What’s the latest you would arrive to the port?

[riclop]

I’m going on my 13th cruise with my BF...his first. I’ve tried explaining that you don’t get on the ship right before it sails, but he’s not convinced. He flies every week for work and is used to arriving just in time to catch his flight and thinks the cruise is like that. Just a way to get someplace. I said “NO!!!!” We usually arrive around noon, get lunch, walk around the ship, find our cabin, get a drink, sit by the pool and listen to music, etc.

 

He wants to explore Miami (which we will do the day before). I tried to compromise and say 1:30...he still wasn’t convinced. It does say if you arrive less than 2 hours before sailing you’re in charge of your luggage. I’m hoping this will make him understand. Ugh!!! Thankfully this is just a 4 day cruise, in case he doesn’t like it.

 

Any other things I should tell him to make him want to get there earlier?

It's your problem, good luck.

[lizardhowson]

For a 4pm sailing you need to be onboard by 2:30 (I believe). Once that cut off time arrives you will not be allowed to board.

 

It would be a shame to stand on the dock and watch your ship sail away because he was stubborn.

 

You paid for all the amenities on boarding day, why not take advantage of it??

 

Not entirely true. I have arrived at 3:30PM for a 4PM cruise due to a trip to the ER for our grandson. Our luggage was taken and loaded.

 

I made a call to Carnival to advise of our late arrival from the ER and it was all good.

[Quilcruisers]

We arrived one year about 130. It was chaos getting through all the people and lines. We didn’t board until after 230. By the time we got to our cabins and met back on lido, it was time for muster. Everything was closed, no food to be had. Luckily we carried on chips and pretzels and stuff like that. That is what we ate until the ship opened the food up again. It was very harried for our first day as we are used to getting started on vacation early and by the time 2 pm rolls around, we are unpacked, on lido getting ready for sail away after muster. We typically select the very first boarding. We usually leave Houston about 8 am no matter what and we live near Galveston and are very familiar with the port and the city. We like to take it easy on the first day and not risk missing anything. The last cruise we took, it was my husband and I. We met a really nice lady at the buffet. Her husband was not with her because he left his documents at home. Luckily they lived about an hour away. She boarded, he left to go back home to get documents. Even still he made it back about 1pm, the second time around so because they had arrived so early, they prevented a possible disaster.

 

 

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[Drazil65]

I would never get onboard that late, you are paying for that day so start enjoying as soon as you can! If he insists, then you board when you want and tell him you will meet him at the cabin later! He has never cruised so why is he making an assumptions about how you do things? You are the one with the experience so you set the pace, he should defer to you on this one...good luck!!!

[LadyMac72]

My Mom gets REALLY anxious when it comes to times for boarding - whether it's a cruise, a flight - or a trip to the movies! The idea of being late will cause a lot of stress. Our next cruise leaves at 4 p.m. and we will overnight in Tampa the day before the cruise and I'm going to purchase FttF to help keep her calm. Waiting in a line would be the pits for her and she would be ruined for at least the first day of the cruise.

 

I'll get us to the terminal early and onto the ship... that way we can get a table and a lunch or a snack and decompress. The whole point of a vacation is to relax and you do what you need to in order to relax. If your BF is stressing you out, please talk to him. I hope you have a great time (and that he gets bitten by the cruise bug and wants to go again!).

[LostPuppy]

The idea that "you will be denied boarding if you're not aboard 90 minute prior to sailing" is a bunch of BS. I've shown up with less than an hour to spare and had no problems all.

Why do people continue to promote this lie?

[cb at sea]

We prefer to arrive when boarding opens...not before! No sense standing there in line, waiting! We eat a late breakfast, then head to port. Generally, boarding has started...the early birds have gotten out of the way, and we simply proceed onto the ship. Because of the late breakfast, we don't need to partake in the feeding frenzy which seems to be the 1st thing everyone wants to do!

I wear my swimsuit under my clothes, so I can hit the pool with my frozen drink and get the vacation started!

[Lottacruises]

The idea that "you will be denied boarding if you're not aboard 90 minute prior to sailing" is a bunch of BS. I've shown up with less than an hour to spare and had no problems all.

Why do people continue to promote this lie?

 

Ditto. And I am not sorry either.

[TEXASMUNK]

HOMELAND SECURITY: Must be checked in at least 90 minutes prior to departure...explain to our boyfriend, it is not an airplane.

[Rala]

The idea that "you will be denied boarding if you're not aboard 90 minute prior to sailing" is a bunch of BS. I've shown up with less than an hour to spare and had no problems all.

Why do people continue to promote this lie?

 

Due to weather and airline difficulties we checked in with about 75 minutes to spare until sail away and had no problems. Apparently, there is some "wiggle room" in the voice of doom from Homeland Security. Also, our shuttle driver told us that he has a few times times dropped people off to check-in less than 90 minutes before the ship was due to depart and they were allowed to board. :)

[A&Jfamily]

I’m going on my 13th cruise with my BF...his first. I’ve tried explaining that you don’t get on the ship right before it sails, but he’s not convinced. He flies every week for work and is used to arriving just in time to catch his flight and thinks the cruise is like that. Just a way to get someplace. I said “NO!!!!” We usually arrive around noon, get lunch, walk around the ship, find our cabin, get a drink, sit by the pool and listen to music, etc.

 

He wants to explore Miami (which we will do the day before). I tried to compromise and say 1:30...he still wasn’t convinced. It does say if you arrive less than 2 hours before sailing you’re in charge of your luggage. I’m hoping this will make him understand. Ugh!!! Thankfully this is just a 4 day cruise, in case he doesn’t like it.

 

Any other things I should tell him to make him want to get there earlier?

 

We get on when I want to get on or no balcony club? :'):o:p

[Saint Greg]

Why pay for lunch when it's already included in your cruise fare?

 

And yes, later arrivals have to handle their own luggage and security has extra time to thoroughly check suitcases for contraband because they have so few people boarding at that time.

 

What if there's unexpected traffic or other delays, there's no later ship to catch (like flights). It means at best a plane ticket at your expense, at worst a waste of the entire cruise fare.

 

I would plan for no later than 2pm.

 

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I've done it in New Orleans so I'd say better food off of the boat? Why pay for a specialty restaurant when MDR is included in your cruise fare?

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

I don't have that issue as we like to show up as early as possible!

[SPKEMO]

We usually get there at 11. Check in, and then on the ship by 11:20.

 

 

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[Palmetto Pilot]

1100 is the absolute latest I arrive at the port. I paid for that day, lets get it started.

[Computer Nerd]

1000 for me. Always.

[mean.green10]

After 3pm. The lines are gone. The room is ready. Drop off my luggage & get a Guys Burger.

 

 

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[simplelife]

The latest we have ever arrived is about 1:30. Leisurely morning at hotel. Easiest embarkation ever. No lines at check-in. Walked right onto the ship and to our cabin. No lines at buffet. Enjoyed the experience as much or more than an earlier arrival fighting lines.

[AmBear]

I’m going on my 13th cruise with my BF...his first. I’ve tried explaining that you don’t get on the ship right before it sails, but he’s not convinced. He flies every week for work and is used to arriving just in time to catch his flight and thinks the cruise is like that. Just a way to get someplace. I said “NO!!!!” We usually arrive around noon, get lunch, walk around the ship, find our cabin, get a drink, sit by the pool and listen to music, etc.

 

He wants to explore Miami (which we will do the day before). I tried to compromise and say 1:30...he still wasn’t convinced. It does say if you arrive less than 2 hours before sailing you’re in charge of your luggage. I’m hoping this will make him understand. Ugh!!! Thankfully this is just a 4 day cruise, in case he doesn’t like it.

 

Any other things I should tell him to make him want to get there earlier?

 

We arrive early to board with the Platinums! Head directly to our cabin to drop off or carry on, then we're off to eat!

[Havingfun2010]

I’m going on my 13th cruise with my BF...his first. I’ve tried explaining that you don’t get on the ship right before it sails, but he’s not convinced. He flies every week for work and is used to arriving just in time to catch his flight and thinks the cruise is like that. Just a way to get someplace. I said “NO!!!!” We usually arrive around noon, get lunch, walk around the ship, find our cabin, get a drink, sit by the pool and listen to music, etc.

 

He wants to explore Miami (which we will do the day before). I tried to compromise and say 1:30...he still wasn’t convinced. It does say if you arrive less than 2 hours before sailing you’re in charge of your luggage. I’m hoping this will make him understand. Ugh!!! Thankfully this is just a 4 day cruise, in case he doesn’t like it.

 

Any other things I should tell him to make him want to get there earlier?

 

If all else fails, when you check out of the hotel, go to the ship, and let him know that you expect him to pick you up in four days, if he misses the ship. Tell him the rules, and you go get on.

[gatour]

Actually it is one hour. The cruise lines pad the extra 30 minutes.

 

HOMELAND SECURITY: Must be checked in at least 90 minutes prior to departure...explain to our boyfriend, it is not an airplane.

[NCbmwmom]

The idea that "you will be denied boarding if you're not aboard 90 minute prior to sailing" is a bunch of BS. I've shown up with less than an hour to spare and had no problems all.

Why do people continue to promote this lie?

 

If people would look at their boarding pass it clearly states departure time at 4 final boarding is 3. Not quite 90 minuets. I agree with you. Quit spreading lies and just look at the boarding pass.

[christyran1228]

My boarding pass says 3pm for a 4pm departure, but I don't think I could push it that far. We have 11:30-noon check in time, but since we don't have FTTF or platinum or diamond, I'm considering 1-1:30 to be able to go straight to our cabin and avoid the rush.

[mulewagon]

We always reserve for 11:30. Hotel throws us out at 11:00, we taxi to cruise port. The early crowd is all in and we go right through the line. Our room has been ready by then so far, so drop carry-ons and get to exploring!

 

(Actually last time they gave my mother one of those welcome drinks. She's 82 so had to carry her to the room and pour her into bed, then pour her out again to be the life of the muster. Arriving early gave us plenty of time for all that.)

[ProgRockCruiser]

I must say, this is a bizarre thread. "My advice is dump your BF." "It's your problem, good luck". Yeesh. The OP asked nicely about how to change her BF's mindset about traveling (why a cruise is different from an airplane), not life-advice.

 

As for being denied boarding if arriving within 90 or 60 min of sailing: lots of folks here say they have pushed the envelope and still gotten aboard. Anyone been denied? (I doubt anyone will admit to it...)

 

This part is one of the good comments though:

 

Personally, I’m not showing up before my cabin is ready. I’m not schlepping my carryons around through the crowds, looking for a place to wait.

 

I get it, and if that is what works for you, then that is great! We limit our carry-ons to a camera bag (we shoot "serious amateur", I suppose) and a back-pack with essentials. Everything else goes into the checked bags.

 

Not sure what we will do for our Dec cruise, I've booked the Steakhouse for first night, we'd want to make sure we have nice clothes for that of course, would be a shame if bags arrived late. So we might arrive a bit later with a slightly bigger carry-on, and go straight to our cabin.