FLL/PE boarding times are a joke.

[Raemk]

Just got off the Allure yesterday in FLL.  Debarkation was a bit chaotic and I heard we were late coming in.  Not sure when because we slept in and didn’t hear any announcements.  But leaving around 8:30 there were still a ton of people onboard and luggage still coming off.  But even with all of that we left our cabin at 8:30 and we’re at the airport by 9 so no complaints.  But I could see how next cruisers could have been delayed in boarding. 
 

when we boarding a week ago we had 11:30am boarding time and there was no one there.  We literally walked from the cab and never stopped moving and we’re onboard in under 10 minutes.   No waiting around.  So I guess it just depends.   It’s one of those things where at one time there is no crowd and a few minutes later it’s a mess and then back to no crowds!   

[mjkacmom]

18 hours ago, rudeney said:

 

All of my docs (two different orthopedic practices, dentist, primary care, and podiatrist plus blood donation centers) have stopped all COVID protocols - no masking, no distancing, no temporary plexiglass panels.  Other than occasionally seeing a random person wearing a mask, all vestiges of COVID are gone around here.

 

BTW, my kid came down with a cold last week (sore throat, sniffles, headache).  I caught it and today I have a really bad sore throat.  We've both taken several COVID tests - all negative.  Not all respiratory illnesses are COVID.  Sometimes a cold is really a cold.

Here in NJ all of my medical providers make me wait in my car until the exam room is ready, and masks are required.

[SECdawg]

20 hours ago, vacationut said:

This was the line at 10:11 am. We had a 10:30am check in time. Had to get in the 11am-1pm check in line. 

This was the same for us on 8/28 Allure. We had 10:30 check in. Everyone waited in same line. Once in the terminal we boarded fairly soon as Diamond Plus. Getting off the ship was delayed also, but once our number was called it went pretty fast.

[clskinsfan]

Man. Seeing that cluster makes me feel even better about getting The Key for our October Allure cruise. 

[foxgoodrich]

20 hours ago, rudeney said:

 

All of my docs (two different orthopedic practices, dentist, primary care, and podiatrist plus blood donation centers) have stopped all COVID protocols - no masking, no distancing, no temporary plexiglass panels.  Other than occasionally seeing a random person wearing a mask, all vestiges of COVID are gone around here.

 

Yikes!  So glad things are different here with all our medical  and dental providers!  Ours all require masks (surgical grade or N95, no cloth masks) and distancing is pretty much enforced by the positioning of waiting room furniture.  Happily it's been years since either of us has had a cold!!

[not-enough-cruising]

10 minutes ago, clskinsfan said:

Man. Seeing that cluster makes me feel even better about getting The Key for our October Allure cruise. 

Even with the Key, if the ship isn’t ready to board, you will be sitting in this same cluster. 

[clskinsfan]

2 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Even with the Key, if the ship isn’t ready to board, you will be sitting in this same cluster. 

Oh I know that. But we will also be one of the first to board once the cluster starts moving. 

[mek]

On 9/3/2022 at 11:41 AM, cruisegirl1 said:

No "covid" spacing anywhere, any more, anyplace.   Not just the cruise industry, but most other places as well.   Did you arrive to Florida by plane?  If you think the terminal is bad, come back and tell us your impression of  ship elevators. 

Have a great cruise.

M

There are some of us, who simply don't care about Covid spacing anymore and are glad life is back to normal.  

Yes, Covid is still out there - just like quite a few other illnesses that nobody cares about either.

[coaster]

On 9/3/2022 at 11:19 AM, gmkgks said:

I was worried that we’d be early but we were right on time.  They don’t board by time at all.  Our “group” was “11, 11:30, 12, 12:30”. Everyone together.  They’d already closed 10:30 so we got stuck with everyone with check ins up to 1pm.  Now we sit and wait. Massive crowds. No covid spacing.  So very different than Miami where we usually just walk on. On the bright side, if you have a later check-in time you can come back early because no one checks or cares.  

We had 10:30 check-in that just opened up a few days before our 8/28 Allure PE sailing and switched to it. None of the signs stated a 10:30 am line when getting there at 10:10. Asked the contracted port workers and they did not know a 10:30 time existed. Waited in the combined 11 to 12:30 line. PE is certainly not enforcing times. The emails from Royal that remind you to adhere to your check-in time is just theater. PE was not checking back in May either. Tampa did check late last year and I give them credit for that.

[coaster]

2 hours ago, mek said:

There are some of us, who simply don't care about Covid spacing anymore and are glad life is back to normal.  

Yes, Covid is still out there - just like quite a few other illnesses that nobody cares about either.

It is not a Covid thing as much as it is rude that others with later check-in times are checking-in ahead of us who play by the rules. Rules need to be enforced or not exist. 

Edited September 4, 2022 by coaster

[poocher]

Any experiences at POM?

[karena1]

In Miami, they never check your time.  You get there, walk in, get checked in, and go to the waiting lounge.  They seat you as you come in. Once boarding starts they go row by row and you board. Goes super fast and easy  

[poocher]

Thanks for that.  Do suites still board first there?

[coaster]

8 minutes ago, karena1 said:

In Miami, they never check your time.  You get there, walk in, get checked in, and go to the waiting lounge.  They seat you as you come in. Once boarding starts they go row by row and you board. Goes super fast and easy  

Why does Royal keep sending emails to stick to your check-in time then? Sent an email to corporate about why bother getting online 45 days ahead to get an early check-in time after the cluster in May at PE. They said thank you for your feedback, but nothing has changed.

Edited September 4, 2022 by coaster

[poocher]

Inertia!  

[Ourusualbeach]

24 minutes ago, coaster said:

Why does Royal keep sending emails to stick to your check-in time then?

Because if 75% of the people stick with it then it will accomplish its goal which is to spread people out over the day.  Most ports don't care because thst creates a lot of extra work for the port to police, enforce and deal with people that show up at the wrong time. 

[coaster]

50 minutes ago, poocher said:

Thanks for that.  Do suites still board first there?

They do. No problem with that. One rule they enforce.

[karena1]

12 hours ago, coaster said:

Why does Royal keep sending emails to stick to your check-in time then? Sent an email to corporate about why bother getting online 45 days ahead to get an early check-in time after the cluster in May at PE. They said thank you for your feedback, but nothing has changed.

Not been out of PE in a while, but there is no cluster at MIA when boarding Freedom.  Very organized.  You go in, they direct you where to sit based on when you got there, and they board by row.  Will see if anything changes when we go on Oasis in Dec out of MIA.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

On 9/3/2022 at 10:17 PM, blueslily said:

Side Note - Man, folks have pics of them posted all over the internet without even knowing that other people are plastering pics of them on the internet. 

Unless you're somewhere with a reasonable expectation of privacy, there's nothing you can do to prevent your picture from showing up on the internet. 

[leisuretraveler223]

Good. Get rid of boarding times, they're stupid and pointless anyway.  Let everyone do as they used to and crowd the place right when they start boarding. I'll happily enjoy a leisurely lunch on shore and come by around 1:30 or 2:00 and just walk right on an into my suite.

[CGinMTL]

You can estimate your check-in time. But as most people fly in. You have no control.

Ifor me, I start to relax when I am at the terminal. I know that my "amazing race" is almost over. And this is the only time I know for sure that I won't make the ship. 

To quote captain Jared " you can take your shoulders down, you are on vacation " 

[Ferry_Watcher]

On 9/3/2022 at 2:18 PM, TexasRon said:

You missed the point.  If you have a rule, enforce it.  If you are not going to enforce a rule, get rid of it.

Sometimes it's a cruise line corporate rule, that for whatever reason is impossible to enforce due to either "day of problems"  i.e., check-in tablets are all down. 

Or it could be greater issues, as in Seattle Carnival doesn't allow passengers who haven't completed the required Canadian ArriveCan registration to enter into the terminal building.   That means upwards of up 30% of arriving Carnival passengers are milling around the front of the building after being be pulled out of line to complete ArriveCan, and show the needed QR code in order to just get inside the building.

I understand why there are arrival times, but I also understand why they are not uniformly enforced at some piers.

[TexasRon]

50 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Sometimes it's a cruise line corporate rule, that for whatever reason is impossible to enforce due to either "day of problems"  i.e., check-in tablets are all down. 

Or it could be greater issues, as in Seattle Carnival doesn't allow passengers who haven't completed the required Canadian ArriveCan registration to enter into the terminal building.   That means upwards of up 30% of arriving Carnival passengers are milling around the front of the building after being be pulled out of line to complete ArriveCan, and show the needed QR code in order to just get inside the building.

I understand why there are arrival times, but I also understand why they are not uniformly enforced at some piers.

That is all fine, but the rule should either be enforced or not in general.  The issues that are seen are more than just one off issues.  If you tell people you want them to do something and you let them do whatever they want instead, you are just wasting everyone’s time.

The other situations (one offs) will happen.  I get that.

 

In general, giving people who disregard rules an advantage by letting the due what they want to do leads to more people disregarding they rules.

 

Either way, enforce it or get rid of it.

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, TexasRon said:

That is all fine, but the rule should either be enforced or not in general.  The issues that are seen are more than just one off issues.  If you tell people you want them to do something and you let them do whatever they want instead, you are just wasting everyone’s time.

The other situations (one offs) will happen.  I get that.

 

In general, giving people who disregard rules an advantage by letting the due what they want to do leads to more people disregarding they rules.

 

Either way, enforce it or get rid of it.

I think it depends on the port, they aren’t cruise line employees.

[cindyscruise]

The picture reminds of how it was pre-covid.  You checked-in and then took a seat.  Remember there was sections for diamond+, diamond, etc. Then when they were ready to board they took you in by rows.  Actually if people did follow their check-in times there would not be long lines outside.  And inside at least you are sitting down.