How early should we arrive? (Charleston)

[cpygrl]

Hello ... I'm certain this topic has been tackled elsewhere on the boards, but I have been unable to find it. We will be getting on the ship in Charleston, and departure time is 4 p.m. What time should we arrive? Never having been on a cruise before, I have no idea how long it takes to get everything situated for boarding. I appreciate any advice! Thanks!

[Marie51]

Hello ... I'm certain this topic has been tackled elsewhere on the boards, but I have been unable to find it. We will be getting on the ship in Charleston, and departure time is 4 p.m. What time should we arrive? Never having been on a cruise before, I have no idea how long it takes to get everything situated for boarding. I appreciate any advice! Thanks!

 

I went on the Carnival Victory a couple years ago from Charleston. We were on the ship at noon eating lunch so plan to get there about 11am. The parking lot was very organized.....as I recall they took us from the lot to the ship in buses and it was very easy. Enjoy your cruise!

[cb at sea]

The actual "check-in" process takes no longer than checking into a hotel...the whole process, from the time you walk onto the gangway, until you're in the actual ship shouldn't take more than 20-30 mins...max!

Get there early...you've paid for day 1 and boarding day is it!

[cpygrl]

Excellent! Thanks CB and Marie!

[Marie51]

Also sometimes the cabins are not ready before 1pm so you can go eat lunch first and then go to your cabin after 1:00. If you want to get a spa treatment, go to the spa and book it on the first afternoon because appointments fill up quickly.

[FINTUCKYFARMS]

Get there as early as they allow you to!!! Then you can exploore the ship before it gets too crowded, eat some lunch and find a good spot on deck for sail away :)

[jerry2457]

I haven't gone from Charleston but we have left at 4 on all my trips from Florida and we were usually in line about 10:30 to 10:45. They usually begin boarding by 11 and once the line begins to move you should be on board fairly quickly. Lunch begins as soon as passengers are boarded so head up to Lido or pool deck (same thing its marked in the elevators) and have lunch!

[NCTribeFan]

What people have done at any other port has ZERO bearing on embarkation in Charleston.

 

It seems that Charleston is rather different from other ports, at this time. From what I've read, they are going to relocate the port terminal and plan on doing many things to that area since Carnival is moving a ship there for year-round sailings next week. But, for now, it is not an easy-embarkation port.

 

Go to the East Coast Departures board and find the current threads about Charleston.

 

You CANNOT board early there, and people who have shown up early have had to sit and wait in their cars for a very long time to even enter the parking garage. They have to clear the arriving pax before they do much of anything to start on the new batch, because parking is very limited.

 

And if you are being dropped off by someone or on a shuttle, you will have to drop your bags in one place, then be dropped off yourselves in another, and then shuttled over to the terminal.

 

So being an early bird in Charleston seems like all that will mean is that you will sit around and wait.

 

I leave on the 23rd and will include all the embarkation details when I write my review upon my return.

[Marie51]

What people have done at any other port has ZERO bearing on embarkation in Charleston.

 

It seems that Charleston is rather different from other ports, at this time. From what I've read, they are going to relocate the port terminal and plan on doing many things to that area since Carnival is moving a ship there for year-round sailings next week. But, for now, it is not an easy-embarkation port.

 

Go to the East Coast Departures board and find the current threads about Charleston.

 

You CANNOT board early there, and people who have shown up early have had to sit and wait in their cars for a very long time to even enter the parking garage. They have to clear the arriving pax before they do much of anything to start on the new batch, because parking is very limited.

 

And if you are being dropped off by someone or on a shuttle, you will have to drop your bags in one place, then be dropped off yourselves in another, and then shuttled over to the terminal.

 

So being an early bird in Charleston seems like all that will mean is that you will sit around and wait.

 

I leave on the 23rd and will include all the embarkation details when I write my review upon my return.

 

As I said I left from Charleston a couple years ago and it was very easy. We arrived about 11:00 and went to the parking lot(no garage, just an open lot) and then there were several buses to take us to the ship from the parking lot. When we got to the ship it was quick and easy and we were on the ship with in a few minutes. We did not have to sit and wait in our cars and were on the ship eating lunch by noon. Now maybe it has changed since then but for us it was an easy embarkation.