Been a few years...have an embarkation question.

[hillbillycruisers]

So...we haven't cruised in over 3 years. We took advantage of the FTTF our last couple cruises, and thought it was worth the cost. That was at the old $50 price, and now I see its $90. I was debating using FTTF again, and I've noticed several peeps mentioning that Carnival has improved the boarding process. My question is exactly how has this process improved? Also, if not platinum or FTTF, can you choose an early boarding time, or does Carnival just dictate when you must board? I really dont want to wait until after noon to board if possible. This cruise will count as 37 nights with carnival, so I guess platinum is still a ways in my future. We are sailing our of Galveston, if that makes a difference. Thanks for any responses. 

[Cruiser_1977]

If you don't want to wait until after noon, or just get stuck in a queue, you should purchase FTTF. I haven't sailed out of Galveston and maybe they are more efficient. I boarded in Mobile a few weeks ago. I have Priority and sailed through while others were standing in long lines.

[five.]

Nowadays you choose a check-in time. I don't know the case in Gavelston, but in Miami they adhere to that time. If you're within your check-in window, it is awesome. We basically never stopped walking during check-in until we got to the picture they take when you get on-board. The line for people not within their window was crazy, no idea how long it would take, but it was snaked around a dozen times or more. It looked like it would take forever. I will say there were times once on-board at guest services, it would have been nice to have FTTF. But not at that price, at least IMHO. As far as disembark, we didn't wait on them to start calling decks and went down at 7:30AM and CD Mike let us off no questions asked.

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, five. said:

As far as disembark, we didn't wait on them to start calling decks and went down at 7:30AM and CD Mike let us off no questions asked.

 

Don’t mean to pick on you, but I read/hear frequently about how bad Carnival’s debarkation process can be at times. The problem isn’t the process, the problem is too often passengers decide to leave whenever they want to and don’t follow the debarkation process Carnival has in place.  Of course I blame Carnival too for allowing passengers to do what they want on debarkation day. Just another example of Carnival having rules in place that they rarely enforce. 

[LCTXcruiser]

I agree with Five.  Galveston has really gotten stuff together when it comes to embarkation.  If you do wait it won't be long.  The only reason we ever got FTTF is if we were going to a place that has tender boats (boats that take you from the ship to the island).  That is nice not to have to wait in line for.  The biggest reason I hear people take the FTTF is because they want to drop their stuff off in their room.  So, look at it like this.... If I was to offer you $90 to carry your luggage for 1 hr or so, would you do it?  If so, save your money and use it on an excursion! :).

[teknoge3k]

One thing to also keep in mind, FTTF has more perks than just priority embarkation. 

[five.]

53 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

The problem isn’t the process, the problem is too often passengers decide to leave whenever they want to and don’t follow the debarkation process Carnival has in place.

 

It was actually a tip on here. If you go down before they ever start announcements and they are docked, they will let you off. And carrying our own luggage, it only helps them in this case. The more passengers that do this, the more it helps. At least it was the theory of that poster.

[bbtbear]

Online check in for Carnival cruises begins 90 days prior to sailing. If you stay up until midnight Eastern time the night before and go through the online check in process for your cruise, you have an excellent chance of getting the earliest available check in time.

[beachbum53]

5 hours ago, hillbillycruisers said:

So...we haven't cruised in over 3 years. We took advantage of the FTTF our last couple cruises, and thought it was worth the cost. That was at the old $50 price, and now I see its $90. I was debating using FTTF again, and I've noticed several peeps mentioning that Carnival has improved the boarding process. My question is exactly how has this process improved? Also, if not platinum or FTTF, can you choose an early boarding time, or does Carnival just dictate when you must board? I really dont want to wait until after noon to board if possible. This cruise will count as 37 nights with carnival, so I guess platinum is still a ways in my future. We are sailing our of Galveston, if that makes a difference. Thanks for any responses. 

You can choose your check-in time at the terminal. You cannot choose your boarding time. People are still confusing the two. For example, you can choose a check-in time of 11;00 a.m.to enter the terminal. Once you've checked in, unless you have Priority boarding, you will be given a zone number. If boarding begins at 11;30, you cannot board the ship until your zone number is called. By having a check-in time, it helps to reduce the crowding inside the terminal. You won't be allowed to enter the cruise terminal before your check-in time. The exception would be if you've chosen a check-in time of 11:00 (for example), and everyone ahead of you has checked and it's 10:45, the staff may decide to start checking in the next group a little early. But you still wouldn't be able to board before your zone number is called.

[five.]

2 hours ago, beachbum53 said:

You can choose your check-in time at the terminal. You cannot choose your boarding time. People are still confusing the two. For example, you can choose a check-in time of 11;00 a.m.to enter the terminal.

Interesting. I don't guess I am really understanding the difference. So we got to Miami and everyone was ushered inside. There was one general line and one line for priority (FTTF, platinum, diamond, etc). We were then in a line for check-in and little standing tables. Everyone in the general line were together through this point. Then at that point we were sent to a funnel point. It was at that point that they looked at the check-in window. The ones within their time window were directed to the left which was a direct shot to the welcome on-board pictures and the ship. The ones not in their time window were shown to the right, which was chaos, with a line that snaked around a dozen times or more as big as the terminal. To me that sounds more like a boarding time than a check-in time. I mean I could be remembering or misunderstanding what was happening when they were directing us. But that was what I thought was happening at least.

Edited January 17, 2019 by five.

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, five. said:

Interesting. I don't guess I am really understanding the difference. So we got to Miami and everyone was ushered inside. There was one general line and one line for priority (FTTF, platinum, diamond, etc). We were then in a line for check-in and little standing tables. Everyone in the general line were together through this point. Then at that point we were sent to a funnel point. It was at that point that they looked at the check-in window. The ones within their time window were directed to the left which was a direct shot to the welcome on-board pictures and the ship. The ones not in their time window were shown to the right, which was chaos, with a line that snaked around a dozen times or more as big as the terminal. To me that sounds more like a boarding time than a check-in time. I mean I could be remembering or misunderstanding what was happening when they were directing us. But that was what I thought was happening at least.

They check boarding documents outside the terminal.  Priority or within your check in time can enter the terminal.  

[Elaine5715]

6 hours ago, five. said:

 

It was actually a tip on here. If you go down before they ever start announcements and they are docked, they will let you off. And carrying our own luggage, it only helps them in this case. The more passengers that do this, the more it helps. At least it was the theory of that poster.

It does not help.  If the debark is being run properly, no one except self assist priority should be even in the lobby area.  They are supposed to take priority self assist off the ship first and then self assist by decks so a mass of impatient peoples aren't clogging the elevators and stairs.

[PhillyFan33579]

6 hours ago, five. said:

 

It was actually a tip on here. If you go down before they ever start announcements and they are docked, they will let you off. And carrying our own luggage, it only helps them in this case. The more passengers that do this, the more it helps. At least it was the theory of that poster.

 

It does not help. It does just the opposite, it leads to longer delays leaving the ship because people who shouldn’t be leaving the ship at that time are increasing the number of passengers trying to debark during that timeframe. It might have worked for you and others, but that is because Carnival is terrible at enforcing their own rules. 

[beachbum53]

1 hour ago, five. said:

Interesting. I don't guess I am really understanding the difference. So we got to Miami and everyone was ushered inside. There was one general line and one line for priority (FTTF, platinum, diamond, etc). We were then in a line for check-in and little standing tables. Everyone in the general line were together through this point. Then at that point we were sent to a funnel point. It was at that point that they looked at the check-in window. The ones within their time window were directed to the left which was a direct shot to the welcome on-board pictures and the ship. The ones not in their time window were shown to the right, which was chaos, with a line that snaked around a dozen times or more as big as the terminal. To me that sounds more like a boarding time than a check-in time. I mean I could be remembering or misunderstanding what was happening when they were directing us. But that was what I thought was happening at least.

I don't remember when the new check-in procedure had been put in place in Miami, but, based on what you've described, it doesn't sound like it had started yet the last time you were there. I believe you'll discover that the check-in and boarding procedures will be much better than the last time you cruised.

[jennifur25]

6 hours ago, bbtbear said:

Online check in for Carnival cruises begins 90 days prior to sailing. If you stay up until midnight Eastern time the night before and go through the online check in process for your cruise, you have an excellent chance of getting the earliest available check in time.

I was just considering posting about this very thing. I did exactly what you said and the earliest time slot I was able to choose was 12-12:30.  At first I thought maybe a LOT of people had faster fingers then me when the time hit, but someone in the group for our sailing just checked in, weeks after me, and got the 11 time slot.  How the heck does that happen?

 

We ended up getting FTTF so it doesnt matter, but i'm still curious!

[Llamabear]

 

3 hours ago, jennifur25 said:

I was just considering posting about this very thing. I did exactly what you said and the earliest time slot I was able to choose was 12-12:30.  At first I thought maybe a LOT of people had faster fingers then me when the time hit, but someone in the group for our sailing just checked in, weeks after me, and got the 11 time slot.  How the heck does that happen?

 

We ended up getting FTTF so it doesnt matter, but i'm still curious!

I have FTTF before checkin was available and when I did the check in, the earliest time available was also 12 - 12:30 also! Might be part of this new process? My last cruise was August 2017, and our check in time was earlier then (also booked FTTF prior to online check in)

[RWolver672]

1 hour ago, Llamabear said:

 

I have FTTF before checkin was available and when I did the check in, the earliest time available was also 12 - 12:30 also! Might be part of this new process? My last cruise was August 2017, and our check in time was earlier then (also booked FTTF prior to online check in)

We are Platinum for the first time for our upcoming cruise next month.  I too checked in as soon as I could and the 12-12:30 slot was the only one showing.  I'm guessing that anyone that has FTTF or is P/D is automatically given that slot.   (Cruise is out of Miami).

[kollarism]

We cruised 2017 work FTTF and were given 1130 check-in. I've been following along and deciding if we need it this time.  Curious what happens if we buy it, get our check-in time, then cancel it?

[teknoge3k]

2 hours ago, Llamabear said:

 

I have FTTF before checkin was available and when I did the check in, the earliest time available was also 12 - 12:30 also! Might be part of this new process? My last cruise was August 2017, and our check in time was earlier then (also booked FTTF prior to online check in)

 

 

Having FTTF has nothing to do with your check-in time and what you pick. You can buy FTTF and pick whatever check-in time you want. Having FTTF means you do not have to adhere to that check-in time. So if you purchase FTTF you still have to pick a check-in time. If you cancel your FTTF then you would have to stick to whatever check-in time you pick. Also keep in mind FTTF has more perks than just priority boarding. 

[bbtbear]

1 minute ago, kollarism said:

We cruised 2017 work FTTF and were given 1130 check-in. I've been following along and deciding if we need it this time.  Curious what happens if we buy it, get our check-in time, then cancel it?

You can cancel it and get a refund. From Carnival's FTTF FAQ page:

Q: If I purchased FTTF, can I later cancel it? 
A: Orders must be cancelled online and no cancellation charges will be assessed if done prior to the pre-sail cut-off time (11:30pm ET, the evening prior to the cruise departure). In the event of pre-sailing, online cancellations, a full refund will automatically be posted to the form of payment used to secure the order. Please allow 7-10 business days for the credit to reflect on your account.

 

I would try to cancel as soon as possible, though, so someone else has a chance to buy it in your place. Only a limited number are made available.

[RWolver672]

33 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

 

 

Having FTTF has nothing to do with your check-in time and what you pick. You can buy FTTF and pick whatever check-in time you want. Having FTTF means you do not have to adhere to that check-in time. So if you purchase FTTF you still have to pick a check-in time. If you cancel your FTTF then you would have to stick to whatever check-in time you pick. Also keep in mind FTTF has more perks than just priority boarding. 

 

Oddly enough, we are turning Platinum for our cruise next month.  On the  first day that I could do the check in, there was only one time slot available, 12:30-1:00.  It would be interesting to see if others who are P/D or have purchased FTTF are automatically given that time slot.

[jimbri]

Very good information.  Does anyone know how the boarding process has been working of of New York?  We are not platinum and do not have FTTF.  Hope it's OK that I asked about a different port. Thanks.

[jennifur25]

4 hours ago, Llamabear said:

 

I have FTTF before checkin was available and when I did the check in, the earliest time available was also 12 - 12:30 also! Might be part of this new process? My last cruise was August 2017, and our check in time was earlier then (also booked FTTF prior to online check in)

Oooh interesting!  I thought we had done online check in and THEN got fttf but looking back at my email,  we got fttf on the 8th and did online check-in on the 10th.  That might just be it! 

[kollarism]

1 hour ago, teknoge3k said:

 

 

Having FTTF has nothing to do with your check-in time and what you pick. You can buy FTTF and pick whatever check-in time you want. Having FTTF means you do not have to adhere to that check-in time. So if you purchase FTTF you still have to pick a check-in time. If you cancel your FTTF then you would have to stick to whatever check-in time you pick. Also keep in mind FTTF has more perks than just priority boarding. 

So the real perk of FTTF is boarding immediately? I could realistically not get it, have an 1130/12 check-in, but then have a bad zone to actually board?  I wonder if zones are assigned in order of check-in?

 

Which is why I raised the other point/question: if you are auto assigned the best check-in time with FTTF, buy it, get assigned earliest check in, then cancel it. Not saying I would do it, but it sounds plausible.

[teknoge3k]

1 minute ago, kollarism said:

So the real perk of FTTF is boarding immediately? I could realistically not get it, have an 1130/12 check-in, but then have a bad zone to actually board?  I wonder if zones are assigned in order of check-in?

 

Which is why I raised the other point/question: if you are auto assigned the best check-in time with FTTF, buy it, get assigned earliest check in, then cancel it. Not saying I would do it, but it sounds plausible.

 

Priority embarkation is just one of the few perks of FTTF.  You're not auto-assigned a check-in time with FTTF. With FTTF you still have to pick a check-in time for the terminal. You just get to ignore that check-in time if you have FTTF. Otherwise you may have to stand in the "early/late" line, depending on which port you're at.

 

Even with FTTF you could still have the same check-in time as Joe Blow. You could both have a check-in time of 12:30. The only difference is that Joe has to wait until 12:30 to check-in, whereas with FTTF you could be sitting on the ship at 10:30 eating. Joe would still be waiting in the "early/late" line. 

 

You're not auto-assigned a check-in time with or without FTTF. I guess if you just don't check-in, you'd be assigned whatever check-in times are left in the end. I'm not sure.