Once you've boarded??????

[ACoupleAtSea]

Where is the least crowded place to eat once you have boarded the Wonder?

[e2011]

LOL... I have not found one ever on boarding day.

[BullDawg91]

Parrot Cay if it is open. It offers the same food as Beach Blanket Buffet generally, but in a less cafeteria-like style. We ate there most of our cruise for breakfast and lunch.

[monorailmedic]

As was mentioned, Parrot Cay. Each DCL vessel has a rotational restaurant that can also be done as a buffet, on the Wonder it is Parrot Cay, and you'll almost always find these venues to be less crowded than Cabanas/Beach Blanket. That in mind, if you're boarding within the first few groups (by say, 1100), Beach Blanket may be okay.

[moki'smommy]

Another vote for Parrot Cay. The food is the same as BBB, but you are escorted to a table and your beverage order taken and served to you. You go thru the buffet for food. There was a small kid buffet table at the end with things like mac and cheese, chicken fingers, etc. I've read that this has been discontinued, but it was there on my last Wonder experience.

 

Going to deck 9 gives you the option of the fast food outlets, but you'll have plenty of time for those in the week! We prefer the more relaxed atmosphere of Parrot Cay, and feel safer with leaving our carry ons under the table while we go to the buffet there.

[jalves]

We also like to go to the MDR rather than the on-deck buffet. We like not having to search for a place to sit while dragging our bags and food with us.

[moki'smommy]

One hint--if the CMs try to route you to the pool deck, just politely tell them that you are willing to wait for a table. Amazingly, one always "opens" within a very few minutes.

[delta13]

Which one of the restaurants would offer this on Fantasy?

[Shmoo here]

Which one of the restaurants would offer this on Fantasy?

 

Enchanted Garden has the buffet.

[cb at sea]

The earlier you board, the less crowds you will encounter. Or, eat a late breakfast before boarding, and skip the "feeding frenzy" altogether!

[ZaWeible]

The booklet with the luggage tags that DCL sent me says to come to the port around your assigned boarding time and if you come early, you may be asked to wait until your boarding time. I'm assuming by the posts on here that this is false and that you can board whenever between 11 and 4?

[Shmoo here]

The booklet with the luggage tags that DCL sent me says to come to the port around your assigned boarding time and if you come early, you may be asked to wait until your boarding time. I'm assuming by the posts on here that this is false and that you can board whenever between 11 and 4?

 

First, it's not an assigned boarding time you have, it's a Port Arrival Time.

 

If you arrive earlier than your selected Port Arrival Time (which you selected during your online checkin process), you may be asked to wait until either 1) the terminal is less crowded, or 2) your PAT.

 

Yes, people have been asked to wait to enter, if the terminal is crowded and they are earlier than their PAT.

 

Since the terminal opens at 10:30 and boarding doesn't generally begin until 11:15-11:30, there is a build up of guests waiting inside the terminal. The terminal was built to accommodate the older, smaller ships. When the new ships (with more passengers) arrived, DCL had to figure out a way to spread out the crowd since the terminal couldn't legally accommodate all the guests who want to be there "first".

 

Your PAT is tied to the actual boarding number you receive when you check in at the port. If you arrive early, and are allowed to enter, you will still receive the same boarding number that you would have received had you arrived at your correct PAT. It's possible to see others who arrive after you do (at their correct PAT) board before you do.

 

When boarding starts, Concierge gets to board first (typically #1). Then they start announcing the boarding numbers (#2, #3, etc). Once the boarding number being announced has caught up to the number being issued at check in (generally around 12:30-12:45) Open Boarding is announced, and anyone holding any boarding number may board.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Shmoo here