FTTF and Mandatory late boarding

[Rottweiler Puppy]

Whats the point of buying FTTF if you are not allowed to board until after 1?

 

If I wait until after 1 to board, my room would have been ready anyway (FTTF perk) and I would not have been able to board right after Platinums and such.

 

Other than the GS line and tendering, why bother if you lose half the benefits?

 

My folks bought it and are wondering why they cannot board until after 1, even though the bought FTTF.

 

I told them to go at 11 like they usually do and don t worry about it. Will they be turned away and made to wait until after 1 like their pass says?

[SadieN]

Which ship and port? Some ships are sending out late arrival notices.

 

My understanding (could be wrong) is that FTTF need to choose a boarding time, if the port has staggered boarding, but you can arrive at anytime.

 

 

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[bury me at sea]

SadieN is correct at least in Galveston. The computer system makes you select a time slot. That selection is overridden at the port by the FTTF symbol on your boarding pass and luggage tags.

[cruizinisthebest]

Whats the point of buying FTTF if you are not allowed to board until after 1?

 

If I wait until after 1 to board, my room would have been ready anyway (FTTF perk) and I would not have been able to board right after Platinums and such.

 

Other than the GS line and tendering, why bother if you lose half the benefits?

 

My folks bought it and are wondering why they cannot board until after 1, even though the bought FTTF.

 

I told them to go at 11 like they usually do and don t worry about it. Will they be turned away and made to wait until after 1 like their pass says?

 

Depends on where this is coming from. Did they get an email about inspections delaying boarding or what? What port is this?

 

Regardless of when boarding begins, fttf still gets priority after weddings, plats, and diamonds. If they have it, they should just keep it.

[Raxter54]

If the port has staggered boarding, they need to pick a time for check-in. Check-in time is different from boarding time. With FTTF you can check-in anytime. FTTF guarantees that when boarding starts, they will board after Platinum /Diamond, and wedding parties.

[StolidCruiser]

More confusion about the difference between check-in time and boarding time. There is a difference.

 

Most boarding passes say boarding begins at 1, but boarding will begin at whatever time the ship is cleared to receive passengers. That could be 11... it could be 1.

 

Priority passengers (whether it be wedding, Platinum or FTTF) will board in that order before the general public regardless of whatever check-in time they may have (for ports that implemented staggered check in) or time they arrived at the port. Information on the Carnival website explains this quite well.

 

Things get dicey the later a ship is cleared for boarding, causing some to consider the FTTF perk of cabin readiness to be diminished the closer boarding gets to 1pm. The fact remains every other perk is still afforded to those holding FTTF even with a later-than-customary boarding.

[Rudyard]

Our last cruise we received an e-mail telling us boarding wouldn't begin until 1230. A couple of people in our roll call even gave up their FTTF because they figured they'd save the $60 since to them it wasn't worth it now. We got to the terminal and boarding started just before 1145. We still got on a bit earlier, had our cabins ready and got to drop our carry ons, and got Zone 1 for debark. Also, every time I walked by GS, the regular line was about 10-12 people long. I like FTTF just as GS line insurance if nothing else.

[bumbleklutz]

I like FTTF just as GS line insurance if nothing else.

 

This. Exactly this. FTTF has saved me a huge wait at GS a couple of times. For that alone it was worth it. :D

[loretta5ue]

More confusion about the difference between check-in time and boarding time. There is a difference.

 

 

 

Most boarding passes say boarding begins at 1, but boarding will begin at whatever time the ship is cleared to receive passengers. That could be 11... it could be 1.

 

 

 

Priority passengers (whether it be wedding, Platinum or FTTF) will board in that order before the general public regardless of whatever check-in time they may have (for ports that implemented staggered check in) or time they arrived at the port. Information on the Carnival website explains this quite well.

 

 

 

Things get dicey the later a ship is cleared for boarding, causing some to consider the FTTF perk of cabin readiness to be diminished the closer boarding gets to 1pm. The fact remains every other perk is still afforded to those holding FTTF even with a later-than-customary boarding.

 

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yes!!!

 

This is so accurate, we had FTTF on my 1st cruise with an inspection/drill going on so it cleared late. We waited and waited but we were let on after the Platinums etc.

 

I see FTTF as a purchase of this:

 

*Room ready 1st, & immediate access

*Dedicated line at guest services

*Debarkation after Platinums when doing self assist

* special tenders

 

On my 2nd cruise with FTTF we had issues returning the car (Miami Marathon) we dropped off our bags ok but couldn't make it back until noonish, where we walked right on the ship, room ready, my bag arrived within the hour.

 

 

 

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[HectorAchilleus]

If the port has staggered boarding, they need to pick a time for check-in. Check-in time is different from boarding time. With FTTF you can check-in anytime. FTTF guarantees that when boarding starts, they will board after Platinum /Diamond, and wedding parties.

 

Actually, this is not what we experienced on our cruise last week on the Sensation. We are Plats and had a 10:00 time, and our friends had FTTF with a 10:30 time. We both got there around 9:45 in a shared ride. They let us in, after checking our time. Our FTTF friends, however, were not allowed in until their 10:30 time came. When they said that they could enter at their leisure, the port official (not a Carnival employee) said that they absolutely could not enter the building until 10:30. They asked him to check, and he smiled and responded that he knew what he was doing and did not need to check, plus he said he was not allowed to leave his post.

 

It was no big deal, as they entered at 10:30 and were able to board with us when they escorted us all on to the ship at 11:30.

[Rod in Az]

Our FTTF friends, however, were not allowed in until their 10:30 time came. When they said that they could enter at their leisure, the port official (not a Carnival employee) said that they absolutely could not enter the building until 10:30. They asked him to check, and he smiled and responded that he knew what he was doing and did not need to check, plus he said he was not allowed to leave his post.

 

 

That's unfortunate, because he was clearly wrong.

 

From Carnival's "Staggered Checkin FAQ page:

 

Guests who are part of our Priority Program (Diamond, Platinum and suites), have purchased transfers with Carnival or 'Faster to the Fun' must still select a window online, but are invited to come at their leisure, up to one (1) hour prior to sailing - please select your anticipated check-in time so that we can prepare for your arrival onboard.

 

It is unfortunate that whoever should have trained him properly didn't, and that there was no way for him to inquire about a procedure that he clearly didn't understand ( although in his mind he knew exactly what he was doing).

[stefs111]

So, our boarding passes say "embarkation 12:30pm to 3:00pm"

We are leaving out of Pt Canaveral on the Magic. Two People in our party will be on scooters and one in a wheelchair. Will we be turned away if we show up at 10:30am?

[RWolver672]

So, our boarding passes say "embarkation 12:30pm to 3:00pm"

We are leaving out of Pt Canaveral on the Magic. Two People in our party will be on scooters and one in a wheelchair. Will we be turned away if we show up at 10:30am?

 

At the present time, Port Canaveral does not have assigned check-in times. So the answer to your question is no, you will not be turned away.

[Sabalon]

I wonder if 10:30 was the earliest time available for check-in period and that is when the port "opened". My checkin time for Miami is 10:30 and I don't recall if there was a 10am one or not.

[Rottweiler Puppy]

Thanks for the replies. I am going to take a look at their documents. They must be interpreting them wrong.

[sturderick]

10:00 is the earliest time so they don't care when you get there, even if it's early. You can get in as early as the doors open if you're the first time slot. The other slots after that have to wait until their time to make sure all of the 10:00 time slots that showed got in first.

[HectorAchilleus]

I wonder if 10:30 was the earliest time available for check-in period and that is when the port "opened". My checkin time for Miami is 10:30 and I don't recall if there was a 10am one or not.

 

We actually had a 10:00 check-in - not a 10:30, and were let in before 10:00. Our friends had a 10:30 check-in and were detained (even though they were FTTF) until 10:30.

 

Again, it was not really an issue because we all boarded at the same time.

[jdemps]

This. Exactly this. FTTF has saved me a huge wait at GS a couple of times. For that alone it was worth it. :D

 

just curious what you visit guest services for? I have been on 5 cruises, so not that many, but have never gone there once.

[Raxter54]

just curious what you visit guest services for? I have been on 5 cruises, so not that many, but have never gone there once.

 

Last cruise, I had $200 in gift cards. The kiosk wasn't reading them, so I had to go to GS to have them manually put them on my S&S account. The priority line had 1 person ahead of me, about 8 people waiting in the non-priority line. Used it a couple more times during the cruise, saved me a lot of time.

[Elaine515]

So, our boarding passes say "embarkation 12:30pm to 3:00pm"

We are leaving out of Pt Canaveral on the Magic. Two People in our party will be on scooters and one in a wheelchair. Will we be turned away if we show up at 10:30am?

 

At the present time, Port Canaveral does not have assigned check-in times. So the answer to your question is no, you will not be turned away.

 

 

BUT keep checking as John has mentioned that Pt Canaveral is the next Port to get staggered boarding (but of course, no date as of yet) ... If staggered boarding has started, then they will not be allowed into the terminal until the time shown on their tickets

 

Just back from Port of Miami and felt really bad for a couple (he in a wheelchair) and they had to wait for their boarding time of 12:30 outside on a bench ... Yes, they arrived early and didn't follow the rules but I still felt bad for them...