FTTF and boarding times

[maya2012puppy]

It has been a few years since my husband and I have cruised...:(:(We have plantinum but the couple cruising with us does not. I understand that they cannot board with us, but the last time we cruised, we did not have to sign up for a boarding time...can someone explain how the boarding time is scheduled and what the Faster to the Fun involves.

Thanks in advance.

[WLHyatt]

You choose your boarding time during check in, and you apparently can only do check in a certain time ahead of the cruise. If you are platinum/diamond or have FTTF you choose a check in time but can arrive any time regardless of that time slot selected.

[skrufy]

Check in times will appear 90 days prior to your cruise. To complete your check in you must choose a check in time. You can arrive anytime you want. Platinum will check in on one line and FTTFs on another. If you arrive and go through check in let's say at 1100am, boarding might not begin until 1130am you will go to the waiting area. At 11300am boarding will start with diamonds then platinum, then FTTFs. You can wait with your friends to board, it will be a few minutes behind the Platinums. Arriving, let's say at 1pm same procedure except you will board as soon as check in is complete.

[maryred]

As part of your online check-in process, opens 90 days prior to departure, you will be asked to pick your check-in appointment. Without priority this would be the earliest time frame people on your booking could enter the cruise terminal. With priority you can disregard that and enter the terminal as early as the terminal allows new passengers. If checking in prior to the beginning of boarding it will not shorten your wait perceivably, but if your travel plans have you arrive after boarding has began, once the ship clears the backlog of waiting passengers it does in a very tangible way improve the boarding process. Regardless of your priority status you should try to pick a check-in appointment that most closely matches your travel arrangements that the port can allocate personnel to the correct areas (priority vs. general)

 

As for your friends if they decide to purchase FttF they will get the same priority processing at the terminal, so if you arrive together you can check-in at the same time at the priority counter. The difference at most terminals is that FttF does not have access to the Captain's/Priority Lounge to wait for embarkation to begin, they will be asked to wait in a separate area and board after the Lounge is emptied. As Platinum you can choose to wait with them in the FttF area. But if you both arrive after boarding has begun as soon as you finish the physical check-in you will be put with the next group doing general zone boarding, without visiting the Lounge or the FttF waiting area.

 

IN additional to priority boarding and disembarkation FttF will also allow those in that cabin certain on board Platinum perks like early cabin access, priority luggage delivery, use of the Platinum/Diamond line at customer service, priority tender outbound boarding, and priority specialty restaurant reservations.