FTTF and Boarding group

[mmtska]

Leaving for our cruise on Saturday, and we have a check-in time of 11:00-11:30 with boarding group C03. I know it's platinum/diamond/suites/weddings and then FTTF, but I'm wondering if that's what C03 entails or if we can get on sooner. I just don't want to be standing around when we could already be on the ship! The last 2 cruises we've checked in and walked right on which was nice. I know that's not necessarily what might happen this time. Thanks if anyone has any insight!

[CrazyIrving]

I’m following this, we cruise in April and would like to know what happens when we have a later boarding group letter and number. 

[jsglow]

So let me explain the procedure and begin by saying that your 11:00a arrival slot is perfect. Get to the port right then and you'll likely be sitting in the special FttF section (depending on your port) by 11:20 or so. Remember that you are allowed to use the Priority queue. It goes quite quickly. Sometime right about then the doors will pop open to begin boarding the ship and they will go in order just like you described..... (Weddings/DIA/Suites/PLATS.... I forget; close enough) to be immediately followed by all you wonderful FTTF folks. Only AFTER the FTTF folks have all boarded do they begin A01, A02, etc. 

 

So you can completely ignore your C03 designation. You board when they call FTTF. It should be printed up on the corner of your boarding pass. That's what the 'hall monitor' looks for.

 

Let me add one more quick note. IF you already hear them calling actual numeric boarding groups by the time you are done with check-in, just walk onboard!

Edited March 4 by jsglow

[mmtska]

3 hours ago, jsglow said:

So let me explain the procedure and begin by saying that your 11:00a arrival slot is perfect. Get to the port right then and you'll likely be sitting in the special FttF section (depending on your port) by 11:20 or so. Remember that you are allowed to use the Priority queue. It goes quite quickly. Sometime right about then the doors will pop open to begin boarding the ship and they will go in order just like you described..... (Weddings/DIA/Suites/PLATS.... I forget; close enough) to be immediately followed by all you wonderful FTTF folks. Only AFTER the FTTF folks have all boarded do they begin A01, A02, etc. 

 

So you can completely ignore your C03 designation. You board when they call FTTF. It should be printed up on the corner of your boarding pass. That's what the 'hall monitor' looks for.

 

Let me add one more quick note. IF you already hear them calling actual numeric boarding groups by the time you are done with check-in, just walk onboard!

Thank you so much! That makes a lot of sense 🙂

[vwrestler171]

Usually, the diamonds/platinums/fttf get the A01-A03 when they check in.  At least thats how I've been getting the boarding zones.  They haven't called diamond or platinums.

[Elaine5715]

3 hours ago, vwrestler171 said:

Usually, the diamonds/platinums/fttf get the A01-A03 when they check in.  At least thats how I've been getting the boarding zones.  They haven't called diamond or platinums.

Here's a new twist...in Miami for the Celebration, we were given Boarding Cards as we entered the Diamond seating area, not according to our Boarding passes. They did call Diamonds first by Boarding Group Number.   

[vwrestler171]

8 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Here's a new twist...in Miami for the Celebration, we were given Boarding Cards as we entered the Diamond seating area, not according to our Boarding passes. They did call Diamonds first by Boarding Group Number.   

Wow, I wonder when they started that again. I know it used to be like that a long time ago, then changed to what was on your boarding pass.  We didn't get cards on Horizon in November.

[Elaine5715]

7 minutes ago, vwrestler171 said:

Wow, I wonder when they started that again. I know it used to be like that a long time ago, then changed to what was on your boarding pass.  We didn't get cards on Horizon in November.

It might be Miami Terminal F specific.  The Suites waiting area was separate from the Diamond area and  they got boarding cards from a different box.  

[carnival03]

Bumping this...

 

We're cruising out of Baltimore in three weeks. Haven't cruise with Carnival in 10 years. We have FTTF. 

 

I'm not sure what our arrival slot will be (check in is not until next week), but let's say we don't get the earliest slot, can we still arrive at the earliest time since we have FTTF?

[nwcruiselover]

1 hour ago, carnival03 said:

Bumping this...

 

We're cruising out of Baltimore in three weeks. Haven't cruise with Carnival in 10 years. We have FTTF. 

 

I'm not sure what our arrival slot will be (check in is not until next week), but let's say we don't get the earliest slot, can we still arrive at the earliest time since we have FTTF?

No.  Everyone including diamonds, platinums and FTTF now need to arrive within their arrival time slot.

[DallasGuy75219]

1 hour ago, carnival03 said:

Bumping this...

 

We're cruising out of Baltimore in three weeks. Haven't cruise with Carnival in 10 years. We have FTTF. 

 

I'm not sure what our arrival slot will be (check in is not until next week), but let's say we don't get the earliest slot, can we still arrive at the earliest time since we have FTTF?

No.  FTTF lets you check in and pick your arrival time 2 days before people without priority.  Officially, Diamond/Platinum/Suites/FTTF who show up earlier than their scheduled arrival time will have to wait until that time.  It varies from port to port, ship to ship, and sometimes even sailing to sailing whether this is actually enforced, but you if you show up early you're taking a chance on not being allowed to check in until your assigned time.

Edited March 18 by DallasGuy75219

[carnival03]

1 hour ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

No.  FTTF lets you check in and pick your arrival time 2 days before people without priority.  Officially, Diamond/Platinum/Suites/FTTF who show up earlier than their scheduled arrival time will have to wait until that time.  It varies from port to port, ship to ship, and sometimes even sailing to sailing whether this is actually enforced, but you if you show up early you're taking a chance on not being allowed to check in until your assigned time.

Thanks for this - it seems like it's all changed in the past ten years. When's the official check in time for normal guests? The cruise planner says we can check in two weeks prior to the cruise date - is this taking into account the two days earlier with FTTF or no?

[DallasGuy75219]

13 minutes ago, carnival03 said:

Thanks for this - it seems like it's all changed in the past ten years. When's the official check in time for normal guests? The cruise planner says we can check in two weeks prior to the cruise date - is this taking into account the two days earlier with FTTF or no?

Diamond, Platinum, and Suites can check in online and select an a arrival time 16 days before the cruise (48 hours before everyone else).  And I don't see the early check-in period listed a as a FTTF benefit, so actually it looks like you won't be able to check in online until 14 days before the cruise.

 

[dlphn501]

On 3/4/2024 at 6:21 PM, vwrestler171 said:

Usually, the diamonds/platinums/fttf get the A01-A03 when they check in.

I have FTTF for my March 30 cruise, and I got C05 at check-in.  My last cruise in June I also had FTTF; I checked in right at midnight and was B02.  I thought I would have had "A" as well, but we did pretty much walk right on once we entered the terminal.

[dlphn501]

8 hours ago, carnival03 said:

Thanks for this - it seems like it's all changed in the past ten years. When's the official check in time for normal guests? The cruise planner says we can check in two weeks prior to the cruise date - is this taking into account the two days earlier with FTTF or no?

You do not get to check in 2 days earlier with FTTF.  I have it for my March 30 cruise and wasn't able to check in until March 16th.  And I did try to do it earlier.

[jimbo5544]

On 3/4/2024 at 10:22 PM, Elaine5715 said:

It might be Miami Terminal F specific.  The Suites waiting area was separate from the Diamond area and  they got boarding cards from a different box.  

Interesting

 

[illinoisfive]

On 3/4/2024 at 6:21 PM, vwrestler171 said:

Usually, the diamonds/platinums/fttf get the A01-A03 when they check in.  At least thats how I've been getting the boarding zones.  They haven't called diamond or platinums.

not true in my case.  diamond and received B03 boarding for upcoming cruise.

[DallasGuy75219]

For everyone fighting over who gets what boarding group.... each letter is associated with a 30 minute check-in window.  You get A, B, C, etc. based on your check-in time, not based on your priority status. 

[Elaine5715]

14 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Interesting

 

Diamond Waiting Area

[Elaine5715]

Suites waiting area (Diamond area was to the right of this)

[jimbo5544]

8 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Suites waiting area (Diamond area was to the right of this)

Thanks, I have been there and been on Celebration.  I had not heard (or expereinced) about the boarding cards. 

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Thanks, I have been there and been on Celebration.  I had not heard (or expereinced) about the boarding cards. 

I was surprised being that at no point did anyone look  close enough to see either my arrival appointment at terminal entry or anyone else's  in the Priority Line (just the Diamond logo).  When we got to the in front of the Diamond/Suites. we all just pointed to "our box" and they handed everyone their own boarding card, they didn't check our assigned Boarding Group number.  I was A01 in both cases.  They also sent Plats/FTTF to a separate area out of sight.  

[Sabalon]

So I remembered that I could do my checkin at around 12:15am on the 17th, and have an 11am-11:30 arrival time.   We also have FTTF (reasons).   

 

In the past with FttF, we got to the port and went to the priority line, and then got on after all the Diamond, Platinum, etc...  I think then, the arrival times didn't really matter, the FttF was more of a bypass sticker - it was more of a show up and be one of the first on the ship.  Drop bags, mojito time.

Looking at it now, it seems that it isn't so much that anymore as it is bypass lines - so out of the 11-11:30 arrival people, be one of the first of those.  (Which in the past, 11 is about when boarding starts anyway.)     It calls "during your arrival appointment" in the text now...looking at a  2022 version of the page it just said "all guests must select an arrival appointment".  

Guess it just means more time for a good breakfast in Miami!

[DallasGuy75219]

7 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

I was surprised being that at no point did anyone look  close enough to see either my arrival appointment at terminal entry or anyone else's  in the Priority Line (just the Diamond logo).  When we got to the in front of the Diamond/Suites. we all just pointed to "our box" and they handed everyone their own boarding card, they didn't check our assigned Boarding Group number.  I was A01 in both cases.  They also sent Plats/FTTF to a separate area out of sight.  

I've noticed the same thing, they're more concerned about my Diamond status than appointment time. Maybe they're unofficially going back to the old process of letting priority guests check in any time they want, without announcing it to everyone else in order to keep the integrity of the appointment system for them. 

[AllgoodOnTheRoad]

You can ignore your Boarding Group with FTTF, but you may also ignore your check in time. I had a much later check in time this past weekend when I boarded the Liberty and I was in line at 9, in the terminal at 9:30 and on the ship by 10:45. This year, I have done this at Tampa, Miami and Port Canaveral if anyone tells you that FTTF must still adhere to check in time.