Staggered Boarding in NOLA

[lostsoulcruiser]

Hopefully someone can provide the mechanics on how the staggered boarding times work as this is my first cruise using staggered boarding. I am leaving 11/27 and have a 12:00 -- 12:30 boarding time. I expect to arrive approximately 1 hour early. Once I get in the parking garage, check the bags and park the car, what next? Where do we wait until boarding time is called, etc. Can someone explain the mechanics? Thanks in advance for the information.

[bamagirl16]

If you arrive before your check in time you will not be allowed in to the terminal. When we cruised out of NOLA in March our check in time was 12:30 to 1:00. We got to the terminal parking garage a little after 12 and after paying, checking our luggage and getting parked we were walking in the terminal about 12:35.

 

And remember it is your check in time not boarding time. Boarding had already started and our rooms were ready by the time we were all checked in (there were 8 of us) but that may not always be the case.

[lostsoulcruiser]

If you arrive before your check in time you will not be allowed in to the terminal. When we cruised out of NOLA in March our check in time was 12:30 to 1:00. We got to the terminal parking garage a little after 12 and after paying, checking our luggage and getting parked we were walking in the terminal about 12:35.

 

And remember it is your check in time not boarding time. Boarding had already started and our rooms were ready by the time we were all checked in (there were 8 of us) but that may not always be the case.

 

Thanks for correcting my terminology. I see it is "Check in time" on my boarding pass.

[Jamericannn]

If you arrive before your check in time you will not be allowed in to the terminal. When we cruised out of NOLA in March our check in time was 12:30 to 1:00. We got to the terminal parking garage a little after 12 and after paying, checking our luggage and getting parked we were walking in the terminal about 12:35.

 

And remember it is your check in time not boarding time. Boarding had already started and our rooms were ready by the time we were all checked in (there were 8 of us) but that may not always be the case.

 

I believe you will be allowed to check in earlier than the time if you are a priority customer (Platinum, FTTF etc).

[bamagirl16]

I believe you will be allowed to check in earlier than the time if you are a priority customer (Platinum, FTTF etc).

 

Yes...priority customers can check in any time even though they still must select a time

[PoolSlider]

There was quite a gaggle of people who had to wait outside the terminal because they showed up too early. Don't be those people. Your check in time is clearly printed on your boarding pass.

 

I thought the whole process was incredibly painless. Have your boarding pass handy. We followed the usual route to the parking garage (the boarding pass was checked at the entrance to the garage), the porters took our luggage directly from our car, we then parked, took the elevator down to the terminal entrance, produced our boarding pass again. Went thru the usual security and check in. We were giving a group number, sat down and waited for number to be called. Walked onto the ship, got our drink sticker, and went up to Lido to eat and wait for our room to open. Totally non-chaotic. It was quite a change from a few years ago. Just don't show up early!

[maldenmusic]

We did the staggered check in for our July NOLA cruise and thought it went pretty well.

[halterk]

We sailed a couple weeks ago from NOLA.

When we got there (after our assigned time due to traffic delays), there was a huge long line of people waiting to get into the terminal. First time cruisers, who people not familiar might have joined in that line, and waited, and waited, as it wasn't a line to get in, but a line for their times to be called.

 

Once we got to the terminal, we walked right up, past all the people standing in line, and got right inside the building, and waited in line for security.

 

There was nobody telling us where to go, so I could very easily see a new person just getting in that line, and having to wait, not knowing that they do not have to wait in any line to get inside the terminal.

 

And although the staggered boarding is supposed to minimize waiting and lines, it still seemed like the security and check in lines were just as long as when there wasn't a staggered checkin process (but that may be because we were there around 11-11:30, which seems to be the busiest).

[cajungirlkye]

I'm sailing tomorrow and purchased FTTF. Does anyone know the earliest you can check into the Port of N.O.?

 

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