Suite Check In

[O2BKate]

I know that this has probably been brought up on this forum before, but my search help isn't working right now, so forgive me if you have already answered this question.

This is our first sailing in a suite, an SY category Superior Verandah Suite, This isn't the Deluxe that comes with the Neptune priviledges, but we are happy nonetheless.

On our last sailing out of the Long Beach terminal (the dome), there was a special check in for suite passengers. My question...do we qualify for this special check in desk, or is it only for Penthouse and Deluxe passengers?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

 

Cruisin Kate

[Bill S]

O2Bkate: unless HAL has changed recently, unfortunately, only the Deluxe Verandah and Penthouse Suite guests are able to use that special check-in line. We have been lucky enough to use that line about 3 times, but I still don't really mind standing in line to board a HAL ship--it's all part of the great experience. Hope you enjoy the SY cabin-still pretty nice!

[lougee1043]

no it does not ---but if you fill out yur immigration forms on line --print out a copy to take with you that will speed up your process a little bit

[Krazy Kruizers]

Todate, HAL has not changed the rules, SY passengers still have to use the regular check-in lines.

[sail7seas]

I ditto the others. The Suite check-in is for "PS" and "SA" "SB" and "SC" categories.

 

[debjo]

I'll be sailing in an SC Deluxe Veranda Suite on the WESTERDAM out of Ft. Lauderdale this fall. (Our first time with HAL, 1st time in a "suite", and first time out of the Ft. Lauderdale pier terminal.) Other members of our traveling party are in "regular" cabins of various categories. Many of them are first time cruisers. Could someone describe in detail what the boarding process is for the "suite" passengers and what it is for the "regular" passengers. I'd really like to take advantage of all the "suite" perks, including check-in (I'm celebrating a special occasion), but I feel drawn to helping the 1st timers navigate the boarding process too. If given the "details" of each, I may be able to "physically" take advantage of the "suite" boarding line, but can also advise the others in my traveling party what to expect in the "regular" line. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND ADVICE!

 

Debjo

[Krazy Kruizers]

After you have turned over your luggage to a porter outside the terminal, you proceed to the doors. There everyone is given a number for boarding the ship.

 

Suite passengers will then be directed to a special chek-in line - sometimes we have had to show our cruise documents to show that we are in a suite and sometimes we haven't. Be certain that you have completed your immigration form on line and that you have filled out your credit card form that is included in your documents. Once at the counter the HAL representative will take your immigration form and charge form and cruise ticket. You will have your picture taken. You will receive a folder that will have your cruise cards inside. Also will be some information about laundry, eating lunch, etc. There will be a small map of the ship decks. And there will also be a card that has your name on it, dining time and table number. Check this carefully especially if you have requested a certain dining time and/or table. If it doesn't meet your approval, check the "Voyage Begins" information that is in your folder as to where and when you can see the maitre'd. After you have gotten your picture taken, the representative will take whatever number you were given at the door and either give you a #1 OR and this happened on our cruises in November - you just show your gold ID card when they start to call the numbers - usually around 11:30. Then you will be go through security - just like you do in an airport. After that you can have a seat in the waiting room until the numbers are called. Once on the ship you will be directed either to the Lido or in your case, you can go to the Neptune Lounge since you are a suite passenger. There will be an annoucement made around 1 - 1:30 that the rooms are ready and you can then go to your cabin. If you want to leave your carryons in the Neptune Lounge and explore the ship, you can do so.

 

As for the other people in your party. I have seen two different forms of lines. They will also be given boarding numbers at the door. Most times everyone just stays in one long line and goes to the next available representative. Most times there will be a special line for those who have completed their immigrations forms on line. Once they get to the representative they will do everything that I mentioned that you will be doing. The only differences are they will not get to board until their number is called and they can only go to the Lido.

 

Hope I haven't forgotten anything. If so, I am certain that someone will fill in any gaps.

[elmorejj]

KK I think you explained it perfectly. Hopefully there won`t be any line "cheaters" in your suite line as there was in ours in Oct. Several groups of people got in the suite line because it was shorter. There was a HAL rep. there but she didn`t enforce anything, making it a long process for suite pax........jean:cool:

[sail7seas]

I would have quietly spoken with the HAL rep who did not speak up. Wouldn't matter to me if it was one line cutter or ten. People in Suites have paid additional amounts of money for all sorts of conveniences and comforts. The line cutters want those conveniences, they are free to purchase them and if they do not, it is fine by me if they are embarrassed into returning to the line in which they knew they should have been standing.

 

Sorry......JHMO.....

[bepsf]

Color me guilty...

:o

There were four of us traveling together on Oosterdam to Alaska last fall - two of us in a suite and another couple in the stateroom next door. When we pulled up to the terminal in Seattle, we could see that the line for regular passengers was through the building, out the doors and around the corner of the building! My friends asked if we'd have to wait in that long line, and I teased them: "Well, you two do - but Joe and I don't!" :eek:

After we finally pried ourselves out of the limo w/ our piles of luggage (not so glamorous after all: we had to ride to the pier w/ excess luggage & totebags on the floor of the car and in our laps as there was no room in the trunk for it all - we would have been better off in a van) I walked up to the nice lady who was guarding the entrance to the terminal and asked her where the Deluxe Suite Passengers entrance was. After she ascertained that I really was a Suite passenger (and not an impostor?), I asked her if it would be alright if I brought my two non-suite friends with me since we were all traveling together and they were booked next door to us. She said it was perfectly fine and escorted us all through the terminal to the suite pax line - as my confused friends were asking a million questions a second as to how we're bypassing the huge long line... ;)

The line was quite short although the stations designated for suite pax were taking care of non-US pax as well - we only had to wait for one couple ahead of us before waddling up to a desk. :)

I'm sure that as long as you aren't trying to bring the entire World Cup team with you - and you ask the gatekeeper respectfully - it will be OK to bring a couple others in your travel party with you.

[sail7seas]

Sorry, Brian.......

 

;) I repeat my previous post.

 

'Ya want it; 'ya gotta pay for it.

 

JMHO........

 

Your two friends, afterall, are only two people.

Then the mother and father in the Suite who booked the inside cabin for their adult children are, afterall, only bringing two people.

 

You get the picture......

 

Doesn't take too many of these 'special cases' and that line is getting mighty long.

 

 

 

[hunzabunz]

I'm so glad to see that your friends could check in at the suite line with you. My DH and I have a SA suite on the Oosterdam 12/02/06 and are taking my sister for her 60th. We got her an inside on the same floor and since we're paying for it I was hoping we could all check in together at the suite counter.

Thanks for the info.

Nan

[Krazy Kruizers]

So far we have never encountered any non-suite passengers checking in at our special area - and hopefully we never do. I know I will certainly speak up should that occur.

 

We've paid the money and that is a perk that should be just for the suite passengers. JMO.

[iceman93]

I've never actually used the suite check-in line because it was always just as long and clogged-up as the regular line. Sometimes we didn't even realize there WAS a suite line until we got to the front of the regular line and the agent looked at our cruise documents, then directed us to the first or last check-in station.

 

I think this COULD be a nice perk for suite guests, but due to abuse of the privilege and a lack of enforcement by HAL it has never come across that way to me.

[sail7seas]

I think that Brian's experience is not the 'rule'. We have never been more than 3rd in line in a great many times checking in using the Suite line. If there was a very long line, I would absolutely ask a rep to verify all in line were entitled to be using it.

 

I would not count on bringing all friends and relatives to sign in with you. It cannot customarily be allowed (nor should it be) or we would have encountered long lines and we have not.

 

 

[Sage]

I would have to agree with Sail that there has never been a long line for the suites. The line tends to move rather quickly, especially if all forms are filled out correctly.

[peaches from georgia]

We have loved the Suite Line and have had no trouble; very quick, very short Suite check-in.

 

EXCEPT in Tampa with the Veendam. Everything for that check-in was a mess. The HAL terminal employees had no idea what they were doing.

 

There were 2 lines- Suites Only and a long long line of all other pax snaking throughout the terminal. The 'traffic director' was alternating the Suite Line (w/ no check whether those on it were actually Suite pax)) with the long long regular pax line. She would alternate sending Suite and Non-Suite pax to the check-in desks, so that if it was the 'turn' of the first person on the regular line they might be sent to the Suite check-in desk and vice-versa. It was a mess. She was clueless, even after having it 'explained' to her by Suite pax. :(

 

I hope HAL/Tampa has now trained their people because other than that we loved using Tampa instead of FLL.

[HoneyGV]

I would have quietly spoken with the HAL rep who did not speak up. Wouldn't matter to me if it was one line cutter or ten. People in Suites have paid additional amounts of money for all sorts of conveniences and comforts. The line cutters want those conveniences, they are free to purchase them and if they do not, it is fine by me if they are embarrassed into returning to the line in which they knew they should have been standing.

 

Sorry......JHMO.....

 

I agree with you. When I pay close over $10,000 for a 10 day cruise I want to be treated according to the $$$$ I have spent and I don't want some cheating cheapskate barging in front of me.

 

I do have one question though that I just thought of. After many years of sailing out of Florida I have always gotten early boarding, got on the ship and stayed there. I wonder, after we check in, can we get back off the ship and take a cab or have our drivers wait for us and take us somewhere for a few hours and then get back on the ship 1 hour before departure?

 

I've never tried it, but I am curious about if anyone else has done this.

[HoneyGV]

We have loved the Suite Line and have had no trouble; very quick, very short Suite check-in.

 

EXCEPT in Tampa with the Veendam. Everything for that check-in was a mess. The HAL terminal employees had no idea what they were doing.

 

There were 2 lines- Suites Only and a long long line of all other pax snaking throughout the terminal. The 'traffic director' was alternating the Suite Line (w/ no check whether those on it were actually Suite pax)) with the long long regular pax line. She would alternate sending Suite and Non-Suite pax to the check-in desks, so that if it was the 'turn' of the first person on the regular line they might be sent to the Suite check-in desk and vice-versa. It was a mess. She was clueless, even after having it 'explained' to her by Suite pax. :(

 

I hope HAL/Tampa has now trained their people because other than that we loved using Tampa instead of FLL.

 

If only the Suite Pax had their own line for the security carryon bags.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Ft Lauderdale has very tight security before you even get near the ships.

 

If you are coming by car, you are required to show your passport (or other offical documentation) along with your cruise documents showing which ship you are on and that indeed you are sailing that date.

 

We have friends who live in the Ft Lauderdale area. A couple of years ago they were doing back-to-backs and she wanted to go home and do some laundry and check the mail. She went and got their car, got to the security check point and were denied leaving as they had no cruise documents to get back in. They had turned in the new second segment documents to the concierge.

[cajunpepsi]

I sure like the short lines in the Suite check in, I have paid a premium for such perks, and I would hope people would be decent enough to not use the line if they didnt pay for it.

 

Also, my last experience for Suite check in, we were escorted right to the Neptune Lounge, and we were notified when our room was ready, we didnt have to wait at all.

[kryos]

I sure like the short lines in the Suite check in, I have paid a premium for such perks, and I would hope people would be decent enough to not use the line if they didnt pay for it.

The couple of times I have observed that suite check-in line, they had a sign clearly stating what cabin numbers had the right to use it. I would imagine if someone went to the desk who was not in one of those cabin numbers, they would be politely pointed in the direction of the general check-in lines.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[sail7seas]

I agree with you. When I pay close over $10,000 for a 10 day cruise I want to be treated according to the $$$$ I have spent and I don't want some cheating cheapskate barging in front of me.

 

I do have one question though that I just thought of. After many years of sailing out of Florida I have always gotten early boarding, got on the ship and stayed there. I wonder, after we check in, can we get back off the ship and take a cab or have our drivers wait for us and take us somewhere for a few hours and then get back on the ship 1 hour before departure?

 

I've never tried it, but I am curious about if anyone else has done this.

 

Yes....you certainly may check in and then disembark the ship. Leave your carryon in your cabin if the announcement has been made the cabins are ready and go back ashore if you wish. You will have to go back through security and ID check but that is no issue. Watch the time as you would in any port in order to be back aboard in time to sailaway.

[sail7seas]

Ft Lauderdale has very tight security before you even get near the ships.

 

If you are coming by car, you are required to show your passport (or other offical documentation) along with your cruise documents showing which ship you are on and that indeed you are sailing that date.

 

We have friends who live in the Ft Lauderdale area. A couple of years ago they were doing back-to-backs and she wanted to go home and do some laundry and check the mail. She went and got their car, got to the security check point and were denied leaving as they had no cruise documents to get back in. They had turned in the new second segment documents to the concierge.

 

KK......This confuses me. Of course they had evidence they were booked for the next sailing. As you know, the last night of the first segment, we get our ID cards for the next segment delivered to our cabin. We are always instructed that we must scan the old card when we leave the ship on 'turnaround day' but must scan the new card when we reboard. All they had to do was present their new cards which clearly indicate the sail dates to show security and they should have had no problem. The ID's state exactly the dates you are booked to be on the ship.

[Grumpy1]

When my sister picked us up after the 2005 world cruise, she had no problem getting into the FLL parking garage and waiting at the picnic table with many others outside the terminal building. They may tighten or relax the restrictions based on threat levels, but currently, if you show a photo ID, you can enter the port.