early boarding?

[jankaren]

W're booked on the Galaxy Panama Canal cruise Jan. 9 from Galveston. Spending a few days with friends there beforehand. How early can we board on sailing date? e-docs say 2 pm boarding for 6 pm departure time. Is it possible to board earlier than that, and what are the advantages/disadvantages?

[C 2 C]

We generally are on board before noon. We like to get rid of our carry-ons and tour the ship prior to the crowds.... and to get to our first meal on board which generally starts at 12:30.

[canderson]

W're booked on the Galaxy Panama Canal cruise Jan. 9 from Galveston. Spending a few days with friends there beforehand. How early can we board on sailing date? e-docs say 2 pm boarding for 6 pm departure time. Is it possible to board earlier than that, and what are the advantages/disadvantages?

Just took that cruise, and am STILL trying to recall whether they opened up the registration desks at 11:00 or 11:30. We were certainly on board prior to noon.

 

Technically, your cabin isn't available to you until around 1:30pm or so, but I've found that if you can get to it without interference, the cabin stewards don't have any problem with you dumping off your carry on in the closet. You're then free to roam the public spaces and have lunch without toting your bag with you. No other downsides that I can think of. Upside is that, especially if you're new to the Galaxy, you'll have time to wander about and acquaint yourself with the layout.

[tomatopa]

what do you do with your passport, money, and other things in your carryons? is the safe also available? thank you.

[canderson]

what do you do with your passport, money, and other things in your carryons? is the safe also available? thank you.

Yes, it is, but I usually hang onto my briefcase. The $, passports, cameras and wife's better jewelry stays there from the time we leave home until we're settled in our cabin.

[cechase]

Until our last cruise on Galaxy in October, we always boarded by noon, and were able to drop our carry-ons in our Royal Suite, and lock our valuables in our safe. On Galaxy, we were actually met by two crew members who refused to let us go to our suite, and instead rode up in the elevators with us to deck 11, where the buffet is located. It was a complete mess, no tables available, and pax sitting at the tables reading books.

 

This is the first time we ever ran into something like this.

 

So much different from our very first Celebrity cruise on Mercury, where a very nice lady in uniform, escorted us at Noon to our Royal Suite.

[TEXASMUNK]

We too are Galveston early arrivals.

Lat April we got to the pier at 11am and were on board at 11;45am.

Cabins were not available, but we popped in put the combination in the safe, locked up a few things, ran across our cabin steward let him know we were dropping some stuff and were off and running.

No problems, buffet and bars were open.

 

Will do the same in 109 days on the Galaxy again