Assigned check in...you got to be kidding me

[quickrate]

Not going to flame you. I think it's rotten, too. Are your reservations linked together? This is unfortunate but if the reservations weren't linked there's no way for them to know you're all traveling together. I hope you requested to eat together. And I hope this doesn't ruin your cruise experience on Carnival.

Linked reservations have nothing to do with it. Everyone must book a check-in time online, if you don't, you are assigned a check in time.

Pat

[Retired_to_Cruise]

The boarding times listed are the earliest times they will allow you to board not the latest. The simplest solution would simply be for everyone in your group to arrive at the same time with the last boarding time listed on all of your boarding documents. Alternatively any of your group who are not assigned to the earliest boarding group could simply sign up for faster to the fun to their cabin. But if all of you would need to do this for six cabins that would run $300 which in my opinion would be cost prohibitive!

 

These times are NOT "boarding" times. They are "entry into the terminal for check in" times. That does not mean that you will check in and get boarded immediately after that. It means you can get checked in. The start of boarding times are still at the discretion of Carnival based on the completion of debarkation from the previous cruise, clearance from customs, and the readiness of the ship to receive the next set of passengers. On the average, that will be anywhere from 11:00am to 12:00pm depending on the port and the ships.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Retired_to_Cruise

[LaCal]

We are doing a cruise on Carnival out of Galveston this Coming Sunday....6 rooms...we all have different check in times.... so how the #/^÷/%_£^/#= are we supposed to coordinate picking up family members from hotels...flights....others driving in..... We are Elite on Celebrity and Diamond Plus on Royal...earned both....not real impressed with Carnival so far....:mad:

 

I'd suggest you stay with Celebrity or Royal so you don't have these crazy problems of people getting to the ship at diff times 😂😂😂

[JLee1973]

Just out of curiosity what does your status with other lines have to do with Carnival:confused: I'm gold status with Hilton Honors and Platinum with Best Western does that mean I should be treated different with Marriott?

[cruizinisthebest]

Just out of curiosity what does your status with other lines have to do with Carnival:confused: I'm gold status with Hilton Honors and Platinum with Best Western does that mean I should be treated different with Marriott?

I'm guessing the OP said that to highlight how much they have cruised other lines and been happy with the way they did things. But who cares. This is the process for Carnival.

 

I still don't know why they can't all go back and repick their check in times. The system should still be open. Next time they should coordinate better.

 

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[KatieCharlotte]

Yes this has changed! Due to the fact that the crowds we're just unbearable at the Galveston port they had to begin and did announce in advance that they were enforcing boarding times and making everyone choose a boarding time to alleviate this

 

That is one opinion about why they made the change. I did not find the crowds at Galveston unbearable. The system has also been extended to other ports, including New Orleans, where I found the crowds the opposite of unbearable. In NOLA, I have arrived at the terminal at 11:30 a.m. and walked straight through the check-in process and onto the Elation before noon.

[tkportersat]

Me either, I never had trouble with boarding in Galveston. I guess someone must have if they felt the need to change it :rolleyes: Either way, don't get to test out this new process in Galveston since we are going out of New Orleans this time. I know it is staggered there too but I don't have anything to compare it to there as our one cruise before out of NO (NCL) was delayed 10 hours...anything has to be better than that was.

 

That is one opinion about why they made the change. I did not find the crowds at Galveston unbearable. The system has also been extended to other ports, including New Orleans, where I found the crowds the opposite of unbearable. In NOLA, I have arrived at the terminal at 11:30 a.m. and walked straight through the check-in process and onto the Elation before noon.

[kteachcruiser52]

Not going to flame you. I think it's rotten, too. Are your reservations linked together? This is unfortunate but if the reservations weren't linked there's no way for them to know you're all traveling together. I hope you requested to eat together. And I hope this doesn't ruin your cruise experience on Carnival.

 

They no longer let you do priority boarding just because your cabins are linked with someone who has Priority Boarding.Someone in the actual cabin must have Priority status in order for people in that cabin to do Priority boarding. The only exception is if all the occupants in the linked cabin are minors. Too many people were using this strategy, so they stopped it.

[RecoveryDude]

We are Elite on Celebrity and Diamond Plus on Royal...:

 

....Ummmmmmm ..........So if you are Elite on Celebrity and Diamond Plus on Royal, WHAT ARE YOU DOING SAILING CARNIVAL?! :cool:

 

....and if you spent all that time sailing on Carnival instead of RCCL & Celebrity ... you would be PLATINUM on Carnival by now and not have to worry about this! :)

 

...Just my two cents.

 

Cheers!

 

Jeff aka Recovery Dude

[LMaxwell]

They no longer let you do priority boarding just because your cabins are linked with someone who has Priority Boarding.Someone in the actual cabin must have Priority status in order for people in that cabin to do Priority boarding. The only exception is if all the occupants in the linked cabin are minors. Too many people were using this strategy, so they stopped it.

 

We aren't talking about boarding. We are talking about entering terminal / checking in. Boarding is a separate animal.

[sprint180]

I thought you got to pick your check in time. Does carnival do it for you?

[cruizinisthebest]

I thought you got to pick your check in time. Does carnival do it for you?

Only if you don't do it yourself, then Carnival will do it. And I'm pretty sure it's done very last minute. Not days before. So this click picked all these different times on their own.

 

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[jaluvma]

Did you choose your check in time when you did your online check in? if not they choose it for you.

[elainmir]

I am not going to flame the OP, I've hated the thought of this check in time stuff from the beginning for the very reasons OP has going on right now, what if you have multiple family cabins? What if your hotel boots you out at 11 am? What if you arrive early because you drove several hours to your port allowing a few hours extra in case of car trouble? Carnival's check in crap suits them NOT their customers. I may have to conform but I don't have to like it. ;)

[CJHAN]

We are doing a cruise on Carnival out of Galveston this Coming Sunday....6 rooms...we all have different check in times.... so how the #/^÷/%_£^/#= are we supposed to coordinate picking up family members from hotels...flights....others driving in..... We are Elite on Celebrity and Diamond Plus on Royal...earned both....not real impressed with Carnival so far....:mad:

 

I dont want to start this as if im flaming but. You have to pick your own check in times Im not sure how this is carnivals fault. I picked mine over a month ago and the cruise is not till may so I cant imagine you didn't have time to coordinate the check in times with your incoming flights and hotel stops.

[Rudyard]

At least if you all have to board later than you want, Galveston is a good port for killing time. I don't get the people that some say they saw standing around for hours waiting to get into the terminal when right across the street are plenty of shops, coffee houses, restaurants, museums, etc. Killing a couple of hours should be a breeze. Drop the bags at the terminal and go exploring.

[dacsmom]

Since you did not coordinate your boarding times can't you all meet up on the ship? If some are driving in, flying in, and leaving from a hotel why do you have to board together?

[E&B]

Seems like there are so many of these posts today. People who didn't spend time here researching but then managed to find their way here to complain about how terrible Carnival is treating them. Just go back and all pick the same time or all show up together at the latest check in time. Problem solved.

[Drazil65]

How about you all just arrive when your supposed to and meet somewhere on the ship once all board. You are going to be on a ship, its only so big so I am sure you can find each other at an assigned time and place. Everyone get their own rides to port or make their own arrangements, done!

 

Why do people make things so hard, if you did not link your reservations together or do the necessary research before cruising then this is where you are. First world problems...

[cruizinisthebest]

Seems like there are so many of these posts today. People who didn't spend time here researching but then managed to find their way here to complain about how terrible Carnival is treating them. Just go back and all pick the same time or all show up together at the latest check in time. Problem solved.

Said that numerous times already as have others. The OP hasn't come back to utter another word. So whatever.

 

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[isaiahsnana]

I don't get this, you can't complete your on line check in for Galveston without picking a time - how did they all print boarding passes and luggage tags without picking a time?? and at that point, why didn't someone notice that they needed to coordinate that - or the rest of the group really doesn't care that they all troop up there together.

[PC Cruisin]

What do they do to the people that choose an early check in and don't show up an hour after their schedule time?

[cruisinlawn]

We are doing a cruise on Carnival out of Galveston this Coming Sunday....6 rooms...we all have different check in times.... so how the #/^÷/%_£^/#= are we supposed to coordinate picking up family members from hotels...flights....others driving in..... We are Elite on Celebrity and Diamond Plus on Royal...earned both....not real impressed with Carnival so far....:mad:

 

fwiw...we encountered similar issue last year sailing Celebrity out of Fort Lauderdale. No biggie, do as suggested and go after the latest time, issued resolved.

 

DW and I have status with Carnival, Celebrity and Princess, working on Royal. We have learned to go with the flow as many do things slightly different. We look at it as 'hey, we're boarding a ship for the next xx days. Don't fret. Enjoy. :)

[jonbgd]

Now if the OP had started out cruising with Carnival and made Platinum they would just walk on like we do. Past all the steerage waiting for assigned boarding time:eek:

ANd since we have the same status as they do on RCCL and X we board early as well:p

Now off my pompous arrogant box;)

 

If you are really use to one cruiseline arnt familiar with another cruise line there are a lot of differences. They can be frustrating and sometimes disappointing

 

ANd what better place to complain and vent about something than posting on CC:cool:

[clhayes]

The new staggered check-in process works and I love it!!!!!! So do most who have actually experienced it and posted here on CC about it.

 

So OP I hope you get organized and make it through this perceived dredged process and have a wonderful cruise. Who knows, maybe you'll come back to the FUN ships!

 

This could be your line in the future!

You could have gifts waiting for you!

A little comp snack!

Hilton Diamond - just had to put that in there...LOL!

 

Happy Sailing!

Edited February 13, 2016 by clhayes