Any tips for getting an earlier boarding time.

[Cruise Craig]

I'm 109 long days until my voyage and I want to do everything I can to make my first Virgin Cruise enjoyable. 

 

At the moment I have a 3pm departure time. I managed to get this down from my original time of 3:15pm . I have been checking on the App twice a day since I booked hoping for earilyer opening with this limited success. 

 

Do you have any tips on timing when they release earilyer times or is this completely random luck? I am aware of splash of romance for earily boarding and status match is not applicable to me. I would rather work the system as best as I can then having to pay for a perk.

 

Thanks for your input and all the great content on the board

Edited October 2 by Cruise Craig

[1025cruise]

Just keep looking. Just remember, the earliest time is 1:30.

[Cloud9 Bob]

Keep looking and you may shave a few slots off that. Important....don't worry. Before I had DBE I always used to get a boarding time of around 3PM and everything was fine. Just arrive earlier and hang out. Frequently passengers are allowed to board earlier than their reserved time when things are going smoothly.

[Essiesmom]

I was assigned a 3:30 time and arrived about 2:30, was waved right through".  There was a line of people against the wall.  I asked why, and was told they had a later time.  EM

[cantgetin]

The only thing to do in advance is to keep checking or buy Splash of Romance.  BUT.....ignore VV's recommendation to show up no more than 30 minutes before your time and show up about an hour early.  They are very busy dealing with people who have priority boarding at 1:30, but that goes really quickly.  Then they start working their way thru each of the time slots in order.  SO if you have a 3:00 time slot, you will likely be taken between 2 and 2:30.  People with a 4:30 time slot may well get in at 3:30 or even earlier.

As it said on a VV shirt, "Ship Happens," and all things can be messed up.  We had one horrible boarding out of Miami, and one "not very good."

Be sure you have completed all your boarding info on the app in advance.  There is a separate area for people who "need help" or just forgot, so if you get to the boarding area and it isn't complete you won't slow the process for others.  However, you also won't be processed till it is complete.

[DCGuy64]

19 hours ago, Cruise Craig said:

I'm 109 long days until my voyage and I want to do everything I can to make my first Virgin Cruise enjoyable. 

 

At the moment I have a 3pm departure time. I managed to get this down from my original time of 3:15pm . I have been checking on the App twice a day since I booked hoping for earlier opening with this limited success. 

 

Do you have any tips on timing when they release earlier times or is this completely random luck? I am aware of splash of romance for early boarding and status match is not applicable to me. I would rather work the system as best as I can then having to pay for a perk.

 

Thanks for your input and all the great content on the board

I say keep checking back. We started with 3:30, then I checked later on the app and got 3, then 2:30. However: I ended buying SoR so we plan to show up at the port at 1 PM, so as to be among the first to board at 1:30 PM. Our cruise is fairly similar to yours in terms of time frame, we have 93 days to go.

[Gretchendz]

Checking back on the app is a very good strategye.  I tell all my clients that if they don't like the time keep checking the app. It is amazing how often an earlier time becomes available.  Good luck!

[Tyler414]

Virgin has a lot of issues with their reservations.  Keep looking daily. On my last VV sailing a LOT of people were booted from splash of romance and were quickly scooped up by others and several passengers had their boarding time booted with no knowledge.  One couple had their splash AND 1:30 boarding time booted, they got on the ship at 4pm because of it. Needless to say they were not happy. 

[Bill Miller]

Show up.

[Cruise Craig]

38 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

Show up.

Well of course I'll show up for my cruise. What do you mean?

[Bill Miller]

Show up and you will soon go up. As soon as any passengers ahead of you are processed they will invite you to board the escalators.

You've already  completed most of the check-in online. That's why the land based agents are able to process arriving passengers so quickly. They have a bunch (maybe 20) of Virgin Agents assisting passengers in final check in and handing out bracelets.  These agents won't be twiddling their thumbs. As soon as their is space is becoming open they will move the next boarding time up to the second floor for check-in.

I've always had 3:15 & 3:30 for checking but the latest I had to wait to go up, was 2:10.

I check in tomorrow, Oct 16 at 3:15. But I will get there around 1:30. Park in the parking garage right next to the terminal. We'll drag our two roller bags over and check them in with the porters. And by then it will be close to 2PM.  Yes, there is the 3:15 queue, but as fast as they process already arrived passengers in the earlier lines, we will go up.  Passengers who arrive later for the 3:15 time may have to wait for the next early opening to go up.

I'll report back on how it goes. Bon Voyage, Bill

[Bill Miller]

This is Bill, had 3:30 boarding today went up elevator at 2:35.

[Cruise Craig]

1 hour ago, Bill Miller said:

This is Bill, had 3:30 boarding today went up elevator at 2:35.

Awesome thanks for the insight Bill, have a great cruise! 

[cantgetin]

The later your scheduled time, the more likely you are to be checking in far in advance of your time.  VV says to not arrive more than 30 minutes before your time, and that is quite valid if you have 1:30.  There will be a crowd at 1 and 1:30 with all the priority boarding people, but this will quickly move. If you have a 3:00 time, show up at 2.  Yes, you'll get in the 3:00 line, but as soon as the 2:45 line moves, you're next.  If you have a 4:30 time, you may be checking in at 3--if you are there.

Bottom line--the later your boarding time, the farther in advance you MAY benefit from showing up.  Of course, this assumes that all is moving normally.
As Bill noted, he was heading to check in almost an hour before his scheduled time.  IF you have completed check in on the app, the physical process takes only a few minutes, and I'd guess he was in his cabin by 2:50 (if that was his first stop after setting foot on the ship).