Summit out of Puerto Rico boarding time Question

[20165]

We’re sailing on the Summit out of San Juan on Nov 2, and we're getting conflicting information about the boarding time. The app lists noon as the earliest, but some members of our Facebook group have been told 11 a.m. Our concierge insists that boarding starts at 3 p.m., even though that contradicts what’s on the app. Others in the group who called Celebrity say noon, which matches the app.

Our hotel checkout is at noon, so a noon check-in would be perfect, but I don’t want to show up with all our luggage only to wait around for three hours. If 3 p.m. is correct, I’ll ask the hotel to hold our bags and we’ll find something to do in the meantime—but it would be frustrating to do that and then find out we could’ve boarded or at least dropped off our luggage earlier.

Does anyone have a idea from s similar cruise of the actual boarding time? The ship is arriving at 6:30 a.m., which is similar to other ports like in Florida, so I’m not sure why it would take until 3 p.m. to turn it around.

   

[gerelmx]

When you check in online, you will be able to choose your arrival time at the cruise terminal.

Check-in begins 45 days before your departure date, so for your departure it began on September 18th.

Edited Tuesday at 01:50 PM by gerelmx

[cruisestitch]

This is the second thread you have made about this.  Perhaps the answers are here

 

 

[20165]

7 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

This is the second thread you have made about this.  Perhaps the answers are here

 

 

Right, but the post doesnt address the 3 boarding times i now have from celebrity. 11, 12 and 3pm.  gerelmx indicates that i should listen to the app which says 12 and thats where we are also leaning, but i wanted to see if others have had experience out of this port recently.  Thx

 

[leaveitallbehind]

In our experience with several Celebrity PR departure itineraries, check in and boarding times have commenced as with other itineraries - 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM.  We have always been able to check in and board by late morning, drop off our carry on luggage to our stateroom, and then leave the ship for the day to sightsee Old San Juan.  (BTW Uber works very well in PR).  We then return prior to dinner and enjoy the typical evening sail away.

Edited Tuesday at 03:01 PM by leaveitallbehind

[Liao]

2 hours ago, 20165 said:

We’re sailing on the Summit out of San Juan on Nov 2, and we're getting conflicting information about the boarding time. The app lists noon as the earliest, but some members of our Facebook group have been told 11 a.m. Our concierge insists that boarding starts at 3 p.m., even though that contradicts what’s on the app. Others in the group who called Celebrity say noon, which matches the app.

Our hotel checkout is at noon, so a noon check-in would be perfect, but I don’t want to show up with all our luggage only to wait around for three hours. If 3 p.m. is correct, I’ll ask the hotel to hold our bags and we’ll find something to do in the meantime—but it would be frustrating to do that and then find out we could’ve boarded or at least dropped off our luggage earlier.

Does anyone have a idea from s similar cruise of the actual boarding time? The ship is arriving at 6:30 a.m., which is similar to other ports like in Florida, so I’m not sure why it would take until 3 p.m. to turn it around.

   

When you do on line check in, you’ll get your boarding time.  Isn’t that all you need?

[NutsAboutGolf]

2 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

In our experience with several Celebrity PR departure itineraries, check in and boarding times have commenced as with other itineraries - 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM.  We have always been able to check in and board by late morning, drop off our carry on luggage to our stateroom, and then leave the ship for the day to sightsee Old San Juan.  (BTW Uber works very well in PR).  We then return prior to dinner and enjoy the typical evening sail away.

 

We do the exact same and in many cases, you can board and leave the ship at other embarkation locations.  However, Vancouver is one you cannot, I suspect it's because you go through passport control at the terminal

[shumba2116]

We are leaving on Nov 2nd. The check-in times we were given start at 1pm. I didn't see anything prior to that time.

[jwlane]

11 hours ago, 20165 said:

3 boarding times i now have from celebrity. 11, 12 and 3pm.

 

IF you have checked in on the app and (as it appears, you haven't succinctly provided the arrival time YOU selected) received a noon time, noon is your time.  Quit worrying about all the other noise.  Some may have received 11.  Some may have received otherwise.  YOU apparently received 12:00.

[leaveitallbehind]

1 hour ago, shumba2116 said:

We are leaving on Nov 2nd. The check-in times we were given start at 1pm. I didn't see anything prior to that time.

When you check in the with the app / planner, it only shows the remaining available times.  If in your case they started at 1, that only means that all of the earlier times were already taken by others and 1 is the 1st available remaining check in time to select from.

 

Each 30 minute time slot only accommodates a certain number of passengers.  When a time slot fills up it is removed from the list and only the remaining available time slots are shown.

 

But the full list of times when check in opens typically would have started at around 10:30 and continued later in 30 minute intervals. Apparently in your case, as mentioned, all of the earlier times were already taken.  

 

Edited Wednesday at 02:37 AM by leaveitallbehind

[20165]

9 hours ago, jwlane said:

IF you have checked in on the app and (as it appears, you haven't succinctly provided the arrival time YOU selected) received a noon time, noon is your time.  Quit worrying about all the other noise.  Some may have received 11.  Some may have received otherwise.  YOU apparently received 12:00.

Well, were in a suite so we can arrive whenever we want as long as boarding is open which is what im trying to determine. Is it truly open at 12 like it says is the app, or do i listen to our shoreside retreat concierge that keeps telling us we cant board until 3pm.  

Based on the comments here, i think its a pretty safe bet that boarding will happen before three so we are going with that.

thx

[jwlane]

4 minutes ago, 20165 said:

we[']re in a suite

That would've been helpful in post #1.  Show up at 11.

[20165]

24 minutes ago, jwlane said:

That would've been helpful in post #1.  Show up at 11.

Well, i did mention our concierge  in post 1 so i thought i suite was implied, but ll be more clear next time.

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, 20165 said:

Well, i did mention our concierge  in post 1 so i thought i suite was implied, but ll be more clear next time.

I agree with @jwlane that it would have helped if you mentioned Retreat initially. I also agree that you should show up at 11am. You should be through security and on board in mere minutes at that time as you'll be there before all the same-day flyers. This is what I've done in San Juan.

[canderson]

1 hour ago, 20165 said:

Well, i did mention our concierge  in post 1 so i thought i suite was implied, but ll be more clear next time.

I thought you were clear, and understood your confusion based upon the source.

[leaveitallbehind]

2 hours ago, 20165 said:

Well, were in a suite so we can arrive whenever we want as long as boarding is open which is what im trying to determine. Is it truly open at 12 like it says is the app, or do i listen to our shoreside retreat concierge that keeps telling us we cant board until 3pm.  

Based on the comments here, i think its a pretty safe bet that boarding will happen before three so we are going with that.

thx

I guess if you want to be among the last to board, then listen to the shoreside retreat concierge who IMO apparently seems a bit "confused" - LOL. Perhaps they are referring to the latest time they are recommending you should be boarding?  

 

I base this on prior cruises where, as mentioned before, in our experience in PR with Celebrity we have checked in, boarded, dropped our carry on in the stateroom, and have been on our way in an Uber to Old San Juan by 12:00.  And that has been in standard staterooms, not suites.

 

While I understood you to be in a suite, my response was outlining the typical check in and boarding times in general with PR to confirm that in our experience there they are the same as other departure ports, which would have your particular information even more confusing as a suite guest with open check in and boarding.

Edited Wednesday at 02:12 PM by leaveitallbehind

[phoenix_dream]

It's been awhile since I've sailed out of San Juan but I never, ever remember having to board as late as 3 pm.  I have always experienced boarding times similar to other Caribbean sailings, meaning suites can usually board around 10-10:30 (although in Tampa it was firmly 11).  If you get there at noon you should have no issue.  Sadly, so often the "help" you get from various customer service types on Celebrity when you call is very often wrong.  

 

You might want to look for a Roll Call for a sailing out of PR sometime earlier this year and ask them what time boarding started.

[cruise_lover_2309]

I'm on the cruise after you and my check-in was noon.  My facebook group insisted it was 3pm as well as someone was told by Celebrity that was the time. Don't know why they're consistently giving out wrong information!

 

[20165]

12 hours ago, cruise_lover_2309 said:

I'm on the cruise after you and my check-in was noon.  My facebook group insisted it was 3pm as well as someone was told by Celebrity that was the time. Don't know why they're consistently giving out wrong information!

 

Yep, were having the exact same discussions on our group as well.  But based on the fact the app does say noon, and the info on this thread, i have a feeling we can show up at noon and be just fine.  Ill let you know how it goes..  thx