How is boarding time determined?

[Duanerice1]

Just saw a thread where someone mentioned they stayed up until midnight to sign in so they could get an early boarding time.  So, is that how boarding time is determined?  Is it based on who signs in first, kind of like Southwest airlines?

 

Thanks

[mondello]

4 minutes ago, Duanerice1 said:

Just saw a thread where someone mentioned they stayed up until midnight to sign in so they could get an early boarding time.  So, is that how boarding time is determined?  Is it based on who signs in first, kind of like Southwest airlines?

 

Thanks

Yes, online check in is 14 days before your cruise at 12:00am. Platinum, Diamond and Suites get a 2 day headstart, 16 days before cruise. After you choose the time slot, they also assign boarding group numbers: A1, A2, etc.

[tallnthensome]

It's not a boarding time ...... and nobody pays attention to their assigned arrival time anyhow nor does Carnival enforce it. 

[Duanerice1]

12 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

It's not a boarding time ...... and nobody pays attention to their assigned arrival time anyhow nor does Carnival enforce it. 

So why would anyone stay up until midnight to check in?

[sanmarcosman]

4 minutes ago, Duanerice1 said:

So why would anyone stay up until midnight to check in?

It's an arrival time not a boarding time and last week at the Long Beach Terminal my arrival time was checked before I could enter the terminal. Then groups were called out in sequence and the boarding pass was checked again as I was entering the doors leading up to the ramp that takes you to the gangway. Enforcement may vary by ports I suppose. 

[Runaway Parent]

27 minutes ago, sanmarcosman said:

It's an arrival time not a boarding time and last week at the Long Beach Terminal my arrival time was checked before I could enter the terminal. Then groups were called out in sequence and the boarding pass was checked again as I was entering the doors leading up to the ramp that takes you to the gangway. Enforcement may vary by ports I suppose. 

I agree--we've seen people not admitted to the port building when they arrived prior to their arrival time. 

[TheSeagoer]

56 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

It's not a boarding time ...... and nobody pays attention to their assigned arrival time anyhow nor does Carnival enforce it. 

This is wrong. You can check into the pier as you wish. The ship calls your boarding time . they are two different times

[K_e_short]

Your "boarding" time is actually the time you are allowed to enter the terminal, whether they enforce that or not is not relevant.

 

FTTF allowed those who are not in a suite, or Diamond/Platininum to "board" first. Without FTTF if you want to get that coveted 10:00 - 10:30am boarding time you stay up until midnight as check in starts at 12:01am.

 

There seems to be a lot of people OBSESSED about being on the ship first.

 

[mondello]

I pay good money for my hotel rooms, I always check out as late as possible. Guess I'm normal because we're always in the 12:00-1:00 crush at the terminal. I think next week is our first cruise choosing boarding times. Sunshine is coming from Port Everglades and first available slot was 3:00 pm. Looks like we may have an extra lunch at Versailles.

[TheSeagoer]

1 hour ago, K_e_short said:

Your "boarding" time is actually the time you are allowed to enter the terminal, whether they enforce that or not is not relevant.

 

FTTF allowed those who are not in a suite, or Diamond/Platininum to "board" first. Without FTTF if you want to get that coveted 10:00 - 10:30am boarding time you stay up until midnight as check in starts at 12:01am.

 

There seems to be a lot of people OBSESSED about being on the ship first.

 

Wrong.  I just sailed.  Walked into the terminal 2 hours early. Welcomed by carnival staff. No problem. 

[kona_wahine]

I assume the 12:00am is EST? And if I’m PST it would be 9:00 pm the night before?

[mondello]

1 minute ago, kona_wahine said:

I assume the 12:00am is EST? And if I’m PST it would be 9:00 pm the night before?

Correct, as far as I know from what has been previously posted.

[smarks]

1 hour ago, K_e_short said:

Your "boarding" time is actually the time you are allowed to enter the terminal, whether they enforce that or not is not relevant.

 

FTTF allowed those who are not in a suite, or Diamond/Platininum to "board" first. Without FTTF if you want to get that coveted 10:00 - 10:30am boarding time you stay up until midnight as check in starts at 12:01am.

 

There seems to be a lot of people OBSESSED about being on the ship first.

 

Diamond and Platinum are not given any special treatment.  Suite guest board first, then they call by group 1 through 7.  It's a mad dash to the line.  So just take your time in arriving.  My friend is on the ship now and she said nobody knew what they were doing.  I was on the Mardi Gras in Oct. but it was very easy but it was also late since there was an accident at the port where someone died because of a car accident.  So when the gates did open we breezed onto the ship.  My friend had quiet a different experience.  Just a heads up.

[nwcruiselover]

54 minutes ago, kona_wahine said:

I assume the 12:00am is EST? And if I’m PST it would be 9:00 pm the night before?

That’s correct.  I live in Washington State and I was able to check in just past 9:00 Pacific Time.

[Pellaz]

4 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

It's not a boarding time ...... and nobody pays attention to their assigned arrival time anyhow nor does Carnival enforce it. 

 

Fake news.  

 

Arrival times WERE indeed being enforced at Port Canaveral for our Mardi Gras cruise in October.  

 

It's not the same thing as "boarding time" but it might as well have been; we arrived at a fairly busy time (11:30 arrival) and we had no significant delays or waiting before proceeding to the gangway.  VERY smooth embark.  Debark wasn't quite as smooth, but it wasn't bad.

[tallnthensome]

6 hours ago, TheSeagoer said:

This is wrong. You can check into the pier as you wish. The ship calls your boarding time . they are two different times

You're wrong.... checking in on line is not for boarding time. Try again. 

[tallnthensome]

2 hours ago, Pellaz said:

 

Fake news.  

 

Arrival times WERE indeed being enforced at Port Canaveral for our Mardi Gras cruise in October.  

 

It's not the same thing as "boarding time" but it might as well have been; we arrived at a fairly busy time (11:30 arrival) and we had no significant delays or waiting before proceeding to the gangway.  VERY smooth embark.  Debark wasn't quite as smooth, but it wasn't bad.

Wrong, it even states that it isn't for boarding time and it wasn't enforced on my Panorama cruise in August. I held 11:30 check in time passes and the couple in front of me and many others held 1:30 check in time passes and they were let in at 11:30. It was awful so your statement is fake news,  not mine. 

[RWolver672]

The best advice I can give to the OP is this.  The rules say that if you are Diamond or Platinum, you can choose the time you enter the terminal sixteen days prior to your cruise.  If not one of those, you have to wait until fourteen days prior to your cruise.  They expect you to show up during those times.

 

Two months ago, Vern was watching the door to the terminal.  He was letting anyone in because he really didn't care.  Now if you show up and Ethel is at the door, she cares and you probably will be told that you have to wait outside until your time slot to enter.  

 

We all know that if you call Carnival with a question twice, you will get two different answers.  Carnival is not the best at uniformity.  

 

If your luck is anything like mine, if I showed up at a time other than what I was assigned, Ethel would be at the door and would make me stand outside in the hot sun or pouring down rain and wait until it was time for me to enter.  I'd just as soon follow the rules and show up when I was suppose to.

[kelkel2]

10 hours ago, mondello said:

Yes, online check in is 14 days before your cruise at 12:00am. Platinum, Diamond and Suites get a 2 day headstart, 16 days before cruise. After you choose the time slot, they also assign boarding group numbers: A1, A2, etc.

Can you confirm that Suites get that early selection window? I thought that was the one thing they were keeping as just Platinum and Diamond? But I could have misunderstood. 

[mondello]

32 minutes ago, kelkel2 said:

Can you confirm that Suites get that early selection window? I thought that was the one thing they were keeping as just Platinum and Diamond? But I could have misunderstood. 

Suite perk, listed on site as VIP check-in. Mardi Gras even has a separate waiting area in the terminal for Suites.

[dbrucern]

WE were on an Alaskan cruise in August and had 10-10:30 check in time with A01 boarding.  People in line   in front of us for checking into the port had times that were all over the place and no one representing Carnival ever looked at the check in times.  In October we were on the Mardi Gras also with a check in time of 10-10:30 A01 boarding and they made everyone line up prior to entering the building and made several announcements that they were only allowing those in based on boarding times on your passes. And asked everyone to have boarding passes out and look at  your check in time.  The couple in front of us had 12:30 check in time and when they reached the door were told to step aside and would have to wait for their time to be called.  So it seems like if just depends on what they want to do at what port

[Ilovesailaway]

this thread has convinced me to arrive at the port after the rush...

 

[tattoos]

We sailed on the Horizon from Miami last month and got into the line outside the terminal.  When we reached the entrance door, a Carnival employee was checking all boarding passes and pulled quite a few people out of the line and asked them to step aside, including the family in front of us.  

 

We are Diamond and I accessed Carnival's web site after midnight 16 days prior to sail date and was assigned a 10:00-10:30 check in time.  The passengers who booked a suite were directed to a separate location in the terminal to wait.  These passengers were called to board first (around 11:15 a.m.)  Passengers who needed ambulatory assistance were assigned to a location close to the elevator and boarded right after suites passengers.  The next group called included us which was A01.  We waited 45 minutes in the terminal before they started boarding.  After that, passengers were called to board by number assigned so the next group would be #2, etc.

[TheSeagoer]

52 minutes ago, Ilovesailaway said:

this thread has convinced me to arrive at the port after the rush...

 

If there are assigned check in times, there should never be a rush. 

[Ilovesailaway]

2 minutes ago, TheSeagoer said:

If there are assigned check in times, there should never be a rush. 

if and should are why I will be laying by my hotel pool a little longer on embarkation day