Long Beach Check-In Options

[cali-croozer]

I'm cruising Carnival out of Long Beach in November and have been reading about early check-in at the Queen Mary. Have never sailed out of a port that has 2 different check-in options. Can somebody please explain the 2 different options (what they are; what time is good to get there for each; any pros/cons). Thank you.:)

[cathyz]

I'm cruising Carnival out of Long Beach in November and have been reading about early check-in at the Queen Mary. Have never sailed out of a port that has 2 different check-in options. Can somebody please explain the 2 different options (what they are; what time is good to get there for each; any pros/cons). Thank you.:)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1008529

[cali-croozer]

Thanx. I saw that thread but am still confused. So, if you want to get on board early, you must check in at the Queen Mary (or is it only for Platinum cruisers)? Is it close to the Carnival port? Having never been, there I just can't picture it. :confused: I like to get on board early, but I've never had to check in hours before boarding, so maybe it would be best to just go to the regular check in at around 10:30am or 11am?

[j4farm]

The following is the question I emailed and asked the Queen Mary reservation desk, regarding early check in at their hotel. And I also am posting the reply they gave:

"I have been reading some cruise boards and some of the people say that if you stay the night before the cruise on your ship that you can do an early check in at your hotel for the Splendor the next morning. Is this true? I thought I remember reading another person say that you had quit doing that, but it is still within walking distance over to the Carnival Dome, where we could do the early check in there?"

REPLY: Thank you for your interest in the Queen Mary Hotel. At this time Carnival is not clear on their procedure for the early check in.

My DH and I are sailing on Jan. 10, 2010. It doesn't sound like there is an answer to this question at this time. We'll just have to keep watching these boards and see what other people are getting to do on this matter.

[cathyz]

Thanx. I saw that thread but am still confused. So, if you want to get on board early, you must check in at the Queen Mary (or is it only for Platinum cruisers)? Is it close to the Carnival port? Having never been, there I just can't picture it. :confused: I like to get on board early, but I've never had to check in hours before boarding, so maybe it would be best to just go to the regular check in at around 10:30am or 11am?

If you get to the pier between about 9:00 and 11:00 (the hours are relatively fluid), then you can do your check-in, get your S&S cards, and a 'zone 1' card to be able to wait in the zone 1 line. There is also a new Platinum only building and isn't related to the early check-in which is for everyone. The early check-in used to be in a room on the aft end of the Queen Mary and is not just for people who stay on the QM, we've done it 3 times and never stayed on the QM. But, the early check-in is in an area between the parking garage and the dome now, outside, and is also available to anyone. As soon as the early check-in time is over, those employees move inside the dome to the regular check-in counters which don't open until 11:30 or later (Splendor seems to run later than Paradise). When the ship is ready, they start letting people into the dome, the wedding parties first, then handicapped, then the people in the zone 1 line, then the people in the 'regular' line who haven't done their check-in yet have to go inside the dome to check-in. If you are in the zone 1 line, you enter the dome and go thru security, then to take your embarkation photo, then up the escalator and across the bridge to the ship where they do the S&S picture, and onto the ship. If you didn't do early check-in, you still need to do check-in inside the dome after waiting in line in zone 3 or 4 or whatever. As for location, it's all right there, there's nothing else way out by the Carnival port area except the Carnival stuff. If you show up at 10:30 or 11:00, you will be at the end of a very long line of people who didn't do early check-in, so I would suggest doing early check-in or waiting until about 2:00 if you want to get right on. Hope that helps.

[cali-croozer]

Thanx, cathyz, for the details.........:)