best time to board in Ft Lauderdale

[star65]

Hello All,

We have never taken a Princess or left from Ft Lauderdale. I got an email stating that we should not get to terminal before 2pm, this seems very late to me. If we get there earlier, can we board and how long is wait in terminal. We usually tend to check in as early as possible. What works best for CB out of Ft Lauderdale boarding time wise?

Thank you

[caribill]

Usually boarding starts around noon.

 

Did your E-mail say all passengers should wait until 2 PM or did it say 2 PM was the time assigned for the deck your cabin was on?

 

If the latter, it is really only a suggestion designed to even out the flow of passengers and you can really show up earlier if you wish.

[paul929207]

Princess is trying to spread out the boarding process so the lines are shorter. You can still arrive when you want.

[skynight]

You got the staggered boarding notice. Treat it as a suggestion, not mandatory. You will not be held at the pier if you arrive early. This is what we do:

Plan on arriving at the pier between 10:30 and 11am. You may have to wait outside in line for a short time. Around 11am they start letting passengers into the terminal for check in. After check in you will be shown to a seated waiting area. Boarding starts around noon with priority boarders first, then general boarding in the order that you arrived. You should be on the ship no later than 12:30. Go directly to your cabin it will be ready when you board. No lugging around your stuff until the "cabin ready call." Drop your carry on, place your stuff into the cabin safe, and start your cruise.

 

If you wish to avoid crowds, arrive after 12:30pm, no need to wait until 2pm. Almost everybody will be on board by 1pm.

Edited October 27, 2014 by sknight

[5:00_Somewhere]

You got the staggered boarding notice. Treat it as a suggestion, not mandatory. You will not be held at the pier if you arrive early. This is what we do:

Plan on arriving at the pier between 10:30 and 11am. You may have to wait outside in line for a short time. Around 11am they start letting passengers into the terminal for check in. After check in you will be shown to a seated waiting area. Boarding starts around noon with priority boarders first, then general boarding in the order that you arrived. You should be on the ship no later than 12:30. Go directly to your cabin it will be ready when you board. No lugging around your stuff until the "cabin ready call." Drop your carry on, place your stuff into the cabin safe, and start your cruise.

 

If you wish to avoid crowds, arrive after 12:30pm, no need to wait until 2pm. Almost everybody will be on board by 1pm.

 

Like the OP and sknight, we prefer to board early so that we can enjoy the ship as long as possible. But, I did want to note that my parents - who have also tended to board early in the past - decided to follow the "suggested staggered boarding" time they received when they cruised 2 weeks ago, and they both said it was such a pleasure not to wait in the long lines with increasingly agitated people all wondering when they're going to open the doors and start letting people in. My folks said they got to the port at about 1:00pm and literally walked right through and were in their cabin in about 15 minutes from the time the taxi dropped them at the curb.

 

Just something to consider.

 

It's very tempting to me to avoid the agita of trying to board early ..., though I know we'll probably be there at 10:30 or 11:00 like we always are. ;)

 

Happy cruising.

[golfb4cruzing]

I consider sitting in the terminal and waiting, as being on vacation. So the clock starts ticking and we get there early. If only there were adult beverages.

[PtownGirlz-NH]

It's ironic that this topic came up. My partner and I are at odds over what time to arrive at the ship. I want to stay by the hotel pool for as long as we can, maybe leaving at 2:00. It's a short taxi ride away. She is nervous about the thought of not getting to the ship on time. We sail at 4:00 so she wants us to arrive at noon or 1:00ish!! Pool or sitting and waiting in LONG lines?? Hmmmmmmm???!!!!!

[RKSue]

It's ironic that this topic came up. My partner and I are at odds over what time to arrive at the ship. I want to stay by the hotel pool for as long as we can, maybe leaving at 2:00. It's a short taxi ride away. She is nervous about the thought of not getting to the ship on time. We sail at 4:00 so she wants us to arrive at noon or 1:00ish!! Pool or sitting and waiting in LONG lines?? Hmmmmmmm???!!!!!

 

 

My suggestion is simple and from lots of current and past experience. Since Princess has wonderful pools I suggest you leave your hotel around 1 pm. Anytime after 12:30 and the really huge lines are gone so no stress there. You get to stay a bit longer at the hotel pool and once on board the ship say 1:15 you can go to the ships pool and continue your poolside sitting.

[Morgsmom]

My suggestion is simple and from lots of current and past experience. Since Princess has wonderful pools I suggest you leave your hotel around 1 pm. Anytime after 12:30 and the really huge lines are gone so no stress there. You get to stay a bit longer at the hotel pool and once on board the ship say 1:15 you can go to the ships pool and continue your poolside sitting.

 

 

agree, and that way you can have a burger or lunch by the ship's pool for FREE, unlike at the hotel :cool:

[toberman]

My suggestion is simple and from lots of current and past experience. Since Princess has wonderful pools I suggest you leave your hotel around 1 pm. Anytime after 12:30 and the really huge lines are gone so no stress there. You get to stay a bit longer at the hotel pool and once on board the ship say 1:15 you can go to the ships pool and continue your poolside sitting.

 

Interesting... Most hotels have check-out at 11am??

[toberman]

I consider sitting in the terminal and waiting, as being on vacation. So the clock starts ticking and we get there early. If only there were adult beverages.

 

I agree... but my clock starts ticking the time I get on the plane to FLL !

 

As to the adult beverages... what is 'carry on for' ? :D

[aikensbest]

I agree... but my clock starts ticking the time I get on the plane to FLL !

 

As to the adult beverages... what is 'carry on for' ? :D

 

be careful as to adult beverages (carry on)

[toberman]

be careful as to adult beverages (carry on)

 

I meant... take something to have while sitting in the waiting area - not to take in on the ship. :)

[Loonbeam]

It also depends on what your goals are. If getting the Sanctuary for the cruise is important to you, then you need to board early. Or if MDR lunch is a priority.

 

For our recent Royal cruise, since the Sanctuary was not in play and we knew they had a much improved buffet, we planned to arrive 1 hr after the scheduled start of check in (1 PM). Our car pulled up to the port at 2:03 - we were onboard at 2:24 with no stress, minimal fighting for an elevator and plenty of time to eat before Muster (and no hunting for a table in the expanded buffet area either.) To me, that's a fine tradeoff for one hour or so extra on the ship.

Edited October 27, 2014 by Loonbeam

[RKSue]

It also depends on what your goals are. If getting the Sanctuary for the cruise is important to you, then you need to board early. Or if MDR lunch is a priority.

 

For our recent Royal cruise, since the Sanctuary was not in play and we knew they had a much improved buffet, we planned to arrive 1 hr after the scheduled start of check in (1 PM). Our car pulled up to the port at 2:03 - we were onboard at 2:24 with no stress, minimal fighting for an elevator and plenty of time to eat before Muster (and no hunting for a table in the expanded buffet area either.) To me, that's a fine tradeoff for one hour or so extra on the ship.

 

 

I suppose we could call the rush hour more like cruise commuter traffic. I use to commute to work. Don't wish to do that anymore. [emoji304][emoji4]

[martin jenkins]

when we do our cruise mar 2016 looks like 1.30 to 2pm is the best time.

[pablo222]

Almost everybody will be on board by 1pm.

 

I've encountered big lines between 1:00 and 2:00.

 

It depends on how big the ship is, how many people are

driving vs. flying, are the flight delays in large parts of

the country, etc.

 

No way is almost everyone on board by 1pm.

[geoherb]

We like to be at the terminal no later than 11. It helps that we now have priority boarding. Things moved slower when we used to have to get a number and wait until after those with priority boarding had boarded, but even then we were usually on the ship in time for lunch in the dining room.

[caribill]

even then we were usually on the ship in time for lunch in the dining room.

 

There have been posts where recently access to the dining room has been cut off as early at 12:45, before many passengers have had a chance to get on board, drop off their carryons in the cabin, and make it to the dining room entrance.

[RKSue]

There have been posts where recently access to the dining room has been cut off as early at 12:45, before many passengers have had a chance to get on board, drop off their carryons in the cabin, and make it to the dining room entrance.

 

 

I was on 3 cruises last month and did not find that on any of the 3 ships. Grand, Island and the Golden. Do you know which ships it was on? and which port they were sailing from?

 

I know that sometimes there are lines around the 1 pm hour but they also move very quickly... as the 11:30 hour has mass crowds inside the terminal waiting and outside waiting and sitting in seats... and wow its a lot of people and I find they tend to push and shove. (maybe because they have been waiting at a terminal for so long). I have enough cruises now that although I like getting on really early I love not having to be stressed out by the huge crowds...

[star65]

Thank you

The email I received was the staged email based upon your deck that says we should come at 2pm.

We do want to take advantage of the sanctuary does this mean we need to buy passes, do they sell out?

[scott4020]

Thank you

The email I received was the staged email based upon your deck that says we should come at 2pm.

We do want to take advantage of the sanctuary does this mean we need to buy passes, do they sell out?

 

They weekly passes sell out quickly, depending on the itinerary, if you are not in the early boarding group you wont have a chance at one. Daily passes are sold each morning and also sell out quick.

Edited October 28, 2014 by scott4020

[acegolfer25]

I got back from a cruise that departed from Ft Lauderdale last week. The ship departure was 4 pm and we checked in at 2:30 pm. Had 1 family in front of us at the check in counter. Almost no wait.

 

One problem of checking in late is not enough time for a late lunch because of the muster drill at 3:30 pm.