Who goes first when boarding?

[BucketlistJoes]

I am wondering who goes first when boarding. Do the people who have cruised before and have all those "perks" board before anyone else just like the first class and business passengers at the airport? Our travel agent told us not to go before 2:00 for our 5:00pm sailaway. Why are people boarding at 11 and 11:30 and getting on right away? If we go there around 12:00 because we have to check out of our hotel before 11:00 will we have to wait till 2:00? WE are going on the Island Pricess on March 30th.:confused:

[Cuizer2]

The order of boarding is based on the order you arrive. If you are the first in line, you board first. Twice I have been the first to board, and I am nowhere near the top tier.

 

Some people who want to be first arrive two hours early. In my case, both times, once because of the airline schedule and once because of concern about traffic later in the day, I arrived 90 minutes before boarding began.

 

If you arrive at noon, and the ship is ready for boarding, then you will board upon arrival. You do not have to wait until 2pm nor will you have to wait until 2pm if you arrive at noon. The lines at noon will be longer than the lines at 2pm, but you will only have to wait for the people in front of you, not because you are in a lower tier or because you don't have a suite.

 

There could be people with 75 cruises behind you in line. There could be people in better cabins behind you in line. People in suites do get a special (sometimes shorter) line to check in. But beyond that point, if they are behind you, they stay behind you.

[cb at sea]

It's not like boarding a plane at all.....it's like checking into a hotel.

[Cuizer2]

It's not like boarding a plane at all.....it's like checking into a hotel.

... that moves. :)

[uppitycats]

I am wondering who goes first when boarding. Do the people who have cruised before and have all those "perks" board before anyone else just like the first class and business passengers at the airport? Our travel agent told us not to go before 2:00 for our 5:00pm sailaway. Why are people boarding at 11 and 11:30 and getting on right away? If we go there around 12:00 because we have to check out of our hotel before 11:00 will we have to wait till 2:00? WE are going on the Island Pricess on March 30th.:confused:

 

There are a couple of lines of people -- the "suite" folks, those who have paid big money for extra perks in one line. Folks with mobility problems in another -- or sometimes moved to the head of either the "suite" line or the second line, the line for everyone else. Once the ship is cleared for boarding, the lines move pretty quickly.

 

Ignore your travel agent, and get there any time after 10:30, and -- unless there is some issue with the ship itself, you'll be on board by noon or 12:30, eating lunch somewhere, having already had a drink or two! :)

[njhorseman]

The order of boarding is based on the order you arrive. If you are the first in line, you board first. Twice I have been the first to board, and I am nowhere near the top tier.

 

Some people who want to be first arrive two hours early. In my case, both times, once because of the airline schedule and once because of concern about traffic later in the day, I arrived 90 minutes before boarding began.

 

If you arrive at noon, and the ship is ready for boarding, then you will board upon arrival. You do not have to wait until 2pm nor will you have to wait until 2pm if you arrive at noon. The lines at noon will be longer than the lines at 2pm, but you will only have to wait for the people in front of you, not because you are in a lower tier or because you don't have a suite.

 

There could be people with 75 cruises behind you in line. There could be people in better cabins behind you in line. People in suites do get a special (sometimes shorter) line to check in. But beyond that point, if they are behind you, they stay behind you.

 

I respectfully disagree. It's not uncommon for cruise lines to allow suite passengers and VIPs to board first. You may not be aware of that because they are often seated in a private waiting room and are quietly escorted aboard before the first general boarding call. Suite/VIP passengers who arrive a bit later are often slipped in ahead of other passengers who have been waiting for some time to board. It actually has made me feel uncomfortable when we've been escorted aboard and passengers waiting in line have had to step aside to let us through.

[firefly333]

Wedding parties board first. Twice Iv had to wait for a while because of large wedding parties boarding, both on Carnival and Princess.

 

I arrive a little before 11 am, get to the parking lot about 10:30 or so. Most will give you time zones as to when you arrive. If you wait until after Noon, you will be way backed up by then. If you arrive earlier Iv found you get on faster, fewer people backed up.

 

Im platinum on Carnival and RCL, Princess losing ground lol. But on two of them we board early, plus my sister is mobility handicapped, so we get in the line twice over for both things now.

 

Galveston has free champagne for platinum (only 5 cruise credits on RCL) while you wait to board. Doesnt take long to get them. (you can get up to 3 for one cruise, a long cruise in a JS = 3).

[Cuizer2]

I respectfully disagree. It's not uncommon for cruise lines to allow suite passengers and VIPs to board first. You may not be aware of that because they are often seated in a private waiting room and are quietly escorted aboard before the first general boarding call. Suite/VIP passengers who arrive a bit later are often slipped in ahead of other passengers who have been waiting for some time to board. It actually has made me feel uncomfortable when we've been escorted aboard and passengers waiting in line have had to step aside to let us through.

 

I've been in suites. I've been in the "special privilege" line. Some cruise lines may allow suite passengers or VIPs to board first. However, the two times I was first I know I was first, and I was not in a suite though in one case I was one of the priority boarding group, but still nowhere near the top tier (there was a separate line for the non-priority group, and a separate entrance onto the ship). In one case I was the first one let into the building to check in. In the other case I wasn't the first one to check in, but I did notice where they were setting up for the security photo and I sat right next to those doors.

 

However, Firefly is correct, wedding parties do get priority over everyone else. So if you really want to be first, get married on the ship.

[njhorseman]

I've been in suites. I've been in the "special privilege" line. Some cruise lines may allow suite passengers or VIPs to board first. However, the two times I was first I know I was first, and I was not in a suite though in one case I was one of the priority boarding group, but still nowhere near the top tier (there was a separate line for the non-priority group, and a separate entrance onto the ship). In one case I was the first one let into the building to check in. In the other case I wasn't the first one to check in, but I did notice where they were setting up for the security photo and I sat right next to those doors.

 

However, Firefly is correct, wedding parties do get priority over everyone else. So if you really want to be first, get married on the ship.

 

And that's exactly my point. Some cruise lines allow suite and VIP passengers to board first...as opposed to your original blanket statement "the order of boarding is based on the order you arrive". Whether it was handled some other way the two times you boarded first doesn't mean all cruise lines do it that way.

[cb at sea]

Well, that assumes that the entire wedding party arrives en masse....and that would make sense, if the wedding is to be before the ship departs....

 

The general passenger will most likely check-in and head aboard....without having to wait for their "group' to be called.

[Cuizer2]

And that's exactly my point. Some cruise lines allow suite and VIP passengers to board first...as opposed to your original blanket statement "the order of boarding is based on the order you arrive". Whether it was handled some other way the two times you boarded first doesn't mean all cruise lines do it that way.

 

Well, the suite passenger that arrive after the people start boarding don't get priority on any cruise line. So only certain suite passengers get priority boarding.

[MiamiSpartan]

We like boarding between 1130 and 1230 the day of sailing, because we like to get a headstart figuring out the lay of the land....we will also eat a lunch in the buffet restaurant as well...

2:00 pm would be late for us.....

That being said, you usually don't get to see your room much before 3pm, so perhaps that's why he told you that....

Just bring a carryon with all of your paperwork, and any medication you might need if you decide to get on board early....

You won't rec'v your luggage until the 4-6pm time frame....

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

My experience on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and NCL ships is that you may enter your cabin at 1:00PM with few exceptions.

 

We always try to get to the port by ten thrity or eleven AM. We ahave had to wait a few times, but very few times. I don't see any reason to arrive at 2:00PM unless your airplane arrives late or you know the ship is late back to port which is the major reason for late boarding.

[njhorseman]

Well, the suite passenger that arrive after the people start boarding don't get priority on any cruise line. So only certain suite passengers get priority boarding.

 

That's also not correct. As I stated in my original reply, on one cruise we were escorted around lines of passengers waiting to board...something that frankly made me feel uncomfortable. We weren't there early enough to board first, but we were still given priority over others who had arrived before us.

[forwardcabin]

...also, B2B passengers will already have been re-boarded before general boarding.

[Cuizer2]

That's also not correct. As I stated in my original reply, on one cruise we were escorted around lines of passengers waiting to board...something that frankly made me feel uncomfortable. We weren't there early enough to board first, but we were still given priority over others who had arrived before us.

 

So are you saying that the people on the ship were pull off the ship so you could be the first to board?

[njhorseman]

So are you saying that the people on the ship were pull off the ship so you could be the first to board?

 

Where did I say we were first to board in that circumstance? We were boarded ahead of people who had arrived before us, and were already waiting in line in the terminal to walk up the gangway onto the ship. Our escort asked them to move aside so we could board ahead of them. That still amounts to not boarding in the order of arrival...we were still given priority over passengers who had gotten to the terminal earlier than we had.

[dooandherb]

The lines are shorter after 2pm.

If you are a "general" cruiser, not enough points, status, owner suite etc, you will have to stand in line as in a theme park to get on the ride.

 

If you have preferred status, Platinum (Carnival) etc, depending on the port there will be a separte check in area and you will be escorted, while walking by the general folks. (this is not embarrassing, this great. They are rewarding your loyalty, there is nothing wrong with that)

 

The way to look at it, you paid for the day, you have to leave your hotel room early, then get at the pier early, wait a bit, check in, and go to the Lido deck.

 

You are on vacation, do it the way you want to do it. You will be with thousands of other people trying to do the same thing at the same time, except some lines.

 

Enjoy.

[silentbob007]

Go early. Every covers their butt by saying 2 PM just in case there's some kind of delay. If I'm sitting and waiting to board, I always look for a wedding party, usually kept in some other area. If they are getting married first-thing while on the ship (ie, all dressed already), the whole party board first before anyone else. Once they're on, it's time to go.

[KC Gorilla]

Also, there are multiple check in people. Depending on how the port check in is arranged, there may be a dozen or more check in clerks so the process goes pretty quickly, even at the rush times.

[Cuizer2]

Where did I say we were first to board in that circumstance? We were boarded ahead of people who had arrived before us, and were already waiting in line in the terminal to walk up the gangway onto the ship. Our escort asked them to move aside so we could board ahead of them. That still amounts to not boarding in the order of arrival...we were still given priority over passengers who had gotten to the terminal earlier than we had.

 

I was referring to the people that already boarded. So apparently those that arrived before you and boarded were allowed to board ahead of you.

[njhorseman]

I was referring to the people that already boarded. So apparently those that arrived before you and boarded were allowed to board ahead of you.

 

And those who took the previous week's cruise boarded the ship ahead of me too.:rolleyes: They also got off the ship before I got on.

 

None of that changes the simple fact that passengers are not always allowed to board in their order of arrival at the terrminal...VIPs, suite passengers and sometimes others are commonly given priority by many cruise lines.

[Cuizer2]

And those who took the previous week's cruise boarded the ship ahead of me too.:rolleyes: They also got off the ship before I got on.

 

None of that changes the simple fact that passengers are not always allowed to board in their order of arrival at the terrminal...VIPs, suite passengers and sometimes others are commonly given priority by many cruise lines.

 

So then there is some preference given to those that arrive first over those that arrive later.

[njhorseman]

So then there is some preference given to those that arrive first over those that arrive later.

 

Here are the first two sentences of your original post:

 

"The order of boarding is based on the order you arrive. If you are the first in line, you board first."

 

I don't see the words "some preference" in either of those sentences.

 

If you want to have more fun playing games, you'll have to play without me.

[Cuizer2]

Here are the first two sentences of your original post:

 

"The order of boarding is based on the order you arrive. If you are the first in line, you board first."

 

I don't see the words "some preference" in either of those sentences.

 

If you want to have more fun playing games, you'll have to play without me.

 

If I understand you correctly, it is okay for you to nit-pick what I say, but not okay for me to nit-pick what you say.