What time can you board the ship?

[CavershamCruiser]

We have a cruise booked in October that is sailing out of Rome (Civitavecchia) at 17:30. Generally what is the earliest time you can board the ship?

[Dr H]

Checking in at the port usually starts around1-1:30. Could be earlier, could be later, we are talking about Italy. Sometimes Azamara actually notifies you about your scheduled check in time, but don't hold me to it. Rules are that you must be onboard the ship at least 90 minutes prior to departure, which in your case means 4PM at the latest. Oh, Azamara usually has drinks and cookies waiting for you in the terminal following checkin and before the actual boarding. Have a great trip!

[Dynacruiser]

@CavershamCruiser,

as Dr H stated, it may be an early boarding.  But there are delays. Last year, we boarded in Athens and didn’t get onboard until 30 min before departure, after waiting for hours in a big tent without enough chairs and nothing to eat.  They brought water later on. 
 

This was probably due to being a holiday in Greece and they had parades which likely complicated traffic (not for our cab though, the driver got us into the port on time). 

They have tried giving people boarding times according to their cabin level, but folks show up as soon as they open. 

 

On my upcoming cruise, they are simply stating that boarding starts at 2 pm for everybody.    It will likely be long lines everybody showing up at 1 pm. 
 

if you are in a suite you may board early. If you are not you may have a wait depending on the location and the day you are boarding. 

[blag]

10 hours ago, Dr H said:

Oh, Azamara usually has drinks and cookies waiting for you in the terminal following checkin and before the actual boarding.

Really? I have taken at least 7 cruises with Azamara, and I have never seen cookies and drinks in any terminal following check-in.

However, on one occasion in particular, in Dubai, I do recall slowly shuffling along in a long line in a sweltering building. There was no seating available, and no refreshments of any kind. We stood in that environment for at least 45 minutes, in the priority line. When we eventually reached the head of the line, there was a problem with the scanner the agent was using, which reduced the number of viable desks to one, and the selfish, boorish guest took it upon himself to engage the operative in a one-sided 5-minute 'conversation' about his flight to Dubai.

[Dr H]

22 minutes ago, blag said:

Really? I have taken at least 7 cruises with Azamara, and I have never seen cookies and drinks in any terminal following check-in.

However, on one occasion in particular, in Dubai, I do recall slowly shuffling along in a long line in a sweltering building. There was no seating available, and no refreshments of any kind. We stood in that environment for at least 45 minutes, in the priority line. When we eventually reached the head of the line, there was a problem with the scanner the agent was using, which reduced the number of viable desks to one, and the selfish, boorish guest took it upon himself to engage the operative in a one-sided 5-minute 'conversation' about his flight to Dubai.

Maybe I was on a carbonara high, but there was juice, water, and chocolate cookies at the Civitavecchia terminal last November. I know I'm special and deserving, but I can't believe they did the catering just for me...

[jomf]

9 hours ago, Dr H said:

Maybe I was on a carbonara high, but there was juice, water, and chocolate cookies at the Civitavecchia terminal last November. I know I'm special and deserving, but I can't believe they did the catering just for me...

You must be special, we didn’t get anything apart from one bottle of water between us! We waited for 4 hours, it was the worst embarkation we have ever experienced! 

[laurieb]

41 minutes ago, jomf said:

You must be special, we didn’t get anything apart from one bottle of water between us! We waited for 4 hours, it was the worst embarkation we have ever experienced! 

I've seen refreshments out every time we've been waiting to embark.

[jomf]

23 minutes ago, laurieb said:

I've seen refreshments out every time we've been waiting to embark.

Maybe they were handing them out in the suite guest area but unfortunately not in ours!

I'm taking my own refreshments next time! 

[blag]

Just now, jomf said:

suite guest area but unfortunately not in ours!

Nahhh! Makes no difference.

We always take a suite. Never seen cookies!

Maybe bottles of water at some ports, but the provision is by no means consistent. 

[Laganlady02]

5 minutes ago, jomf said:

Maybe they were handing them out in the suite guest area but unfortunately not in ours!

I'm taking my own refreshments next time! 

All the same location just with suite designation. No one handing anything out as tables are set up with flasks of coffee, hot water, juice and bottles of water. I have also seen cookies and small pastries.

Have been cruising with Azamara for 15 years and this has been the practice every time.

Maybe it was your particular embarkation port?

 

 

[jomf]

Just now, Laganlady02 said:

All the same location just with suite designation. No one handing anything out as tables are set up with flasks of coffee, hot water, juice and bottles of water. I have also seen cookies and small pastries.

Have been cruising with Azamara for 15 years and this has been the practice every time.

Maybe it was your particular embarkation port?

 

 

We embarked at Civitavecchia last November. It was a shower! No priority boarding, no refreshments apart from one small bottle of water between us. Hard plastic seats.

Four hour wait. 
Our next cruise leaves from Barcelona, I’m hoping for a better experience!

[laurieb]

43 minutes ago, Laganlady02 said:

All the same location just with suite designation. No one handing anything out as tables are set up with flasks of coffee, hot water, juice and bottles of water. I have also seen cookies and small pastries.

Have been cruising with Azamara for 15 years and this has been the practice every time.

Maybe it was your particular embarkation port?

 

 

The particular port(s) would be my guess too.  

[CavershamCruiser]

Thank you all for your insight into embarkation. The moral appears to be book a Suite, we haven’t, try to avoid Civitavecchia, we haven’t and take plenty of refreshments!! I’m not sure it will be a relaxing start to the cruise but I’m very much looking forward to it.

[jomf]

59 minutes ago, CavershamCruiser said:

Thank you all for your insight into embarkation. The moral appears to be book a Suite, we haven’t, try to avoid Civitavecchia, we haven’t and take plenty of refreshments!! I’m not sure it will be a relaxing start to the cruise but I’m very much looking forward to it.

The cruise more than makes up for the slightly uncomfortable wait to board! 
Have a great time!

[tgg]

56 minutes ago, CavershamCruiser said:

Thank you all for your insight into embarkation. The moral appears to be book a Suite, we haven’t, try to avoid Civitavecchia, we haven’t and take plenty of refreshments!! I’m not sure it will be a relaxing start to the cruise but I’m very much looking forward to it.

 

Here's an easier/no stress solution.  Plan to board later rather than earlier. The crowds will have eaten all the cookies and drunk all the coffee and water. But you will waltz onto the ship with no waiting whatsoever. Make your first onboard meal dinner rather than late lunch.😃

[QueenP]

I heartily agree! I have never waited in a line to board.....I just go around 4pm. I'm always in my port city earlier than  the day of departure, so I just enjoy the day there, then hop on board later. Civetevecchia was a walk on! Enjoy!

[blag]

17 minutes ago, QueenP said:

I heartily agree! I have never waited in a line to board.....I just go around 4pm. I'm always in my port city earlier than  the day of departure, so I just enjoy the day there, then hop on board later. Civetevecchia was a walk on! Enjoy!

Sounds like a plan. But... 

My wife gets stressed on these days. She likes to get on board and unpack. The wait for our larger case to be delivered to our suite stresses her further! We have experienced a 90-minute wait. 

So, is a later embarkation doubly-beneficial because your luggage is delivered to you sooner after you board? 

[uktog]

1 minute ago, blag said:

Sounds like a plan. But... 

My wife gets stressed on these days. She likes to get on board and unpack. The wait for our larger case to be delivered to our suite stresses her further! We have experienced a 90-minute wait. 

So, is a later embarkation doubly-beneficial because your luggage is delivered to you sooner after you board? 

In our experience all luggage even to the bigger suites comes onboard later in the embarkation process and then held downstairs until most is on before the attendants/butlers start on delivery. I find a mid afternoon boarding brings my luggage up at the same time as it would arrive with a lunchtime boarding. 90 minutes is about average wait but it doesn’t bother me at all. 

[blag]

The disadvantage of a later boarding is that onevs preferred 'slots' for Specialty dining might not be available!

Swings and roundabouts. 

[tgg]

15 minutes ago, blag said:

The disadvantage of a later boarding is that onevs preferred 'slots' for Specialty dining might not be available!

Swings and roundabouts. 

You win some, you lose some. With the new (higher) prices for specialty dining, this problem might disappear. 

[blag]

17 hours ago, tgg said:

You win some, you lose some. With the new (higher) prices for specialty dining, this problem might disappear. 

But, according to another contemporaneous thread, it would seem that not all the ships are charging the higher price for specialty dining - yet. 

Our next three cruises are on Journey (April/May); Pursuit (August); and Onward (November). 

[tgg]

6 minutes ago, blag said:

But, according to another contemporaneous thread, it would seem that not all the ships are charging the higher price for specialty dining - yet. 

Our next three cruises are on Journey (April/May); Pursuit (August); and Onward (November). 

If bookings go down at the higher price, this trial balloon will sink like a lead balloon.

[CavershamCruiser]

On 3/7/2024 at 7:21 PM, blag said:

The disadvantage of a later boarding is that onevs preferred 'slots' for Specialty dining might not be available!

Swings and roundabouts. 

This was the reason I asked the initial question. I hadn’t realised that when buying a Speciality Dinning Package pre cruise you couldn’t make restaurant reservations pre cruise. The advice from a friend was to get on board as early as possible and head straight for the reservation desk!!

[blag]

2 hours ago, CavershamCruiser said:

This was the reason I asked the initial question. I hadn’t realised that when buying a Speciality Dinning Package pre cruise you couldn’t make restaurant reservations pre cruise. The advice from a friend was to get on board as early as possible and head straight for the reservation desk!!

Indeed. We divide our efforts. On boarding, Steph waits patiently in room, whole I go to secure our preferred slots for Specialty Dining.

We find, unless that you are guests of a crew member, MDR offerings and service are not as good as in the Specialty restaurants. 

[excitedofharpenden]

On 3/7/2024 at 12:51 PM, blag said:

Really? I have taken at least 7 cruises with Azamara, and I have never seen cookies and drinks in any terminal following check-in.

However, on one occasion in particular, in Dubai, I do recall slowly shuffling along in a long line in a sweltering building. There was no seating available, and no refreshments of any kind. We stood in that environment for at least 45 minutes, in the priority line. When we eventually reached the head of the line, there was a problem with the scanner the agent was using, which reduced the number of viable desks to one, and the selfish, boorish guest took it upon himself to engage the operative in a one-sided 5-minute 'conversation' about his flight to Dubai.

Never seen that either. Some people have no clue!  Unfortunately they are everywhere. 

 

Phil