Board before my assigned time?

[jessed]

5 hours ago, island lady said:

 

They never looked at your set sail pass?  

No. There wasn't anyone outside checking.

[Robo1098]

19 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Understandable.  So Tampa was enforcing boarding times on 10/20?  

Yes. They enforced them as long as there was a line. If there was not line it seems you could go right in. 

[island lady]

19 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

True, they are not synonymous but are very closely related.

 

Unless boarding is delayed....sitting inside the terminal when you get there too early is not fun either.  I prefer walking over to Grills when boarding at T1 in PC, to wait there with Bloody Mary in hand.  😉 

[island lady]

16 hours ago, Robo1098 said:

Yes. They enforced them as long as there was a line. If there was not line it seems you could go right in. 

 

Tampa has a very small terminal...limited seating.  I never arrive too early there.  Usually already after boarding has begun.  

[CastAStone]

Just as a data point at Fort Lauderdale last week they didn't check anything for me. We checked in 45 minutes before our assigned time, at 10:45, and were held in a room briefly as they let The Key passengers board, then after The Key people were all the way on the boat, we were let on. I didn't check my watch but I'm sure we were all on the boat before 11:15 (vs. our check in window of 11:30-12). 

 

I didn't see any other Fort Lauderdale posts in the thread so I thought I'd share.

[crzndeb]

On 11/10/2022 at 8:19 AM, Tree_skier said:

I think that that is true.  Pinnacles and suites board first, then Key, then Diamond+, then Diamond, then etc...

 

Anyone showing up after the initial crush can board at their leisure.  I generally always want an early boarding time. Who wouldn't want to start their vacay as quickly as possible?  However my last one was the first time I was able to drive in as it was my first Navigator cruise. It was a 4 1/2 hour drive and I'm not interested in leaving home at 5 am.   We boarded and 12:00. It was really quite nice.  There was no line at all. We just walked through security and walked strait up the check in desk and walked strait onto the ship. I'm planning on doing the same for Navigator in Jan.  

 

For all the others I will continue my old plan of getting there as early  as possible.

My family is sailing Navigator for New Years, and we are going to be driving up from San Diego. Check in opened up today, and we picked 1pm. Will miss the mad rush of those wanting to get there early, ignoring check in times, and we can go right to cabins. With 9 and 10 yr old grandkids, this will be perfect. When I go solo, I usually also pick early.

[manojsaxena]

Hello,

 

We were on Voyager of the Seas on November 6th out of Puerto Rico.  They were very strict about the assigned boarding times.  The suite people could get in at anytime.

[Longford]

On 11/9/2022 at 6:32 PM, Starry Eyes said:

Understandable.  So Tampa was enforcing boarding times on 10/20?  

I departed on Serenade from Tampa on 11/5.  If you didn't have an earned or purchased perk boarding times were strictly enforced for the earliest times.  I boarded early because of my Key status and don't know what happened for times Noon and after.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Longford

[cruiselvr04]

Doing a S2S next month in Miami.  We plan on getting off as late as possible but we will still be too early to board the next.  I’m hoping to at least get into the terminal and sit down to wait. The earliest time to board was 11. I checked in on the app very early on the first day available.  We will see……

[island lady]

1 hour ago, Longford said:

I departed on Serenade from Tampa on 11/5.  If you didn't have an earned or purchased perk boarding times were strictly enforced for the earliest times.  I boarded early because of my Key status and don't know what happened for times Noon and after.

 

Tiny terminal there with very limited seating...not surprising they would enforce the times.  

[Nessa1dc]

On 11/8/2022 at 7:52 AM, lucyrio said:

Hi...who can help me with this...I just checked in yesterday for our upcoming Nov 27 Wonder of the Seas cruise.  It says our health check in time is 1:30. I don't even know what that is.  Maybe temperature check?  We always get to the pier earlier than that and have never had a problem boarding.  It states if you don't come then, you will be delayed.  Can I try to go earlier or will they tell me to wait until 1:30. Would they really turn me away ?

Thank you

 

If you are a Diamond Plus Member, you can board an hour before your assigned time...just fyi

[island lady]

33 minutes ago, Nessa1dc said:

 

If you are a Diamond Plus Member, you can board an hour before your assigned time...just fyi

 

Sure about that?  Thought that was only for full suites and Pinnacles.  (As the sign states upon approaching the terminal the last few months).   

[davekathy]

15 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Sure about that?  Thought that was only for full suites and Pinnacles.  (As the sign states upon approaching the terminal the last few months).   

Agree. No matter the embarkation port. 

[Starry Eyes]

27 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Sure about that?  Thought that was only for full suites and Pinnacles.  (As the sign states upon approaching the terminal the last few months).   

Are you sure it is only full suites?  As JS says “suite” on the boarding pass, I suspect they also are able to go in the suite/ PC line.

 

Edited November 16, 2022 by Starry Eyes

[Starry Eyes]

On 9/18/2022 at 3:30 PM, SplashOfWater said:

We were in a Junior Suite on Independence out of Port Canaveral earlier this month. We had a 10:30am arrival time (which was the earliest). Our Set Sail pass had "Suite" printed on it. That's all we showed to get in the Suites lines and in the Suites waiting area (with the comfy furniture). The first to board the ship were Suites & Pinnacles. This included the Junior Suites. 

I found this post on another thread.  It suggests JS are receiving priority boarding at PC along with the full suites.  As substantial numbers are often in the suite/PC line/boarding group, it seemed likely that some are JS guests.

[SplashOfWater]

7 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

I found this post on another thread.  It suggests JS are receiving priority boarding at PC along with the full suites.  As substantial numbers are often in the suite/PC line/boarding group, it seemed likely that some are JS guests.

Priority boarding is one of the JS perks. 

[slyster]

The answer is it depends on the port and if there is a line.  We have been to Baltimore and they are definitely strict at least at 10 and 11 in morning.

[island lady]

16 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Are you sure it is only full suites?  As JS says “suite” on the boarding pass, I suspect they also are able to go in the suite/ PC line.

 

 

That's true...impossible to know the difference from reading that.  😉 

[DaKahuna]

For boarding purposes Junior Suite guest are to use the Suite guest queue.  We' sailed in Junior Suites on 13 separate cruises and always used with Suite guest line without issue. 

 

[RedIguana]

On 11/9/2022 at 4:19 PM, DaKahuna said:

What puzzles me is that it appears, and I have no hard evidence of this, that the same people who want to arrive at the cruise terminal earlier than their assigned times,  are the same people who want to be the first to get off the ship. 

This group will be those that fly into the port a day early (so hotel checkout is probably before 11, shuttle from hotel if offered may be only earlier times), or fly in early that morning. They also probably have a flight to catch that day after disembarking, so want to be at the airport with time to spare.

[PhillyFan33579]

20 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

I found this post on another thread.  It suggests JS are receiving priority boarding at PC along with the full suites.  As substantial numbers are often in the suite/PC line/boarding group, it seemed likely that some are JS guests.

Priority check-in/boarding is a perk for guests in a JS, even if you got a JS based on a Royal Up bid.