Staggered Embarkation times

[thepla]

44 minutes ago, misand said:

How far in advance do they tell you your time?

I found out on my ticket I recevied at web check-in. I have 11 am on Aug 2. Not sure what is earliest time but 11am seems great.

 

I know normally we have to wait for room to be ready. We normally take luggage with us and wheel to room. Since this is first sailing I hope room will be ready upon arrival.

[Cruiseforever11]

2 hours ago, thepla said:

I found out on my ticket I recevied at web check-in. I have 11 am on Aug 2. Not sure what is earliest time but 11am seems great.

 

I know normally we have to wait for room to be ready. We normally take luggage with us and wheel to room. Since this is first sailing I hope room will be ready upon arrival.

11am is the earliest check in time and I think 3pm is the latest. Rooms are ready about 1pm. Then you have to do the safety drill between 4.30 & 5 if I remember rightly. 

[sverigecruiser]

 

I assume that assigned times means that noone can fly in the same day as the cruise unless the flight is extremely early in the morning.

[stuart2468]

Some people really do need to asses their priorities in life, and given the last 18 months we've had, you'd have thought most if not all would have already done this. Sadly it seems not.

 

I shall sign off from this thread now wishing you all happy cruising. 

 

 

[MouseBerry]

To my knowledge there will be no organised muster drill anymore. You have to follow the instruction video on your cabin and later move to the designated muster station (on your own) to document you know where it is. Not sure if the process is different per location US, UK, EU etc.

[Cruiseforever11]

9 minutes ago, MouseBerry said:

To my knowledge there will be no organised muster drill anymore. You have to follow the instruction video on your cabin and later move to the designated muster station (on your own) to document you know where it is. Not sure if the process is different per location US, UK, EU etc.

That's correct. For UK sailings at present You watch a video in your cabin when they tell you too, then you dial a number from your cabin when it has been watched. You are then called by deck numbers to go to your muster station where they will scan your card. 

[CruiseMH]

On 7/13/2021 at 11:05 PM, sverigecruiser said:

 

I know that for example NCL ask their passengers to choose a time so it can defenitely be done.

 

Of course it can be done.

But it is additional efforts for the cruise line and 99% of the passengers will not change to another cruise line just because of this issue...at least not during Covid-times.

So MSC has absolutely no need to change their procedure.

(although i clearly have to say that this doesn`t make them more likable)

[titangas]

In today’s technological society with computers doing most of the work, it would not really be any “additional efforts” especially since they already started assigned boarding times.

 

But with the reviews that MSC gets on customer service you know it will not happen.

[Fighterone]

27 minutes ago, titangas said:

In today’s technological society with computers doing most of the work, it would not really be any “additional efforts” especially since they already started assigned boarding times.

 

But with the reviews that MSC gets on customer service you know it will not happen.

There is such a big difference in service between YC and Fantastica.  I certainly agree with you for the non YC customer service issues and for the poor IT department. We have been spoiled with YC. 

On another note, I see that you use "cruiseships.com to keep tabs on your sailings. I did for a long time but they did not seem to keep up with  cruise lines' and their ships. Is it better now? 
Since this is my thread, I guess I can hijack it, LOL. 

 

[no1talks]

On 7/15/2021 at 1:55 AM, sverigecruiser said:

 

I assume that assigned times means that noone can fly in the same day as the cruise unless the flight is extremely early in the morning.

I'll add this to the list of reasons I will always arrive in port the day before a cruise. Flight delays, passenger flip-outs, etc., all cause me to plan a one-day cushion. It adds a bit of cost to a trip, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Taffy61]

On 7/15/2021 at 7:12 AM, Cruiseforever11 said:

11am is the earliest check in time and I think 3pm is the latest. Rooms are ready about 1pm. Then you have to do the safety drill between 4.30 & 5 if I remember rightly. 

Just got checkin time of 1800 for virtuosa from Liverpool in August, add 1hr for testing and documentation means boarding at 1900 hrs approx. Ship sails at 2100 hrs. Why such a late time when the ship is docking at 0700, not a happy person at the moment. It's going to be rushed and stressful at that time of night.

[Cruiseforever11]

44 minutes ago, Taffy61 said:

Just got checkin time of 1800 for virtuosa from Liverpool in August, add 1hr for testing and documentation means boarding at 1900 hrs approx. Ship sails at 2100 hrs. Why such a late time when the ship is docking at 0700, not a happy person at the moment. It's going to be rushed and stressful at that time of night.

They maybe increasing capacity on the ship now due to restrictions being lifted so more people to get on board hence later check in.

When we went begining of July I would say there were no more than 1700 on the ship. 

As for docking at 7 they have to get clearance from port authorities then allow time for guests coming off before they can start letting others on. I have done many cruises with msc and not had a check in that late apart from when they had extract the Opera from the boat it had hit in Venice so our ship could get in.

It does seem a late check in though especially when they like to get the safety bit out the way and for people to go and have dinner. I would call msc and just double check. Sorry i've not been much help. Most of the cruises I've been on have departed between 5 & 7.

[Fighterone]

3 hours ago, Taffy61 said:

Just got checkin time of 1800 for virtuosa from Liverpool in August, add 1hr for testing and documentation means boarding at 1900 hrs approx. Ship sails at 2100 hrs. Why such a late time when the ship is docking at 0700, not a happy person at the moment. It's going to be rushed and stressful at that time of night.

So sorry for you! I understand totally. You basically have lost an entire day of enjoying the ship.  Many of us are not happy but MSC DOES NOT CARE. 

[ziggyuk]

58 minutes ago, Fighterone said:

So sorry for you! I understand totally. You basically have lost an entire day of enjoying the ship.  Many of us are not happy but MSC DOES NOT CARE. 

 

I think that's OTT and very unfair, they have a lot of people to get onboard with extra protocols, someone has to be first and someone has to be last, it's not a case of them not caring.

[Fighterone]

44 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

I think that's OTT and very unfair, they have a lot of people to get onboard with extra protocols, someone has to be first and someone has to be last, it's not a case of them not caring.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. Respect mine! 

[DCGuy64]

46 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

I think that's OTT and very unfair, they have a lot of people to get onboard with extra protocols, someone has to be first and someone has to be last, it's not a case of them not caring.

If anything, MSC DOES care enough to space out the boarding times in order to ensure there isn't a mad rush of people all wanting to board at the same time. In these days of coping with the pandemic, it just amazes me that people can take something a company does in order to ensure their safety, and attempt to turn it into a negative.

[sverigecruiser]

55 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

If anything, MSC DOES care enough to space out the boarding times in order to ensure there isn't a mad rush of people all wanting to board at the same time. In these days of coping with the pandemic, it just amazes me that people can take something a company does in order to ensure their safety, and attempt to turn it into a negative.

 

They could still ask the passengers when they want to embark like other cruiselines does.

[DCGuy64]

21 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

They could still ask the passengers when they want to embark like other cruiselines does.

And what happens if 1,000 people say "11 am"? See the problem?

 

[CaroleC]

19 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

And what happens if 1,000 people say "11 am"? See the problem?

 

I’ve just checked in for my RCI cruise in October. Check-in times were given in half hour increments starting at 12:00 and finishing late afternoon. I had to tick which time I required. I assume once a time slot is full it will be removed from the options available. Seems a pretty straightforward way of allowing pax to obtain the check-in time (or as near as possible) they require. Shame MSC can’t do something similar.

[DCGuy64]

3 minutes ago, CaroleC said:

I’ve just checked in for my RCI cruise in October. Check-in times were given in half hour increments starting at 12:00 and finishing late afternoon. I had to tick which time I required. I assume once a time slot is full it will be removed from the options available. Seems a pretty straightforward way of allowing pax to obtain the check-in time (or as near as possible) they require. Shame MSC can’t do something similar.

I was answering @sverigecruiser's question of why the passengers can't just request whatever time they want. I imagine a lot of passengers would want to get on as early as possible, and that would be a nightmare. I like the formula RCI is offering you, that seems like a good way of dealing with it. However, I'd hardly call it a "shame" MSC isn't doing the same thing. I really don't care whether they assign me 9 am or 9 pm, we'll be in Italy and that's all that matters. 😊 Personally I kind of like it when the cruise lines all have their own way of doing things.

[CaroleC]

2 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

However, I'd hardly call it a "shame" MSC isn't doing the same thing. I really don't care whether they assign me 9 am or 9 pm, we'll be in Italy and that's all that matters. 😊 Personally I kind of like it when the cruise lines all have their own way of doing things.

I meant it’s a pity MSC doesn’t offer something similar. Sorry, probably could have phrased it better 🙈

[DCGuy64]

5 minutes ago, CaroleC said:

I meant it’s a pity MSC doesn’t offer something similar. Sorry, probably could have phrased it better 🙈

No worries, for what it's worth they may have the ability to do so but have chosen not to do it that way. I might put that on a post-cruise survey, though, come to think of it. I'd like to have *some* control over my boarding time. Since we're in the Yacht Club for our August cruise, we may see if there's any leeway. If not, we'll spend more time eating gelato on the streets of Trieste until boarding time. 🍨😁

[Brum84]

Can someone please let me know how far in advance we are likely to be given our boarding time? Does checking in early do anything to get you an earlier time?

[sverigecruiser]

9 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

I was answering @sverigecruiser's question of why the passengers can't just request whatever time they want. I imagine a lot of passengers would want to get on as early as possible, and that would be a nightmare. I like the formula RCI is offering you, that seems like a good way of dealing with it. 

 

It seems like I have to apologize for my poor English, I apologize. I have never meant to say that everyone shall get the time they want. All I tried to say was that they could ask, like other lines does. What did I wrote that meant that everyone should get the time they want? (It's a serious question because I want to improve my English.)

 

What I meant what that they can do something similar to what RCI does. They ask when people want to board.

[sverigecruiser]

10 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

And what happens if 1,000 people say "11 am"? See the problem?

 

 

I answered that question in my previous post.