Priority boarding: Only Platinum / Elite Guest or anyone in same cabin?

[Cedric35]

I searched and didn’t see the answer; can cabinmates of someone who is eligible for priority boarding board at the same time if they aren’t otherwise entitled?
 

 

[beg3yrs]

The generally accepted answer to this has been no. However things are changing, mostly for the better. Many recent embarkations have been so quick and easy that priority boarding is practically meaningless. I suppose if you arrive before boarding starts the priority lounge would be nice, but that's a no for non-eligible passengers.

 

Some will tell you that the folks at embarkation don't do a thorough job of checking but, sometimes they do.

 

My personal preference is to just show up about an hour after boarding starts and just whiz onto the ship in less than 20 minutes or so. It's become that easy.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, Cedric35 said:

I searched and didn’t see the answer; can cabinmates of someone who is eligible for priority boarding board at the same time if they aren’t otherwise entitled?
 

 

Sorry, but post #2 is incorrect.  Absolutely, anyone in the same cabin with a guest who has priority boarding/check-in is allowed to be with them through the process.

 

In addition, it has been the case with two cabins that often when asked, the check-in team will allow the party to stay together via the priority process.  This could be a family where parents are Elite and kids not any level (this is like paragraph 1).  Could be adult family/friends.  Purists will say the Elites should go through the regular line, but my experience from seeing it and reading it is that Princess - when nicely asked - will allow it.  I think it is generally accepted that each Elite can bring one other person "along for the ride", so to speak.

 

That said, with the new check-in process, even if second couple goes to a different check-in agent, you can meet up after to walk on the ship if that is important.  The real significance is if you all arrive prior to general boarding and are seated in the waiting area to board.  Guests are given a group card (A, B, C, D, etc) and groups are called for an orderly boarding.  Question is, can the other party be with the Elite (for example)?  

 

Unless someone is younger or needs to be accompanied, it really isn't a big deal IMO, since the first thing guest typically does is go to cabin and unload/unpack and then go looking for food. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by Steelers36

[cr8tiv1]

Non status cabin mates have the same priority boarding status (lounge/check in) as P, E, S.  Only one needs the boarding ticket.  

 

But...I saw on social media today, that as of August 1, there will only be 3 lanes:  Green, Blue, and mobility.

 

Does that mean that if I am Elite without a Medallion, I would have to stand in the Blue lane?  No more priority lane?

[memoak]

Unless you are there before boarding is allowed there really isn’t any priority. If you are early they will put you in a separate area and once boarding starts they will let you on board. Otherwise people are boarded as they are processed 

[Steelers36]

52 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

But...I saw on social media today, that as of August 1, there will only be 3 lanes:  Green, Blue, and mobility.

 

Does that mean that if I am Elite without a Medallion, I would have to stand in the Blue lane?  No more priority lane?

I do think that Carmen Roig just didn't think about that for the presentation because they wanted to make a big deal about the redesign of the App and the waaaaay better (sorry, I cannot imitate her and have rarely encountered anyone who is so wound up and enthused every second for an hour) confirmation info for check-in.  

 

I seriously doubt there is going to be any significant change to our priority boarding.  IMO, the most important aspect is that we get a priority boarding letter and are seated in the section of the terminal they are going to call first when boarding opens.  Otherwise, it doesn't mean much. 

 

Although, I guess once cleared security, even when general boarding has been open, priority guests should still be accessing agents that are specific for those eligible.  I am not worried about it.

[beg3yrs]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

Sorry, but post #2 is incorrect.  Absolutely, anyone in the same cabin with a guest who has priority boarding/check-in is allowed to be with them through the process.

.....

Yep! I spaced out on cabinmates rather than shipmates. Sorry about that Chief!

[nasa1974]

3 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Non status cabin mates have the same priority boarding status (lounge/check in) as P, E, S.  Only one needs the boarding ticket.  

 

But...I saw on social media today, that as of August 1, there will only be 3 lanes:  Green, Blue, and mobility.

 

Does that mean that if I am Elite without a Medallion, I would have to stand in the Blue lane?  No more priority lane?

I think we will have to wait until there are some responses after August 1st.

[sandyoftheseas]

We embarked our cruise on July1 in FLL.  We arrived at 9:30 am and there were 3 lanes outside- mobility line, people who had their medallion line and people without medallion line.  Once inside we passed through security and to a line where employees would look at your passport you would scan your medallion and then we went upstairs in the elite lounge.

[nasa1974]

1 hour ago, sandyoftheseas said:

We embarked our cruise on July1 in FLL.  We arrived at 9:30 am and there were 3 lanes outside- mobility line, people who had their medallion line and people without medallion line.  Once inside we passed through security and to a line where employees would look at your passport you would scan your medallion and then we went upstairs in the elite lounge.

Good to know thanks.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, sandyoftheseas said:

We embarked our cruise on July1 in FLL.  We arrived at 9:30 am and there were 3 lanes outside- mobility line, people who had their medallion line and people without medallion line.  Once inside we passed through security and to a line where employees would look at your passport you would scan your medallion and then we went upstairs in the elite lounge.

Okay, so already doing it.  Presume this was at T2.  T2 is where PCL does all the latest and greatest stuff for sure.  Perhaps elsewhere too, but certainly T2 is ground zero for anything new. 

 

ETA:  Did all three lines go in at once and divide up among X number of security lines?  Post-security, was there another three lines reformed, or did you proceed to agents where overhead signs indicated who they were servicing?

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by Steelers36

[startedwithamouse]

2 hours ago, sandyoftheseas said:

We embarked our cruise on July1 in FLL.  We arrived at 9:30 am and there were 3 lanes outside- mobility line, people who had their medallion line and people without medallion line.  Once inside we passed through security and to a line where employees would look at your passport you would scan your medallion and then we went upstairs in the elite lounge.

Which line did they let in first?

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, nasa1974 said:

We arrived at 9:30 am and there were 3 lanes outside- mobility line, people who had their medallion line and people without medallion line.

BTW, this is a change because it seems, for one example, that Suites and Elites are mixed into the three lanes and are not getting priority access to the check-in area.  Since you are Elite, what was the observation and consensus among other Elites?  We typically arrive by 9:30am or even 9:15am and I would have expected to be let in first via the priority line.

 

( I do realize arriving that early is going to put one in the Elite/Suite waiting room in good time and not have too many others there waiting for boarding to open).

 

4 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Which line did they let in first?

And was there a second if they didn't all go in at once?  I think T2 has quite a few security scan lines so it moves quickly once the doors open.

 

[startedwithamouse]

18 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

BTW, this is a change because it seems, for one example, that Suites and Elites are mixed into the three lanes and are not getting priority access to the check-in area.  Since you are Elite, what was the observation and consensus among other Elites?  We typically arrive by 9:30am or even 9:15am and I would have expected to be let in first via the priority line.

 

( I do realize arriving that early is going to put one in the Elite/Suite waiting room in good time and not have too many others there waiting for boarding to open).

 

And was there a second if they didn't all go in at once?  I think T2 has quite a few security scan lines so it moves quickly once the doors open.

 

They do, but the lines outside T2 can be long, and add in the Florida heat. I'm in a Full Suite and/or Elite and don't have my Medallion yet. Do I have to wait? What if my Medallion didn't come in the mail and I've paid the $10 or I'm Premier or Plus?   

Edited July 16, 2023 by startedwithamouse

[cr8tiv1]

What happened to the "test" Suite Lounge off site?  

 

A long line by 9:30?  In the heat and humidity?  

 

I'll be happy to get on the ship.  I have my medallion.  Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst.

 

Got to look at the bright side...ONLY 3 (big) ships are in port.  

Edited July 16, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[sandyoftheseas]

I will try to answer all your questions of course I only know what happened in regards to the elites.   Yes we embarked form T2 all 3 lines were let in at the same time through separate doors.  We were let in at 10am and I would guess there was about 175- 200 people waiting outside with the longest line being the line of people with medallions. We went through a short maze and entered security after security everyone is "spit out" into the same area and they then split people with medallions into one maze and non medallions into another.   Once through the maze  there were agents standing at podiums  they would raise their hand when they are available and that is where the agent looks at your passport and you scan your medallion. In the line outside it did not matter if you were a suite or elite guest it went by having medallions or not.  We then asked about elite waiting area and were directed up stairs.  There was not very many people in the elite/suite lounge for this early embarkation ( I know many embarked later) which surprised me only about 50 people and we were the first to board after the in-transit passengers.

[Steelers36]

7 hours ago, sandyoftheseas said:

I will try to answer all your questions of course I only know what happened in regards to the elites.   Yes we embarked form T2 all 3 lines were let in at the same time through separate doors.  We were let in at 10am and I would guess there was about 175- 200 people waiting outside with the longest line being the line of people with medallions. We went through a short maze and entered security after security everyone is "spit out" into the same area and they then split people with medallions into one maze and non medallions into another.   Once through the maze  there were agents standing at podiums  they would raise their hand when they are available and that is where the agent looks at your passport and you scan your medallion. In the line outside it did not matter if you were a suite or elite guest it went by having medallions or not.  We then asked about elite waiting area and were directed up stairs.  There was not very many people in the elite/suite lounge for this early embarkation ( I know many embarked later) which surprised me only about 50 people and we were the first to board after the in-transit passengers.

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation.  It painted a picture in my head.

 

If I was looking for a negative for an Elite, it would be this.  If Elites with Medallions stuck to the Green Lane and the Blue Lane is shorter, it means potentially that an Elite arriving later to the terminal gets through security sooner and through the second maze of ropes to an agent and upstairs to the lounge ahead of another Elite who waited with the Green Lane folks.

 

If that Green Lane Elite was after a Sanctuary booking, they might find themselves behind that Blue Lane Elite in boarding and the Blue Laner gets to the Sanctuary first to grab one of the very scarce loungers available.  I guess it may come down to how one gets out of the lounge once the boarding call begins. 

 

And that ultimate boarding call is normally by letters A, B, etc, which were handed out to guests as they checked in.  SO, what letters are they handing to the first 10 guests in the Green Lane versus the first 10 guests in the Blue Lane?  I would not see it fair for the first guests in Blue Lane to be carded B, C, etc, while only first guests in Green Lane get the A card.  

 

It looks like they may have missed the mark on handling priority guests.  They could have just been handled as Green/Blue mixed together as they had been doing.  This could be a change and solution in search of a problem that wasn't there.  We shall see as more details known.

 

BTW, I used Sanctuary as an example since it is the only thing I can think of where the order of boarding is absolutely critical (in Port Everglades) to having any success at getting loungers.  Otherwise, a few minutes one way or the other doesn't make much difference.

 

Were you given a letter card for the boarding call?  If so, when did you receive it and any awareness of how they were assigning them to guests? 

 

PS - After they talked around the three lanes a couple of times during the webinar, Carmen was laughing about it and said guests can be accommodated in any lane they end up in if not sure.  (That said, I would not be trying to use the Gray Lane for special needs, but this Green/Blue thing in regards to having a Medallion or not doesn't seem right).

 

[sandyoftheseas]

steelers36- As elites we were not given any number or letter cards we just proceeded to the elite lounge and when they announced at the door that we could board we all exited the room and onto the ship.  I don't think it mattered much if you were green or blue lane since we waited in the elite lounge for about 30-45 min before boarding.  Hopefully someone else will add to this post and give info on non elite embarkation.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, sandyoftheseas said:

steelers36- As elites we were not given any number or letter cards we just proceeded to the elite lounge and when they announced at the door that we could board we all exited the room and onto the ship.  I don't think it mattered much if you were green or blue lane since we waited in the elite lounge for about 30-45 min before boarding.  Hopefully someone else will add to this post and give info on non elite embarkation.

Maybe they have scrapped assigning letter groups to the Elite group of early arrivees.

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

Why does it seem like at every turn, Princess wants to treat Elites like first timers?

 

HELLO PRINCESS!

AREN'T ELITES YOUR MOST LOYAL CUSTOMERS?

 

 

 

 

[MissP22]

On 7/16/2023 at 3:59 PM, sandyoftheseas said:

 Once through the maze  there were agents standing at podiums  they would raise their hand when they are available and that is where the agent looks at your passport and you scan your medallion. 

This new procedure made me wonder what good having a Medallion in advance actually meant. Every person now has to check in at a podium no matter what. 

In the future we'll be boarding without one, so we'll see what happens. 

[Neil_c]

Anyone aware of how the system is working at Southampton? Especially as outside USA you can only get your medallion at the port. 

[maiseric]

5 minutes ago, Neil_c said:

Anyone aware of how the system is working at Southampton? Especially as outside USA you can only get your medallion at the port. 

Embarked 2 weeks ago, inside there is a priority lane for Elites etc. Took us 3 minutes to get medallion then quite a wait through security!

[Neil_c]

58 minutes ago, maiseric said:

Embarked 2 weeks ago, inside there is a priority lane for Elites etc. Took us 3 minutes to get medallion then quite a wait through security!

Thanks.

[kywildcatfanone]

On 7/15/2023 at 12:40 PM, Cedric35 said:

I searched and didn’t see the answer; can cabinmates of someone who is eligible for priority boarding board at the same time if they aren’t otherwise entitled?
 

 

Yes, no issue.