Boarding....questions

[tratc1]

I love these boards by the way! :p

 

My mom and I leave on the Conquest Jan 11th. Are there any helpful tips, tricks, timing as the best time to arrive at the pier to board? :D

 

Please say yes and share. ;)

[yst347]

We have sailed from Galveston many times including Conquest. What we have found to work best for us is as follows.

 

1) We drive to Galveston. We try to time our arrival between 10:45 and 11:00 am.

 

2) We go directly to the pier. Once there I drop DW off with the luggage, she finds a porter to take the checked bags and waits for me. I drive the two blocks over to EZ Cruise parking and park the car, then walk back to the terminal.

 

3) We check-in. Lines have always been very short at this hour. Once checked in we find a seat and wait for boarding to begin, usually between 11:45 and noon.

 

4) Once on board we head to the Lido for lunch. Next we check our dining assignment and if we want to change we see the maitre'd. At 1:30 we head for our cabin.

[Havinsnest]

I love these boards by the way! :p

 

My mom and I leave on the Conquest Jan 11th. Are there any helpful tips, tricks, timing as the best time to arrive at the pier to board? :D

 

Please say yes and share. ;)

We spend the night before at the Holiday Inn on the Beach, let them babysit the car and have them shuttle us to the pier. We do VIP check-in once we get there. Last trip got to the terminal about 10:45 and were on board at 11:35. We'd talked to the purser's desk about cash on our S&S card, spoken to another couple to get some information about the ship's layout, bought DH's soda card and cup, and were eating lunch by noon. I hope to do as well next week.

 

I have friends who say they never arrive until 2. They swear that even in the regular line there is no line and they get on within 30 - 45 minutes.

 

Be sure to bring dollar bills for the porters, have your documents in hand and where they are easy to get to and smile for the camera.

[tratc1]

How do you do VIP check-in?

 

Oh boy, according to both replies, my mom and I need to leave Dallas much earlier!!!!

[firefly333]

We get to EZCruise about 10:30 so they can have us over to the port in the next 15 minutes usually. Same as the others. By 11 am or earlier they are letting folks board and we are up having lunch and sitting by a window well before noon watching everyone else board.

 

We leave Dallas about 5:45, Im up in Richardson, and we stop at least once for a bathroom and gas break in Huntsville at the Pilot gas station (cant miss it). Has good cheap coffee.

[tratc1]

EZcruise? I thought I had learned enough but I"m finding not the case. haha I thought we would just park at the pier?

[yst347]

EZ cruise parking is closer to the pier than the port parking. It is also cheaper. The port parking doesn't allow luggage on their shuttle but EZ cruise does.

 

http://www.ezcruiseparking.com/

[tratc1]

Wow, I didn't know this - so for ease we could drop off the luggage at the pier, then go park for cheaper and they'll shuttle us back to the pier.

 

Dang, I need a limo!!! ;)

[Havinsnest]

and we stop at least once for a bathroom and gas break in Huntsville at the Pilot gas station (cant miss it). Has good cheap coffee.

My DH loves that place.

 

Suite = VIP check in.