"preferred boarding"

[brovol]

in november i will have my first cruise with "platinum" status. when i printed out my boarding pass, it said "preferred boarding", and was green on the screen, but i dont have a color printer, so its not green on the paper. two questions. first, will the preferred boarding actually make a difference in ft lauderdale? second, should i try to print the boarding pass on a color printer to be sure it is recognized as a preferred pass? thanks.

[Robroy]

Preferred boarding absolutely makes a difference at embarkation. On our recent cruise we arrived at Port Everglades about 12:45 and the lineup must have been 3-400 people long. As we entered the line , one of many Princess reps greeted us and I showed him the "preferred " status on our documents and we were immediately whisked under the lines to the front and were on the ship within ten minutes. Great system....loyalty DOES have it's rewards!

Have a great trip!

 

Rob

[cruzinchris]

in november i will have my first cruise with "platinum" status. when i printed out my boarding pass, it said "preferred boarding", and was green on the screen, but i dont have a color printer, so its not green on the paper. two questions. first, will the preferred boarding actually make a difference in ft lauderdale? second, should i try to print the boarding pass on a color printer to be sure it is recognized as a preferred pass? thanks.

 

Same here. DH and I will also be taking our first "Platinum" cruise in November (Star, 11/6). We received the traditional, now former, cruise document packet but will likely be printing e-tickets for our January cruise on the Dawn.

 

As cold as it's already been in the Great Lakes State, we are really looking forward to the November "quickie" cruise (5 nights).

 

GO TIGERS!

Chris

[barbarah33]

I wouldn't worry about printing it in color - as long as they can see the preferred boarding all is well. I am platinum on Princess and it does save lots of time waiting in line to board the ship and officially start your cruise.

[dlp252]

Okay, possibly stupid question, please forgive me....

 

I am traveling with my friend who is platinum...I am gold. Can I board with her early or will alarms go off and guards come running? :p

[wanderingjew]

Okay, possibly stupid question, please forgive me....

 

I am traveling with my friend who is platinum...I am gold. Can I board with her early or will alarms go off and guards come running? :p

if you are in same cabin yes

[wanderingjew]

Okay, possibly stupid question, please forgive me....

 

I am traveling with my friend who is platinum...I am gold. Can I board with her early or will alarms go off and guards come running? :p

if you are in same cabin yes

[dlp252]

Cool, yes, same cabin! Thank you!

[jak378]

We are Platinum Members, with preferred boarding. Does anyone know if Princess will allow the 3 other couples, all family, with whom we are traveling utilize preferred boarding along with us?

[survivor]

What is Express Check-In? Is there anything "special" about this or is everyone except Platinum and Elite express? Are there different lines for express? Thanks for any help we just got our Doc's with Express on the envelope :)

[chasetf]

We are Platinum Members, with preferred boarding. Does anyone know if Princess will allow the 3 other couples, all family, with whom we are traveling utilize preferred boarding along with us?

When my brother and his wife were "platinum" and we were still "gold", they directed them right and us left. :( We did not get to "tag" along.

 

Particularly they may direct you to diffent lines when you check in because their cruise cards will be at a different table.

 

But that was then, and that guide. You (and your familly) may get lucky. :D

[chasetf]

Preferred boarding absolutely makes a difference at embarkation. On our recent cruise we arrived at Port Everglades about 12:45 and the lineup must have been 3-400 people long. As we entered the line , one of many Princess reps greeted us and I showed him the "preferred " status on our documents and we were immediately whisked under the lines to the front and were on the ship within ten minutes. Great system....loyalty DOES have it's rewards! Have a great trip! Rob

We too had the same experience in Southampton. We were able to walk past all those folks with the numbered boarding cards.

[Coral]

Sometimes the "preferred boarding" has the longest line.

 

The last couple of times in FLL - I have gone to regular boarding as the lines were shorter at the time. It really depends who else is at the pier with you at the same time.

[Jacqueline]

Coral, I have seen the same thing. Sometimes, it is not the shortest line...

[Pam in CA]

We are Platinum Members, with preferred boarding. Does anyone know if Princess will allow the 3 other couples, all family, with whom we are traveling utilize preferred boarding along with us?

If they're in the same cabin (such as a Family Suite) or are your children, yes. Otherwise, they'd just be jumping the line.

[chasetf]

Sometimes the "preferred boarding" has the longest line.

 

The last couple of times in FLL - I have gone to regular boarding as the lines were shorter at the time. It really depends who else is at the pier with you at the same time.

We are not talking about the checkin line where they send you in separate directions. I agree, sometimes the checkin line for perferred is longer.

 

After checking in and getting your cruise card, during peak "boarding" times, they direct you to the place where you get a numbered card (like peak tender times). Then then call numbers for boarding. That is the line we were directed past. :D

[Coral]

We are not talking about the checkin line where they send you in separate directions. I agree, sometimes the checkin line for perferred is longer.

 

After checking in and getting your cruise card, during peak "boarding" times, they direct you to the place where you get a numbered card (like peak tender times). Then then call numbers for boarding. That is the line we were directed past. :D

 

You are right - I misread the post. Thanks for correcting me :)

[Host CJSKIDS]

When we cruised in March out of FLL on the Star we were in a suite therefore had the "Preferred" boarding though it wasn't called that then. We were still given a numbered card, though #1 and our kids were sent into group #1 with us even though they had their own cabin. Our friends who were also traveing with us were given #6. (We arrived together in FLL.)

We got back to the check in desks much earlier but because the person checking us in must have been new and had a hard time our friends walked on board right after us.

[bjkTX]

Express check-in just means you have completed all your paperwork online and don't have to do any of it when you get to check-in - that normally means things go faster :-)

[Toto2Kansas]

Preferred check in most times gets a number 1 to go to the counter for check in. Then as other express check in passengers arrive, they are given numbers in order of their arrival to make up the check in groups.

 

If you are traveling with others that do not receive preferred check in you can do one of two things. Wait and board with their group when called, as you already have a number 1 and they will let you in line, or you can check in and wait in the areas just before boarding and all board together. This comes in handy if you are looking to get a boarding picture of the entire group.

[enymarsh]

I turned platinum in time for my last cruise in Feb. and the docs came with the platinum sticker... this time, they came with no sticker of any kind, not even express and we completed everything online. So... I am a bit concerned that I won't be given a good number, or priority boarding because the only proof of my platinum status is the "pla" or "plat" printed in small print on one corner of the cruise ticket. Any suggestions? I suppose I could just point out the small print to whomever is checking...

[skarletohara]

DH and me are Platinum. My parents will be traveling with us next

April and they're Gold. I plan on checking them in with us since we're

Platinum. I also have saved my old "jackets" with the stickers indicating

"Platinum" status and I will give one of those to my parents to use when we board in San Francisco.

[Host CJSKIDS]

DH and me are Platinum. My parents will be traveling with us next

April and they're Gold. I plan on checking them in with us since we're

Platinum. I also have saved my old "jackets" with the stickers indicating

"Platinum" status and I will give one of those to my parents to use when we board in San Francisco.

 

They don't use the platinum stickers any longer. The new stickers now say preferred so they will know that your parents "jacket" is old.

[skarletohara]

They don't use the platinum stickers any longer. The new stickers now say preferred so they will know that your parents "jacket" is old.

 

In SF it sounds like they don't have their act together; I doubt they'll

know the difference. I'm not leaving my parents behind. And I've

earned my Platinum early boarding perk.

[bjkTX]

are you smuggling booze on board too??? :-)