Got an email

[tigger54]

My husband and I are taking the Crown Princess On Oct. 8th for a 10 day Southern Caribbean Cruise. We just received an email telling us to hold off coming to the port until 2:00. Anyone else on this cruise get that email? What are the chances that if we show up earlier that we may get on the ship earlier? Just wondering. We have taken over 30 cruises and never had this happen but this is our first time on Princess.

[WisCruiser2]

Is that the first cruise after the Transatlantic? I've read that boarding is delayed after those due to some kind of inspection (Customs? Immigration? Don't remember but sure someone else will clarify). So, no, you won't be able to board earlier.

[CineGraphic]

It's because the Crown will be arriving from across the pond, and the ship will be subjected to all sorts of inspections. Coast Guard, health department, CDC, immigration, etc. It won't be your average turn-around day. It's not just a Princess thing, no worries, you'll have a wonderful cruise.

[MissP22]

Be prepared to wait. ☕

[Haboob]

With notice three weeks out whatever this is, it is administrative not deep-cleaning.

 

That being said, don't expect to get on anytime before 2pm and expect a worse-than-normal zoo if you aim at 2.  For this particular cruise, I'd aim midway between 2 and whenever they said end-of-boarding was.

[finishedover30cruises]

yep cancel those plans for a nice pre-sailing sit down lunch in the MDR

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, Haboob said:

With notice three weeks out whatever this is, it is administrative not deep-cleaning.

 

That being said, don't expect to get on anytime before 2pm and expect a worse-than-normal zoo if you aim at 2.  For this particular cruise, I'd aim midway between 2 and whenever they said end-of-boarding was.

The ships is scheduled to leave at 5 PM so somewhere around 3:30 or 4 PM the crowd should be minimal.

My guess is that most people will still arrive at their normal times & just wait at the terminal like always hoping to board early. 

[Mud_Shark]

We experienced this same thing a couple years ago at Fort lauderdale, as the Royal Princess arrived from across the Atlantic.  With flight arrangements already in place to arrive at normal time (11am), we could not change things.  We arrived at the port around 11am, and so did a couple thousand other people.  For a while we stood outside.  They let some in the main lobby of the terminal (terminal 2), but the rest of us continued to wait outside.  After about an hour, they herded us over to another terminal across the street, where we waited (probably about 1000 of us).  Some had chairs to sit on, others sat on the floor, and others just stood for the afternoon.  At least it  was air conditioned and had bathrooms, but no cafe or anything.  About 3:30 or 4pm they began taking groups across to the main terminal to process them and get them onboard.  We were in our cabin before 5pm.  Long day, but we didn't really mind.  Have done the same thing many times waiting at the airport for delayed flights.

 

Hopefully with the renovation of the terminal a couple years ago, things will flow more smoothly now and the waiting will be a bit more comfortable.

 

Don

[MissP22]

16 minutes ago, Mud_Shark said:

We experienced this same thing a couple years ago at Fort lauderdale, as the Royal Princess arrived from across the Atlantic.  With flight arrangements already in place to arrive at normal time (11am), we could not change things.  We arrived at the port around 11am, and so did a couple thousand other people.  For a while we stood outside.  They let some in the main lobby of the terminal (terminal 2), but the rest of us continued to wait outside.  After about an hour, they herded us over to another terminal across the street, where we waited (probably about 1000 of us).  Some had chairs to sit on, others sat on the floor, and others just stood for the afternoon.  At least it  was air conditioned and had bathrooms, but no cafe or anything.  About 3:30 or 4pm they began taking groups across to the main terminal to process them and get them onboard.  We were in our cabin before 5pm.  Long day, but we didn't really mind.  Have done the same thing many times waiting at the airport for delayed flights.

 

Hopefully with the renovation of the terminal a couple years ago, things will flow more smoothly now and the waiting will be a bit more comfortable.

 

Don

Do you recall how they handled the muster meeting once aboard?

[Colo Cruiser]

5 hours ago, tigger54 said:

My husband and I are taking the Crown Princess On Oct. 8th for a 10 day Southern Caribbean Cruise. We just received an email telling us to hold off coming to the port until 2:00. Anyone else on this cruise get that email? What are the chances that if we show up earlier that we may get on the ship earlier? Just wondering. We have taken over 30 cruises and never had this happen but this is our first time on Princess.

This happens all the time when a ship returns from outside the US. In this case the TA from Europe.

This will be the Crowns first Caribbean cruise for the season. I suggest maybe trying to drop off your luggage around 10:00 or later than heading out and grab some lunch outside the port. If the Crown is at Pier #2 or #4 than you can walk to 17th St and there you will find lots of stores and restaurants to choose from. There is even a water taxi that leaves near the Hilton Marina Hotel at 17th St/Eisenhower that makes for a great time killer and good sightseeing.

[tigger54]

Thanks for the replies. I was hoping that someone would say that we probably will still get on earlier. Oh well.

[Mud_Shark]

1 hour ago, MissP22 said:

Do you recall how they handled the muster meeting once aboard?

In our case - as soon as everyone was on board (around 5 pm or maybe 530) - they called the mustard drill and as soon as that was over, we were underway - about 6pm.  Still got to view the sail away before dark, and it was a great cruise.

 

Don

[satxdiver]

3 hours ago, Mud_Shark said:

In our case - as soon as everyone was on board (around 5 pm or maybe 530) - they called the mustard drill and as soon as that was over, we were underway - about 6pm.  Still got to view the sail away before dark, and it was a great cruise.

 

Don

 

I have never participated in a mustard drill.  What is it like?  Do they spray everyone with mustard?  

 

😂🙂😂

[satxdiver]

We are on the Star embarking at San Pedro in November and also received the email that embarkation will not start until 2:00 PM and all have to be aboard by 5:00 PM for a 6:00 PM sailaway.   Ship is coming from Vancouver on a 3 day repositioning cruise. 

[Coral]

43 minutes ago, satxdiver said:

 

I have never participated in a mustard drill.  What is it like?  Do they spray everyone with mustard?  

 

😂🙂😂

Colonel Mustard does it in the Library.