Preferred Boarding at Port Everglades

[FlKittyKat]

As the excitement of our upcoming cruise grows, especially since this will be our first as Platinum, I am wondering how Preferred Boarding works at FLL. My main question is if there is a separate door/queue? I have seen posts where we could just go to the entrance to the building. Does anyone know how this works? Thanks!

[Hlitner]

As the excitement of our upcoming cruise grows, especially since this will be our first as Platinum, I am wondering how Preferred Boarding works at FLL. My main question is if there is a separate door/queue? I have seen posts where we could just go to the entrance to the building. Does anyone know how this works? Thanks!

 

The last time we boarded a Princess ship in Lauderdale (this past April) everyone had to go through the same security line. Once past security we had a separate queue (we are Elite) which did save us some time. We were allowed to board as soon as we were checked-in (about 11:30) so we do not know if they put the Elites who came earlier into a separate holding area.

 

Hank

[Homosassa]

We have been directed (two times) to a different door and separate security line (much shorter than the regular line) and then up to the preferred check in.

 

There was no sign for the different entrance, we just showed our boarding pass to the gentleman directing everyone to the end of the regular line and he sent us to the different entrance.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Homosassa

[paul929207]

Just have your boarding passes out. The top of yours will have a green background indicating you have preferred boarding. Princess personnel will then direct you to the correct line(s).

[islandatsea]

As the excitement of our upcoming cruise grows, especially since this will be our first as Platinum, I am wondering how Preferred Boarding works at FLL. My main question is if there is a separate door/queue? I have seen posts where we could just go to the entrance to the building. Does anyone know how this works? Thanks!

 

After everyone goes thru security, there are basically 2 lines to check-in. You go to the line that says Suites, Elite, Platinum. Once you get to the check-in area, there are signs that say either Platinum or Elite or Suite check-in. Usually those lines are not that long, in August, it took us about 10 minutes in line to be checked-in. After that, we were directed to sit in an area for, I presume, Platinum cruisers. Did not see where the Elite or Suite guests were.

[msmoger]

Just have your boarding passes out. The top of yours will have a green background indicating you have preferred boarding. Princess personnel will then direct you to the correct line(s).

 

Our experience also.

[Sincity]

After that, we were directed to sit in an area for, I presume, Platinum cruisers. Did not see where the Elite or Suite guests were.

 

I would presume we're all in the same area.

[Ethel5]

I have also seen it where the "regular" lines were shorter than the Platinum, Elite, Suite lines!

[TravelingEA]

Just have your boarding passes out. The top of yours will have a green background indicating you have preferred boarding. Princess personnel will then direct you to the correct line(s).

 

How does that work if printed on a black & white laser printer?

[FlKittyKat]

Thanks for the quick replies. We will be sure to have our boarding passes ready, nicely ask the Princess portside employee where to go, and check to see if the Preferred Boarding line will really be faster. I knew I could count on you guys for the answer! :)

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

How does that work if printed on a black & white laser printer?

 

It's still printed as priority even though it's in black.

[redtogo]

Last two times we embarked in Ft. Lauderdale things didn't run very smoothly. People were getting in the preferred boarding line who were not platinum or elite or suite. They had their passes in their hand. Stopped, blocking the line to fill out their health questionnaire. If you said excuse us, they pretended not to understand you and continued blocking the que.

 

When we finally got to the security scanners, people would run over you if you didn't make a bee-line to the scanner. It was better once we got in line for the check in counter, but when we were lined up to get on the ship, people were rushing ahead as if there wasn't a line at all. I said to one young lady, "Excuse me, but the line forms at the rear." She said, "I wondered what everyone was doing." I could just summarize and call it a mad house.

 

I know there are those on here who will say that they have never experienced this, and will refute what I am saying. I do hope your experience in FLL is better than ours.

[ar1950]

............ people were rushing ahead as if there wasn't a line at all. I said to one young lady, "Excuse me, but the line forms at the rear." She said, "I wondered what everyone was doing." ........

 

Probably the same people who write the reviews that say "This was the worst embarkation experience ever! Princess is horrible!".:cool:

[redtogo]

Probably the same people who write the reviews that say "This was the worst embarkation experience ever! Princess is horrible!".:cool:

 

San Pedro embarkation, on the other hand, ran as smooth as clock work. Off the bus, in line, up to the counter, onto the ship....

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I recently took one of the short Caribbean Princess cruises out of Port Everglades (Aug. 28 to Sept. 1, 2014). The priority line was very short and embarkation went very smoothly. I arrived at the pier at 12:15. As the above posts indicate, be sure to have out your boarding pass that indicates priority boarding.

 

Have a great cruise,

 

Chuck

Edited September 9, 2014 by seacruise9

[geoherb]

It depends on what time you arrive and which terminal your ship is docked at. One of them has a separate door for people with preferred boarding passes. The other ones don't. If you get there early to one of those terminals, you have to stand in line with everyone else waiting to get into the terminal. Once you are in, you get to move more quickly. If you are at the terminal that has a separate door, you can stand in the line waiting to through that door. When we were there in March, it opened a few minutes before they started letting people in the other door.

Edited September 9, 2014 by geoherb

[freetocruise]

I would presume we're all in the same area.

 

Not always the case. The last three times I have sailed out of Fll at pier 2, there are separate areas for elite and suite from platinum and they board first. I guess this is one of the side effects of so many Princess elite and platinum cruisers.

[pablo222]

How does that work if printed on a black & white laser printer?

 

In addition to the green stripe, there are words that indicate the

same thing.

Edited September 9, 2014 by pablo222

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

Not always the case. The last three times I have sailed out of Fll at pier 2, there are separate areas for elite and suite from platinum and they board first. I guess this is one of the side effects of so many Princess elite and platinum cruisers.

 

With all the short cruises being offered lately in another year or so the separate lounge will have to be limited to first come first seated or they'll have to limited it to only Elite & Suite.

[FawnRiver]

San Pedro embarkation, on the other hand, ran as smooth as clock work. Off the bus, in line, up to the counter, onto the ship....

That's good to hear (I'm trusting that's not sarcasm), we have our first cruise out of San Pedro coming up in January and I didn't know what to expect. There's always room for something to go wrong, of course (in case it is sarcasm).

 

We've never had too many problems embarking at FLL, but the first/last time we were boarding at Southampton, it was a nightmare for us. Our boarding pass said arrive at 12:30 to check in and we didn't get onboard the ship until after 2:30pm. If we had known, we'd have had lunch at the pub first.

Edited September 9, 2014 by FawnRiver
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