Boarding time

[scdreamer]

Just curious - I have been reading a number of threads that cover the topic of cabins being made ready for passengers early in the day, especially as to the difficulty for the crew to get the cabins cleaned and ready in a short turn-around time. Sounds as if everything is ready by noon or even before then!

 

We have instructions that our arrival at the terminal should be at 1 p.m. for our December cruise, with the ship leaving port at 5 p.m.

 

Is that time related to our cabin level? We are VF guarantee ... does it mean that the higher level cabins and suites will be able to begin boarding earlier?

 

We're fine with our scheduled time - just wondering why, if the cabins are supposedly ready so early, our boarding time is at 1 p.m.

[jtl513]

Is that time related to our cabin level? We are VF guarantee ... does it mean that the higher level cabins and suites will be able to begin boarding earlier?

That's the "official" or "standard" time that it says for all 5:00pm departures, for everyone. It means nothing in practice.

 

If there's no problem with the previous passengers departing, you'll be able to board sometime around 11:30a, and all cabins should be ready.

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL has been posting that 1 PM boarding time for years.

We leave the hotel around 10:30 - 10:45 and get to the pier by 11 AM for check-in.

Unless something unusual happens boarding usually begins around 11:30 and numbers are called for boarding after the PS passengers and wheel chair people have gotten onto the ship (and scooters).

Cabins are pretty much ready at that time.

[cruisinggranmama]

On our recent Med cruise leaving from Rome (Civitivecchia), we arrived around noon and were able to walk right through the boarding process and our cabin was ready for us.

 

As we were disembarking around 8:15AM, I noticed that the stewards were already working on some of the cabins. So it seems they make up the cabins as they are vacated. I believe all passengers had to be off by 9:30AM. I would imagine that allows for time for most if not all cabins to be ready by 1:00.

[BearInStPete]

There will be as many theories on boarding times as passengers LOL. But keep in mind there is always the initial rush - at about 11-ish, where there will be lines at security, checkin, and to actually board the ship, once these dissipate the staff in Ft Lauderdale are quite accustomed to dealing with the crowds and everything moves quickly. My personal take from three years running of early December HAL cruises is to arrive at the terminal no earlier than 11:30-ish, even a little later. In the past three years I have only waited in a minor line at security and the check-in area once, otherwise it was virtually a continuous walk from the entrance of the terminal until on the ship. But it really depends on when/if large buses arrive as you could have 45 fellow passengers plop in line ahead of you. In any event why not arrive at least where you can enjoy a HAL lunch on board, and spend your afternoon acclimating to the ship before sailing.