Do we pick arrival window for embarkation?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

First sailing with MSC, and I'm curious about the check-in process. We'll be on the Seaside (3-nt) out of Pt Canaveral in April.

 

How many days prior to sailing can I complete/receive my boarding documents - and do they allow you to pick an arrival window (as we typically do with other lines)?

 

Any idea at what time boarding typically begins for those with priority, and those without (us) ?

THANKS,

 

Tom

[Morgsmom]

You will be assigned an embarkation window.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

21 minutes ago, Morgsmom said:

You will be assigned an embarkation window.

 

Is that first come/first served (assigning the first ones to check in online the earlier times) and, in general, how particular are they with regard to arriving within your window (or early/late)?

 

Some lines try to start boarding by 10:30-11, is that an "average" start time assuming no issues?

 

Tom

[Morgsmom]

MSC will assign you a one hour boarding window; I cannot say how that hour is determined (unless you are in Yacht Club).  Normal boarding does start around 10:30, that is correct.

As far as "paying attention" to your boarding time, I have NOT found that to be the case 😉

 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

11 minutes ago, Morgsmom said:

MSC will assign you a one hour boarding window; I cannot say how that hour is determined (unless you are in Yacht Club).  Normal boarding does start around 10:30, that is correct.

As far as "paying attention" to your boarding time, I have NOT found that to be the case 😉

 

 

I had contemplated booking a YC cabin, and also a suite. Both show priority boarding. I'm guessing YC first?

 

With Carnival, suites have priority, as do Diamond and Platinum guests - though it's not always implemented correctly. I know that, being Diamond, I have a two day head start with regard to choosing my boarding window.

 

Tom

[asalligo]

Yes, MSC just assigns you a check in time. You do not get to pick it at check in like Carnival. This check in time also changed several times for my last cruise and was 2pm when my boarding documents were first sent and changed to 10:30am three days before my cruise. MSC also unlike Carnival pretty much ignores your check in time and you can show up whenever you like. 

 

 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

3 minutes ago, asalligo said:

Yes, MSC just assigns you a check in time. You do not get to pick it at check in like Carnival. This check in time also changed several times for my last cruise and was 2pm when my boarding documents were first sent and changed to 10:30am three days before my cruise. MSC also unlike Carnival pretty much ignores your check in time and you can show up whenever you like. 

 

 

 

Perfect 🙂

 

Tom

[TITISSA]

30 minutes ago, asalligo said:

Yes, MSC just assigns you a check in time. You do not get to pick it at check in like Carnival. This check in time also changed several times for my last cruise and was 2pm when my boarding documents were first sent and changed to 10:30am three days before my cruise. MSC also unlike Carnival pretty much ignores your check in time and you can show up whenever you like. 

 

 

26 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Perfect 🙂

 

Tom

 

leaving tomorrow. My embarkation time was 10;30 am. Yesterday they changed to 2:00 pm. Does anyone know why?

[jame_g]

My embarkation time changed multiple times in the two weeks before embarkation, with the last one being like 3:00.  I just printed the page with the earliest embarkation time (11:00) to bring with me. They never checked when we boarded in Miami. Also, YC has it's own priority boarding. And once inside the terminal, there should be a separate shorter line for Aurea Suite priority boarding, although it may not be labelled and they will try to push you into the general line unless you ask/point out that you are an Aurea Suite. Not sure why they gave us a 3:00 boarding time for Aurea Suite when it's supposed to have priority boarding. We boarded at 11:00 with no problem and got right on the ship. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Oh - when is the check-in time first assigned (when can I request/print my boarding docs)?

 

Tom

[asalligo]

21 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

Oh - when is the check-in time first assigned (when can I request/print my boarding docs)?

 

Tom

I received my boarding pass on December 10th for my January 6th cruise. So about 25 days. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

2 minutes ago, asalligo said:

I received my boarding pass on December 10th for my January 6th cruise. So about 25 days. 

 

Alright, so not necessarily a set period of days prior to sailing. You'll get an email I suppose?

 

THANKS

 

Tom

[JAGR]

Not necessarily.  MSC will let you check in and get your "ticket" or boarding packet 20 days before sailing, although you sometimes can get it earlier.  You got msccruisesusa.com, pick Manage Booking, enter your booking number, fill out the web check in information.  If you try and get your ticket too early, you will get a message online like this one.

[Fitzget]

Our entire group is in standard balcony cabins with the exception of one that's interior, and we all got 10:30 boarding time. We got our boarding time when we were able to check in 20 days prior. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

8 minutes ago, Fitzget said:

Our entire group is in standard balcony cabins with the exception of one that's interior, and we all got 10:30 boarding time. We got our boarding time when we were able to check in 20 days prior. 

 

Marking my calendar now 🙂

 

Tom

[lcpagejr]

On 1/5/2023 at 1:01 PM, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

I had contemplated booking a YC cabin, and also a suite. Both show priority boarding. I'm guessing YC first?

 

With Carnival, suites have priority, as do Diamond and Platinum guests - though it's not always implemented correctly. I know that, being Diamond, I have a two day head start with regard to choosing my boarding window.

 

Tom

YC has its own embarkation area and boarding procedure. I assume Suite would be first for non YC passengers

[haolenate]

(travel agent here) I've spent some time with the MSC staff based in Pompano Beach, FL and they're working on getting the "mothership" to make changes for the US-departures, and the Embarkation time is one of them. 

 

You can totally ignore it.  Just be at the port at least 3 hours prior to set-sail.  They like to leave early.  This isn't like Norwegian where you can chance it and show up 90 minutes before (whistles...).

[RudiRatlos]

5 hours ago, lcpagejr said:

YC has its own embarkation area and boarding procedure. I assume Suite would be first for non YC passengers

As the non-YC suites usually come with Aurea experience, there is priority boarding, but not the YC's "white tent". There should be a seperate queue for aurea passengers.

Edited January 8, 2023 by RudiRatlos

[def0715]

When I boarded the Meraviglia in November nobody cared about my boarding time window.  (I asked several, I assume, port workers.) They made everyone just line up. The line probably stretched at least 100 or 200 people outside (with many more inside). I think the sailing was full. Not sure if that’s standard at Port Canaveral for this ship. There seemed to be no point in having a boarding window. Maybe things have changed since then. Also, nobody cared that I was Diamond (via status match) until I had cleared security inside the terminal. Then I went to a Diamond area. I’ve had little issue boarding Carnival, Royal and Celebrity ships within my designated boarding window at numerous ports. Maybe this was an anomaly and someone on a more recent cruise has had a different experience. There was some delay in boarding on Friday, but my friend, who had an 11:30 a.m. boarding time, was far enough up in the line that at least he and his family were inside. But boarding seemed to be a mess, from what I understand, and they waited.

[40yearcruiser]

Has anyone had experience with boarding in Dubai? We have been assigned a 5 pm boarding time (the ship overnights in port and leaves the next day). Our problem is that we have to be out of our hotel by noon on boarding day. I am definitely not waiting 5 hours to check our luggage and get checked in. We don't cruise until late March so wonder what the chances are that the boarding time will change, and if it really matters what time we've been assigned.