Paradise/queen mary questions

[bluezee]

Can anyone do the early embarkation at Queen Mary? I've searched all my paperwork and don't see anything about it.

 

Also, are the pools/slide open before we sail? We're taking 3 kids and would need to keep them busy if we do early check in.

 

Thanks, Beth

[OceanDreamin]

Hi Beth,

 

Yes, anyone can do the early CHECK-IN at the Queen Mary, as long as you get there before 11:00. You check your luggage with a porter, and then head over to the Queen Mary (there will be nice Carnival employees who will direct you) - basically you just follow the dome around to the left, and go to the entrance of the Queen Mary closest to the dome.

 

You do the check-in paperwork, get your S&S card etc., and they give you a Zone 1 ticket. Once you are done there, you go to the front of the dome where everyone enters (or you can do a self-tour of the Queen Mary first if you have some time to kill). When they start embarkation they form three lines VIP/Handicapped, Zone 1 (for everyone who has checked-in already), and Zone 2 (a long line for everyone else).

 

Zone 2 people have to go through security and then up to counters to do their check-in stuff, get their S&S cards, etc. Since you will already have done that, Zone 1 people just go through security, have their embarkation picture taken, have their picture taken for their S&S card, and then on the ship.

 

I have done early check-in for both the Pride and the Paradise, and it is DEFITELY a civilized way to go! :)

 

As far as the pools, I am pretty sure that the main Lido deck pool WAS open the first day; however you CANNOT get to your cabin until after 1:30, so either wear your bathing suits under your clothes, or be prepared to change in a bathroom. Also you didn't say when your cruise is. Even in "Sunny California," the weather in Long Beach this time of year can be a bit cool (translation: Too cold for me to want to go swimming;) ). Actually even in April it was cold and rainy the day we embarked in Long Beach. The main Lido Deck pool (the one with the water slide) is heated though, although the play with the temperature so it may or may not be warm enough for your liking, even if the weather cooperates. My 6-year-old DD went down the water slide once, and decided the pool was too cold for her, and headed for the Jacuzzi to warm up.

[bluezee]

Thanks. We leave Monday! The forecast for LB is low 70's, which is way to cold for me, but with the slide I think the kids will do it. Thanks for the reminder to hand carry swimsuits. Are there towels available on deck?

 

Hubby is dropping us and the bags off. If I'm understanding you correctly, I just have him go to the cruise ship area, drop off us and the bags, and then we walk to the QM to do our SS card/stuff. Then we can kill time with a self tour, and then walk back to the cruise terminal. What time do we need to be in line for the Zone 1 boarding?

 

Thanks again!

[OceanDreamin]

Yes, there is a stand up on deck by the pool where you can get towels, golf clubs and balls for the miniature golf course up on the Sun Deck, and other things. You just give them your S&S card and your cabin number and they give you how ever many towels you need. Just make sure you return them when you are done (don't take them back to the cabin), and they will note on their list that you returned the towels. Otherwise your S&S card is charged $22 per towel:eek:

 

Yes, you understood me perfectly. It will be very easy for hubby to drop you off. He just follows the signs for the cruise ship parking and the first area he'll enter is where the porters are. He'll just pull to the LEFT side (which is where departing passengers go - arriving passengers are to the right). Just unload the bags, tip the porters and away you go, and he just follows the signs back to the exit.

 

As far as what time - we arrived at the pier and did check in right around 10:50. After checking in we walked around the Queen Mary for about 1/2 an hour (including potty break for the kids), and by the time we walked back around the dome, there was only one long line. My friends got in that line, but I kept telling them it was the wrong line. I walked up to the security person right in front and asked her where the Zone 1 line was, and she just let us go right in. Apparently they had already started boarding before 11:30, so the VIP's and other Zone 1 passengers had already gotten on board. That worked out really well for us because we literally had NO LINE to get into the dome. We had a very short line (like maybe 5 families before us) to get through security. It was a very speedy process.

 

Have a great time on your cruise, and I hope your kids enjoy the water slide. By the way, the kids have to be 48 inches to go down the slide (they do check), and they have to be good swimmers because it goes into a pool that is about 6 feet deep. Also I don't know if the pool SLIDE is open that first day or not. I don't remember.

[boaterette]

i have done early check in and have received zone 2. there were three lines for embarking. The slide has never been open the first day. I have been on the paradise twice and the Pride twice and the ecstasy twice. None of the slides have been open. None of the pools were heated either. That water is freezing. Have a great cruise and bring a jacket because it is cold.

[OceanDreamin]

i have done early check in and have received zone 2. there were three lines for embarking. The slide has never been open the first day. I have been on the paradise twice and the Pride twice and the ecstasy twice. None of the slides have been open. None of the pools were heated either. That water is freezing. Have a great cruise and bring a jacket because it is cold.

 

I have never seen ship pools heated before either, but trust me when I tell you there is no WAY I would have gone in the pool a couple of weeks ago if it hadn't been heated! They don't heat ALL the pools - only the main pool on the Lido where the pool slide is. I had not planned on going swimming because I figured the pools would be WAY too cold, but I saw in the capers something about "the heated pool" so I asked the people where you check out the towels, and sure enough! It's only that pool though, and the towel people didn't even know - they asked an officer and he was the one who told me. The thing in the Capers wasn't very big either. They don't advertise the fact that it's heated, but stick your hand in, and you'll discover it's quite a bit warmer than ocean temp.

[boaterette]

I have never seen ship pools heated before either, but trust me when I tell you there is no WAY I would have gone in the pool a couple of weeks ago if it hadn't been heated! They don't heat ALL the pools - only the main pool on the Lido where the pool slide is. I had not planned on going swimming because I figured the pools would be WAY too cold, but I saw in the capers something about "the heated pool" so I asked the people where you check out the towels, and sure enough! It's only that pool though, and the towel people didn't even know - they asked an officer and he was the one who told me. The thing in the Capers wasn't very big either. They don't advertise the fact that it's heated, but stick your hand in, and you'll discover it's quite a bit warmer than ocean temp.

Thanks for that update. I was on the pride last month and didn't notice it in the capers. I will have to try it next time I am on the ship.:)

[OceanDreamin]

Thanks for that update. I was on the pride last month and didn't notice it in the capers. I will have to try it next time I am on the ship.:)

 

Unfortunately the Pride doesn't seem to heat their pools. This was on Paradise last month that I'm talking about where they heated one of their pools. I was on the Pride in April. I stuck my foot in the pool and brought it right back out again!:eek: I wish they would heat the pools on Pride. Even in the middle of summer that area of the Pacific is still COLD.

[bluezee]

Thanks again! The kids are very excited about the whole cruise. My daughter went with us on the Golden Princess repositioning in Sept for her first cruise and LOVED it. She's been telling the other 2 kids all about the buffet and kid's club. The youngest is not quite 48" so we might have a melt-down about the slide, but for the first day it sounds as if it is closed, so that will help.

[bluezee]

Just wanted to say a quick "THANK YOU!" for the great advice on early check it. It went very well and we were happy to be on board early.

 

I also wanted to mention that the pools were NOT open until after debarkation. But the big pool did seem to be heated a bit during the cruise. The big kids enjoyed the slide the first few times, but then the salt water got in their eyes and they never went into the big pool again.

[karen1225]

Hi....I have been reading this thread and I have a question.....I am staying on the Queen Mary before my cruise in May. I also have VIP check-in. Is it possible for me to arrange to have the hotel porters take my luggage? Or do I have to lug it myself to check-in. Also, has anyone done any of the "haunted" tours on the Queen Mary? Were they any good? I was thinking of doing one on the night before the cruise.

 

Thanks