Another FTTF question

[Teibban]

Hi everyone,

I checked my documents for my cruise on February 29, and it says my boarding time is 12-12h30. However, I thought that with FTTF, you could board at anytime and just after Diamond and before group 1? Am I right or do I need to follow the boarding time?

Thanks

[skrufy]

25 minutes ago, Teibban said:

Hi everyone,

I checked my documents for my cruise on February 29, and it says my boarding time is 12-12h30. However, I thought that with FTTF, you could board at anytime and just after Diamond and before group 1? Am I right or do I need to follow the boarding time?

Thanks

It’s actually a check in time not a boarding time. You can check in anytime you wish. The check in time is required to complete your boarding docs. 

[Florings]

You can check in at any time, regardless of the time assigned.  Even diamond and platinum are "assigned" a time.   You will board after diamond, platinum, and any wedding parties.

[Teibban]

ok thanks all for the answer.

Hoping to have a great cruise on Carnival and to be the first of many.

[Florings]

Yes, I hope you do too!   Happy sailing.

[rvsullivan]

Actually boarding goes in this order: wedding parties followed by Diamond then Platinum followed by Suites and then FFTF! Check in is whenever you arrive. Enjoy your cruise!!

 

[Joe817]

9 minutes ago, Teibban said:

ok thanks all for the answer.

Hoping to have a great cruise on Carnival and to be the first of many.

Ohhhhh you will! And it's kind of like the old Doritos commercial: You can't just eat one. lol.

[216Cruiser]

Last week was the 2nd time we left out of the Miami port without FTTF. Both times we got on board so incredibly fast, I'm glad I didn't buy it. I absolutely loathe waiting in line for anything and was so pleasantly surprised at how smooth the process was. I honestly don't even think we stopped once we dropped our luggage at the curb. 

[RWolver672]

13 hours ago, Joe817 said:

Ohhhhh you will! And it's kind of like the old Doritos commercial: You can't just eat one. lol.

 

Actually, that was Lay's Potato chips commercial.

[Jamesatgsu]

11 hours ago, 216Cruiser said:

Last week was the 2nd time we left out of the Miami port without FTTF. Both times we got on board so incredibly fast, I'm glad I didn't buy it. I absolutely loathe waiting in line for anything and was so pleasantly surprised at how smooth the process was. I honestly don't even think we stopped once we dropped our luggage at the curb. 

If you buy FTTF to get on quicker, it definitely is a mistake, unless you don't want to worry about getting an early check-in time.  Before the arrival time appointments, it was a lot more valuable as lines were much longer.

 

The big advantage is your room is ready when you get on board, and your luggage will get there by the afternoon, rather than potentially after dinner.

[Organized Chaos]

13 minutes ago, Jamesatgsu said:

If you buy FTTF to get on quicker, it definitely is a mistake,

 

We buy FTTF for more than just early boarding, but to buy it for early boarding certainly isn't a mistake, in my opinion. To be on board, put our luggage in our cabin, have lunch, and be done eating before the crowds form in the Lido buffet is no mistake to us. The staggered check-in system may make things run smoothly, but it doesn't help you with the huge crowd in the buffet during embarkation. FTTF does, though.

[Jamesatgsu]

23 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

We buy FTTF for more than just early boarding, but to buy it for early boarding certainly isn't a mistake, in my opinion. To be on board, put our luggage in our cabin, have lunch, and be done eating before the crowds form in the Lido buffet is no mistake to us. The staggered check-in system may make things run smoothly, but it doesn't help you with the huge crowd in the buffet during embarkation. FTTF does, though.

Did you read the rest? If you have are in the first arrival time group, you get on at almost the same time.  I love not needing to worry about early arrival time being available and ability to drop of my bags. It is why I purchase it every time I can.  He was referencing waiting in line to board, which isn't a big difference anymore. I agree it is worth it, just referencing if that it isn't worth it if you just care about waiting in line to board, which in my experience is only about a 5-10 minute difference.

[TNcruising02]

11 minutes ago, Jamesatgsu said:

Did you read the rest? If you have are in the first arrival time group, you get on at almost the same time.  I love not needing to worry about early arrival time being available and ability to drop of my bags. It is why I purchase it every time I can.  He was referencing waiting in line to board, which isn't a big difference anymore. I agree it is worth it, just referencing if that it isn't worth it if you just care about waiting in line to board, which in my experience is only about a 5-10 minute difference.

The advantage is that you can enter the ship.through the priority line and not have to go through the early\late line, which may or may not be long.

[Organized Chaos]

9 minutes ago, Jamesatgsu said:

Did you read the rest? If you have are in the first arrival time group, you get on at almost the same time.  I love not needing to worry about early arrival time being available and ability to drop of my bags. It is why I purchase it every time I can.  He was referencing waiting in line to board, which isn't a big difference anymore. I agree it is worth it, just referencing if that it isn't worth it if you just care about waiting in line to board, which in my experience is only about a 5-10 minute difference.

 

Yes, I read your entire post. You didn't say anything about being in the first Arrival Appt. group. What you said was, buying FTTF just for early boarding is a mistake because staggered check-in means moving through the lines faster. That may be true in regards to the check-in and boarding process, but once onboard, you're still fighting crowds and standing in lines. Unless, of course, you get a very early zone for general boarding. Then there's obviously fewer people ahead of you. My only point was, with FTTF, no one has to worry about getting an early Arrival Appt. or an early boarding zone. They're onboard with no crowd to deal with and barely any lines. As I said, we'll buy it for more than just early boarding, but that is definitely one of the best perks. And if someone wants to buy it just for early boarding and they feel it's worth it to them, I wouldn't call it a mistake.

[Cruiser Joe]

Here is why I like FTTF, in order of importance to me:

 

1.  Early boarding. The morning of the cruise, I'm excited to get on board and this help a lot.  Quickest to the food, and I can eat/tour the entire ship before the crowds arrive.  It's nice to walk around the mostly empty ship on day 1.

 

2.  Dropping off luggage.  I've got my carryon and also a separate bag with sodas. I can immediately drop those off and be free of them. It's no fun exploring the ship with bags in tow.

 

3.  Early access to tenders.  I like beating the crowds off the ship in the morning to get where I want to go. Since I almost never book ship excursions, I would normally not be able to get an early tender without FTTF.

 

4.  Special line at guest services. If I need to stop by Guest Services for anything, there won't be a long line. Sometimes the lines are looooong at Guest Services.

 

These first four are the perks I enjoy having.  The rest of the perks listed below - I don't think they provide much added value.

 

5.  6. Priority luggage handling - It's nice to get my luggage sooner rather than later so I'm not worried about it showing up.  However, I wonder if FTTF luggage is really handled differently. There probably isn't much of a difference.

 

5.  Early debarkation - I have an early afternoon flight for my next cruise. I can get off the ship first thing. Although this perk probably isn't that meaningful, as I take my own luggage off the ship so, if I remember correctly, I can debark early anyway.  I often like late debarkation, so I can stay on the ship for longer. But I don't think I really need FTTF to stay later.

 

6.  Dining priority - I don't understand how this is helpful. I already reserved the dining time I want. 

Edited February 6, 2020 by Cruiser Joe

[Jamesatgsu]

1 hour ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Yes, I read your entire post. You didn't say anything about being in the first Arrival Appt. group. What you said was, buying FTTF just for early boarding is a mistake because staggered check-in means moving through the lines faster. That may be true in regards to the check-in and boarding process, but once onboard, you're still fighting crowds and standing in lines. Unless, of course, you get a very early zone for general boarding. Then there's obviously fewer people ahead of you. My only point was, with FTTF, no one has to worry about getting an early Arrival Appt. or an early boarding zone. They're onboard with no crowd to deal with and barely any lines. As I said, we'll buy it for more than just early boarding, but that is definitely one of the best perks. And if someone wants to buy it just for early boarding and they feel it's worth it to them, I wouldn't call it a mistake.

Actually I did. I said unless you didn't want to worry about an early check-in time. It was part of the first sentence. You are actually saying the same thing as me...

[Jamesatgsu]

1 hour ago, TNcruising02 said:

The advantage is that you can enter the ship.through the priority line and not have to go through the early\late line, which may or may not be long.

Ever since they did staggered boarding times, that line hasn't been long (at least in the early groups). I prefer it, because I don't have to worry about getting an early arrival time (last time I got 12:30-1:00, but had FTTF), and my room being ready early is worth every penny. I do highly recommend it.

 

Edited February 6, 2020 by Jamesatgsu

[Teibban]

2 hours ago, Jamesatgsu said:

If you buy FTTF to get on quicker, it definitely is a mistake, unless you don't want to worry about getting an early check-in time.  Before the arrival time appointments, it was a lot more valuable as lines were much longer.

 

The big advantage is your room is ready when you get on board, and your luggage will get there by the afternoon, rather than potentially after dinner.

We did not buy it. We got it free from out Travel Agent.

[Jamesatgsu]

5 minutes ago, Teibban said:

We did not buy it. We got it free from out Travel Agent.

I apparently need to be using a TA. With your arrival time it is a big advantage since you can get on by 11am with FTTF generally instead of waiting until 12 to even get to checkin. 

Edited February 6, 2020 by Jamesatgsu

[Teibban]

2 minutes ago, Jamesatgsu said:

I apparently need to be using a TA. With your arrival time it is a big advantage since you can get on by 11am with FTTF generally instead of waiting until 12 to even get to checkin. 

The only thing I do not like about FTTF is the priority debarkation for tendering only. They should have a line even for standard docking. But hey we got it free so no complaining here 🙂 BTW first time I got something for free from a TA.

[Jamesatgsu]

1 minute ago, Teibban said:

The only thing I do not like about FTTF is the priority debarkation for tendering only. They should have a line even for standard docking. But hey we got it free so no complaining here 🙂 BTW first time I got something for free from a TA.

And let me skip that line getting back on!

[Teibban]

3 minutes ago, Jamesatgsu said:

And let me skip that line getting back on!

I agree 100% on that. And I do not believe that there is that many people having it so the line could be use temporarily when people with FTTF are present and if not, you use it for people not having it.

[tandemcruzr]

1 hour ago, Teibban said:

I agree 100% on that. And I do not believe that there is that many people having it so the line could be use temporarily when people with FTTF are present and if not, you use it for people not having it.

Don't forget that Diamond and Platinum both have priority access to the tenders leaving the ship, but not on the return to the ship.