Rare BecciBoo Posted September 10, 2012 #26 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I agree with dz, Linda, Faith and Carol....go now, right now! And I love the texting idea...hee hee hee.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMG Posted September 10, 2012 #27 Share Posted September 10, 2012 We like to get there early for several reasons. We are up early at the hotel, have had breakfast and are ready to check out. Sitting in the lobby of the hotel until 12:30-1pm does not appeal to me at all. I would much prefer to see the ship and get onboard. We grab a table in the pool area and park our carry on stuff. Then one goes to the bar and gets our first drink of the cruise! YUM!! Then one goes to the Windjammer while the other stays with the carryon stuff. After we eat, only one person has to stay with our stuff so the other(s) can explore the ship. Last cruise we noticed that our luggage was ready to go to our stateroom before 1pm. At 12:45 we checked and the staterooms were available. Our bags were by the door. We unpacked and by 1:15 we had peace of mind knowing that we had everything and we went off and enjoyed ourselves until they kicked us off the ship a week later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langley Cruisers Posted September 10, 2012 #28 Share Posted September 10, 2012 OP is probably already at the port as it is after 12 noon already. Doubt she will be checking back here for replies, just FYI. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duddy Posted September 10, 2012 #29 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Take a cab to the Port early; check-in; get a drink and take a photograph of yourself at the pool with your drink and food - txt or Facebook photo your friends laughing!!!!! Lady_G Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk NICE! :D ~Bob~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Chew Posted September 10, 2012 #30 Share Posted September 10, 2012 ... Last cruise we noticed that our luggage was ready to go to our stateroom before 1pm. At 12:45 we checked and the staterooms were available. Our bags were by the door. We unpacked and by 1:15 we had peace of mind knowing that we had everything and we went off and enjoyed ourselves until they kicked us off the ship a week later. Man, don't you hate when they do that?? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eng23 Posted September 10, 2012 #31 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Well, you can eat and have that drink but you won't have access to the cabin until 1:30. Based on the OP stating her friends want to wait until the time printed in their documents (1:30pm) to go to the ship, I'd think that the OP will have already hit the room and unpacked at 1:30pm and then proceeded to the pool deck. The OP's friends will just be getting on the ship when the OP is enjoying a cold beverage at the pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petesweet Posted September 11, 2012 #32 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Please help me!!! I'm I'm Miami tonight and am trying to convince my cruise buddies to go to the port early tomorrow They read somewhere that we can't get on until 1:30but I want to be at the port by 10:30 or 11 at the latest! What time can we get on the ship does anyone know????? Please help me get this cruise started early :). Thank you!!!! Meet them on board and enjoy a couple of extra hours cruising by yourself.:) Kathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sh1035 Posted September 11, 2012 #33 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Based on the OP stating her friends want to wait until the time printed in their documents (1:30pm) to go to the ship, I'd think that the OP will have already hit the room and unpacked at 1:30pm and then proceeded to the pool deck. The OP's friends will just be getting on the ship when the OP is enjoying a cold beverage at the pool. Wow really guess Miami does not have any pools or places to eat that are gorgeous and a lot better then the lido cafeteria dragging your bags? Bet they serve drinks too....just maybe??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BillOh Posted September 11, 2012 #34 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Take a cab to the Port early; check-in; get a drink and take a photograph of yourself at the pool with your drink and food - txt or Facebook photo your friends laughing!!!!! Lady_G Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk That sounds like you :) I can say that having done it a few times while my phone is still connected to the local service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BillOh Posted September 11, 2012 #35 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Sorry I'm with the friends! Check out at 11 have a real cool lunch dont have to eat the buffet yet,drag bags arround,etc. Check in after lunch, go drop off your stuff,cruise on! Trust me why rush to eat in the windjammer????? Anyone? Besides its free???? Your in Miami why sit on a ship yet and eat buffet food? Plenty of time to eat in the RCL cafeteria. Anybody who is dragging bags around is a newbie or poor planner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poncho1973 Posted September 11, 2012 #36 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Anybody who is dragging bags around is a newbie or poor planner. BUZZZZZZZ Probably a better planner than you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexru12 Posted September 11, 2012 #37 Share Posted September 11, 2012 i always advise packing a swimsuit and sunblock in your carry on, so you enjoy the pool before luggage delivery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langley Cruisers Posted September 12, 2012 #38 Share Posted September 12, 2012 You guys are hilarious. :p OP has already sailed - yesterday. I'm sure she and her friends are all enjoying the ship together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchillis Posted September 12, 2012 #39 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Is it too late? ohh maybe hmmm OP should have told us how it went .. I'm sure my post was a clincher :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchillis Posted September 12, 2012 #40 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Based on the OP stating her friends want to wait until the time printed in their documents (1:30pm) to go to the ship, I'd think that the OP will have already hit the room and unpacked at 1:30pm and then proceeded to the pool deck. The OP's friends will just be getting on the ship when the OP is enjoying a cold beverage at the pool. Waiting for the time on the doc's :eek: who does that. I wonder whats the earliest time you can show up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALSEAU Posted September 12, 2012 #41 Share Posted September 12, 2012 This thread has been hilarious. Like most cruisers on this thread I get to the pier as soon as I can. They will kick me off early when we disembark so I want embarkation day to be as long as I can make. The folks who board later do so because the cruise documents suggest it, bad information from a Travel Agent or the flight in that day has dictated what time they can get to the pier. The arguments that have been listed here against boarding as quickly as possible seem strange. "Grab a big breakfast before you board and avoid the windjammer'. If that is the attitude please give another type of vacation some consideration. "Why not enjoy some Florida sights before boarding". If that is a goal arrive several days early and take in as many sights as you can. Just don't let it interfere with your cruise ship experience. "I don't like hauling around my carry on". Well wherever you are hanging you are hauling around your carry on. I have no problem doing that a few hours on board ship. Like most here I prefer waiting looking at my ship instead of the prettiest hotel in Florida. One last thing the later you get to the pier the more likely your boarding experience will take longer due to the larger number of people being processed. Hey! Have a great cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseguy4567 Posted September 12, 2012 #42 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Get to port early. We arrived for our last cruise about 1 pm. Waited in line to drop of luggage, waited in line to go to the counter, waited in line to get on the ship. Total waste of time. Staying at my brothers house who lives 45 minutes from the port in Baltimore and will hopefully be at the dock by 11 am in February. Hate lines. As for eat before you board? No way. Did that on our last cruise (traveling with 2 young kids) cause we didn't realize they served lunch. Big mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poncho1973 Posted September 12, 2012 #43 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I've said this before, but for anyone reading this later (obviously the OP is long cruising) it applies. There is definitely a sweet spot in boarding for a cruise. If you arrive as early as possible: you wait in line. You wait for the scanners to open, you wait for the desks to open, and you wait to board the boat. If you arrive when your info tells you to board: you wait in line. You wait in a long line at the scanners, you wait in a long line at the desks, and you wait with the masses to board the ship/stop for the bon voyage photo. My advice is to arrive halfway in between when the port opens the lines and when your info says to board. Do not show up at 10:30-11:30. All of the early birds are there, standing in line. Do not show up at 1:30-closing the doors. All of the later people are there, standing in line. If you avoid being the earliest or the latest... you will be surprised how little you have to wait. It seems like the majority of people seem to be black or white and not gray. They somehow avoid that magic time in the middle. I've walked in a few minutes before noon and basically had the run of the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare nbsjcruiser Posted September 12, 2012 #44 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Please help me!!! I'm I'm Miami tonight and am trying to convince my cruise buddies to go to the port early tomorrow They read somewhere that we can't get on until 1:30but I want to be at the port by 10:30 or 11 at the latest! What time can we get on the ship does anyone know????? Please help me get this cruise started early :). Thank you!!!! Here's my opinion. Tell them the ship opens for embarkation at around 11:15 or so and you are going to be on that ship before noon, with them or without them. Arrive at the pier at 10:30 (we always do) and you'll be sitting down at the buffet before noon. If they arrive at 1:30 they'll be lined up with 1-2000 people all standing around in the heat of the day trying to get into the building and then through security - they might enjoy that but I did it once, wont do it again. If they wont leave early, go alone. I would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare nbsjcruiser Posted September 12, 2012 #45 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I've said this before, but for anyone reading this later (obviously the OP is long cruising) it applies. There is definitely a sweet spot in boarding for a cruise. If you arrive as early as possible: you wait in line. You wait for the scanners to open, you wait for the desks to open, and you wait to board the boat. If you arrive when your info tells you to board: you wait in line. You wait in a long line at the scanners, you wait in a long line at the desks, and you wait with the masses to board the ship/stop for the bon voyage photo. My advice is to arrive halfway in between when the port opens the lines and when your info says to board. Do not show up at 10:30-11:30. All of the early birds are there, standing in line. Do not show up at 1:30-closing the doors. All of the later people are there, standing in line. If you avoid being the earliest or the latest... you will be surprised how little you have to wait. It seems like the majority of people seem to be black or white and not gray. They somehow avoid that magic time in the middle. I've walked in a few minutes before noon and basically had the run of the place. We always arrive around 10:30 and have always been able to walk right in, through security, up the escalators, fill out our paperwork and sit down - all without waiting for anyone. This generally means we're sitting waiting for the announcement to board for 20-30 minutes or so but that's ok - no lines! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanie1 Posted September 12, 2012 #46 Share Posted September 12, 2012 There are pros & cons either way. Last november I arrived at 10am. I had heard stories of cruisers being onboard and lunching at 11:30. I never had such luck but I gave it a shot. I was on line till 11am until they let folks in the terminal. Being a diamond member I went to priority checkin where the line was longer than non priority. Took about 20 minutes or so and before noon I was headed to the priority waiting area which was quite busy. At 12:30 they announced that boarding was delayed. They did not offer a reason. At 1pm they let us on and headed to my cabin. Surprise surprise. Doors to cabins were all locked. Rccl rep said cabins not ready till 2pm. Got a bite at wj and returned to cabin area at 2. They opened the main doors at 2:30. It came out that there were 16 ships in port that day. You never know on debarkation day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coolcruise02 Posted September 12, 2012 #47 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I totally agree with this. You don't have to stay together during every second of the vacation. If you want to go early and they don't go ahead and board the ship on your own. You'll see them when they board later that day. No sense in you being upset because you think your time would be better spent onboard, and no sense in dragging them onto the ship if they don't want to go that early. Enjoy your cruise! :) Agree! When cruising with others it is good to establish early that eveyrone does NOT have to do the same thing at the same time! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p_toasty Posted September 13, 2012 #48 Share Posted September 13, 2012 I am that excited, i am happy to go early and just sit and stare at the ship for hours before i even get on...... how sad :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dixiesue Posted September 18, 2012 #49 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Go early and you will beat the buses they come later if you dont you will be in line standing with all of them from the bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Familygoboston Posted September 18, 2012 #50 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Folks, Cherie has been and back home already, it's a 3 day cruise! She's probably even finished the laundry! ;) Maybe she'll come back and report what her friends decided! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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