Progressive boarding question

[MsSoCalCruiser]

We received the email for progressive boarding for our upcoming Ruby cruise. Our boarding time is a bit late. If you are platinum or elite do you follow the progressive boarding times or is it possible to board earlier? Thank you.

[moki'smommy]

Progressive boarding is more like a polite suggestion--not enforced at all.

[floridalover5623]

We've received a few of those notices over the years & never paid much attention to them.

The line of people at the terminals wasn't much different than other times.

[PrincessLuver]

Progressive boarding is more like a polite suggestion--not enforced at all.

 

Just like the Formal Night dress code.....why aren't more people upset that coming early could ruin the cruise experience of others....funny how some suggestions are sacred cows and others are OK to ignore....:D:rolleyes:;p

[MsSoCalCruiser]

So show up at 11 AM and not at the 2 PM time that is suggested :)

[JF - retired RRT]

I've gone to the port at 10AM since I had a blue card.;p

[PoohUnderstands]

The gist of the answer is that you can go anytime you want to(just don't miss the boat!:D). Some people like to get there early and wait in each line and to get on(it's part of the cruising experience-I have done a couple times I must admit!); some people get there around noon when, hopefully, the lines are non-existent or moving onto the ship and still have time to have lunch in the MDR if they so desire; then there are those that like to get on around 2-2:30 and miss lines all together.

 

So do what you would like to do. Most people come in the day before the cruise and go early as it is tough to just sit around your hotel room when you could be in the bustle of boarding day!!!

 

Pooh

[susancruzs]

I'm usually not one of the early to board types but in Barcelona last Fall it happened that way. My taxi driver came early and I was shocked to be able to board right away.

 

This Feb. late boarding suggestion for Buenos Aires, I will go earlier, not waiting until 4 p.m.! I don't care about lunch, but I do have early dining, don't want to walk in and go straight to dinner! :)

[floridalover5623]

If they really wanted people to stagger their boarding time they would offer compensation for those that arrived late in the day. (maybe a free drink coupon) ;)

[Astro Flyer]

I'm usually not one of the early to board types but in Barcelona last Fall it happened that way. My taxi driver came early and I was shocked to be able to board right away.

 

This Feb. late boarding suggestion for Buenos Aires, I will go earlier, not waiting until 4 p.m.! I don't care about lunch, but I do have early dining, don't want to walk in and go straight to dinner! :)

In October we arrived at the Barcelona cruise ship terminal by 11:00 and lines through security & check-in were quick & efficient. However the shoreside staff did not understand the Princess boarding process and were boarding all passengers based solely on their group number & not on Captain’s Circle level. That resulted in all priority boarding passengers (Elite/Platinum/Suite) boarding at the same time by group number creating problems. Hopefully they’ll be educated about the correct Princess boarding process.

 

In BA we arrived at about 10:30 and were quickly processed & on the bus to the ship. If you’re unaware of it, they keep your passport & give you a receipt which your cabin steward will need to return your passport before the end of your cruise.

 

Whenever we’ve had a progressive check-in notification the wording never said it was required to follow the procedure & that passengers with priority boarding could continue to arrive at anytime.

Edited January 28, 2018 by Astro Flyer

[Cruise-Crazzy]

Elite and Platinum passengers have priority boarding as stated on their ticket.

[Furbette]

Elite and Platinum passengers have priority boarding as stated on their ticket.[/quote

Priority boarding is for the appropriate "line" not the time. Boarding time relates to "all" passengers.

Look on your boarding pass and other documents.

[Furbette]

Just like the Formal Night dress code.....why aren't more people upset that coming early could ruin the cruise experience of others....funny how some suggestions are sacred cows and others are OK to ignore....:D:rolleyes:;p

 

I agree Some only want to follow the rules that they choose and not all of them.:confused::confused::confused:

[lstone19]

Just like the Formal Night dress code.....why aren't more people upset that coming early could ruin the cruise experience of others....funny how some suggestions are sacred cows and others are OK to ignore....:D:rolleyes:;p

 

Maybe because on my last three Princess cruises, I have not been in control of when I arrive at the port. If you're transferring from an airport or other form of public transportation (on our most recent cruise, the ferry from Oslo to Copenhagen which arrives at 9:45am), your choices are wait where you arrived (which may have no good facilities for waiting - the ferry port in Copenhagen doesn't) or just head to the cruise departure port even though you're early per the suggestion. Throw in hotel check-out times and the like and waiting until 3pm to go to the cruise port just isn't much of an option.

[susancruzs]

In October we arrived at the Barcelona cruise ship terminal by 11:00 and lines through security & check-in were quick & efficient. However the shoreside staff did not understand the Princess boarding process and were boarding all passengers based solely on their group number & not on Captain’s Circle level.

 

I lucked out getting there around 12:30, it wasn't busy. I walked through pretty fast, being Elite didn't really matter. Less than a half hour from the time the taxi dropped me off, to being on board. There weren't groups or numbers.

 

I've been on cruises before where I had to turn in my passport, not a problem.

[moki'smommy]

If they really wanted people to stagger their boarding time they would offer compensation for those that arrived late in the day. (maybe a free drink coupon) ;)

Or would enforce the times the way some other lines do--They announce boarding based on the time you were assigned. When they have cleared the crowds in the terminal using the times, they declare "open boarding" and anyone can board regardless of assignment.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

In October we arrived at the Barcelona cruise ship terminal by 11:00 and lines through security & check-in were quick & efficient. However the shoreside staff did not understand the Princess boarding process and were boarding all passengers based solely on their group number & not on Captain’s Circle level. That resulted in all priority boarding passengers (Elite/Platinum/Suite) boarding at the same time by group number creating problems. Hopefully they’ll be educated about the correct Princess boarding process.

 

In BA we arrived at about 10:30 and were quickly processed & on the bus to the ship. If you’re unaware of it, they keep your passport & give you a receipt which your cabin steward will need to return your passport before the end of your cruise.

 

Whenever we’ve had a progressive check-in notification the wording never said it was required to follow the procedure & that passengers with priority boarding could continue to arrive at anytime.

 

 

 

Once when we checked in at Vancouver the Princess employee insisted that I checked in using the platinum line (maybe 5 people in line) and my friend who was not platinum but staying in my cabin checked in using the regular line (at least 100 people in line). She refused to let her in line with me so we ended up in the extremely long line. Boy was I upset because it had already been a very long and extremely tiring day.

 

 

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[Astro Flyer]

 

I lucked out getting there around 12:30, it wasn't busy. I walked through pretty fast, being Elite didn't really matter. Less than a half hour from the time the taxi dropped me off, to being on board. There weren't groups or numbers.

 

I've been on cruises before where I had to turn in my passport, not a problem.

 

That’s about the same time it took for us to board even with the issues created by the port’s misinformed shoreside personnel.

 

There were some “discussions” when some elites were told they had to wait until some of the platinums boarded first. We asked another agent who said to immediately board the ship because we were elite. Oh well, another example of snafus that can occur & we had a great cruise! :D

 

Unless required, we keep our passports in the safe & only carry copies on us when in ports.

[floridalover5623]

Or would enforce the times the way some other lines do--They announce boarding based on the time you were assigned. When they have cleared the crowds in the terminal using the times' date=' they declare "open boarding" and anyone can board regardless of assignment.[/quote']

OK. So if they enforce the boarding time that's printed on the boarding pass and what happens then is people still don't pay attention to what their suggestions are & show up anyway... or can't because of plane schedules?

This only creates a bigger logjam of people milling around waiting to board whereas if they let them board as they arrived the congestion wouldn't nearly be as bad.

 

Who determines which passengers board first? Sounds like it was a random assignment by decks.

 

What about the preferred list of Platinum & Elite?

Sounds like it doesn't apply any longer.

[releck97]

Consistency is not something that Princess is good with.

Our boarding pass for a sold out Crown cruise says:

• Remarks: CHECK IN 12:30PM-3:00PM.
  
• We are probably going to do BVE, so we'll board first thing, but nonetheless, no "zone" boarding.
  

[MsSoCalCruiser]

I've gone to the port at 10AM since I had a blue card.;p

Every cruise is exciting but nothing beats that very first cruise.... I probably showed up at 8 ;p

[MsSoCalCruiser]

I'm usually not one of the early to board types but in Barcelona last Fall it happened that way. My taxi driver came early and I was shocked to be able to board right away.

 

This Feb. late boarding suggestion for Buenos Aires, I will go earlier, not waiting until 4 p.m.! I don't care about lunch, but I do have early dining, don't want to walk in and go straight to dinner! :)

You definitely don't want to walk in right before dinner. One time I made it on board just in time and I was super hot and thirsty but they had closed everything down for the Muster drill. All I wanted was a bottle of water but I was unable to buy one.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

In October we arrived at the Barcelona cruise ship terminal by 11:00 and lines through security & check-in were quick & efficient. However the shoreside staff did not understand the Princess boarding process and were boarding all passengers based solely on their group number & not on Captain’s Circle level. That resulted in all priority boarding passengers (Elite/Platinum/Suite) boarding at the same time by group number creating problems. Hopefully they’ll be educated about the correct Princess boarding process.

 

In BA we arrived at about 10:30 and were quickly processed & on the bus to the ship. If you’re unaware of it, they keep your passport & give you a receipt which your cabin steward will need to return your passport before the end of your cruise.

 

Whenever we’ve had a progressive check-in notification the wording never said it was required to follow the procedure & that passengers with priority boarding could continue to arrive at anytime.

I would not be happy if I had to give someone my passport. Why do you have to do this?

[MsSoCalCruiser]

The gist of the answer is that you can go anytime you want to(just don't miss the boat!:D). Some people like to get there early and wait in each line and to get on(it's part of the cruising experience-I have done a couple times I must admit!); some people get there around noon when, hopefully, the lines are non-existent or moving onto the ship and still have time to have lunch in the MDR if they so desire; then there are those that like to get on around 2-2:30 and miss lines all together.

 

So do what you would like to do. Most people come in the day before the cruise and go early as it is tough to just sit around your hotel room when you could be in the bustle of boarding day!!!

 

Pooh

I like to show up around 11 AM :)

[Astro Flyer]

I would not be happy if I had to give someone my passport. Why do you have to do this?

 

I believe it’s due to government regulations and/or to expedite clearing all passengers without having to get in line for each country. If there was a need to get it in a port, I’d call the port agent’s phone number to coordinate it with the ship.

 

No matter the reason why, it’s not optional to turn in your passport when boarding in Buenos Aires.

Edited January 29, 2018 by Astro Flyer