When can you arrive at the port? (Port Everglades)

[peter1975]

I've cruised many times pre-Covid and we've always arrived at the port at around 11-11:30 and have been able to get on the ship fairly quickly and easily.

I have not cruised post-Covid -- I know we have to check in on the app and choose an arrival time now.   So, I have a couple of questions about this:

1) Do you have to log in the second check-in opens to get the early spots?

2) Are the check-in times even enforced?  Let's say I get stuck with a 1PM check in time -- will I be able to get on the ship if I get to the port at 11:30?

I understand the answers may be subjective and speculation, but if anybody has any personal experience one way or another I would appreciate the advice!

The cruise is out of Fort Lauderdale in May on the Adventure of the Seas if that makes a difference.   Thank you!

[Ret MP]

2 minutes ago, peter1975 said:

1) Do you have to log in the second check-in opens to get the early spots?

2) Are the check-in times even enforced?  Let's say I get stuck with a 1PM check in time -- will I be able to get on the ship if I get to the port at 11:30?

Way too many if's, and's, or but's.  Some ports/terminals/ships/staff are very strict and some just don't care or have different terminals policies.  I can only tell you that at Port of Canaveral, Ovation of the Seas, Oct/Nov 2022, we had a 12:30 "Arrival Time".  We were on the ship about an hour earlier than that.  

[Tatka]

Always in the first group. Yes, we log in at 12:01 AM when check-in  opens.

My first cruise day starts ASAP.

 

I am also the first off the ship during disembarkation

Edited January 26, 2023 by Tatka

[rockmom]

13 minutes ago, peter1975 said:

I've cruised many times pre-Covid and we've always arrived at the port at around 11-11:30 and have been able to get on the ship fairly quickly and easily.

I have not cruised post-Covid -- I know we have to check in on the app and choose an arrival time now.   So, I have a couple of questions about this:

1) Do you have to log in the second check-in opens to get the early spots?

2) Are the check-in times even enforced?  Let's say I get stuck with a 1PM check in time -- will I be able to get on the ship if I get to the port at 11:30?

I understand the answers may be subjective and speculation, but if anybody has any personal experience one way or another I would appreciate the advice!

The cruise is out of Fort Lauderdale in May on the Adventure of the Seas if that makes a difference.   Thank you!

The earliest spots go very quickly.  So maybe you don't need to log in at midnight, eastern time, but probably wise log in and grab your desired spot the first day it opens up.  You can do it on the app, or on the web and make sure you check in everyone in your party because that way you all get the same time. If you don't, the times can be all over the place.  Note, you can do minimal data entry and grab your preferred time and then come back later and fill in things like credit card info.  As far as showing up at a different time, that has varied widely over the last year.  I have seen it go both ways:  they tell you to go away and hang out and come back when it is your assigned time, or they aren't checking.  Or somewhere in them middle where they look at your assigned time but it's not very busy so they wave you on through.  

[lovesthebeach2]

We were on Jewel for NYE and they had everyone seated in groups by their assigned boarding time. We had an 11 am boarding but there were people sitting in Seats with a 1pm time.  They got there early but  I don’t know if they got on early.  We got on board just after 11.

EDIT to add that was at Port Canaveral 

Edited January 26, 2023 by lovesthebeach2

[Ret MP]

3 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

We were on Jewel for NYE and they had everyone seated in groups by their assigned boarding time. We had an 11 am boarding but there were people sitting in Seats with a 1pm time.  They got there early but  I don’t know if they got on early.  We got on board just after 11.

EDIT to add that was at Port Canaveral 

Do you know if the ship was ready for boarding at 10:00 - 10:30 AM?  If not, that is what backs things up at times. 

 

If your arrival time is 10:30 AM, I believe that's the earliest "arrival time", and the ship is ready, you walk right on after you do the little bit of processing in the terminal.  

[lovesthebeach2]

33 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Do you know if the ship was ready for boarding at 10:00 - 10:30 AM?  If not, that is what backs things up at times. 

 

If your arrival time is 10:30 AM, I believe that's the earliest "arrival time", and the ship is ready, you walk right on after you do the little bit of processing in the terminal.  

At 10:30 the suites, key and Pins boarded and then the 10:30 group. It went very fast, but I don’t know if they held up the others based on their time. I was already on the ship. 

[peter1975]

Thanks for the great responses!   This is helpful.

 

One comment made me think of another question -- can I check in friends listed in other bookings?  I think our bookings are all linked (for dining purposes) if that makes a difference.  Thanks! 

[PhillyFan33579]

I have cruised over a dozen times in the last year from Port Miami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral. I have seen check-in times strictly enforced and I have seen where terminal workers never even looked at your check-in time (at all 3 ports). At least based on my experience, there isn’t a definitive answer to your question. 

[rockmom]

8 minutes ago, peter1975 said:

Thanks for the great responses!   This is helpful.

 

One comment made me think of another question -- can I check in friends listed in other bookings?  I think our bookings are all linked (for dining purposes) if that makes a difference.  Thanks! 

yes, I always do this for my whole group/travel party.  As long as you're linked and you can access their reservation number when you go into 'my cruises'.   I will grab their boarding time so it's the same as mine and I will put in 'dummy' things, that it might want for me to be able to save and secure that time (for example, checking that a birth certificate and government ID will be used).   Then you can have everyone go back in on their own and put in the rest of/correct the info.  Like putting in their credit card.  Just make sure they don't choose a new time.  😛 

 

[peter1975]

7 minutes ago, rockmom said:

yes, I always do this for my whole group/travel party.  As long as you're linked and you can access their reservation number when you go into 'my cruises'.   I will grab their boarding time so it's the same as mine and I will put in 'dummy' things, that it might want for me to be able to save and secure that time (for example, checking that a birth certificate and government ID will be used).   Then you can have everyone go back in on their own and put in the rest of/correct the info.  Like putting in their credit card.  Just make sure they don't choose a new time.  😛 

 

 

Awesome info!  Thank you!

[Ourusualbeach]

49 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

At 10:30 the suites, key and Pins boarded and then the 10:30 group. It went very fast, but I don’t know if they held up the others based on their time. I was already on the ship. 

We had the 11 am time at PC so had to sit in that section.  Once all the 10:30 folks boarded they boarded the 11:00 people right after.  We were walking on board at 10:40