asv314 Posted June 12, 2017 #1 Share Posted June 12, 2017 Hi all! I am going on my first cruise on the LOS 6/25 sailing - can't wait! I've been lurking on CC for a while and have gotten a wealth of information, so thank you all. :) Some of my family and I will be driving to Galveston from San Antonio the morning of...we have our parking reservations all set. Per our travel agent and reservations, we have priority check in (boarding?). If we were to be at the port terminal by 10:00 am (or earlier), how long on average will it take to get on the ship? There's a bit of a debate going on with me and my siblings, I'd like to hit the road and get to Galveston early...others are sure we will be in line for hours and there's no need to be rushed. Thoughts or advice? Thanks everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spurschick Posted June 12, 2017 #2 Share Posted June 12, 2017 Suites and Pinnacles get priority boarding. Normally on by 11am then it goes by status, D+, D etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyriecat Posted June 12, 2017 #3 Share Posted June 12, 2017 If you get to the terminal before 10:30, you will have to wait outside. That's what they were telling the folks arriving early as I was leaving this morning. We stopped by the pier last Sunday around 10:30 to check our bags then parked and rode the shuttle bus with our carry-ons back to the terminal. We arrived around 11 to board and were in Windjammer having lunch by 11:30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dplusd Posted June 12, 2017 #4 Share Posted June 12, 2017 They will typically begin boarding at 11:00am. Suites and higher C&A levels will board first and 10 minutes later general boarding begins. I'd arrive at the port between 10:00 and 10:30 so you are through security and check-in when they begin boarding. Lines should not be too long at this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
internetwhiz Posted June 12, 2017 #5 Share Posted June 12, 2017 We always get there around 10:15 at the terminal. We get to Parking about 10. If you have Roatan in your sailing's route, chances are good the folks disembarking are getting off the ship quickly, and you should get onboard faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorben-Hendrik Posted June 12, 2017 #6 Share Posted June 12, 2017 . If you have Roatan in your sailing's route, chances are good the folks disembarking are getting off the ship quickly, and you should get onboard faster. Why does Roatan matter?:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyriecat Posted June 12, 2017 #7 Share Posted June 12, 2017 We get to Parking about 10. If you have Roatan in your sailing's route, chances are good the folks disembarking are getting off the ship quickly, and you should get onboard faster. What causes the hold up for the Roatan route? Last time we did the route with Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan and it took forever to get off the ship! They were running about 45 minutes behind for disembarkation. It took over an hour to get through customs. It was after noon before we made it to our car. This time we did the alternate Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica route (no Roatan). We were expecting similar delays and long customs lines, but we were off, had our bags, and were through customs almost an hour before the time listed in the schedule. We even had a higher tag number (29) than last time (23). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyweir Posted June 12, 2017 #8 Share Posted June 12, 2017 You cant get to your cabin til 1pm. No rush to board! We stopped at a local grocery store and bought our 2 bottles of wine. We boarded at about 1:15 and went straight to our cabin. Windjammer buffet is always crowded on boarding day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hapster85 Posted June 12, 2017 #9 Share Posted June 12, 2017 You cant get to your cabin til 1pm. No rush to board! We stopped at a local grocery store and bought our 2 bottles of wine. We boarded at about 1:15 and went straight to our cabin. Windjammer buffet is always crowded on boarding day. The Windjammer isn't crowded if you board early. We were finished with our lunch and leaving by the time it became crowded. Had the same experience on the Anthem. Some don't like dealing with carry-ons any longer than absolutely necessary, others don't mind so much. YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBFURR Posted June 12, 2017 #10 Share Posted June 12, 2017 We will have our first experience on Liberty in a couple of months, but we have traditionally been early arrivers. We get to board with the Diamonds now, but even before that we got there early (10 - 10:30) and rarely had a long wait. It is true that your cabin will not be ready until 1 PM or after, but there is plenty to do before then. Check most of your bags with the porters and travel light so that you are not lugging around a bunch of stuff (learned the hard way) and you can use the time to explore. The buffet and bars will be open. You can scope out the dining room, etc. Have fun and prepare to be hooked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Petroplex Posted June 12, 2017 #11 Share Posted June 12, 2017 I am on the same cruise! We sailed out of Galveston in 2015 on the Navigator before the new terminal was built, and based on that experience intend to do pretty much what everyone here is recommending: Get to Galveston Park N' Cruise at around 10 and then walk over to the terminal 10 or 15 minutes later. We are in a suite, and I hope boarding is as quick and efficient as last time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asv314 Posted June 12, 2017 Author #12 Share Posted June 12, 2017 Thanks so much everyone! This has been super helpful :) I don't mind getting on board and having to wait to access our rooms. I'll be anxious to get a drink, explore and start my vacay :) Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdthird Posted June 23, 2017 #13 Share Posted June 23, 2017 FYI...because of Texas liquor laws, there are limited selections of drinks that can be made before sailing. Not an issue unless you only will drink one kind of Scotch or Vidka, etc. Have a Texas Tea and be happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mellowjourney Posted June 23, 2017 #14 Share Posted June 23, 2017 My first ever cruise was on LOS in February 2017. We got to the cruise terminal at 10:45 and were on the ship at 11:15 AM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare dna1990 Posted June 23, 2017 #15 Share Posted June 23, 2017 Set the tone early. While this is a great family vaca, dont get trapped waiting for siblings to agree on anything. Do your own thing and meet for dinner or some similar expectation. Otherwise you have seven days of waiting around to look forward to. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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