Embarkation time

[Never too young to cruise]

I am due to sail on the Seaview on 1 June 2019. My ticket has an embarkation time of 2.30pm.

 

Now, I am staying the night before in a hotel that has a 'cruise package' that includes transport to the port. However, the transport is at 10am, so I'll probably get to the port at about 10.30am.

 

Does anyone know the earliest I can board?

 

I fear I may have a lengthy wait! 

[Epos Man]

No you won’t you should be on board by 11.30-12.00

[Epos Man]

The time you have been given is set by MSC it’s to try and alleviate crowding but not many people stick to the times given

[Norwich Cruiser]

Suggested embarkation times are very rarely enforced.

[Captain-John]

Ignore the time. Bit of a silly thing if you ask me. That said, 90% of people boarding will have never heard of CC let alone be a member and read these posts. Perhaps MSC are hoping that even if a small percentage of the 90% not 'in the know' adhere to the time, it will help them out.

 

As far as I'm concerned, arrive whenever it suits you depending on your plans on embarkation day (although probably no earlier than 11!).

[Tinkerbell8]

13 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

Suggested embarkation times are very rarely enforced.

This is what I thought too but  I can tell you that sometimes MSC does enforce the suggested embarkation time. Maybe it all depends on the embarkation port.

On our last cruise out of Southampton (just few weeks ago), we had a boarding time of 14:30 and we were not allowed to board  earlier than that. We were not even allowed to enter the departure building and we had to wait in the arrival hall area until around 14:15 before we could go over to the departure building.

[Captain-John]

Crikey! That's absolutely crazy. I can honestly say if I was refused entry to the building before my 'boarding time', a time that the cruise line had plucked out of thin air, with no regard for my travel plans, then it would be the last time I'd sail with that line. Never experienced that in 15 years of cruising over 5+ different lines. Would go down like a lead welly.

[Norwich Cruiser]

53 minutes ago, Tinkerbell8 said:

This is what I thought too but  I can tell you that sometimes MSC does enforce the suggested embarkation time. Maybe it all depends on the embarkation port.

On our last cruise out of Southampton (just few weeks ago), we had a boarding time of 14:30 and we were not allowed to board  earlier than that. We were not even allowed to enter the departure building and we had to wait in the arrival hall area until around 14:15 before we could go over to the departure building.

Well I think that  you were very unlucky.

If that happened to our family we certainly wouldn’t book with them again.

Your own travel plans really go a long way to your port arrival time.

[Never too young to cruise]

Well we turned up at 11.30 and we were on the ship within 30 minutes. No issue at all that we were early.