Platinum check in a FLL

[NeurosurgeryNP]

This is our first cruise as Platinum members. We are cruising next month and want to know if their is any benefit as far as check in, etc. Is the embarkation lounge at FLL just for Elite members?

[karabear15]

My first experience was a few years ago, if you arrive early, which we did, it can benefit you as you don't have to wait in line, and are first to check in and board. However I've come to understand that if you don't arrive super early, there isn't much use for it as the lines have diminished and you basically just walk in and up.

 

Not to say that there coukdnt be a line formed for platinum and elite seeing as there is a growing number of us...I just haven't had that happen to me as of yet. Hoping for our new years cruise we get there early enough so we don't have any sort of wait time!

 

Have fun, and enjoy!

[silverbird]

You can bypass the long lines and enter through the "Preferred Boarding" door. It is usually at the very end of the walkway where the lines are. There will be personnel there to assist you. Just show them your boarding pass. It will have a blue band across the top and that gains you entry.

[caribill]

Is the embarkation lounge at FLL just for Elite members?

 

No, Platinum can be there also. However, they will ask the Elite to board before they ask the Plainum.

[pablo222]

No, Platinum can be there also. However, they will ask the Elite to board before they ask the Plainum.

 

The last few cruises I've been on out of Ft. Lauderdale, they

haven't taken elite first. They've gone by seating row in

the elite lounge.

[rcacace]

You can bypass the long lines and enter through the "Preferred Boarding" door. It is usually at the very end of the walkway where the lines are. There will be personnel there to assist you. Just show them your boarding pass. It will have a blue band across the top and that gains you entry.

For the last year or so everyone has been entering through the same doors but the Platinum's and Elites just by pass the other people standing on line and wait in a separate area.

[john_galt]

We were in a suite this year and the double cruise credit made us Platinum after the cruise. However, we had preferred boarding because of the suite. I made sure to show the preferred pass which I recall as being green. A very nice Princess representative pointed to a hallway and we went to the Platinum lounge. Not too much special except there was a nice place to sit. I found it to be a very pleasant experience but I'm sure some Platinum and Elite don't consider it not much of a perk.

 

It made us feel special and it was a great start to a wonderful cruise. We were in the room by 12:15. You earned Platinum. Enjoy it in every way possible. :)

[compozer]

It is for platinum, elite and suite passengers and can be very full on the longer cruises especially if they allow family and friends to join some passengers. We sat next to a group where one couple was elite and they allowed all 16 of their relatives to join them. Other than the one couple, they all were first time cruisers.

 

On the longer cruises, you may find the regular line shorter since they tend to have more seasoned cruisers.

[Infi]

Have sailed out of FLL several times and have never used the side entrance or "preferred" door - everyone always enters through the same doors. Just make sure you have your boarding pass out when you arrive and the staff will direct you where to sit inside the terminal. The platinum/elite area is a smaller section of the larger waiting room. I have always seem them call people by rows, not by status.

[NeurosurgeryNP]

Thanks for all of the replies.

[Pia1913]

What Lounge? FLL does not have a lounge. It's a waiting area. That's it.

[caribill]

Just make sure you have your boarding pass out when you arrive and the staff will direct you where to sit inside the terminal. The platinum/elite area is a smaller section of the larger waiting room. I have always seem them call people by rows, not by status.

 

The area where seated before checkin is called by rows.

 

After checkin, you are sent to a different waiting area for platinum, elite and suite passengers. In that area, (when we were last there) they asked for elites to board first when boarding started.

[jagoffee]

No, Platinum can be there also. However, they will ask the Elite to board before they ask the Plainum.

 

Princess must have changed their procedures since you last cruised out of Ft. Lauderdale.

 

The last few cruises I've been on out of Ft. Lauderdale, they

haven't taken elite first. They've gone by seating row in

the elite lounge.

 

That was also our experience.

[Pia1913]

Princess must have changed their procedures since you last cruised out of Ft. Lauderdale.

 

 

 

That was also our experience.

 

I go out of FLL often. What actually happens is that whoever is monitoring the area asks for Elites with ID. Everyone jumps up and just rushes in. End of story.

[janina]

:o

I go out of FLL often. What actually happens is that whoever is monitoring the area asks for Elites with ID. Everyone jumps up and just rushes in. End of story.

 

:)

[Love.II.Cruise]

This is our first cruise as Platinum members. We are cruising next month and want to know if their is any benefit as far as check in, etc. Is the embarkation lounge at FLL just for Elite members?

 

We sailed on Island Princess for the last New Year's sailing. We were told this is where the ship normally docks when we arrived to port, but when we returned at the end of our sailing, we were at a different dock (so dock may make a difference).

 

There was a separate area for Platinum, Elite, and Suite passengers with pastries, coffee and water. We were Platinum guests. We were the first to board the ship because we were in the first row to board in the first seats to enter. They did it by rows - not by status. As people came in they were told which rows would be called first.

[Pia1913]

We sailed on Island Princess for the last New Year's sailing. We were told this is where the ship normally docks when we arrived to port, but when we returned at the end of our sailing, we were at a different dock (so dock may make a difference).

 

There was a separate area for Platinum, Elite, and Suite passengers with pastries, coffee and water. We were Platinum guests. We were the first to board the ship because we were in the first row to board in the first seats to enter. They did it by rows - not by status. As people came in they were told which rows would be called first.

 

You were probably at 21 or one of the other outlying areas. The regular dock is at #2 and nobody there is giving you coffee and pastries.

[Love.II.Cruise]

You were probably at 21 or one of the other outlying areas. The regular dock is at #2 and nobody there is giving you coffee and pastries.

 

Well if that is the case, it seems odd I watched Island Princess sail from the same dock I left from repeatedly for several cruises before mine via the FLL port cams ... to much anticipation to my own cruise to not watch. :D

 

And I just looked at the map of Port Everglades... we were at port 2 when we left. We arrived to port at 9:30am.... probably let in to the area around 10:15am that was for Platinum, Elite and Suite passengers. We got there early because we wanted to be one of the first to board to reserve the Sanctuary. We just waited and read.

 

I will say the room started to get full when boarding started. We just talked about it and would guess there were about 200 people when we started to board.

[highflyingrealtor]

It is nice to bypass the long line. Funny thing this past March, when we got up to the preferred boarding door (about 11:30), that waiting area was full and they were starting to line up the preferred! Lots of preferred there are. They did let us in before the blue/gold boarders. :D

[jagoffee]

I go out of FLL often. What actually happens is that whoever is monitoring the area asks for Elites with ID. Everyone jumps up and just rushes in. End of story.

 

Have you cruised out of FLL this year? I also cruised on the Island Princess earlier this year from FL and they did not ask for Elites first and it was done by rows. Perhaps they changed the process or it is not consistent.

[rcacace]

We cruise often from Port Everglades (term 2 & 21) and while waiting in the Elite/Platinum lounge over a year ago they used to call for Elites first (which never worked since everyone jumped up at the same time regardless). In the last year they still have them wait together but in a different area (in rows) and are called in row order but never Elites first. If you arrive early, you get checked in early no matter if Elite or Platinum. Once checked in you then wait on the upper lever- seated, again in order that you arrive and wait to board when the ship is cleared.

 

There is no advantage of being Elite over Platinum when it comes to boarding although with the ever increasing number or people becoming Elite they will have to segregate them in the future at some point.

[TracieABD]

We went out of FLL in December. We were shown to a different waiting area. We were asked to sit in the same order that we arrived therefore we were second on the ship. There were pastries and juice and coffee.

[Pia1913]

Have you cruised out of FLL this year? I also cruised on the Island Princess earlier this year from FL and they did not ask for Elites first and it was done by rows. Perhaps they changed the process or it is not consistent.

 

Yes, in February. But what do I know. I only live here. :rolleyes:

[rcacace]

Yes, in February. But what do I know. I only live here. :rolleyes:

 

Sometimes they offered it, sometimes they didn't.

[Pia1913]

Sometimes they offered it, sometimes they didn't.

 

Off we go to SFO. I don't want goodies, just decent boarding at that zoo of a port.