Carnival check in question

[taco88]

I'm sailing Sunday from Port Canaveral on Magic.  We have always showed up at the dock about 10-11am and gotten onto the ship fairly quickly.  On Carnival's check-in page, the process seems to have changed.  They are asking me to select a check in time, and saying that I won't be allowed to board before that time.  I last cruised 11 months ago and this wasn't an issue.  Are they really going to hold us back if we show up early?   I don't see any way to avoid selecting a time, and the times start in the early afternoon.   Thanks in advance for any advice on this. 

[BrianMD]

That pretty much sums it up. I don't know exactly when they started it but certainly it's been that way for me in all of 2022. You can show up later than your check in time but if you arrive early they will direct you to an "early arrival" line to wait until your selected time. I suppose if the lines aren't long, there aren't many in your group and they are in a good mood they might wave you through.

[mz-s]

16 minutes ago, taco88 said:

I'm sailing Sunday from Port Canaveral on Magic.  We have always showed up at the dock about 10-11am and gotten onto the ship fairly quickly.  On Carnival's check-in page, the process seems to have changed.  They are asking me to select a check in time, and saying that I won't be allowed to board before that time.  I last cruised 11 months ago and this wasn't an issue.  Are they really going to hold us back if we show up early?   I don't see any way to avoid selecting a time, and the times start in the early afternoon.   Thanks in advance for any advice on this. 

 

Arrival appointments have existed since probably 2018 or so. I'm not sure how this is news to you now.

 

If you don't want to abide by the arrival time you select, purchase Faster to the Fun or a suite cabin and you can bypass the arrival appointment.

[taco88]

3 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

Arrival appointments have existed since probably 2018 or so. I'm not sure how this is news to you now.

 

If you don't want to abide by the arrival time you select, purchase Faster to the Fun or a suite cabin and you can bypass the arrival appointment.

It's news to me now because my Carnival cruise in early 2022 did not work this way.  But thanks for the valuable reply. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by taco88
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[vwrestler171]

1 minute ago, taco88 said:

It's news to me now because my Carnival cruise in early 2022 did not work this way.  But thanks for the valuable reply. 

It should have.  I know my 2021 cruise had it.

[mz-s]

1 minute ago, taco88 said:

It's news to me now because my Carnival cruise in early 2022 did not work this way.  But thanks for the valuable reply. 

 

You still had to select an arrival appointment in 2022, perhaps they were not enforcing them at that time because the ships were generally still not sailing full then. But they seem to be enforcing them now at every port, especially when it is the most busy in the terminals.

[icft]

1 hour ago, taco88 said:

I'm sailing Sunday from Port Canaveral on Magic.  We have always showed up at the dock about 10-11am and gotten onto the ship fairly quickly.  On Carnival's check-in page, the process seems to have changed.  They are asking me to select a check in time, and saying that I won't be allowed to board before that time.  I last cruised 11 months ago and this wasn't an issue.  Are they really going to hold us back if we show up early?   I don't see any way to avoid selecting a time, and the times start in the early afternoon.   Thanks in advance for any advice on this. 

Looking at our past boarding passes the first boarding pass we got with a boarding time was in February of 2016. But, pre-covid Diamond and Platinum could ignore that and arrive anytime they wanted.

 

While, in theory, they have restored priority lines for Diamond and Platinum I have not heard that they have eliminated the post-covid rule that everyone had to come at their boarding time. I say in theory because, despite having that email from the Carnival President saying Diamond and Platinum again had priority boarding, for our December 11 cruise out of New Orleans they said only suite and faster to the fun got priority boarding.

 

So it is a real mess these days. Even if you get Carnival's rules straight there is every possibility the folks at the terminal are following their own rules.

[jsglow]

OP, arrival times have existed for years. I remember my first one back about 2016. They may not have been enforced as much during the early days of the restart when cruises were at 50% but no doubt that has changed. Moreover, you WILL be assigned a BOARDING POSITION based on that arrival time. It will appear prominently on your Boarding Pass (EO2 for example) and unless you have Priority (I'm not going to detail who qualifies) you WILL be held until that slot.  

[EngIceDave]

I too remember there always being arrival times, which I read as "suggestions."

 

After the Cooties, they began enforcing not just broad arrival times like in the past, but more narrow windows, I believe they were initially a half hour (?) between each.

 

This was how it was for us on Horizon Sept 2021.

 

They were then and still are enforcing the times. 

I would say this, if you got lucky and rolled up during a slow period, they MAY let you go ahead.

[Lee Cruiser]

1 hour ago, taco88 said:

It's news to me now because my Carnival cruise in early 2022 did not work this way.  But thanks for the valuable reply. 

Not sure how it didn't. They've adhered to arrival appointment times since the restart in 2021.  We did three Carnival cruises last year and have another coming up this month.  They've all required arrival appointment times.

[Mic101680]

2 hours ago, taco88 said:

I'm sailing Sunday from Port Canaveral on Magic.  We have always showed up at the dock about 10-11am and gotten onto the ship fairly quickly.  On Carnival's check-in page, the process seems to have changed.  They are asking me to select a check in time, and saying that I won't be allowed to board before that time.  I last cruised 11 months ago and this wasn't an issue.  Are they really going to hold us back if we show up early?   I don't see any way to avoid selecting a time, and the times start in the early afternoon.   Thanks in advance for any advice on this. 

Yes, they really will hold you back and ask you to come back later, especially if it's busy at the time you show up and it's not at or after your selected arrival time window.

 

That said, I've personally witnessed and experienced a whole plethora of things that happen vs what Carnival's procedures actually are: you might get lucky and they might go ahead and let you through the initial check in line and security screening, but then they may have you step to the side at that point before you can actually board. You might get lucky and they waive you through the priority line, even though you are not part of the priority boarding groups (happened to me once when traveling with elderly friends).

 

Personally, I would plan to arrive within or after the time slot you selected, and if you want to board earlier next time, make sure you sign into online check in as soon as it opens up to be able to get the time slot you most want.

[hurricane0226]

1 hour ago, Mic101680 said:

Yes, they really will hold you back and ask you to come back later, especially if it's busy at the time you show up and it's not at or after your selected arrival time window.

 

That said, I've personally witnessed and experienced a whole plethora of things that happen vs what Carnival's procedures actually are: you might get lucky and they might go ahead and let you through the initial check in line and security screening, but then they may have you step to the side at that point before you can actually board. You might get lucky and they waive you through the priority line, even though you are not part of the priority boarding groups (happened to me once when traveling with elderly friends).

 

Personally, I would plan to arrive within or after the time slot you selected, and if you want to board earlier next time, make sure you sign into online check in as soon as it opens up to be able to get the time slot you most want.

I wait till one second past midnight, EST. to check in and get an early check in time.  

[ninjacat123]

Last cruise on Elation, I noticed other's paperwork with a check in time later than mine, in line before us.  I'm growling and DH is saying "it's all good" but it's frustrating when you play by the rules and others (including the port workers) don't.

[kelkel2]

So they don’t necessarily hold you back. But they put you in the line for early/late arrivals…aka anyone who didn’t show up during the window they chose. The window you’re choosing is the arrival/check in time not boarding time. But essentially, yes they can hold you back. 

[firstcruise92]

8 hours ago, hurricane0226 said:

I wait till one second past midnight, EST. to check in and get an early check in time.  

I do that too.

[skrufy]

16 hours ago, vwrestler171 said:

It should have.  I know my 2021 cruise had it.

Carnival has recently enforced the check in times, prior each port did things differently, some let you board when you showed up. 

[Mic101680]

12 hours ago, hurricane0226 said:

I wait till one second past midnight, EST. to check in and get an early check in time.  

I always intend to do this, but ultimately forget and check in 3 days later. I've never had a problem getting a time slot before noon, which is fine for me. I don't have to be first on the ship - there's not usually a lot going on anyway until the afternoon anyway.

[13cheermom]

On 1/7/2023 at 6:11 AM, firstcruise92 said:

I do that too.

Ssshh!  don't tell everyone our secrets, lol.  

[jsglow]

12 minutes ago, 13cheermom said:

Ssshh!  don't tell everyone our secrets, lol.  

HA! Did you ever notice the computer slowing down around 5 minutes into the process? 🤔😆

[13cheermom]

1 minute ago, jsglow said:

HA! Did you ever notice the computer slowing down around 5 minutes into the process? 🤔😆

Of course, everyone trying to check-in at the same time.  There are a lot of newbies on here now, just thought we could keep it our lil secret.  😉

[CajunOyster]

On 1/7/2023 at 10:41 AM, Mic101680 said:

...there's not usually a lot going on anyway until the afternoon anyway.

 

True.  I just like walking around on a mostly abandoned ship 🙂

 

[wemjam]

On 1/6/2023 at 6:19 PM, taco88 said:

It's news to me now because my Carnival cruise in early 2022 did not work this way.  But thanks for the valuable reply. 

I assure you, you did have a check in time.  You may not have realized it and you may have been able to enter when you showed up, but it was there.  Been there for years.

 

As for now (and all of 2022 which I cruised all year long), it will depend on the port and the person checking people in.  I have seen it go both ways over the last 6 cruises or so.  A couple they were just checking to make sure you had a boarding pass and waving you through, others were checking the specific check in time and turning people away left and right.  So, if you want to take the luck of the draw and show up early you MAY get through our you MAY end up standing around outside until you can get in the terminal.

 

Only you can decide if you want to take the chance and have to stand around.

Edited January 11, 2023 by wemjam

[wemjam]

On 1/6/2023 at 10:15 PM, ninjacat123 said:

Last cruise on Elation, I noticed other's paperwork with a check in time later than mine, in line before us.  I'm growling and DH is saying "it's all good" but it's frustrating when you play by the rules and others (including the port workers) don't.

Amen!!! Frustrates me so.  I am a dot every I, cross every T, follow the rules kind of girl and to see people with check in times 2 hours later on their paperwork just being waved through left and right (while I am standing in the middle of a mob at my appropriately scheduled check in time) sooooo very frustrating.  Why bother setting rules if you aren't going to enforce them.  Got into the terminal and there had to be a few hundred people in there already and we arrived at the tail end of our time slot for the first check in slot.... so I know they weren't all officially from that first 1/2 hour window time slot.

[jsglow]

We've had an interesting thing happen at New Orleans twice now.  I wonder if it has something to do with limited parking? Anyway, there's already a long line of folks outside the terminal when we arrive at 10ish for our scheduled appointment. We dutifully got in line (the first time) only to realize they were all VERY early. At some point a Carnival rep walked the line calling for 'any 10a folks here?' And, after looking at our BP, she escorted us out of that line and up to the beginning of the actual check-in.

 

So note... IF you are 'on time' for Glory/Valor, understand that there might be a long line of people being held off to the side. I've seen it on all our recent embarkations/disembarkations at that port. Don't get in that line.

 

And for those that arrive super early, are parking limitations the reason you queue up when you do?

Edited January 12, 2023 by jsglow

[13cheermom]

20 minutes ago, jsglow said:

 

And for those that arrive super early, are parking limitations the reason you queue up when you do?

So not sure about NO, but for us at Port Canaveral we like to arrive early to avoid the long parking lines getting into the parking deck area.  When we shuttle to port from hotel, it's not that big of a deal to arrive early.  But that being said check-in early as possible to try and get the earliest arrival appt. time to avoid the crowds.  Luckily got 10:00-10:30 for our Mardi Gras cruise in 2 weeks, so guess I would just rather have a seat at the terminal than just sitting at the hotel waiting.  We also feel like once we have arrived at the port we are in vacation mode forsure!