Any 4:30am Arrivals for Ovation yet?

[cft8]

Back before the Alaska season started, I’d mentioned that our Ovation sailing is scheduled to return at 4:30am. Since this was a new time for them, and it seemed like the sailings were split between 4:30am and the usual 6am arrivals, it wasn’t clear how that was going to impact the disembarkation schedule. Have there been any sailings yet that returned that early? Did disembarkation start or end earlier? I am mainly curious if it ended any earlier; we are getting ready to finalize our pick up time and I don’t want to end up having to be off the ship earlier than I expect and end up having our group waiting around outside for the pickup. The departure sheets I’ve seen posted have the last tags at 9:50, but I think they were all sailings that arrived at 6am. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

While the Ovation may be docking at Pier 91 in the pre-dawn, the pier's first shift disembark staff are clocking in at 6:10 am, followed by a second 6:40 am shift.  It takes a while to have the ship certified and cleared.   I don't have an exact time for you, but I believe the Ovation begins its disembarking process closer to 6:45am, and the Solstice as early as 7:15 am.

 

I think the 'last tags' at 9:50 am is way too late.  The Ovation usually has a 'zero count' much earlier than that.

[cft8]

Thanks. When they changed the arrival time, they made a bit of a big deal about it, sayin that it was "for the convenience of the guests" and the only way I thought that might make it convenient for guests is if the disembarkation process started earlier (that sounds inconvenient to me personally, but I'm not a 'get off the ship asap' person). But, it sounds like the pier staff's schedule hasn't changed, and therefore the disembarkation timing hasn't changed either. 

 

The 6:45am start is what I've seen on the disembarkation instruction flyers that have been posted from sailings this year (I don't know if I can link to them, as they were posted on another site). That's also where I saw that the last tags, at least officially, are scheduled for 9:50. I don't plan to base our disembarkation time around that late of a time, as I'm aware that tags often get called earlier than scheduled. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

This past Friday (7/19) the first Ovation folks I saw leaving the ship was at 6:40, but I believe the embarkation process started before 6:30 with the 'self assist walk-offs'.  The Ovation side of the building opened for embarkation at 9:30 am. 

New this season is RCI's use of pier staff using handheld scanners to embark those passengers that completely/accurately  did their online check-in.  If a passenger can be successfully checked in using the handheld device, that passenger proceeds up the escalator to the security screening, then to the waiting area (or on-board).  Stateroom keys are outside the rooms.  It is a much faster process.

[Langley Cruisers]

6 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

New this season is RCI's use of pier staff using handheld scanners to embark those passengers that completely/accurately  did their online check-in.  If a passenger can be successfully checked in using the handheld device, that passenger proceeds up the escalator to the security screening, then to the waiting area (or on-board).  Stateroom keys are outside the rooms.  It is a much faster process.

 

Thank you - good to know. 😊