Embarkation with Medallion

[sbaker]

We'll be on the Sky Princess in January.  If we've already received our medallions, will we be able to walk right on board without stopping at the registration desk at the port like we've always had to do in the past?  

[gotta cruise again]

Generally: Medallions are scanned/looked at (or if a passenger doesn’t have one, their boarding pass is checked) in order to enter the terminal. Then security screening. Then Medallion is scanned and passenger is sent to the appropriate waiting area if the ship hasn’t yet started boarding; if boarding has started, the the passenger can board. Those without a Medallion will have to wait just a few minutes after security check to pick up their Medallion then either wait to board in the appropriate area or go ahead and board if boarding has commenced.

[vampiress]

there is still security and then after security someone will scan medallions, confirm passports and room charge account.  but it was a nice process.  i felt since the moved security first, there was a long line at security, but hardly and line inside.  we were early, around 11am, they had just started boarding so still giving out boarding group numbers, and i barely had time to use the loo before our number was called.  

[5:00_Somewhere]

2 hours ago, vampiress said:

there is still security and then after security someone will scan medallions, confirm passports and room charge account.  but it was a nice process.  i felt since the moved security first, there was a long line at security, but hardly and line inside.  we were early, around 11am, they had just started boarding so still giving out boarding group numbers, and i barely had time to use the loo before our number was called.  

 

Yup, this was also our experience 10 days ago boarding the Sky Princess. We also arrived at the port around 11:00 a.m. and there was virtually no line at all, for both standard and priority boarding. Passed through security (only a handful of people ahead of us), then were directed to a person who scanned our medallions, checked our passports, confirmed our credit card on account, and took my husband's picture (but only because the one he uploaded before we departed had a pattern in the background that they said made it "unsuitable"; the one I uploaded pre-cruise was fine). After security, it took us all of maybe 5 minutes to navigate the medallion modified "check-in" process and make our way to the boarding lounge. Had to wait maybe 10-15 minutes (max) in the lounge before they started boarding us, but that was mostly because they were boarding a large wedding party first (including approximately 85 BVE guests, we were told).  We were on board by 11:30ish. We were told cabins would not be ready until about 1:30, but that we could drop our carry-on luggage in our cabins if we liked.  We toured the ship first and did a few other things before stopping by our cabin to drop bags about 1:00, only to find that our cabin was fully ready. While we were looking around our luggage arrived. All in all, a very positive experience.

[MissP22]

Although I would prefer to have the medallions beforehand, last cruise we had to check in at the desk & having the medallions didn't really save that much time at all. 

[Steelers36]

5 hours ago, 5:00_Somewhere said:

Had to wait maybe 10-15 minutes (max) in the lounge before they started boarding us, but that was mostly because they were boarding a large wedding party first (including approximately 85 BVE guests, we were told).

Wedding Party - possible.  BVE - highly doubtful.  BVE's were discontinued almost two years ago now I think.  And the limit was closer to 50 IIRC.  Probably more people with the wedding - perhaps they were having the ceremony before sail-away.  Who knows, but no BVE's these days.

[5:00_Somewhere]

6 hours ago, steelers36 said:

Wedding Party - possible.  BVE - highly doubtful.  BVE's were discontinued almost two years ago now I think.  And the limit was closer to 50 IIRC.  Probably more people with the wedding - perhaps they were having the ceremony before sail-away.  Who knows, but no BVE's these days.

 

With all due respect, I was there, and I saw in the terminal several people dressed in wedding attire wearing white stickers with the words "Bon Voyage Experience" printed on them. I had also read that the BVE program has been discontinued, and can only assume that this was either booked before the program was discontinued or some kind of special exception was granted. Also, the BVE program always required the BVE guests to disembark before sale away. I've seen many weddings over the years where are the guests boarded under the BVE program, attended the wedding on board the ship, and disembarked for sail away, with the happy couple and often members of wedding party staying on for the cruise. As for the numbers, I was simply reporting what the onshore princess representative announced to our lounge. I do not want to derail this thread, but felt it necessary to clarify the basis of my comments.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, 5:00_Somewhere said:

 

With all due respect, I was there, and I saw in the terminal several people dressed in wedding attire wearing white stickers with the words "Bon Voyage Experience" printed on them. I had also read that the BVE program has been discontinued, and can only assume that this was either booked before the program was discontinued or some kind of special exception was granted. Also, the BVE program always required the BVE guests to disembark before sale away. I've seen many weddings over the years where are the guests boarded under the BVE program, attended the wedding on board the ship, and disembarked for sail away, with the happy couple and often members of wedding party staying on for the cruise. As for the numbers, I was simply reporting what the onshore princess representative announced to our lounge. I do not want to derail this thread, but felt it necessary to clarify the basis of my comments.

I understand - I did state that the "extras" were likely associated with the wedding - as you confirmed.  Princess probably tagged the folks so on-board personnel would know.  I agree - it was an exception situation for the wedding.  I was only looking to clarify the situation or twenty posters will be on about how to get on a BVE again.  LOL.