Most/Least/Avg time spent on Embarkation

[3LittleBirds]

Just got off the CB after a fantastic southern Caribbean cruise out of PR (I will write a review later). The only real complaint I had the whole time was that it took 3.5 hours to get on the ship, and 11+ hours to get our luggage. The year previous, we were on the ship in 20 minutes, so this year we attempted to do everything the same. I heard that customs in San Juan messed everything up, but this was also the first cruise of the season for the CB leaving San Juan.

 

My wife and I are loyal to Princess, but I wonder how common "nightmare" embarkations/debarkations are and if they have discouraged others from cruising with Princess again... 2 of my 4 cruises have been looooong embarkations while the other 2 were approximately 20-30 min.

 

-- What's the least amount of time you have spent on embarkation?

-- What's the most amount of time you have spent on embarkation?

-- What's the avg time you have spent on embarkation?

[roe2ship]

I think it had to do a lot with the fact that this was the CB's first cruise out of San Juan. I have been on the CB four times and the least I waited from when check-in first begins to actually board the ship was 15-20 minutes and the most was 30-40 minutes.

 

I would not get discouraged waiting a long time on any cruise line. It is part of the process.

[wineforhealth]

Most of my embarkation have been very fast. Once I had arrived at the pier I'm on the ship within 20 minutes the time it takes to check in and walk on.

 

One time in Vancouver I waited until 7 pm to get onto the ship for a 5pm sail away. The hangup was the port was so new and customs couldn't handle the 3 cruise lines in port. The lines were out the doors and down the street I believe all 3 ships were delayed getting on so all the passengers were in line. The cruise I was taking was just a 1 day trip to Seattle so we were on the ship less than 14 hours.

 

Getting off any cruise has always been easy and fast.

[3LittleBirds]

I think it had to do a lot with the fact that this was the CB's first cruise out of San Juan. I have been on the CB four times and the least I waited from when check-in first begins to actually board the ship was 15-20 minutes and the most was 30-40 minutes.

 

I would not get discouraged waiting a long time on any cruise line. It is part of the process.

 

I'm not discouraged with cruising. Anything less than an hour is great in my eyes. 3.5 hours was terrible, and throughout the day I looked over the side of the ship to see the line outside and each time I was amazed, and felt sorry for those people baking in the sun for hours. At least my 3.5 hour wait was in the shade, I was in the minority.

[roe2ship]

I'm not discouraged with cruising. Anything less than an hour is great in my eyes. 3.5 hours was terrible, and throughout the day I looked over the side of the ship to see the line outside and each time I was amazed, and felt sorry for those people baking in the sun for hours. At least my 3.5 hour wait was in the shade, I was in the minority.

I agree that 3.5 hours is terrible. I waited once (another line) 2 hours because the cruise prior had noro-virus on it. Curious.....what time did you get to the San Juan port?

[Guest sizzzlin sailor]

The average for these experiences probably isn't too bad. I always become very impatient when leaving a ship, I think only because I've got a less-than-great attitude due to the disappointment at having wrap up vacation and get back after a more normal routine. The reality is that longer than 15 or 20 minutes is unusual and probably (not always!) could be attributed to something beyond the cruise line's control.

 

I think our longest disembarkation experience was In Acapulco. The problem there was the sorting out of buses taking people to hotels, the airport, on tour, etc. After getting our suitcases, it was maybe a half hour until they directed us to a bus.

 

Beginning a cruise in Venice once, we were asked to "...just step over here a minute if you please" by the lady at the check-in. No explanation as to why. A few minutes became several minutes, time enough for me to put together in my mind an eloquent harrangue about poor service and unnecessary delay. Finally she came over there, smiling of course, and before I could complain, advised that she'd succeeded in obtaining an upgrade for us to a full suite and apologized for the delay. Of course I kept my great speech to myself! That was on Holland America.

[3LittleBirds]

I agree that 3.5 hours is terrible. I waited once (another line) 2 hours because the cruise prior had noro-virus on it. Curious.....what time did you get to the San Juan port?

 

We got there around 11 - granted this is early, but we based this on our cruise from the previous year leaving from San Juan. In 08, we arrived at about 11 and were on the Crown in just over 20 min - the fastest embarkation I've ever experienced.

 

What's amusing in it all is my own attitude which I unfortunately can't control very well. During the 2 hours outside standing, and hour and a half inside sitting or in line for security my attitude was terrible. Then we got on the ship and as soon as that first tall cocktail was poured - all smiles again lol. :rolleyes:

[Pam in CA]

-- What's the least amount of time you have spent on embarkation? -- Went directly from check-in to boarding the ship; just walked right through and onto the ship. There was no one in the terminal other than those on our bus. This was in Seward, AK. From leaving the bus to boarding the ship was probably 10 minutes total. It would have been shorter if I walked faster.

 

-- What's the most amount of time you have spent on embarkation? -- An hour and a half in Buenos Aires, and that was using the Priority Embarkation line. Others had waits of 2 - 3 hours to check in and embark. The problem wasn't the cruiseline(s) but the B.A. terminal.

 

-- What's the avg time you have spent on embarkation?

My guess is that the average time from check-in to boarding is about 15 minutes which includes ports all over the world. And that's due to waiting in lines for Security and the photo-taking as you board the ship for your ID (not the ship's photographers, which I always walk past.)

[caribill]

Rarely is a long wait to embark or disembark a cruise ship the fault of the cruise line, assuming that the ship arrived at the port near the scheduled time.

 

Delays are often caused by:

Immigration processing being slow

Customs processing being slow

Official permission from the authorities to start the process may be slow.

Extra cleaning due to a noro-virus outbreak on the previous cruise.

Poorly designed terminal facilities.

 

If a ship is at a US Port for the first time after a season sailing only overseas, embarkation may be delayed as the US Coast Guard conducts extra inspections. I have seen embarkation delayed at FLL by four hours for this reason alone.

 

Although delays on embarkation or disembarkation can be frustrating and annoying, it is usually no reason to switch cruise lines. On the other hand, it could be a good reason to avoid starting or ending your cruise at a particular port.

[PhotogrFrGal]

We arrived at the pier around 4 and were in our cabin around 5:30. The longest wait for us was the line outside the door, but maybe that was because we were standing. Once we were seated things moved quickly. Another couple with us was able to get on before 5 as terminal staff insisted they go through disabled/special assistance as wife used a cane. It seems like getting to terminal later was quicker. Princess documents advised arriving after 3 pm for faster boarding.

[Ula]

Our worst was in New York, where a full inspection and immigration thing happened on the ship. I think no one got on the ship till after she was to supposed to have left. It was not good.

So some of these complaints on getting on and off are not any way close to that. Hours sitting in the terminal. We survived, very tired since we red eyed out. But livde to tell the story and had a nice cruise. Well there was that hurricane on same cruise. But that is a different thread. Princess put us on that red eye. Never used Princess air after that. I do not think they could have found more places for us to stop at. Because there are no direct flights that are cheap from Los Angeles to Newark. That is sarcasm.

Learned, but we did have fun. And we still laugh about that cruise. I do think Princess with such delays could communicate better. Just eases frustrations.

[justluv2cruisewithhubby]

We normally arrive at the port around 11am and we've never had to wait longer than 30 minutes.

[Katie333]

Best probably about 10 minutes from terminal entry to onboard the ship. My worst was in Southampton which took about 1.5 hours. My average is probably 30-40 minutes.

 

I'm Platinum next time around, so we'll see if that has any bearing on the speed. As cruising becomes more affordable, I imagine sailings will have more and more Platinum+ passengers = that line may not be the quickest.

[DrivesLikeMario]

The long wait isn't something that unusual in San Juan and it usually isn't due to the cruise line. We were at the Pan Am Pier for the AOS at 11:00am. Finally got onboard about 1pm and we were about #50 in line. We were lucky to be waiting in the shade until we got into the building with the seats. I looked out at the line between 2pm and 3pm and the line was MASSIVE. Those poor passengers were waiting in the full sun for a very, very long time.

 

-- What's the least amount of time you have spent on embarkation? 15 mins.

-- What's the most amount of time you have spent on embarkation? 2 hrs.

-- What's the avg time you have spent on embarkation? 30 mins. because we tend to get there very early.

 

Hopefully, there won't be a line at the Pan Am Pier around 8pm this Christmas. ;)

[TC Cruiser]

For the Sapphire Princess you'd think they shot me out of a cannon onto the ship from the curb. But I think that my longest waits were all form San Juan.

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

Most time.......1 1/2 hours

 

Least time......30 minutes

[Pam in CA]

I'm Platinum next time around, so we'll see if that has any bearing on the speed. As cruising becomes more affordable, I imagine sailings will have more and more Platinum+ passengers = that line may not be the quickest.

I've found that Platinum usually doesn't save any time. Mostly because passengers traveling with family and friends bring them into that line too, thinking it'll help them out or save them time. It doesn't; it makes it longer for everyone. The ONLY time it's made a difference for me was embarking in Buenos Aires. Otherwise, there's either no difference or a matter of a minute or two. Nothing to get excited about or even say there's a difference.