When does boarding typically start in San Pedro?

[AZ Stan (FKA Stan in Chicago)]

A friend is willing to give us a ride to the port in L.A., but he has to be back home by noon. That means we should be arriving at the pier about 11 AM. How long do you think we will have to wait in the terminal before they allow Elite boarding?

 

Stan

[beg3yrs]

Depends on lots of factors you can't control such as Coast Guard inspections, ICE inspections and even norovirus deep cleaning. That said, if all goes well, boarding can start as early as 11AM. I'd be happy with your currently planned arrival time. Check the Calendar section of the cruise personalizer. Down at the bottom in announcements, Princess generally provides boarding times for your particular sailing.

[f-mattox]

11:00 a.m. is perfect. You should be able to check in as soon as you arrive and Elite boarding should begin before noon.

[f-mattox]

11:00 a.m. is perfect. You should be able to check in as soon as you arrive and boarding should begin before noon.

[toescat]

I have cruised out of San Pedro at least 16 times and we have always been inside the terminal at 10 am. We also have been on the ship around 12. Only once did we not board until 4 and that was because the ship did not arrive in port until 11 due to bad weather. We were still in the terminal around 10:30

[pjrockman]

11:00 a.m. is perfect. You should be able to check in as soon as you arrive and boarding should begin before noon.

 

 

Thanks, f-mattox. We will also be going out of San Pedro for our first time next month. We are 'regulars' from Port Everglades, but we've been gathering info on LA and San Pedro for our first foray to/from that port.

 

Safe Journeys, Paul

 

 

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[Colo Cruiser]

A friend is willing to give us a ride to the port in L.A., but he has to be back home by noon. That means we should be arriving at the pier about 11 AM. How long do you think we will have to wait in the terminal before they allow Elite boarding?

 

Stan

 

 

Last week we boarded at 11:45.

Check in started around 10:45.

In San Pedro we have never boarded later than 12:15.

Of course there can always be some disruptions.

We arrive by 10:00.

[Pam in CA]

I've embarked many times in San Pedro. Check-in usually starts at about 10:30am but I've seen it start at 11am. I've boarded as early as 11:15am and as late as 12:45. I'm Elite so I've had priority boarding.

 

Delays depend on a number of factors. One could be people doing back-to-backs who don't think they need to disembark the ship and that the packet they received with instructions didn't apply to them. I once saw embarkation delayed for over an hour and a half because four people refused to disembark the ship.

 

San Pedro often has Princess corporate events/luncheons which can delay boarding as dozens of Princess employees board the ship before passengers. That happened on my recent 4-day cruise embarking March 9th. There must have been a hundred Princess employees embarking for the day.

[Thrak]

I've embarked many times in San Pedro. Check-in usually starts at about 10:30am but I've seen it start at 11am. I've boarded as early as 11:15am and as late as 12:45. I'm Elite so I've had priority boarding.

 

Delays depend on a number of factors. One could be people doing back-to-backs who don't think they need to disembark the ship and that the packet they received with instructions didn't apply to them. I once saw embarkation delayed for over an hour and a half because four people refused to disembark the ship.

 

San Pedro often has Princess corporate events/luncheons which can delay boarding as dozens of Princess employees board the ship before passengers. That happened on my recent 4-day cruise embarking March 9th. There must have been a hundred Princess employees embarking for the day.

 

This is one of the things I'm really hoping the new medallion system fixes. Staff will be able to immediately locate those who don't think they need to follow the rules so it won't be such a wait while trying to find them.

[LovetheSea]

We are cruising on the Star Princess in early April out of San Pedro. I just got a boarding schedule from Princess for a staggered embarkation. Depending which deck your cabin is on. They say we are supposed to board at 12:30. For Caribe Deck , First group.

But we are Platinum so get priority boarding, as well as Elite members.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Your friend can certainly drop you off by 11 (maybe even 10:30). I can't imagine why you can't unload your luggage and then let your friend leave right after. He won't be able to come into the terminal anyway.

[frugaltravel]

Your friend can certainly drop you off by 11 (maybe even 10:30). I can't imagine why you can't unload your luggage and then let your friend leave right after. He won't be able to come into the terminal anyway.

 

Last month it seemed anyone was allowed in the terminal but not past check in. YMMV.

 

People were boarding by 11am when we were there. We checked in then went to the USS Iowa just next door. Well worth it.

[caribill]

We are cruising on the Star Princess in early April out of San Pedro. I just got a boarding schedule from Princess for a staggered embarkation. Depending which deck your cabin is on. They say we are supposed to board at 12:30. For Caribe Deck , First group.

But we are Platinum so get priority boarding, as well as Elite members.

 

The staggered boarding times are only a suggestion, not a rule.

[LovetheSea]

Ha Ha. I was thinking that when I got the notification. People will get there as soon as they can regardless. The last staggered group isn't until 2:30 pm. Now who is going to wait to go there until that late? Unless you have a late flight, or have to work that day or something?

Usually you get there . Give the luggage to the porters. Go through all the lines. Scan what you are carrying. Fill out the health documentation slip. Wait in another line to check in. Then they sit you down in a chair and you have to wait until they say your can now board the ship. No matter how early you get there.

Priority just gets on first, when they clear the ship to board.

[AZ Stan (FKA Stan in Chicago)]

Thanks to all for your replies. I thought that boarding usually starts at noon or before, but I was not sure.

 

It did remind me of the time when we were doing a Mexican Riviera in April 2005. We drove to the pier, (there were six of us) and could not find a Princess ship anywhere. After wandering for awhile, we found a security guard who told us the Diamond Princess was delayed, and suggested we go somewhere for another 4 hours. So we went to lunch, saw a movie, and returned.

 

The terminal was packed to the gills. People sitting on their carry-ons, the floor, anywhere they could find room. Princess set up water stations, and had employees roaming the terminal with hors d oeuvres.

 

None of that, of course, made the crowd happy. Boarding finally started at about 7 PM. Trying to get through the mob, waving the preferred boarding card was interesting to say the least. I don't think boarding was completed until about 9 PM.

 

That's what can happen with engine problems. Hope this is not a repeat.

 

Stan