Boarding Time

[JFO23]

I just checked in for a November cruise that is just days past final payment date.  The only boarding time choice I was given was 3-3:30.   Can all other time slots be taken already? That just doesn’t seem possible to me. Sail away is listed as 4:00. 
What experience have others of you had recently?

[Host Anne]

7 minutes ago, JFO23 said:

I just checked in for a November cruise that is just days past final payment date.  The only boarding time choice I was given was 3-3:30.   Can all other time slots be taken already? That just doesn’t seem possible to me. Sail away is listed as 4:00. 
What experience have others of you had recently?

I think it's very possible that the earlier time slots could be filled.  But with folks boarding that late, it is unlikely that sailaway would remain at 4:00 PM.  Remember, everything is pretty fluid these days (I wish it weren't) so a delayed sailaway could easily happen.  

[mayleeman]

You could check back periodically to see if you can change. I believe a few people a couple weeks back talked about a slew of times opening up after only late ones had initially been available.

Edited August 16, 2021 by mayleeman

[m8zenblue]

10 minutes ago, Host Anne said:

I think it's very possible that the earlier time slots could be filled.  But with folks boarding that late, it is unlikely that sailaway would remain at 4:00 PM.  Remember, everything is pretty fluid these days (I wish it weren't) so a delayed sailaway could easily happen.  

How did you get a boarding time for a November cruise ?

Edited August 16, 2021 by m8zenblue

[LGW59]

13 minutes ago, m8zenblue said:

How did you get a boarding time for a November cruise ?

He checked in 

[m8zenblue]

8 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

He checked in 

Isn't it too early to check in for a November cruise ?

[AlbertaCruisers]

34 minutes ago, m8zenblue said:

Isn't it too early to check in for a November cruise ?

 

Nope, my Nov 7 cruise had final payment and check in date on Aug 9.

[Jim_Iain]

For those getting a later time slot, check back occasionally.     For my Sept 5the and 17th cruise when I checked in I got a 2:00 slot and about a week later I checked back and was able to grab an 11:30.   I posted on our Roll Call and a number of people also got the 11:30 with no association to room type or status. 

[Denny01]

If you open the Celebrity App (I’m on an IPad), and you select your cruise and then Check-In, it will tell you when you can start your check-in and get your show-up time. It looks like 3 months prior. My 20 Nov 2021 cruise has a 22 Aug 21 open to check-in date. 

 

Den

Edited August 16, 2021 by Denny01

[canderson]

2 hours ago, AlbertaCruisers said:

 

Nope, my Nov 7 cruise had final payment and check in date on Aug 9.

Yeah, it's all over the map.  I also have a 7 November cruise scheduled, and no check-in possible yet.

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, m8zenblue said:

Isn't it too early to check in for a November cruise ?

Well the OP said he/she just checked in

[canderson]

Just now, Denny01 said:

If you open the Celebrity App (I’m on an IPad), and you select your cruise and then Check-In, it will tell you when you can start your check-in and get your show-up time.

Timing depends upon the ship or cruise, apparently.  Trying to open either of my November 2021 cruises just brings up a 'call back later' (specifically, "We're working on the fun") message.  Can't even get to the screen with the deck plans (though oddly, can do so for my October 2022 cruise).  The web page for the November cruises shows a message that says they'll email when check-in is possible.

 

[swsf99a]

I checked into our November 13 Apex cruise yesterday.  Was only offered 3-330 arrival time. I plan to keep checking every so often for an earlier boarding/ arrival time.

[AlbertaCruisers]

7 minutes ago, canderson said:

Yeah, it's all over the map.  I also have a 7 November cruise scheduled, and no check-in possible yet.

 

Does your November cruise happen to be a ship that isn't sailing yet?  I know with our August 27 sailing for the Equinox, the check in didn't open until really late.

[canderson]

Roger that, first cruise of the restart for that ship, and I wouldn't be surprised if that is the reason for the strange behavior, but I'm not discounting anything at present.

How late did they hold your check-in capability (days before departure)?  Would be nice to have a good data point from another who has been in a similar situation.

 

[scidee]

I checked into our Nov 13 cruise this morning and was only given the option of a 3 -3:30 check in time as well.  We are Aqua and Elite, we thought we would be able to board early.  So much for lunch.  Motel check out is 11  am so I guess we just go to the pier and wait.  Not hauling luggage around Fort Lauderdale for half a day.  I guess we should just be happy wee will be back to cruising in 89 days!

[Denny01]

15 minutes ago, canderson said:

Timing depends upon the ship or cruise, apparently.  Trying to open either of my November 2021 cruises just brings up a 'call back later' (specifically, "We're working on the fun") message.  Can't even get to the screen with the deck plans (though oddly, can do so for my October 2022 cruise).  The web page for the November cruises shows a message that says they'll email when check-in is possible.

 

OK, try this to see the open date: Open the App and log-in. At the top are 3 shapes, the ship , a calendar and a ‘person’ outline. Tap the person-thing and it should show your general reservation info and will have “Check-In: check-in opens xxxxx” and gives the date. Earlier, it did show when ‘Check-in” at the bottom was selected, but now it does what you said which is ‘Call Back later”. 

 

Den

[AlbertaCruisers]

27 minutes ago, canderson said:

Roger that, first cruise of the restart for that ship, and I wouldn't be surprised if that is the reason for the strange behavior, but I'm not discounting anything at present.

How late did they hold your check-in capability (days before departure)?  Would be nice to have a good data point from another who has been in a similar situation.

 

 

From looking back, it looks like we were able to check in on July 6 for out August 27 cruise, but I believe that is when all the Equinox sailings opened for booking, so even the first few sailings may not have been able to check in until then (but I don't know for sure).

[canderson]

44 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

OK, try this to see the open date: Open the App and log-in. At the top are 3 shapes, the ship , a calendar and a ‘person’ outline. Tap the person-thing and it should show your general reservation info and will have “Check-In: check-in opens xxxxx” and gives the date. Earlier, it did show when ‘Check-in” at the bottom was selected, but now it does what you said which is ‘Call Back later”. 

 

Den

Nope.  Just my status/points, the ship and dates, and name of the cruise and the "Select a different sailing" option should I wish to look at one of my other two.

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, scidee said:

I checked into our Nov 13 cruise this morning and was only given the option of a 3 -3:30 check in time as well.  We are Aqua and Elite, we thought we would be able to board early.  So much for lunch.  Motel check out is 11  am so I guess we just go to the pier and wait.  Not hauling luggage around Fort Lauderdale for half a day.  I guess we should just be happy wee will be back to cruising in 89 days!

 

I checked in before 6:00am at exactly 90 days out and only had 3:30 as an option. Someone in my Roll Call had said they had checked in at 1:00am and they were also only able to select 3:30. That leads me to believe that no other boarding time was offered on our sailing at all. No was all other time slots were filled within an hour of check in opening up!

[AlbertaCruisers]

It seems like a few people are mentioning only late times available for check ins lately, even when they check in the first morning.  I wonder if it is a flaw in their system?  Our cruise on November 7 has had check in open since August 9 and there are still 1:00 time slots available, and everything after.  The 12:00 was gone the first morning and then 12:30 was still there a few days after that.  As someone else mentioned, I would keep checking back, I'm guessing earlier slots will open at some point (maybe when they fix the issue).

[CarrieAP]

Odd. We booked 8/28 Edge last month and I just completed check in last week. Seemed all slots from noon till later were open. Spending two nights in hotel so 12 was perfect for us. 

[terrydtx]

13 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

For those getting a later time slot, check back occasionally.     For my Sept 5the and 17th cruise when I checked in I got a 2:00 slot and about a week later I checked back and was able to grab an 11:30.   I posted on our Roll Call and a number of people also got the 11:30 with no association to room type or status. 

We did the same for our Aug 27th cruise, checked back and got an 11:30 time.

[wongcruise]

I just finished the check in for my 11/3 Summit sailing.  The only boarding time slot available was 3-3:30.  I was concerned if that was too close to the 4pm sailing away time.   I saw this post and now wonder if there is an issue with the Celebrity website.

[JamieLogical]

12 minutes ago, wongcruise said:

I just finished the check in for my 11/3 Summit sailing.  The only boarding time slot available was 3-3:30.  I was concerned if that was too close to the 4pm sailing away time.   I saw this post and now wonder if there is an issue with the Celebrity website.

 

It is also the only option within the app, so perhaps more of a system-wide issue, but hopefully it will be resolved. I just plan to keep checking back a couple of times a day.