Boarding the Ship (Elation)

[Scotty'sGirl]

Its been about 5 years since I cruised at all and that was on RC and when we got the port, we went through the process and go straight on the ship. Its been over 12 years since I have cruised with Carnival and gone with the cheap room (I'd rather spend money on beer than a fancy room haha).

 

I was looking through our boarding docs today and it says that once you get through the check-in process you go to a seating area to wait for your boarding number to be called. Will someone explain this to me?

 

We are departing out of New Orleans, and getting there early enough to eat lunch and hang out. I would much prefer to be drinking a cold beer in Lucy's than to be sitting in some cattle gate waiting to get on the ship.

 

So is it best to board the ship at 1 when embarkation starts or is it best to wait until about 30min prior to embarkation closing? I don't want to get there to sit and wait. Thanks!

[pungo3]

If you don't like waiting, I'd say get there 2:30 or so and walk right on. If you arrive early, you'll definitely be sitting and waiting.

[Dixie24]

On both cruises out of NOLA, I arrived at the port between 10:30 and 10:45 and have been on before noon.

[NavarreCruiser]

The boarding order will be !. Wedding party(s) (those who will be wed on ship) if there are any. 2. Diamond and Platinum cruisers 3. Faster to the Fun purchasers (you pay $50 per cabin to get early boarding and some other perks, usually limited to 30 cabins) 4. General boarding based on group numbered cards. The first people to check in will be given group 1 cards. Next group 2 and so on. I am uncertain how many people are in each group. But # 1 cards often board quite early, they can be on board by 11 or 11:30.

[<3 2 Cruise]

Personally, I like to get there after 1:00- No lines waiting to get on the ship, and the mad rush of everyone having to get their first trip to the buffet behind them is past. Most rooms aren't ready until after 1:00 so things can get really clogged up in spots until everyone is able to drop their bags in their rooms.

 

And if the previous cruise is late disembarking, the lobby can be really crowded. We have been stuck in the lobby with a group number of 23. But that only took about 30 minutes.

[JerrynClaire]

in the last 3 years I have sailed out of New Orleans 6 times. We have also sailed out of almost every port Carnival sails out of. New Orleans is without a doubt the easiest port in regards to parking, checking in and embarking. The poster above who said if you arrive early you will definitely be stuck waiting in long lines is incorrect. We always arrive at the port by 10am, speed thru check in (literally less than 10 minutes each and every time), and are on board no later than 11:15am ( we have gotten on as early as 10:45am before). FTTF, to me, especially when sailing out of New Orleans is a waste of money. If you get to the port by 10am, the time difference in someone with a Zone 1 boarding pass as opposed to someone spending $50 for FTTF is no more than 10 minutes... I can't see 10 minutes being worth %50. That will buy quite a few DOD's.

[Scotty'sGirl]

Thanks for the input, if we get on the ship early are the pools open or do we have to wait for those to open? What I am debating is sitting in my favorite bar to eat some lunch and drink cheap beer and wait for the crowds to die down or get on the ship early and drink expensive beer with nothing to do besides drink expensive beer? :D

 

The thing that is most appealing about the FTTF is getting your luggage more quickly. I plan to pack my bathing suit and a change of clothes in my carry on but I want to be able to get ready for dinner and I didn't know how long luggage took to get to you.

[alligirl78]

Thanks for the input' date=' if we get on the ship early are the pools open or do we have to wait for those to open? What I am debating is sitting in my favorite bar to eat some lunch and drink cheap beer and wait for the crowds to die down or get on the ship early and drink expensive beer with nothing to do besides drink expensive beer? :D

 

The thing that is most appealing about the FTTF is getting your luggage more quickly. I plan to pack my bathing suit and a change of clothes in my carry on but I want to be able to get ready for dinner and I didn't know how long luggage took to get to you.[/quote']

 

"Cheap beer" is an oxymoron onboard. Be advised that no such thing exists lol

 

Your luggage will be to you with plenty of time to get ready for dinner. On Fantasy in Dec (same size as Elation), we had ours by 1:00 pm.

Edited September 11, 2013 by alligirl78

[Scotty'sGirl]

"Cheap beer" is an oxymoron onbaord. Be advised that no such thing exists lol

 

Your luggage will be to you with plenty of time to get ready for dinner. On Fantasy in Dec (same size as Elation), we had ours by 1:00 pm.

 

Yeh that's what I meant, I would rather be at Lucy's drinking cheap beer off the ship than sitting around doing nothing drinking expensive beer on the ship :)

 

How about getting off the ship, is it worth it to be able to get off the ship early?

 

And does anyone know about the pools being open when you get on the ship?

[cathyz]

And does anyone know about the pools being open when you get on the ship?

 

In my experience, there is no rhyme or reason to pools being open at embarkation, sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't and can be different from one cruise to another on the same ship.

[Rowan555]

We just cruised on the Elation, and embarkation began around 11 AM - we arrived at 10:30 AM and were among the first on the ship, but the terminal wasn't packed yet, and I'm sure the folks that arrived around 10:30-10:45 were all on board by 11:30. Embarkation was particularly smooth and orderly this time around, the NOLA terminal has improved a great deal, and we appreciated how great check-in and embarkation were.

[maldenmusic]

NOLA has always been an easy port for us. No long lines, no hassle, on the ship very quickly.