FTTF needed?

[havanadaydreaming]

My wife is Platinum, I'm gold.  I know we can priority embark/disembark...however, what if adult kids traveling with us are in 2 rooms (same booking via TA)? 

 

Do we need FTTF for them? Our flight arrives before 10am day of cruise and departs debarkation morning around 1030 so I'm considering FTTF if other cabins would have to wait. 

 

Thoughts?  

[rvsullivan]

If they want to board close to the time that you do, then they need FTTF. If early boarding is important to your group, then it will be the only way. FTTF will get them aboard right after the Diamond, Platinum and suites board. Otherwise they will have to wait for their assigned check in time. You two can hang back and wait with them!

[Jerseygirl1416]

On the Breeze people with flights before 12pm were able to go to guest services to get a letter that let them do self debarkation with FTTF. I’m not sure if all the ships do this.

[RHilla619]

As you said obviously you do not need FTTF for your room, but since your kids are in another room none of your perks will carry over to them. Depending on what kind of mood the person who greets you at the port is in you may luck out and all get sent to the priority check in desk together, but if they are a rule follower they may send your kids to the "regular" line.

 

Think the piece of mind, especially on debarkation morning, might be worth the FTTF cost alone. But if you have a tender port there's added value there too.

[TNcruising02]

1 hour ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

On the Breeze people with flights before 12pm were able to go to guest services to get a letter that let them do self debarkation with FTTF. I’m not sure if all the ships do this.

I've been on several Carnival ships that I know do that.  For sure, the Breeze, Magic, and Vista.  You can take your flight information to guest services and they should be able to print out a letter that you can show the morning you get off of the ship to wait in a special area.  The majority of people who I saw did this also carried off their own bags, but there were a few who did not.  

havanadaydreaming, if you are unable to get FTTF for them, then see if they can check in as soon as possible after midnight (eastern time) the day before their online check-in date. This is usually 90 days out.  The date will be shown on their online Carnival account. If they do, then they should be able to get the earliest appointment time.  If the boarding zone is assigned during their online check-in, they should be able to get zone A1.  Zone A1 boards immediately after FTTF.

Edited September 18, 2019 by TNcruising02

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

You should consider a departure flight a little later in the morning. That being said, if you are not concerned with any potential delays causing you to miss the flight, your children would be able to get off the ship pretty much first (as I think you should as well) by doing self assist debarkation. They would need to be able to debark the ship with all their luggage on their own.

 

If you can't/don't get a FTTF for them and their check-in time is later, they might still be able to board earlier. They do have lines for people who have arrived "early". Depending on how the flow of people boarding is going they will allow these people to check in earlier. Of course they have a different check in area from yourself, but you will be able to meet up one on board, at your cabin.

[havanadaydreaming]

Thanks for the feedback. 

 

I'd love to push our flight back but my daughter has to perform that evening at university event back home so we needed an early but not to tooooo early flight, preferably direct.  This checked all our boxes. 

 

Since early debarkation is a big value to us this trip i think we'll do FTTF.  It's an added bonus that we can board early since we arrive before 10am and Tampa airport isn't far from port.   

 

This is our first trip booked with a travel agent and I was unsure if that booking would classify all 3 cabins as a group.  😉

[PhillyFan33579]

17 hours ago, havanadaydreaming said:

My wife is Platinum, I'm gold.  I know we can priority embark/disembark...however, what if adult kids traveling with us are in 2 rooms (same booking via TA)? 

 

Do we need FTTF for them? Our flight arrives before 10am day of cruise and departs debarkation morning around 1030 so I'm considering FTTF if other cabins would have to wait. 

 

Thoughts?  

 

You mentioned in another post you are cruising from Tampa.  What day do you get back to Tampa? Traffic on weekday mornings is pretty bad, which can make the trip to the Tampa airport a lot longer. If you return on a weekend it won’t take too long to get the airport. Also, what month are you cruising? Fog can get pretty bad at the Tampa port during the winter months. The last two times we cruised our of Tampa in December and January, both cruises were significantly impacted by fog. 

[havanadaydreaming]

11 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

You mentioned in another post you are cruising from Tampa.  What day do you get back to Tampa? Traffic on weekday mornings is pretty bad, which can make the trip to the Tampa airport a lot longer. If you return on a weekend it won’t take too long to get the airport. Also, what month are you cruising? Fog can get pretty bad at the Tampa port during the winter months. The last two times we cruised our of Tampa in December and January, both cruises were significantly impacted by fog. 

12/26 cruise, returns on a Monday. 

 

We will be up 6am and ready to be first to walk off with luggage.  Our eldest son is getting Guantanamo assignment in '20 so this is our last chance at a family vaca.  

 

We are rolling the dice on flight a bit but we accept the risk. I'll certainly have my fingers crossed...

[teknoge3k]

I know it's probably been preached to you a million times by people already but.....

 

You're flying in the morning of your cruise, from Ohio, the day after Christmas. This is a disaster waiting to happen. 

 

Have you considered at least flying the night before? That way you know you won't miss your cruise due to flight delays. Then the morning of the cruise, you can all go together and you and your wife hang back and board with your kids. 

[havanadaydreaming]

33 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

I know it's probably been preached to you a million times by people already but.....

 

You're flying in the morning of your cruise, from Ohio, the day after Christmas. This is a disaster waiting to happen. 

 

Have you considered at least flying the night before? That way you know you won't miss your cruise due to flight delays. Then the morning of the cruise, you can all go together and you and your wife hang back and board with your kids. 

Night before is Christmas, not a big deal for me but for our children it's a bit of a hot mess.  My eldest is getting married in Nov and ALL of his and her parents are divorced.  He has to make rounds to 6 households on Christmas.  If there was a late evening flight that MIGHT have worked but none fit the bill. 

 

Christmas week isn't usually too bad in southern Ohio.  January and February are a different story, however. 

[cdm289]

18 hours ago, RHilla619 said:

As you said obviously you do not need FTTF for your room, but since your kids are in another room none of your perks will carry over to them. Depending on what kind of mood the person who greets you at the port is in you may luck out and all get sent to the priority check in desk together, but if they are a rule follower they may send your kids to the "regular" line.

 

Think the piece of mind, especially on debarkation morning, might be worth the FTTF cost alone. But if you have a tender port there's added value there too.

This is not true if the children are under 21.  

 

Minors traveling with parents in separate staterooms, who qualify for Priority, may check in together. 

 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1380/kw/priority boarding minors

 

I am Platinum and my children who are booked in a neighbouring cabin are 15 and 17 and board with me.   

 

This perk is NOT for FTTF priority passengers.  Only Platinum, Diamond and Suites.    

[rvsullivan]

OP identified all children as adults.