Embarkation Process?

[MissMouthy]

We are sailing on the Crown Princess on Valentine's Day. How does the embarkation process work? We are staying at the Crowne Plaza the night before and I'm wondering how early to arrive. It will be my husband and I and our two girls, ages 8 and 10. They will have kindles, so I expect they will be pretty well occupied for some time. We are blue cards, BTW. I suppose my goal is to maximize our time on the ship and minimize our time waiting. Every cruiser's dream, right?

[timetravler]

I assume you will be embarking in Ft Lauderdale? People start arriving at the port around 11:15. But embarking usually doesn't start until around noon. You will be waiting for up to an hour if you arrive at that time. But if you wait until 2pm, you would have a shorter wait. With that said the wait is not all that bad. After all the excitement of getting on the ship builds during your wait.

You may get a e-mail telling you what time to arrive also. Try to do what the e-mail says as that cuts down waiting a long time.

Just one note about your kids using a kindle. If they connect to the internet, that can be very expensive so be aware of that. You can buy internet packages but again it is not cheap and the internet is slow.

Have A wonderful cruise.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Actually, they will embark in San Pedro, CA.

 

Plan on arriving around 10:30-11:00 a.m. Check in should be open for priority passengers, i.e., suite, elite and platinum passengers. Shortly thereafter, you'll be able to check-in. Then, you'll have to go through security, declare your wine, if any, and proceed to the boarding area. On your way there, you'll be given a number. Once all the priority passengers have boarded, numbers will be called. When your number is called, then it will be your turn! (Around 12:00 - 12:30 for blue cards!).

 

I hope this helps.

[skynight]

When you board go directly to your cabin, it will be ready. Drop your stuff, place your valuables into the cabin safe and start your cruise. One DR should be open from noon to 1:30. There will be a Princess Patter in your cabin. Check out all the activities for the day there. Also open for lunch and free of charge are the Horizon Ct/Cafe Caribe buffet on the Lido Deck, Prego Pizza and Trident Grill also on the Lido Deck and a favorite of ours the International Cafe in the Piazza on deck 5.

[MissMouthy]

Thanks so much for all the info! We are leaving from San Pedro, so we will have a nice breakfast, then head to the ship!

 

Great note on the Kindle internet. We will have it in airplane mode, but I thought there might be some excellent times to have a distraction.

[Princess Patches]

Agree with above posters to arrive around 11:00 am and you will be onboard by about 12-12:30 pm for lunch. If you follow that schedule and all goes well you shouldn't have to spend more than an hour or so in the terminal.

[Lynollie]

Can someone let me know if there are restricted/staggered boarding times in Melbourne?

 

We embark on the Golden Princess on the day that my Mum and niece disembark. We have a decent drive to get to the terminal and it seems silly to drive there, pick them up, drive them home and then have to turn around and take us back to the ship. If we do that we might not be able to board at the given time.

 

We. Are wondering if our family can drop us at the terminal when they pick up Mum and then we can board as soon as boarding opens.

 

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

Lyn

[caribill]

 

We are wondering if our family can drop us at the terminal when they pick up Mum and then we can board as soon as boarding opens.

 

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

 

I have never boarded at Melbourne, but everywhere else the answer would be "yes."

 

You may arrive at the port before they are ready to take your luggage, but by around 10 AM you should be able to give it to them. Check-in would start before or by noon (possibly around 11 or 11:30) and boarding would start around noon.