First time with staggered check in - check in time vs boarding time?

[Ashiepooh]

We are sailing out of Port Canaveral and have staggered check in. We are platinum and have to pick a check in time. What's the difference between check in time and boarding time? I don't want to pick an 11:00-11:30 check in if I can pick a 2:30 check in and still get on whenever we arrive thus leaving an earlier check in slot for those without early boarding options. Can someone tell me the difference?

[jayscore]

If you are Platinum, you have the perk of checking in whenever you want, earlier or later. Remember, check-in time doesn't mean boarding time.

Edited February 10, 2017 by jayscore
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[watermelonqueen99]

Since you are Platinum and have priority check-in/ boarding and can arrive whenever you want, I would definitely pick a late check-in time so someone else can have the earlier time.

[flyingtocruise]

Carnival has delayed staggered boarding out of Port. They have no idea when it will start so says my PVP.

[maryred]

We are sailing out of Port Canaveral and have staggered check in. We are platinum and have to pick a check in time. What's the difference between check in time and boarding time? I don't want to pick an 11:00-11:30 check in if I can pick a 2:30 check in and still get on whenever we arrive thus leaving an earlier check in slot for those without early boarding options. Can someone tell me the difference?

 

Check-in time is the time you enter the cruise terminal to be processed in prior to boarding, generally this is controlled by the port authority. Some ports will open to priority passengers well before the debarkation of the previous passengers is complete.

Boarding time is after Customs has cleared the ship and any other government agencies have done their inspections. This usually occurs 3-5 hours after the ship has started disembarking the previous cruise (dependent on ship's size and the number of CBP clerks are processing). For many cruises that returned to their home port by 8 am, special event boarding will begin at 10:15/30 am with priority boarding starting soon after usually by 11 am. General boarding will occur after the priority lounge is empty, in some cases this is quick starting by 11:30 am and on other cruises it may not happen till after noon. If an empty ship inspection must take place like one by the FDA concerning the kitchen and food storage even special event and priority boarding may be delayed till the afternoon.

 

The idea behind staggered check-in times is to reduce traffic congestion coming into the port area. So even with priority check-in and boarding do pick a time that is closest to the time you actually plan to arrive. Having priority check-in does allow you to bypass whatever time you pick, but if you think about if even 50% of the priority cabins decide to be "nice" picking the last available time to leave early openings for those with general boarding then show up at the same time as the early check-in the cruise terminal is right back to the same traffic dilemma.

[Essiesmom]

There are two ways of looking at it. On a roll call it was pointed out to me, after saying I chose a later time to free up an earlier time, because I am platinum....That if there were a whole lot of Diamonds, Platinum, and FTTF and we all whose a later time but showed up early, there would be a whole lot of people who got to choose the early time and still be a traffic jam. So I would say that you should choose a time near when you really intend to arrive. EM

[jayscore]

Since you are Platinum and have priority check-in/ boarding and can arrive whenever you want, I would definitely pick a late check-in time so someone else can have the earlier time.

 

I never gave that a thought before!

Grand idea!

[PlanoDebbie]

Our upcoming Spring Break cruise will be our first experience with the staggered check-in time. We chose 10:30 because that's the time we normally like to show up. I have two new knees, but I still don't want to stand in a line for an hour. I bring plenty of sewing things to keep me busy while we sit in the terminal. We're usually on the ship having lunch between noon and 12:30. We're hoping for that to still be the case for us.

[easyboy]

Maybe those with priority check-in/boarding, including those who purchased FTTF for this purpose, should not be required anymore to do the online check-in since it will most likely not be followed anyway.

[moondog73]

.

 

The idea behind staggered check-in times is to reduce traffic congestion coming into the port area. So even with priority check-in and boarding do pick a time that is closest to the time you actually plan to arrive. Having priority check-in does allow you to bypass whatever time you pick, but if you think about if even 50% of the priority cabins decide to be "nice" picking the last available time to leave early openings for those with general boarding then show up at the same time as the early check-in the cruise terminal is right back to the same traffic dilemma.

 

There are 9 of us in 3 rooms on the Sunshine in March 2017 with FTTF. We all chose the earliest check-in time for this reason. We figure that is 3 less groups of people we have to deal with to get to the port, check in, and board the ship. Everyone has the same opportunity to grab check in times so we don't feel bad about taking an early one.

[pusywillow]

I never gave that a thought before!

Grand idea!

 

Respectfully, this is not a grand idea. It defeats the purpose of staggered check in. Carnival is trying to spread out the passengers over the available check in times. When it is done properly it is wonderful.

 

Please pick the time you think you will arrive. Thanks for not causing a logjam at the port.

[summersigh]

We just booked the Magic out of Port Canaveral in December. I did online check-in so I could pick the staggered check-in time BUT .... afterwards I couldn't find anywhere on my booking to choose check-in time.

 

What am I missing here? Do the choices come out later? I'm just "Gold" in a balcony so no preferential treatment at the terminal :)

[maryred]

We just booked the Magic out of Port Canaveral in December. I did online check-in so I could pick the staggered check-in time BUT .... afterwards I couldn't find anywhere on my booking to choose check-in time.

 

What am I missing here? Do the choices come out later? I'm just "Gold" in a balcony so no preferential treatment at the terminal :)

Did you finish filling out the Sail-n-Sign account info, passport/proof of nationality info, and travel arrangements completely for all on the booking?

If any of that is missing the choice of check-in times selection does not appear.

In the case of certain ports in a sense of fairness they hold off allowing the choice to be available until about the final payment date, so that all passengers booked by then have an equal chance of getting a check-in time matching their travel arrangements.

Also it's not unusual for the Carnival site to glitch. SO, all in all, it's best to CHECK YOUR MANAGE MY CRUISE page frequently.

 

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[springs741]

Did you finish filling out the Sail-n-Sign account info, passport/proof of nationality info, and travel arrangements completely for all on the booking?

If any of that is missing the choice of check-in times selection does not appear.

In the case of certain ports in a sense of fairness they hold off allowing the choice to be available until about the final payment date, so that all passengers booked by then have an equal chance of getting a check-in time matching their travel arrangements.

Also it's not unusual for the Carnival site to glitch. SO, all in all, it's best to CHECK YOUR MANAGE MY CRUISE page frequently.

 

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This has not been my experience. I have a September out of Long Beach booked. All I have done is made the deposit. I have ZERO on line check in information completed. Nothing, no passport, no credit card for the sail and sign, nothing. BUT I was able to choose my check in time when it became available.

 

You do not have to have final payment made as I have sailed three time out of Galveston since staggered check in began. I do know that some ports don't open the choice at the same time as they open the sailing for booking and there are still a few ports that are in roll out.

[summersigh]

Did you finish filling out the Sail-n-Sign account info, passport/proof of nationality info, and travel arrangements completely for all on the booking?

 

Also it's not unusual for the Carnival site to glitch. SO, all in all, it's best to CHECK YOUR MANAGE MY CRUISE page frequently.

I filled out everything so I'd be sure to get to pick ... but nothing yet for staggered check-in. I'll keep looking.

 

Thank you and Springs 741 for responding.:)

[firemanbobswife]

You don't need to have anything filled out in your online check in for it to pop up. As soon as you pay your deposit and have your booking number you can select a time. The instant everyone booked (and we have 4 cabins that I personally did with my PVP), the first thing I did was select a check in time. No Passport info, no cc info, nothing. That didn't come until much later.

 

It may be that the times haven't been released for your sailing yet. Just keep checking.

[3kids1dog]

Maybe it depends when your sailing is? There was not a place to pick a check in time when I originally booked, or checked back a few months ago, but when I saw this post, I went back and checked, and sure, enough, there was a place to pick our check in time. We sail on April 29th, maybe there is a sailing they are started them on?

[summersigh]

Maybe it depends when your sailing is? There was not a place to pick a check in time when I originally booked, or checked back a few months ago, but when I saw this post, I went back and checked, and sure, enough, there was a place to pick our check in time. We sail on April 29th, maybe there is a sailing they are started them on?

We sail in December from Pt Canaveral on the Magic.

 

Was the place to choose prominent on the Manage My Cruise page?

[3kids1dog]

If you click on online check in, it would be right under th guests names on the left hand side.

 

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