Early boarding for Emerald tier

[workstocruise]

It’s been awhile since we last cruised with Royal and it was out of Galveston where most of the rules about boarding don’t apply.

last time we just arrived at the port around 11 and checked in and then boarded right away because we were platinum.  This time we have a scheduled check in time of 1:30 and I am wondering if we can arrive earlier than 1:30 so we can board early as well.  This is our 40th cruise and we have never been given a designated time to arrive.  Is this the new normal?  We sailed last fall on Celebrity and got to the port at 10:30 and was on the ship by 11:15.
we are traveling in a group of 9 and they are all anxious to get on board early.  Thank you.

[Biker19]

16 minutes ago, workstocruise said:

Is this the new normal?

Yes. Your C&A level doesn't make any diff for check in (other than Pins). Others may weigh in whether Galveston staff enforce the check in times.

[workstocruise]

So when your flight gets in early and you go straight to the airport I gather they have a holding area?   From other comments I’ve read on this site, looks like mostly everyone arrives early.

 

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, workstocruise said:

So when your flight gets in early and you go straight to the terminal I gather they have a holding area?

That varies by port, but when they enforce check in times you usually have to wait outside.

[cruisinghawg]

Check in times are a product of covid. Spreads people out evenly so as to get as little contact as possible. But the muster is all on the app now so that's a positive.

[Mum2Mercury]

15 minutes ago, cruisinghawg said:

Check in times are a product of covid. Spreads people out evenly so as to get as little contact as possible. But the muster is all on the app now so that's a positive.

Yes, check-in times started because of Covid, but I don't see them ending any time soon.  I think Royal likes spreading people out.

[workstocruise]

Well I guess Covid has affected all parts of our lives and it’s just the way it is.

[GJustice]

Haven't had any issues with arriving early in Galveston. 

[twangster]

Royal has streamlined the check in process so it is must faster than it was in the years before the shutdown.  They started down this path before the shutdown.

 

It stands to reason that shutdown or not, they can't handle masses of the total ship count all arriving at the same time.  Naturally there is a desire to distribute arriving guests across the check in period.   As ships grow larger this becomes more of an issue.

 

If you arrive out of turn and it's a miserable wait in a long line you can blame yourself and all the others that did the same.  It's that simple.  

[coaster]

Check-in 45 days online before your departure date like we do.  You will get the earliest time when doing it.  The norm for the last couple of years. We take the time to be proactive and go online 45 days ahead and obey our time that we are assigned to. Our diamond status is meaningless as it should be. We all play by the same rules since Covid. Many passengers are rude and ignore their times to check-in. Some ports enforce it and I commend them for that.

Edited May 24, 2023 by coaster

[Nessa1dc]

Question...I understood that Diamond/Diamond Plus can arrive up to 1 hr. before their scheduled time.  Is that no longer?

[davekathy]

5 minutes ago, Nessa1dc said:

Question...I understood that Diamond/Diamond Plus can arrive up to 1 hr. before their scheduled time.  Is that no longer?

Not an option unless in a full suite. You can arrive early but...

Edited May 24, 2023 by davekathy

[twangster]

13 minutes ago, Nessa1dc said:

Question...I understood that Diamond/Diamond Plus can arrive up to 1 hr. before their scheduled time.  Is that no longer?

 

I don't recall that ever being offered to D/D+.

 

[BecciBoo]

I can confirm Galveston DOES enforce it...rigidly.  

[klfrodo]

20 hours ago, workstocruise said:

they are all anxious to get on board early.  Thank you.

So are the other 3000 passengers

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, BecciBoo said:

I can confirm Galveston DOES enforce it...rigidly.  

Did you see post #8.

[twangster]

29 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

Did you see post #8.

 

It's almost like two different people had two different experiences.  😱

[The Fun Researcher]

People may shoot me for this but if I arrived early, I would give it a try getting on early.

[BecciBoo]

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

Did you see post #8.

Yep that has not been our experience post covid.  We have always gone early, when they started assigning times we always choose the earliest.  Cruise last September we arrived at 9:30, first time was 10:30, we had 11:00, they would not let me in the earlier lines AT ALL.  I had to sit and wait on a bench until my assignment.  Course this was at the old terminal.  This September we'll be at the new one.  We will still choose the earliest time we can and still probably arrive early.  Since we come down from Arkansas that's how we role.  We get our hotel day before on the mainland, get up around 8 and drive down to the island.

Edited May 24, 2023 by BecciBoo

[BecciBoo]

41 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

People may shoot me for this but if I arrived early, I would give it a try getting on early.

Good luck.

[crzndeb]

47 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

People may shoot me for this but if I arrived early, I would give it a try getting on early.

Or you could wake up or stay up until midnight from where ship is leaving from and pick an early arrival time. Lots of folks do that.

Edited May 24, 2023 by crzndeb

[BecciBoo]

1 minute ago, crzndeb said:

Or you could wake up or stay up until midnight from where ship is leaving from and pick an early arrival time. 

That is not possible.  Time slots open with check in 45 days out and early time assignments are gone almost immediately.  You snooze you loose.

[crzndeb]

29 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

That is not possible.  Time slots open with check in 45 days out and early time assignments are gone almost immediately.  You snooze you loose.

I should have been clearer…I meant to say to stay up until midnight when it opens at 45 days. My brain knows what I mean 🤦🏼‍♀️

Edited May 24, 2023 by crzndeb

[The Fun Researcher]

40 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Or you could wake up or stay up until midnight from where ship is leaving from and pick an early arrival time. Lots of folks do that.

This is what I'm doing for our July Alaskan cruise on the Quantum.  I'll be up late tomorrow night until just after midnight.  I'll be getting the earliest check in I can for our 6 cabins.  🙂

[BecciBoo]

That is the correct strategy!