Best staggered check in time??

[happyfunjoy906]

Hello all! This is my first post. I'll start by saying I absolutely love this forum! Such a great place for cruise lovers to come together :) My husband and I will be aboard the Carnival Splender on December 10-18, 2016 leaving out of Miami! What are your opinions on the best time to check in and board? Should we aim for the first available check in time? Or go later in the day? I'd love to hear all opinions/experiences with staggered check ins.

[dacsmom]

I like to check in early because most of the time I fly in the day before and I am an early bird. I have breakfast at whatever hotel and head to the port. I like to explore the ship before it gets really crowded.

[First and Ten]

If you don't like crowds and lines, show up to the port between 1-2 and you will be on the ship in no time....If you have the 8 yr old "FIRSTIE" mentality and afraid you will miss anything, show up at the crack of dawn with the rest of the lemmings to line up to get on the ship

 

 

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Edited September 11, 2016 by First and Ten

[maldenmusic]

We like to arrive early and people watch at the port. Kind of the start of our vacation.

[RHilla619]

I think the overall answer here is the earlier the better, because you can't go in before your time if you were to arrive early. But you can always go after your time if your running late.

[KatieCharlotte]

If you don't like crowds and lines, show up to the port between 1-2 and you will be on the ship in no time....If you have the 8 yr old "FIRSTIE" mentality and afraid you will miss anything, show up at the crack of dawn with the rest of the lemmings to line up to get on the ship

 

 

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I feel like such a lemming when I'm relaxing in an empty hot tub at 1 p.m. after a nice onboard lunch. ;)

 

Honestly, it depends on your preferences. I find it less stressful to get to the port early, but that's just my preference. The size of lines and crowds at different times can vary from ship to ship and cruise to cruise, so there isn't even a guarantee that one time will be less busy than another. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that your check-in time is not your boarding time. Once your check-in window starts and you enter the terminal, you'll still have to go through lines and wait for your zone to be called -- which might be immediately or not for awhile. If your check-in time is early, you'll also be waiting for boarding to actually start, which can vary by ship and how quickly they clear the last cruise. I have seen boarding start anywhere from 11:15 to 12:30.

[Sparky2]

We have priority boarding so do like to get to the port early, especially when there is a nice lounge at the port - ie. Miami's captains lounge.

 

However, we've always been at the port early because we get kicked out of the hotel by 11:00 and have no place else to go.

[conwakr]

We like to arrive 11:30 ish. Generally need to check out of the hotel late morning by 11 and generally don't have any errands to do on that morning, so check out and head for port.

[rufflesmom]

We like to get to the port early rather than later. I don't mind waiting in lines. for me it is part of the cruise experience. We usually leave out of Galveston cause I have sisters in the area. We are there a few days before cruise to visit. This cruise we will be staying with sister who lives 30 minutes from the port. We got early check-in time because every week she has had to watch the ships leave without her. She is anxious to get on. (She works on Galveston island and sees the ships in port all the time). And she is my ride to the ship so I go when she does.

[jh2360]

If you don't like crowds and lines, show up to the port between 1-2 and you will be on the ship in no time....If you have the 8 yr old "FIRSTIE" mentality and afraid you will miss anything, show up at the crack of dawn with the rest of the lemmings to line up to get on the ship

 

 

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You're so edgy. Maybe not be such a Richard there cupcake...

 

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[dacsmom]

If you don't like crowds and lines, show up to the port between 1-2 and you will be on the ship in no time....If you have the 8 yr old "FIRSTIE" mentality and afraid you will miss anything, show up at the crack of dawn with the rest of the lemmings to line up to get on the ship

 

 

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But if you show up at the crack of dawn you cannot get on the ship because the previous cruisers are still leaving. Who do you know who actually does that?

[First and Ten]

But if you show up at the crack of dawn you cannot get on the ship because the previous cruisers are still leaving. Who do you know who actually does that?

 

 

Crack of dawn was a bit of an exaggeration....more like 8 am....last cruise we went with 3 other couples....all stayed in the hotel about 5 miles from port. My phone rings at 8 am, waking me up...."Where are you guys"? Two of the couples left the hotel around 7:30 to get to the port. "There is already a long line here, you better get here". I went back to sleep. I walked onto the ship at 2 pm, after I arrived at 1:30. Met them on Lido deck. They told me they boarded at 12:30 after showing up at 7:45....but hey, they were one of the first groups on :rolleyes:

 

 

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Edited September 12, 2016 by First and Ten

[tonit964]

Hello all! This is my first post. I'll start by saying I absolutely love this forum! Such a great place for cruise lovers to come together :) My husband and I will be aboard the Carnival Splender on December 10-18, 2016 leaving out of Miami! What are your opinions on the best time to check in and board? Should we aim for the first available check in time? Or go later in the day? I'd love to hear all opinions/experiences with staggered check ins.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

It really depends on you and hotel check out times, etc.

 

We like to check in early and start our vacation. The rooms won't be ready until about 1:30pm so you'll have to take your carry-ons with you to lunch.

As another poster said, you can choose the earliest time and if you're running late, no problem.

 

It just depends on your preference. There are people that like to check in/board later and some like us, that like early.

[tonit964]

If you don't like crowds and lines, show up to the port between 1-2 and you will be on the ship in no time....If you have the 8 yr old "FIRSTIE" mentality and afraid you will miss anything, show up at the crack of dawn with the rest of the lemmings to line up to get on the ship

 

 

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You really do love repeating this over and over and over.

What is it to you that some want to check in/board early? It seems like it really disturbs you whenever anyone mentions it and then you go on with your ever repeating comment.

Everyone is different. You prefer later, some prefer sooner.

 

I remember all the other threads with your same chant, 8 year old "firstie" mentality. Give it a rest, we all know how you feel.

[leaski]

We have always arrived between 10 and 10:30. I like to get the process over with as soon as possible. I don't do well with crowds, so we buzz through early, find a seat and chill till boarding time. At that point we are able to get to Lido, eat and be out of there before the crowds dragging their luggage make their way up there.While people are still boarding, we are off exploring, and most times end up in the room to chill/nap till the muster. Generally, we have been up early and like to rejuvenate ourselves for the first evening on board.

[First and Ten]

You really do love repeating this over and over and over.

 

What is it to you that some want to check in/board early? It seems like it really disturbs you whenever anyone mentions it and then you go on with your ever repeating comment.

 

Everyone is different. You prefer later, some prefer sooner.

 

 

 

I remember all the other threads with your same chant, 8 year old "firstie" mentality. Give it a rest, we all know how you feel.

 

 

Sharing my opinion tonit....apparently differs from yours and somehow that bothers you....in all fairness, do I tell you what to post? Do I say for you to give your opinion a rest?

 

 

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Edited September 12, 2016 by First and Ten

[cajunfla]

Check in time is NOT the same as boarding time. Check in gets you into the terminal. Boarding obviously gets you on the ship.

 

Our experience was in NOLA. Had a check in time of 11:30. Arrived at the port about noon, walked directly past the outside line in the sun/rain, direct to indoor check in, as our checkin time had passed. In NOLA, upon checkin, you are given a boarding zone number, and Carnival calls by zones to board. We waited in the terminal air condition about 15 minutes.

 

YMMV in Miami

[tonit964]

Sharing my opinion tonit....apparently differs from yours and somehow that bothers you....in all fairness, do I tell you what to post? Do I say for you to give your opinion a rest?

 

 

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You know what? You are absolutely right. You can and should post whatever you feel. My apologies, sincerely.

[riclop]

Hello all! This is my first post. I'll start by saying I absolutely love this forum! Such a great place for cruise lovers to come together :) My husband and I will be aboard the Carnival Splender on December 10-18, 2016 leaving out of Miami! What are your opinions on the best time to check in and board? Should we aim for the first available check in time? Or go later in the day? I'd love to hear all opinions/experiences with staggered check ins.

 

We pick the earliest time .

[cruznjan]

Get the earliest available check-in time. If you're late, you can still check-in.