are Diamond, Platinum, FTTF, or do a Carnival transfer from the airport, you will not be allowed in the building at all until 1:00PM so plan accordingly.

 

Thanks

[luv2trvlnow]

Leaving out of Port Everglades October 1st Never got a email as to pick boarding time. But when I printed our boarding pass I guess they assigned us a time. It has 1:00 to 1:30 pm. So we should show up around 12:30 maybe. :)

Thanks

 

As far as I know Port Everglades does not have that staggered check-in. We are going out of Port Everglades next year and there is no place to choose your check in time for that cruise. And I do know where to look as we chose our time for our last cruise out of Galveston. Does your boarding pass say check in time or embarkation time? If it is check in time then I think you will not be able to enter the terminal until that time. At least that was the way it was in Galveston.

 

I looked at our boarding passes and all it says is Embarkation 1:30PM - 3:00PM.

Edited August 19, 2016 by luv2trvlnow

[jakeT]

It's not like cruise ports are a block away. Some people fly to the ship others take trains or drive. Most people arrive early, so if they run into trouble trying to the ship they still are safe,to makr it on the ship in time.

[DebJ14]

Galveston was one of the first ports to put this in place. My wife and I have cruised three times since, are both platinum and elected to go on one of the trips a week prior to sail date. Our friends were already booked and their earliest time slot was 11:30 or so.

 

Once we entered our past guest number we had 10:30 as a choice. I'm now wondering if all that are diamond and platinum have this option regardless of time of booking or registration.

 

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I don't think being Diamond or Platinum has anything to do with it. We have 2 cruises booked. One was booked 10 months in advance of the sail date and the 10:30 time slot was available. The other was booked 2 months in advance and the earliest slot still available was the 11:30 pm slot. I think the earlier slots were just already all taken. But, it matters not since I am Diamond so we will get in whenever we get there.

[Donh44]

It is confusing. I have both... a check in time and also FTTF for my next cruise.

 

Don't be confused. You need to select a checkin time. That way Carnival can estimate volume of passengers at a particular time. BUT! If you have FTTF, you can checkin whenever you get there. The checkin time does NOT apply to FTTF holders. Although it does not apply to FTTF, you still have to select a time for their estimation purposes. Not complicated at all.

[mrsdoc3]

Yep, pretty stupid program, I'd give it a few months of people getting shut out, calling carnival to complain before it gets back to the way it was before...

 

I think it's a great program. It's kind of like Disney's (Land and World, not Cruises) Fast Past. Seems like it would keep lines shorter for everyone. Haven't experienced it yet, but it sounds like a great idea to me.

[HectorAchilleus]

I think it's a great program. It's kind of like Disney's (Land and World, not Cruises) Fast Past. Seems like it would keep lines shorter for everyone. Haven't experienced it yet, but it sounds like a great idea to me.

 

We have experienced it twice already - and what an improvement!. Much less crowded and much more orderly.

[marcyjane]

As far as I know Port Everglades does not have that staggered check-in. We are going out of Port Everglades next year and there is no place to choose your check in time for that cruise. And I do know where to look as we chose our time for our last cruise out of Galveston. Does your boarding pass say check in time or embarkation time? If it is check in time then I think you will not be able to enter the terminal until that time. At least that was the way it was in Galveston.

 

I looked at our boarding passes and all it says is Embarkation 1:30PM - 3:00PM.

 

Thanks, Our boarding pass says: 1:30 - 3:00 Embarkation. So now what to do from 11:00 am check out time at the hotel til time to get shuttle to port.

[tonyweir]

I say amen to that!

 

If people would follow their assigned check in times, boarding would go so much smoother.

 

We usually arrive later (noonish) to avoid the mad house of people trying get on as soon as they can.

[Weetzie]

I say amen to that!

 

If people would follow their assigned check in times, boarding would go so much smoother.

 

We usually arrive later (noonish) to avoid the mad house of people trying get on as soon as they can.

 

This will be our first time with staggered check-in and I am interested to see how it compares to our other trips. We also show up later (usually around 1 so that is the time we chose) because we go to the Riverwalk for beignets and cafe au lait in NOLA :)

 

The real test, for me will be what the terminal looks like during debarkation and whether the staggered check-in alleviates the madhouse of people arriving at 9 while the ship is still clearing.

[poobears]

I think I will take the transfers... But how can we choose the time it says :

 

Pre Cruise Transfer From Ft Lauderdale Airport

Time: 08:00 AM - 02:00 PM

 

Can I choose to take it at 9:00? How does it work?

 

Thanks

 

If you want a guarantee of early check in, FTTF is the way to do it, not a transfer. We have had posters get stuck on slow filling transfer buses and not make it to port until the last possible minute. Yes you might get lucky and get on a bus that fills up fast but you may not either. If your airport is close to port then they will probably go without waiting for it to totally fill but it if it's quite a ways they are going to sit and sit and sit until as many flights as it takes comes in to fill the bus or until they are out of time waiting before they drive to port, they don't waste gas.

 

Since you don't want a late check in my advice is grab a cab or Uber from the airport and buy FTTF so you know you are going to get checked in early. That way you ensure your cruise starts off stress free, not sitting on a bus frustrated.

[Badfinger]

Thanks, Our boarding pass says: 1:30 - 3:00 Embarkation. So now what to do from 11:00 am check out time at the hotel til time to get shuttle to port.

 

Chances are the hotel will extend your check-out time to 12:00 or even 1:00 if you ask nicely!

[poobears]

I've seen luggage on the lido on every cruise we've been on. I don't see that changing anytime soon unless they block the early check in times like mentioned above, which I don't think is a bad idea but I highly doubt if the majority of passengers would go for it and no I'm not any of the things that would qualify for me for early boarding other than I am willing to buy FTTF when I can get it. Only people allowed on before X time are those that are Diamond, platinum, wedding, FTTF etc so there is a spot to deposit luggage.

 

I would never drop my carry ons in the hallway and leave them there. There are just as many thieves on a cruise looking for an easy opportunity as on land and security isn't watching your stuff. My carry on has not only our passports but all of meds and I'm not about to risk someone swiping them, not to mention the other things in our carry on. I carry it with me for a reason. If I don't have FTTF the bags stay with me on the Lido until the room opens up and I do check in as early as possible FTTF or not. But would not be offended if they started blocking early check ins and I couldn't get FTTF.

[Badfinger]

I've seen luggage on the lido on every cruise we've been on. I don't see that changing anytime soon unless they block the early check in times like mentioned above, which I don't think is a bad idea but I highly doubt if the majority of passengers would go for it and no I'm not any of the things that would qualify for me for early boarding other than I am willing to buy FTTF when I can get it. Only people allowed on before X time are those that are Diamond, platinum, wedding, FTTF etc so there is a spot to deposit luggage.

 

I would never drop my carry ons in the hallway and leave them there. There are just as many thieves on a cruise looking for an easy opportunity as on land and security isn't watching your stuff. My carry on has not only our passports but all of meds and I'm not about to risk someone swiping them, not to mention the other things in our carry on. I carry it with me for a reason. If I don't have FTTF the bags stay with me on the Lido until the room opens up and I do check in as early as possible FTTF or not. But would not be offended if they started blocking early check ins and I couldn't get FTTF.

 

 

The solution is simple....just do not serve any food or drink until the 6pm dining the first day. And do not open any pools or activities until after the muster drill. And give everybody a bottle of water when they board for those who in the "I need to take my medicine" crowd. Of course the masses would scream about getting one less feeding...err...meal...but that could be make up with an $8 price reduction or adding a midnight buffet.

[Darth.Vukster]

The solution is simple....just do not serve any food or drink until the 6pm dining the first day. And do not open any pools or activities until after the muster drill. And give everybody a bottle of water when they board for those who in the "I need to take my medicine" crowd. Of course the masses would scream about getting one less feeding...err...meal...but that could be make up with an $8 price reduction or adding a midnight buffet.

I don't think that solution would benefit them much. All it would do is encourage people to board at the last minute. That is likely the last thing they want to encourage.