Boarding times assigned by deck number?

[sloopsailor]

I think the best option for those with the later boarding times is to get to the port and drop your bags off, if there is not much of a line and boarding has started, then proceed, otherwise head off for a leisurely lunch and some sightseeing and return later at you designated time.:D

 

Many times the boarding area is quite a distance from the city center. Taking a taxi to the port, dropping off the luggage, taking another taxi back to the city, having lunch there, and a third taxi back to the port will take much longer than just waiting. Why waste the time and money to go back and forth several times. Just board when you get there. Even if you wait a few minutes longer, it sure won't take as much time as two extra taxi rides. Plus there is the cost for those extra taxi trips, and paying for lunch when you have already paid to have it on board.

 

It's easier to just deal with the crowds for a few minutes longer than spend all that effort you suggest. We have never waited longer than 30 minutes from the time we arrived at the curb to the time we walked onto the ship. And we usually arrive soon after boarding commences. It just isn't that big a problem.

Edited June 25, 2015 by sloopsailor

[MicCanberra]

Many times the boarding area is quite a distance from the city center. Taking a taxi to the port, dropping off the luggage, taking another taxi back to the city, having lunch there, and a third taxi back to the port will take much longer than just waiting. Why waste the time and money to go back and forth several times. Just board when you get there. Even if you wait a few minutes longer, it sure won't take as much time as two extra taxi rides. Plus there is the cost for those extra taxi trips, and paying for lunch when you have already paid to have it on board.

 

It's easier to just deal with the crowds for a few minutes longer than spend all that effort you suggest. We have never waited longer than 30 minutes from the time we arrived at the curb to the time we walked onto the ship. And we usually arrive soon after boarding commences. It just isn't that big a problem.

 

If that is the case, perhaps people should just show up at their appointed time.:D

[MicCanberra]

My thoughts (not rules or guidelines) When about to board a cruise ship, I like to be stress free.

• I know boarding will be busier between 11am and 1pm than between 1-3pm.
  
• I know my cabin will be ready as soon as I board.
  
• I know the buffet will still have food and/or that dinner is only a few hours away.
  
• I know I have not missed anything on board except the madhouse in the buffet.
  

So as I am on vacation, why put my self through a stressful situation just prior to the cruise.

Edited June 26, 2015 by MicCanberra

[Lrtalk]

For what it is worth, booking a room with priority boarding is the bomb dot com. There were very long lines at noon, and we were able to walk around them. From getting out of the cab to being in the boat was about ten minutes. Guessing it may have been a pretty long wait otherwise from looking at lines.

Edited June 27, 2015 by Lrtalk

[Vikstar]

For what it is worth, booking a room with priority boarding is the bomb dot com. There were very long lines at noon, and we were able to walk around them. From getting out of the cab to being in the boat was about ten minutes. Guessing it may have been a pretty long wait otherwise from looking at lines.

 

What sort of cabin did you have in order to get the priority boarding?

[WestLakeGirl]

suites, concierge and aqua rooms get priority

 

Zenith, Elite Plus, Elite, (mayby Select too) get priorty

 

mobility challenged get priorty

 

So, nearly everyone on the ship gets priorty

 

Remember that the boarding times are requests, not mandates

Edited June 27, 2015 by WestLakeGirl

[GordonJasmine]

Plans can sometimes go awry. In April we sailed on the NCL Gem. When we signed in we were given "boarding numbers". Since I was a Platinum member, our number was 3 while I saw others with numbers well up in the 20's. As it turned out, the ship was late getting into port and everyone had to wait over an hour longer than we should have had to to board. When we did finally board our room was still not ready so we took our carryons to the MDR and had a nice, quiet, peaceful lunch. Our next cruise will be on Celebrity, for the first time, in an Aqua cabin. I have no idea what to expect on boarding. Guess we'll find out.

[K.T.B.]

Two things will always happen for those boarding a cruise ship (ANY cruise ship): Some will follow the letter/request of the cruise line and show up at "their time", regardless; some will show up when it is best for them, ignoring the cruise line's request.

 

Either way, you're going to get on the ship. So what does it matter what that guy over there is doing? Do what works best for you. Sometimes you're just unable to comply with their request. And it's not a HARD rule that any cruise line will be extremely strict about, it's more of a request, unlike an airline when it comes to boarding.

 

No matter when or how you get on board your ship, know you're not alone in having to stand in a line to get on. Some lines are shorter than others, but everyone had to. :)

 

Basically, follow the RULES and do your best to comply with the requests if you can. And if you cannot, be mindful of others and that they're (literally) on the same boat as you. ;)

[pinkrosesdeb]

WE have always had a much longer wait when we arrrived later. We are always early now. I don't know if it works that way for others or just luck of the draw for us. But, we won't be waiting til later in the day to board.

[SantaFeFan]

WE have always had a much longer wait when we arrrived later. We are always early now. I don't know if it works that way for others or just luck of the draw for us. But, we won't be waiting til later in the day to board.

 

That has been my experience as well. We try to be in the terminal at the time boarding starts. We have never had to wait in line for more than a few minutes. The one time we arrived about two hours after boarding began, we had the longest lines and the longest waits.

 

In neither case was the boarding process "stressful" as someone else complains about. My sensitivity to stress much be significantly less than for some people.

 

Heck, I am starting a cruise. What the heck is there to be stressed about? So what if it takes a few minutes longer than if I arrived hours later when there are no lines. Waiting those hours takes much more time than the few extra minutes waiting in a line.

 

What would be stressful for me would be to wait until everyone else was on board, then getting stuck in a traffic jam on the way to the ship, with time quickly running out before boarding is cut off.

Edited June 27, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[Mr. Click]

Our own recent experience in Stockholm boarding the Silhouette tells me I wish they had staggered the boarding times. We got no notifications about it and just went to the port when we checked out of the hotel. Boarding was a nightmare. Stood on lines for over an hour and we have never experienced that before.. oh well.

[commodoredave]

It seems to me that in the never-ending search for more revenue, more and more cruise lines are adding perks like priority boarding and disembarkation to certain premium classes of cabins such as suites. Like airlines, some cruise lines are more diligent in enforcing these priority boarding perks than others. But the one-class-we-all-get-to-board-at-the-same-time era seems to be on the way out, at least for all but the most budget-conscious lines. Is it fair? I guess one's opinion may depend on what class of cabin one has paid for!

[Bizmark'sMom]

In Amsterdam, we got to the pier around 2:30 and were on the boat within 45 minutes. That really isn't bad considering finding the porters, figuring out which line we were supposed to be in, and all of the other rigamarole.

 

I grabbed my glass of champagne, signed up for the excursions I wasn't able to through the website, and found my luggage at my stateroom by 3:30 in the afternoon. No fuss, no muss, minimal problems.

[MicCanberra]

That has been my experience as well. We try to be in the terminal at the time boarding starts. We have never had to wait in line for more than a few minutes. The one time we arrived about two hours after boarding began, we had the longest lines and the longest waits.

 

In neither case was the boarding process "stressful" as someone else complains about. My sensitivity to stress much be significantly less than for some people.

 

Heck, I am starting a cruise. What the heck is there to be stressed about? So what if it takes a few minutes longer than if I arrived hours later when there are no lines. Waiting those hours takes much more time than the few extra minutes waiting in a line.

 

What would be stressful for me would be to wait until everyone else was on board, then getting stuck in a traffic jam on the way to the ship, with time quickly running out before boarding is cut off.

 

That is great for you, I am glad you are avoiding stress as well, everyone is different and as such have differing strategies for avoiding stress.:D

[Lrtalk]

What sort of cabin did you have in order to get the priority boarding?

 

 

Sky Suite

[MicCanberra]

Sky Suite

 

Nice.:D

[Redtravel]

On my January 2015 cruise on Eclipse out of Miami, we were elite and disabled. We received an email before the cruise to arrive at noon. We requested a wheel chair and help boarding. Not only did we not get that wheelchair, we had to wait in a small crowded area to go through xray and security. The line stopped when we got to the xray machines. No movement. We had to wait almost an hour with no place to sit down except for the floor. After, the security line restarted, we reached a hall with over 40 stations to check in. It was the worst embarkation ever. I was later informed that Celebrity has no control about anything involved with security procedures. I would not choose to repeat that embarkation. Fortunately, that was a one time experience. My last cruise on Summit in June 2015 was a breeze.

[MicCanberra]

On my January 2015 cruise on Eclipse out of Miami, we were elite and disabled. We received an email before the cruise to arrive at noon. We requested a wheel chair and help boarding. Not only did we not get that wheelchair, we had to wait in a small crowded area to go through xray and security. The line stopped when we got to the xray machines. No movement. We had to wait almost an hour with no place to sit down except for the floor. After, the security line restarted, we reached a hall with over 40 stations to check in. It was the worst embarkation ever. I was later informed that Celebrity has no control about anything involved with security procedures. I would not choose to repeat that embarkation. Fortunately, that was a one time experience. My last cruise on Summit in June 2015 was a breeze.

 

Sorry to hear that embarkation was so bad and stressful for you, glad the Summit cruise's embarkation was much better.:D