10 AM assigned check-in time?

[OlsSalt]

Just saw this printed in black and white on our boarding pass - assigned check-in time Group A - 10AM.

Is this an invitation to simply hurry up and wait?  Can't imagine any real boarding will take place before 11:30 or so.

 

Anyone else have experience with an assigned 10AM check-in?

[Mary229]

I haven't looked but I would not show up that early unless you want to hurry up and wait!

[SilvertoGold]

1 hour ago, OlsSalt said:

Just saw this printed in black and white on our boarding pass - assigned check-in time Group A - 10AM.

Is this an invitation to simply hurry up and wait?  Can't imagine any real boarding will take place before 11:30 or so.

 

Anyone else have experience with an assigned 10AM check-in?

Depends on the port. If this is Canada Place, this may indeed be hurry up and wait.

[OlsSalt]

10 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

Depends on the port. If this is Canada Place, this may indeed be hurry up and wait.

 

Indeed, this is Canada Place. Thanks for the feedback.

[OlsSalt]

I wonder if "Group A" is assigned by sheer age.  Give the verified old folks extra time to get onboard?

 

Since I will be having my four score milestone now met before a few days before boarding,  and DH has already exceeded his.  We know the upgrade fairy works in mysterious ways. Who runs the boarding time Master Assigner?

[SilvertoGold]

8 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

Indeed, this is Canada Place. Thanks for the feedback.

So, it also depends on the number of ships at dock.  You may be in luck and go through quickly, but still, you sit and wait until boarding opens which will be 11:30 am at the earliest unless something has changed drastically. 

 

KIndly remember not to confuse check-in time with boarding time.

 

Have a great cruise and please let us all know how it goes!!

Edited September 4, 2023 by SilvertoGold

[SilvertoGold]

3 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

I wonder if "Group A" is assigned by sheer age.  Give the verified old folks extra time to get onboard?

 

Since I will be having my four score milestone now met before a few days before boarding,  and DH has already exceeded his.  We know the upgrade fairy works in mysterious ways. Who runs the boarding time Master Assigner?

From what we have seen, President's Club, handicapped, Suites, maybe Club O get the early slots for check-in.  Like the upgrade fairy, it is a mystery.

[OlsSalt]

7 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

So, it also depends on the number of ships at dock.  You may be in luck and go through quickly, but still, you sit and wait until boarding opens which will be 11:30 am at the earliest unless something has changed drastically. 

 

KIndly remember not to confuse check-in time with boarding time.

 

Have a great cruise and please let us all know how it goes!!

 

Good point about other ship traffic that day. Just checked the Canada Place port schedule.

Yikes, four ships and two of them are Big Ones.  Don't know if they are arriving or departing, or both ....yet.

 

Looks like it will be hurry up and wait, regardless. Good thing we are stay at the Pan Pacific and can get a feel for what might be unfolding that day.

Edited September 4, 2023 by OlsSalt

[CruiserBruce]

8 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

From what we have seen, President's Club, handicapped, Suites, maybe Club O get the early slots for check-in.  Like the upgrade fairy, it is a mystery.

Not my experience....5 star, in Neptune Suite, never got a check in time before 1:30.

[ShipWalker]

I'm still waiting for those who typically jump in at this point and say, "Ignore the check in time and go ahead and show up earlier." 🤣

[OlsSalt]

2 minutes ago, ShipWalker said:

I'm still waiting for those who typically jump in at this point and say, "Ignore the check in time and go ahead and show up earlier." 🤣

 

I think I would rather jump in later.

[Mary229]

1 minute ago, ShipWalker said:

I'm still waiting for those who typically jump in at this point and say, "Ignore the check in time and go ahead and show up earlier." 🤣

Ah, come on. Give me credit.  I said ignore and relax somewhere else.  I see no point in rushing onto a cruise ship.  Long ago HAL used to have lovely refreshments and the precruise wait was a social.  Now the millennials have taken over with their bureaucratic efficiencies removing any ambience whatsoever 

[Cruising-along]

13 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Not my experience....5 star, in Neptune Suite, never got a check in time before 1:30.

Ditto.  I've come to the conclusion it's just pure luck what you get.  

[OlsSalt]

Canada Place - Sept 17 - 9,266 expected arriving and departing passengers to handle - which makes a possible total nearly 20,000 to pass in and out that day?  Let alone any crew transfers.

---Viking Orion - 930

---Celebrity Eclipse - 3420

---Noordam - 2366

---Brilliance of the Seas -2580

 

Are these other ships loading up for another Alaska run, or taking their ships back on repositioning cruises to warmer waters?  Maybe they will not be fully booked. Noordam is loading up for a 14 day last Alaska run on that day, so it is fully booked. 

 

Come on, Canada Place. I know you are now up to this. Which docks will get assigned will be another interesting factor at what looks like the  close of the 2023 Alaska cruise season.

 

We come back to Vancouver Canada Place two weeks later, when we share port with only the Nieuw Amsterdam, as we continue on down the Pacific Coast. 

[Lido deck main]

22 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Canada Place - Sept 17 - 9,266 expected arriving and departing passengers to handle - which makes a possible total nearly 20,000 to pass in and out that day?  Let alone any crew transfers.

---Viking Orion - 930

---Celebrity Eclipse - 3420

---Noordam - 2366

---Brilliance of the Seas -2580

 

Are these other ships loading up for another Alaska run, or taking their ships back on repositioning cruises to warmer waters?  Maybe they will not be fully booked. Noordam is loading up for a 14 day last Alaska run on that day, so it is fully booked. 

 

Come on, Canada Place. I know you are now up to this. Which docks will get assigned will be another interesting factor at what looks like the  close of the 2023 Alaska cruise season.

 

We come back to Vancouver Canada Place two weeks later, when we share port with only the Nieuw Amsterdam, as we continue on down the Pacific Coast. 

We were on the Westerdam Embarking Vancouver on September 30th, 2018.  The Norwegian Bliss was in Vancouver that day, over 4,000 capacity and another ship I forget which one.  Anyhow they had early check in time for us that day.  We actually boarded by the ship by 10:30 am but we were advised that rooms not ready until 11:30am.  We could go up to Lido to eat we just waited in the atrium until the MDR opened for lunch. They had anticipated a crazy busy day. 

[OlsSalt]

5 minutes ago, Lido deck main said:

We were on the Westerdam Embarking Vancouver on September 30th, 2018.  The Norwegian Bliss was in Vancouver that day, over 4,000 capacity and another ship I forget which one.  Anyhow they had early check in time for us that day.  We actually boarded by the ship by 10:30 am but we were advised that rooms not ready until 11:30am.  We could go up to Lido to eat we just waited in the atrium until the MDR opened for lunch. They had anticipated a crazy busy day. 

 

Wonderful report. May I share your post with our Roll Call group?

[CruiserBruce]

43 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Canada Place - Sept 17 - 9,266 expected arriving and departing passengers to handle - which makes a possible total nearly 20,000 to pass in and out that day?  Let alone any crew transfers.

---Viking Orion - 930

---Celebrity Eclipse - 3420

---Noordam - 2366

---Brilliance of the Seas -2580

 

Are these other ships loading up for another Alaska run, or taking their ships back on repositioning cruises to warmer waters?  Maybe they will not be fully booked. Noordam is loading up for a 14 day last Alaska run on that day, so it is fully booked. 

 

Come on, Canada Place. I know you are now up to this. Which docks will get assigned will be another interesting factor at what looks like the  close of the 2023 Alaska cruise season.

 

We come back to Vancouver Canada Place two weeks later, when we share port with only the Nieuw Amsterdam, as we continue on down the Pacific Coast. 

At least for Noordam, 2366 is absolutely max capacity, every triple and quadruple occupancy cabin fully loaded. I doubt there will be that many people, and, while I hope the ship is sold out, nothing absolutely indicates it will be.

[Lido deck main]

2 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

Wonderful report. May I share your post with our Roll Call group?

Sure, I was just counting the time I embarked in Vancouver, over 18 times.  We always get their early, between 9:30 and 9:45 am.  They open security to scan the luggage at 10:00am. We are always through the hoops within a half hour, we do wait to board most times but at least we are sitting and not standing in lines for over an hour or two.  We just sit and chat with fellow passengers so times goes by quickly.  

[OlsSalt]

11 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

At least for Noordam, 2366 is absolutely max capacity, every triple and quadruple occupancy cabin fully loaded. I doubt there will be that many people, and, while I hope the ship is sold out, nothing absolutely indicates it will be.

 

Good point about capacity and actual bookings. Both Celebrity (not yet sold out) and Royal Caribbean (sold out) are embarking passengers that same day, for one last 7 day Alaska run. 

 

Good thing our first Noordam 14-day port stop  is distant Kodiak Island, so by the time we come back down to the more routine Alaska ports, the rest of the big ships will have been gone. 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

1 hour ago, SilvertoGold said:

From what we have seen, President's Club, handicapped, Suites, maybe Club O get the early slots for check-in.  Like the upgrade fairy, it is a mystery.

Not necessarily, we had Boarding D stated 12:00 noon, we are 4 Star and in A Neptune Suite. I don’t think those things help with assigned time. But you can go early and state you qualify for Priority Boarding. They tried to give us boarding group 27 and I stated we were Neptune Suite and 4 Star , they then said oh you are welcome to board now.

[PSR]

8 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

I wonder if "Group A" is assigned by sheer age.  Give the verified old folks extra time to get onboard?

 

Since I will be having my four score milestone now met before a few days before boarding,  and DH has already exceeded his.  We know the upgrade fairy works in mysterious ways. Who runs the boarding time Master Assigner?

 

You may be right about the age of the passengers. We are embarking this Saturday, the 9th and also got a first-ever group A 10AM assignment. We are also older, but not quite to the fourscore point. There are "only" 3 ships next Saturday, but I'm thinking it might be good for us to get through the checkin procedures quickly and at least have a seat in the waiting area instead of standing in long lines. For one of us, standing for awhile is a problem. If we can get on the ship earlier, that would be even better...

[BetsyS.]

PSR - Bon Voyage! 🥂😊  Have a great time!

 

[Laminator]

10 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

Just saw this printed in black and white on our boarding pass - assigned check-in time Group A - 10AM.

Is this an invitation to simply hurry up and wait?  Can't imagine any real boarding will take place before 11:30 or so.

 

Anyone else have experience with an assigned 10AM check-in?

I had a 10am check in time on my late May cruise out of Canada place. I am not far over 3 score. The sole reason for the earlier check in time was the long lines that pax were experiencing for check in due to pax showing up well before their boarding time. Hurry up and wait will be your experience. Arrived at 10am. Getting thru check in took approximately 45 minutes. After checking in you will be divided into 2 seating groups. Those that actually have priority boarding and those that don't. There were approximately 60 pax in the priority boarding group seating group area and 700 pax in the non priority group seating area. 
 

Edited September 5, 2023 by Laminator

[jeh10641]

On our last HAL cruise (Rotterdam, Port Everglades) in December 2021, our boarding time changed several times. The ship had about 1600 passengers for that cruise. I was 80 at the time. Boarded around 11 AM.

Jim

[3rdGenCunarder]

On 9/4/2023 at 3:00 PM, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Not necessarily, we had Boarding D stated 12:00 noon, we are 4 Star and in A Neptune Suite. I don’t think those things help with assigned time. But you can go early and state you qualify for Priority Boarding. They tried to give us boarding group 27 and I stated we were Neptune Suite and 4 Star , they then said oh you are welcome to board now.

 

I had a similar experience in FLL last winter. After I checked in, I went to the seating area and they handed me boarding group 19. I had to show that my boarding pass was marked 4-star, and then I was sent upstairs to where they had just started to board priority. You really have to know how the system works.