Disney Embarkation-Galveston

[o-state girl]

We are scheduled to depart on the Disney Wonder out of Galveston later this week. After finishing online check-in, it appears that our assigned boarding window is 3:00 to 3:30. Does anyone think that we will be able to check in significantly earlier than this, or are we pretty much stuck with a late boarding time?

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We are scheduled to depart on the Disney Wonder out of Galveston later this week. After finishing online check-in, it appears that our assigned boarding window is 3:00 to 3:30. Does anyone think that we will be able to check in significantly earlier than this, or are we pretty much stuck with a late boarding time?

 

I have never cruised out of that home port, at other ports they do accommodate people earlier if embarkation has started and the terminal is not full.

 

I would say do not go too early but try say 1 pm onwards when the ship embarkation is in full swing.

 

They do reserve the right to say no, say if the ship is delayed for embarkation but I haven't heard if any issues myself bar getting a lower boarding number than others arriving the same time but with an earlier pat, often there on open boarding by 1 pm.

[moki'smommy]

Yes, you will be able to board earlier. I'd show up about 1pm and plan to be able to check in and board very shortly thereafter.

 

We've boarded in MANY ports on DCL--Port Canaveral, LA, Barcelona, Dover, etc. Not Galveston. It has been our experience that DCL sets things up as much as possible to resemble PC and the system works about the same way.

[llachance]

Was just on the wonder last week. Our boarding time was noon. They were boarding numbers 28-31 as we were checking in. We got number 11 (I guess based on our noon time) and walked on board after we checked in. Which seems to say you get a number based on what your port arrival time is supposed to be (we got there about 12:30)

[moki'smommy]

You are correct that your boarding number is tied to your terminal arrival time and does not change based on the time that you actually arrive. Normally they announce "open boarding" about 1 or 1:30 meaning that from then on, anyone can board as soon as they have checked in.

[Modern_Viking]

The need to enforce the pier arrival & boarding times seems to be much more significant with the Dream and Fantasy than with the Magic and Wonder.

 

As long as the arrival of the Wonder in Galveston was not delayed by fog, I would think you could arrive between 1:00 and 1:30 and not be turned away or forced to sit in the terminal for very long waiting to board. If morning fog (or anything else) delayed arrival, then hard to say how well things will go.

 

By the way, in 2012 in Galveston I noticed that there were actually 3 boarding lines. One was for concierge and platinum passengers (the fastest moving), one was for other passengers who did not want to pose for a pre-boarding photo (much slower than the first line, but kept moving), and finally a line for passengers choosing to pose for a photo (the slowest moving line).

 

In other ports and with other lines, I don't remember having the option to bypass the photographers in order to speed the boarding process. I like having extra options, like this. :)