Carnival embarkation port arrival time - how strict?

[Pellaz]

On 10/25/2021 at 5:57 PM, K_e_short said:

 

You are very helpful to lowering my stress level of my first cruise after Covid and flying in the same day.

2pm would be perfect.

 

 

Just make sure your all-aboard time is at least 2:30 pm, preferably 3 pm!  🙂  

 

But, it really should be.   I can't ever recall an earlier departure on any of our sailings; it's almost always 4 pm and occasionally 5 pm, with the all-aboard 30 or 60 minutes prior.   

[DGNewton]

On 10/17/2021 at 9:51 AM, Zhaan said:

We'll be driving to a Carnival cruise in January. It's going to be hard to get to the port at an exact time due to driving. We don't know our check-in time yet, but if we get there early or late (but before the final boarding), how strict are they in this COVID era about your arrival time? Can you still arrive earlier than your time or if we get there early will we have to kill time before going to the port?  Thanks!

If your gong to Miami your fine but Carnival does ask out of respect for all that you arrive on your allocated time. we sailed Disney in September and they were very strict making you go off campus.  I don’t think anything has changed at Miami and we’ll be there Saturday morning for our sailing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[K_e_short]

6 hours ago, Pellaz said:

 

Just make sure your all-aboard time is at least 2:30 pm, preferably 3 pm!  🙂  

 

But, it really should be.   I can't ever recall an earlier departure on any of our sailings; it's almost always 4 pm and occasionally 5 pm, with the all-aboard 30 or 60 minutes prior.   

 

It currently is scheduled to leave at 4pm and I know I have to be on board two hours ahead of time.

That was why I was hoping a 1:30pm check in time would be good.

 

[DPTexas]

On 10/17/2021 at 5:37 PM, Raiderguy8 said:

For those who have been on cruises, and I am sure it varies from port to port, what have been the time ranges from which you have been able to select.  Do you remember how late the last check in times might have been?

I'm trying to find this, but I thought the sailing manifest (or whatever it is called) had to be turned in no later than 2 hours before sailing time.  So, I think 2 hours before the sailing time would be the absolute latest, possibly even 1/2 hour before that.   Again, trying to find it, but I keep getting distracted by offers and filters for cruises! I need to stay off Carnival's website!   LOL!

[jsglow]

Here's what we DO know. If you pick a later boarding slot; say 2-2:30p, and that boarding slot is posted on the check-in website when you make your selection, then your 100% fine to show up at that time. 🙂

[dbrucern]

On 10/17/2021 at 9:51 AM, Zhaan said:

We'll be driving to a Carnival cruise in January. It's going to be hard to get to the port at an exact time due to driving. We don't know our check-in time yet, but if we get there early or late (but before the final boarding), how strict are they in this COVID era about your arrival time? Can you still arrive earlier than your time or if we get there early will we have to kill time before going to the port?  Thanks!

In Seattle they never even looked at boarding times but at Port Canaveral they followed the rules established by Carnival. Several in front of us (had 10:30) were told that they had to step aside and wait until their boarding time.

[Ilovesailaway]

Anyone have any recent experience sailing from Baltimore?  When I checked in I was able to select an arrival appointment  of 1:00 to 1:30 pm.

I am ok with not being one of the first on if that means avoiding lines and disorganization. The cruise departs at 5pm. I wonder if I should move my arrival appointment to a later time?

[IloveOrchids]

On 10/27/2021 at 8:05 AM, DGNewton said:

If your gong to Miami your fine but Carnival does ask out of respect for all that you arrive on your allocated time. we sailed Disney in September and they were very strict making you go off campus.  I don’t think anything has changed at Miami and we’ll be there Saturday morning for our sailing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let us all know how it was in Miami .... our group will be later part of December for the Horizon .  Thank you !

[ChinaShrek]

On 10/17/2021 at 11:14 AM, Bostwick girl said:

Listen up everybody, YOU. WILL NOT RECEIVE AN EMAIL ABOUT CHOOSING YOUR CHECK IN TIME!! You need to keep up with your Cruise Manager as to that as well as any Health Questionnaires. There will be one final Questionnaire 72 hours prior to sailing.

 

 

I wish I had read this before today. I cruise 4/17 and I just checked in this morning. Sigh. I have a 1pm check-in time. Not really convenient.

[Lane Hog]

44 minutes ago, ChinaShrek said:

 

I wish I had read this before today. I cruise 4/17 and I just checked in this morning. Sigh. I have a 1pm check-in time. Not really convenient.

What's not convenient?  Ship leaves at the same time for everyone.

[ChinaShrek]

7 minutes ago, Lane Hog said:

What's not convenient?  Ship leaves at the same time for everyone.

 

Well, not convenient for me. My hotel check out time is 11am and now I have two hours to kill before I am let on the ship. I also like to eat lunch on the ship and eating lunch after 1pm upsets my daily routine. Now that I know Carnival is like Southwest I will plan accordingly in the future.

[Lane Hog]

Most ports let people in an hour prior to their check in time, so you can still arrive at noon.  

 

Oh, and it's not just Carnival. It seems that all of the big cruise lines are doing this now because the checkin companies want to restrict the number of people in the check in lobby and security lines to provide for social distancing.

 

Blame the CDC, not the cruise line.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Lane Hog

[Elaine5715]

38 minutes ago, Lane Hog said:

Most ports let people in an hour prior to their check in time, so you can still arrive at noon.  

 

Oh, and it's not just Carnival. It seems that all of the big cruise lines are doing this now because the checkin companies want to restrict the number of people in the check in lobby and security lines to provide for social distancing.

 

Blame the CDC, not the cruise line.

That's not happening.  The lines into terminals are butt to butt.

[Elaine5715]

On 10/18/2021 at 10:53 AM, BoozinCroozin said:

You are falling to understand. Get there before the terminal doors open at day 10AM. There will be a ton of people there. Many of those people will have 1PM boarding times, but they let them in before people with 10:30AM boarding times. Because of the congestion, the boarding groups are being called, people in those groups are still stuck outside and not through security so the ones with 1PM arrival times are boarding because the terminal is vacant. If you don't think so, go read about it on other threads. The Platinum guy said he had 10:30 arrival, A02 boarding, was there at 10AM begging 1000+ people. By the time he got in, they were on boarding group A06 or something like that. Everyone in front of him had later arrival times. 

 

 

Exactly my experience on the Magic out of Port Canaveral in Feb. They were calling the C groups by the time I with my 10:30 am arrival and A01 boarding made it into the terminal with no one seated , waiting to be called in and everyone walking straight onboard.  No one checked arrival appts nor boarding groups, just already tested there and need tested to there.  

[Lane Hog]

42 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

That's not happening.  The lines into terminals are butt to butt.

Except that dozens of threads each month on this topic say that people were let in early without lines outside, and my own experience is that there were no lines when we sailed. 

 

Thats not to say every terminal or port is like that. Some are better at managing crowds than others.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Lane Hog

[Elaine5715]

3 minutes ago, Lane Hog said:

Except that dozens of threads each month on this topic say that people were let in early without lines outside, and my own experience is that there were no lines when we sailed. 

 

Thats not to say every terminal or port is like that. Some are better at managing crowds than others.

If you get there after 12 pm, probably and that is because they let everyone who had 12 pm to 2 pm arrival times already in.  I have had two 10:30 am times (Seattle and Port Canaveral) and both times had hundreds in front of me with lines stopped due to crowds, all with no one stopping later arrivals appointments from checking in.  

[Lane Hog]

If you're going to show up before the doors open, expect a line.

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, Lane Hog said:

If you're going to show up before the doors open, expect a line.

If my arrival appointment is 10:30 am, and I arrive at 10:30 am I expect the line (If present), should only be those whose arrival times are 10:30 am or earlier. 

[csoud68]

On 10/17/2021 at 11:17 PM, Joe817 said:

We cruised on the Vista out of Galveston on Aug.21-28, and selected a 1:30 check in time, as we wanted to avoid the crowds. And indeed we did! We walked into check in time at 1:40, and breezed right on through all check in lines; photo, baggage scan, walk thru metal detectors, customs, etc, etc etc. We will NEVER try for early check in times again. Absolutely no stress on this one! 👍

Maybe so but it's worth the hassle to get 2 more hours onboard.

[Joe817]

33 minutes ago, csoud68 said:

Maybe so but it's worth the hassle to get 2 more hours onboard.

Not for 70 something's that have seen their fair share of hassles. We prefer the leisurely lifestyle. 

Our mantra is: "no more lines! "

[csoud68]

1 minute ago, Joe817 said:

Not for 70 something's that have seen their fair share of hassles. We prefer the leisurely lifestyle. 

Our mantra is: "no more lines! "

Understand fully..

[Joe817]

1 minute ago, csoud68 said:

Understand fully..

🍻

[ChrisNCruiser]

6 hours ago, ChinaShrek said:

 

Well, not convenient for me. My hotel check out time is 11am and now I have two hours to kill before I am let on the ship. I also like to eat lunch on the ship and eating lunch after 1pm upsets my daily routine. Now that I know Carnival is like Southwest I will plan accordingly in the future.

When you check into your hotel I encourage you to ask for a later checkout time. Virtually every time I need one and ask, regardless of hotel or chain or status, they give me at least an hour. 

[jetsfan58]

Our our recent Cruises were strictly adhered to by Carnival. Our group arrival time was designated at 10:30 AM and no one in our party, other than Platinum and above, were allowed to set foot inside the terminal before that time.