Dream Embarkation: A Mess?

[ScottyZkaaayk]

We are sailing on the Dream our of NOLA on October 14th. I have read several reviews that says the embarkation process in NOLA is an absolute disaster and very chaotic.

 

Is this true? What are your experiences?

 

I’ve read that you have to stand in a very long line and wait as it makes its way into the terminal and they don’t even look at your paperwork until you are actually inside. We have FTTF and just want to make sure we will actually be able to use it.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Tiger0613]

I have sailed out of New Orleans three times(2/9/17 Triumph, 1/21/18 Triumph, 1/28/18 Dream), and I have never found it to be chaotic. I had FTTF each time.

 

FTTF has a separate entrance. They won't let you in until they check boarding passes against a list of those that purchased FTTF. There are two to three aisles for FTTF. The third aisle might be taken by a wedding party. The FTTF seats are fairly close together. You enter the FTTF aisle from the central aisle. You board from the opposite end from where you entered. The first person into a FTTF aisle, is the first person from that aisle to board.

 

I have two complaints about the seating area staff. One, they reserved one of the FTTF aisles for Diamond/Platinum lounge overflow on 1/28/18. I was FTTF, so I had a prime view of that aisle. No one ever sat there before boarding started, and I highly doubt anyone sat there after I boarded. There was no reason for anyone with priority to sit down at that point.

 

Two, it is really annoying having my ID checked three times after getting past the check-in windows. I know where I am supposed to sit, and they already know that I am allowed to sit there after the first time I show them the FTTF sticker on my card. My card gets checked multiple times again if I get out of my seat to get some water. Multiple card checks each time I move slows and bottlenecks traffic.

[Raxter54]

We also had FTTF for our cruise on the Dream. Went very smoothly....

 

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[E@syPe@zy]

Never had a problem at the New Orleans Port. Normal waiting time and the lines moved just as any other port. It's my favorite port to take a cruise out of. Sometimes we have had FTTF and sometimes we haven't. FTTF worked just fine there. We even cruised out of N.O. on Super Bowl Sunday and had zero issues.

Don't worry about it and have a great cruise out of a fantastic city.

[jasong38501]

Absolutely zero complaints from my embarkation last fall on the Dream. We had no lines at all. Once we were seated with our zone we waited maybe 20 minutes max before we were up and boarding.

[JerseyGirlJen]

I embarked from NOLA last month and had no issues. I was on board 30 minutes after arriving at 11:30. There was plenty of seating and all seats were empty.

 

 

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[WLHyatt]

We found that being there early is kinda chaotic, but we started to leave the hotel at about 11 or 11:30 and everything just flowed.

[bellebaby]

I embarked from NOLA last month and had no issues. I was on board 30 minutes after arriving at 11:30. There was plenty of seating and all seats were empty.

 

 

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Was the new check-in procedure in place on your Dream sailing last month? ID cards distributed in your mailbox or at check-in?

 

Thanks.

 

B

[Robert & Debra]

Was the new check-in procedure in place on your Dream sailing last month? ID cards distributed in your mailbox or at check-in?

 

Thanks.

 

B

We just got off dream and you get your cards at check in not in the mailbox. I would just like to add that embarkation was easy and our cruise was wonderful.

[Elaine5715]

NOLA was the most organized of any port for people in the terminal at the proper time.

[bellebaby]

We just got off dream and you get your cards at check in not in the mailbox. I would just like to add that embarkation was easy and our cruise was wonderful.

 

Thanks for the quick response.

 

We had the new procedure on the Breeze out of Galveston in January.

 

We liked it very much.

 

Who knows which one will be in place when we sail on the Dream in December.

 

Good to hear that embarkation was easy and that you enjoyed your sailing.

 

Welcome home!

 

B