Email from Celebrity re: boarding time for March 1 Silhouette cruise

[MouseGirl]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm writing to seek your help if possible. My parents are booked on a cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette this Sunday, March 1. This will be there second time on the Silhouette, but unlike their last cruise (when they arrived when they wanted to at the port, around 11:30 a.m.) they received an email today from Celebrity that read as follows:

 

"Hello, this is Celebrity Cruises. We would like to provide you with important information regarding your sailing on March 1, 2015, onboard Celebrity Silhouette. To enhance your check-in and boarding experience, we ask that you arrive to the terminal based on your assigned decks. 12:00 to 12:30 PM = Deck 10; 12:30 to 1:00 PM = Deck 9; 1:00 to 1:30 PM = Deck 12 & Deck 6; 1:30 to 2:00 PM = Deck 8; 2:00 to 2:30 PM = Deck 7; 2:30 to 3:00 PM = Deck 11 & Deck 3. We invite our Suites and Zenith guests to arrive anytime between 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation, and look forward to welcoming you onboard the Celebrity Silhouette."

 

Is this something new, and are they actually required to respect the designated times for the deck on which their cabin is located, or can they still arrive anytime from 12:00 p.m. on and board when they wish?

 

Thanks so much in advance for your help on this,

MouseGirl

[england1]

We were on the 1/25 cruise and took a shuttle from our hotel arriving about 11:15 although we were supposed to get there at 12:30 per the email. No problem at all. We were in the Oceanview Cafe by 11:30. The terminal was not really that crowded. No one asked us what deck we were on or what time we were scheduled to be there.

[obnurse]

We received the same notification today for our March 6th cruise on Equinox. I truly think Celebrity is just trying to make boarding and having lunch a little simpler and less chaotic. If we all rush to the port at 11 ish, it's crowded and boarding takes time. Then when you do board the ship the buffet is crazy and no seats are available. Before I get flamed, I DO understand this is the first day of our cruise and I'm just as excited to board as everyone else. But, if we're a little more civilized it may be less of a production for everyone. Last year we boarded very quickly, which was nice. But, the buffet and Bistro on 5 weren't even open yet, so people wandered around dragging their carry on luggage until food became available and then there was a feeding frenzy. JMHO

[Phxazzcruisers]

There are many, many many threads on this. Celebrity is just trying to spread out the embarkation times to make it less crowded and more comfortable for the new passengers. The times are only suggestions, they will not prevent anyone from boarding earlier than their assigned times. Enjoy your cruise

[spacebooks]

Maybe celebrity should stop sending this email since all it does is annoy the loyal cruisers. I myself just spent time looking if this was true. Time I could have spent booking shore excursions, dining etc. Instead I'm doing this!!!

[NLH Arizona]

I saw one review and the folks were told to be there at 1:00. The showed up at one, only to find a lot of folks who were suppose to be there later and, unfortunately it took and hour and a half to check in. They were not to happy and said they wished people would have abided by the request, so it wouldn't have taken so long for them to check in.

[Bruin Steve]

Princess does the same thing as well...

I generally disregard these notices on any cruise line...But hope that most of the other passengers take it seriously...All the better for me...

Edited February 25, 2015 by Bruin Steve

[lysolqn]

Received the same email prior to our December cruise on Reflection. Despite our designated 1pm time slot, we arrived at the terminal at our usual 11 - 11:30am and had no problem boarding.

Edited February 25, 2015 by lysolqn

[cruzeluver]

Maybe celebrity should stop sending this email since all it does is annoy the loyal cruisers. I myself just spent time looking if this was true. Time I could have spent booking shore excursions, dining etc. Instead I'm doing this!!!

 

I suspect the thinking behind it is that the new cruisers and those who may not know otherwise will follow the information in the email, thus staggering the number of passengers arriving at any given time.

[DYKWIA]

Something that did occur to me is that anyone boarding later may be at a disadvantage purchasing special first night promos - such as specialty restaurants, where there are only so many seats that may sell out

[helen haywood]

I fully understand the cruiselines wanting to stagger the boarding to prevent crowding and long lines, but I wish that was told to you when you made your booking. It would help to know ahead of time instead of a few days prior to the cruise. And your on-line check in sheet does NOT have the times by deck printed on it.

 

I got so many texts, emails and calls that I almost deleted yet one more text the night before the cruise...however that one was helpful information regarding a traffic issue and giving me advice about how to get to the pier...

[thon]

We are on the March 7 Reflection Cruise and I expect we will get a similar e-mail from Celebrity in the near future. However, we are one of the hundreds of passengers from Canada that are on one of Celebrity's "all-inclusive" packages which includes a charter flight. Our flight from Ottawa is scheduled to arrive in Miami at 11 a.m. Now, assuming everything is on time and it does not take an inordinate amount of time to get from our plane to the Celebrity-provided transportation (we pre-clear US Customs in Ottawa) we will get to the pier possibly hours before whenever deck #8 will be scheduled to board. So we will hopefully be able to board then. I have no desire to spend endless time lounging around the dock area! From what I've read on other threads on this subject it appears that so far nothing has stopped people from boarding whenever they arrive, or at least getting in line to board.

Edited February 25, 2015 by thon

[az_tchr]

Maybe celebrity should stop sending this email since all it does is annoy the loyal cruisers. I myself just spent time looking if this was true. Time I could have spent booking shore excursions, dining etc. Instead I'm doing this!!!

 

Disagree. If you had simply called Celebrity they would have told you that the suggestion is simply to try to reduce waiting to get aboard. You could have also looked a bit on Cruise Critic as there are about 50 threads about the same thing.

 

If everyone gets there at say 11:30 and there is a delay of any sort in getting passengers off the prior cruise or US Public Health or US Coast Guard inspections done, then everyone would need to wait in line up to 3 hours to board. Which is worse? Again, as everyone else has stated and Celebrity too - it is a suggestion, not a command.

 

To some that have complained, did you read the email? It says " To enhance your check-in and boarding experience, we ask" you arrive according to . . . . . They are simply trying to make boarding easier and faster. It clearly is not a fixed schedule or a demand.

Edited February 25, 2015 by az_tchr
spelling

[MouseGirl]

Thanks so much for your responses - based on the information you have provided I think my parents will plan to be at the terminal between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

 

I greatly appreciate your help on this!

MouseGirl