Boarding Times Question

[GetMeToTheSpa]

I have copied this from my travel summary page.  Red text is what I'm concerned about.  We land in NYC pretty early, around 10:30am, and planned to go straight to the ship.  Will we really not be allowed to board until 2:45pm since we are on the Emerald deck?  😞

 

 

PROGRESSIVE CRUISE CHECK-IN INFORMATION

To help facilitate a smooth start to your voyage we have implemented a progressive cruise check-in schedule. Please arrive at the check-in time listed below. If you have purchased a Princess Cruise Plus Package/Transfer, your check-in time will be provided at your hotel or the airport. Guests travelling on shared transport or arriving as a group will be checked in together. Priority check-in will be available to guests with Priority Boarding within the allocated check-in times. Boarding will commence shortly after check-in. Please do not arrive prior to the start of cruise check-in as your cabin will not be ready. Once onboard, enjoy a meal at Horizon Court which remains open throughout the day to serve you.
1:00 PM - Aloha & Lido Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with A & L 2:00 PM - Dolphin & Emerald Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with D & E 2:45 PM - Caribe & Riviera Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with C & R 3:15 PM - Baja & Marina Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with B & M

[Colo Cruiser]

1 minute ago, GetMeToTheSpa said:

I have copied this from my travel summary page.  Red text is what I'm concerned about.  We land in NYC pretty early, around 10:30am, and planned to go straight to the ship.  Will we really not be allowed to board until 2:45pm since we are on the Emerald deck?  😞

 

 

PROGRESSIVE CRUISE CHECK-IN INFORMATION

To help facilitate a smooth start to your voyage we have implemented a progressive cruise check-in schedule. Please arrive at the check-in time listed below. If you have purchased a Princess Cruise Plus Package/Transfer, your check-in time will be provided at your hotel or the airport. Guests travelling on shared transport or arriving as a group will be checked in together. Priority check-in will be available to guests with Priority Boarding within the allocated check-in times. Boarding will commence shortly after check-in. Please do not arrive prior to the start of cruise check-in as your cabin will not be ready. Once onboard, enjoy a meal at Horizon Court which remains open throughout the day to serve you.
1:00 PM - Aloha & Lido Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with A & L 2:00 PM - Dolphin & Emerald Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with D & E 2:45 PM - Caribe & Riviera Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with C & R 3:15 PM - Baja & Marina Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with B & M

It is a suggestion.

[Olney]

So far Princess has not made their specified boarding times  mandatory.  If check in is open they will process you in and you can board  as soon as it becomes available.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Olney

[casofilia]

We have had that sort of information in the past and it is advisory not mandatory but you may find they will give you the cold shoulder and let you through.  If you ask about it at the wharf they will try to put you off, just turn up and show your boarding pass.

[skynight]

Suggestion only. Go directly to the pier from the airport. Boarding should have started when you arrive. I think you are either on the Regal or the Caribbean Princess, both medallion ships. If you are Ocean Ready and already received your medallion you will quickly pass by check in and just about walk directly on board. If you do not have your medallion you will have to make a quick stop at check in. On the Caribbean in August our cabins were ready when we boarded. I don't know about the Regal.

It puzzles me why Princess keeps sending out this customer unfriendly progressive boarding text. 

[MissP22]

At least their letting people drop off their luggage in the cabins when you board and not making people lug their carry on luggage around the ship until 1PM like they used to last year. 

[tailspintom]

1 hour ago, skynight said:

It puzzles me why Princess keeps sending out this customer unfriendly progressive boarding text. 

I believe that it is to enable the crew to more efficiently turn around the cabins without having to work around the incoming passengers.  Of course this is tempered with the reality that some passengers can not control when they will arrive after being booted out of their hotels or landing on early flights.  We have never interpreted it as being unfriendly.

[san diego sue]

In NY recently (Caribbean Princess), got to the pier at 10:45am, in cabin by 11:10am.

[skynight]

3 hours ago, tailspintom said:

I believe that it is to enable the crew to more efficiently turn around the cabins without having to work around the incoming passengers.  Of course this is tempered with the reality that some passengers can not control when they will arrive after being booted out of their hotels or landing on early flights.  We have never interpreted it as being unfriendly.

It puzzles me because the wording of the text is focused on cruise line issues, not on customer's issues and preferences. To me the focus should always be on the customer. If the cruise line has internal turn around day problems it is up to them to resolve them, not pass the responsibility onto their customers. It also puzzles me because Princess HQ keeps publishing this message, but ships actually don't operate this way. Princess needs to scrap this message and welcome all on board as quickly as they can walk them through the boarding process.

[MissP22]

57 minutes ago, skynight said:

It puzzles me because the wording of the text is focused on cruise line issues, not on customer's issues and preferences. To me the focus should always be on the customer. If the cruise line has internal turn around day problems it is up to them to resolve them, not pass the responsibility onto their customers. It also puzzles me because Princess HQ keeps publishing this message, but ships actually don't operate this way. Princess needs to scrap this message and welcome all on board as quickly as they can walk them through the boarding process.

If Princess wanted to keep people from boarding it should not be based upon their deck they were on but should be applied to everyone equally. They should make everyone either stand on line outside the terminal or keep them in the seats in the terminal until the ship was totally cleared for boarding.

To send out a message that only certain decks are available earlier than others is just not right. Everyone has paid their fare & entitled to the same facilities depending on the time of arrival, not someones idea of a boarding schedule. 

[CineGraphic]

6 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

To send out a message that only certain decks are available earlier than others is just not right.

That's not what they are saying at all. All decks will be open at the same time.

[MissP22]

2 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

That's not what they are saying at all. All decks will be open at the same time.

Please do not arrive prior to the start of cruise check-in as your cabin will not be ready. Once onboard, enjoy a meal at Horizon Court which remains open throughout the day to serve you.
1:00 PM - Aloha & Lido Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with A & L 2:00 PM - Dolphin & Emerald Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with D & E 2:45 PM - Caribe & Riviera Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with C & R 3:15 PM - Baja & Marina Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with B & M

[CineGraphic]

1 minute ago, MissP22 said:

Please do not arrive prior to the start of cruise check-in as your cabin will not be ready. Once onboard, enjoy a meal at Horizon Court which remains open throughout the day to serve you.
1:00 PM - Aloha & Lido Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with A & L 2:00 PM - Dolphin & Emerald Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with D & E 2:45 PM - Caribe & Riviera Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with C & R 3:15 PM - Baja & Marina Decks: Cabins on these decks begin with B & M

Those are suggested boarding times, not when decks open up. They will all be open at the same time.

Edited September 23, 2019 by CineGraphic

[MissP22]

2 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

Those are suggested boarding times, not when decks open up. They will all be open at the same time.

Right.

The decks will be open but they don't want people on boarding on those decks to arrive before that suggested time.  

Like anyone really listens to them. LOL 

[casofilia]

If I were not to be allowed to board till 3.15pm when others were allowed to board at 1pm I should be given some OBC!!!!   I will have missed a meal, exploration time and the like.  The queues will be longer for everything.

[MissP22]

28 minutes ago, casofilia said:

If I were not to be allowed to board till 3.15pm when others were allowed to board at 1pm I should be given some OBC!!!!   I will have missed a meal, exploration time and the like.  The queues will be longer for everything.

You've got that right. 

Maybe comp us a meal in the specialty restaurant & I'll board a 4 PM. 

[CineGraphic]

Over 3000 people will board during the day. One person will be first, everyone else will be behind them. Nobody is more important than the next. If it's important to be on early so you don;t miss a meal, get there before everyone else.

 

[casofilia]

 Nobody is more important than the next.

 

Not true.   There is total discrimination by Princess based on your Princess level!!

[c-boy]

.. 

 

why am I not surprised ...

[janina]

12 minutes ago, casofilia said:

 Nobody is more important than the next.

 

Not true.   There is total discrimination by Princess based on your Princess level!!

No they are basing it on what floor of the ship you are on.  

[casofilia]

If you are in a suite you are not given a time and go directly to the front of the queue.   Very similar for Elites and less so for Platinums.

 

I agree though they are not adhered to.  In that case dispense with the information.

[Steelers36]

Princess HQ is just trying to stagger the crowds so there isn't a big crush and people don't have to wait around for boarding to begin.  They must think customers will be upset or restless waiting.  As has been pointed out, it is completely unfair to designate certain decks going first and last as those folks don't have the same opportunity to access and book certain things that are only available after boarding.  It seems absurd but thank goodness they don't actually do it this way.  

 

What they do do for boarding is very well done IMO with checking people in early and having scans done, etc, so that when the ship is open for boarding, they can move a lot of people onto the ship quickly.  I hope it never changes.  If you want to be among the first to board, show up early and wait in the terminal.  If you don't care or don't want to wait, show up later after boarding has begun and you get through check-in and onto ship in short order.

 

Instead of putting out this nutty notice that only newbies seem to fall for (except the ones who find this website and then come on and inquire about it regularly), maybe Princess ought to say the following:  "If you come to the terminal early (before about XX:XX am), you may have to wait outside, or once processed for check-in you will have to wait in the terminal until the ship is cleared for boarding.  For the quickest check-in experience, arrive after about YY:YY".  

 

They don't even board by deck for the first big crush.  What I have seen done is send forward cabin numbers up one gangway and aft cabin numbers up another gangway so that people are streamed towards appropriate elevators and stairs.   The fair way to handle the boarding is exactly the way they do it now.  Elites & Suites have priority, followed by Platinum and Club Class priorities, followed by the rest in groups according to arrival time.

 

[tailspintom]

4 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

Princess HQ is just trying to stagger the crowds so there isn't a big crush and people don't have to wait around for boarding to begin.  They must think customers will be upset or restless waiting.  As has been pointed out, it is completely unfair to designate certain decks going first and last as those folks don't have the same opportunity to access and book certain things that are only available after boarding.  It seems absurd but thank goodness they don't actually do it this way.  

 

What they do do for boarding is very well done IMO with checking people in early and having scans done, etc, so that when the ship is open for boarding, they can move a lot of people onto the ship quickly.  I hope it never changes.  If you want to be among the first to board, show up early and wait in the terminal.  If you don't care or don't want to wait, show up later after boarding has begun and you get through check-in and onto ship in short order.

 

Instead of putting out this nutty notice that only newbies seem to fall for (except the ones who find this website and then come on and inquire about it regularly), maybe Princess ought to say the following:  "If you come to the terminal early (before about XX:XX am), you may have to wait outside, or once processed for check-in you will have to wait in the terminal until the ship is cleared for boarding.  For the quickest check-in experience, arrive after about YY:YY".  

 

They don't even board by deck for the first big crush.  What I have seen done is send forward cabin numbers up one gangway and aft cabin numbers up another gangway so that people are streamed towards appropriate elevators and stairs.   The fair way to handle the boarding is exactly the way they do it now.  Elites & Suites have priority, followed by Platinum and Club Class priorities, followed by the rest in groups according to arrival time.

 

Whoa.  There seems to be an adult in the room.

[vampiress]

while i agree the texts they send out are misleading about boarding times. i do believe it is simply to try and space it out so there isn't a rush at security.  idk, they have hte check in and onboarding process very well designed from what i have experienced, i don't think they need to change a thing.  i get why they arbitrarily picked times for different floors, it has nothing to do with the floors or the rooms being ready, it is just a convenient way to parse out the people. 

 

i will continue to aim to not be first, but be on the boat in time to get dining room lunch. 

[Lindaru]

5 hours ago, casofilia said:

If you are in a suite you are not given a time and go directly to the front of the queue.   Very similar for Elites and less so for Platinums.

 

I agree though they are not adhered to.  In that case dispense with the information.

 

Actually, we were in a suite and we did get the suggested boarding times notice for Dolphin and Emerald of 2:00 p.m.

 

Fortunately, that was about the time we got there for check-in and boarding because we had a long trip from a South Seattle suburb.