Boarding early if in a Suite?

[Biker19]

56 minutes ago, Ilya said:

What are the chances that they will actually start boarding before the earliest scheduled time?

Very low. Up to you if you want take a chance on boarding time and show up early.

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, Ilya said:

We are sailing this week on Enchantment of the Seas from Baltimore. We are in a JS and also have Key, and would like to board as early as possible, but on the other hand, we don’t like the idea of waiting an extra hour at the port. Our scheduled check-in window is 10-10:30 AM. As Suite guests, as I understand, we are allowed to arrive and check in up to an hour earlier. But what I would like to know is whether it makes any sense to arrive earlier than 10 AM. What are the chances that they will actually start boarding before the earliest scheduled time?

 

Does anyone have a firsthand experience with that? Have you ever been able to get onboard before the earliest scheduled time? Just curious. Thanks!

There is no scheduled boarding time. There are times to arrive at the terminal to check in. There is zero probability that they will start boarding before the first scheduled terminal arrival time. It will be closer to 11:00 after all of the prior passengers are off (zero count) and the ship is cleared to board the next cruise. 

[Ilya]

37 minutes ago, rudeney said:

The "arrive an hour early" for suite guests is for those who selected a later boarding time.  

 

Yeah, that's what I was thinking! Our current plan is to arrive by 10 or perhaps just a little earlier, but certainly not an hour earlier! I'll share our experience later this week! Thanks!

[slyster]

11 hours ago, Ilya said:

We are sailing this week on Enchantment of the Seas from Baltimore. We are in a JS and also have Key, and would like to board as early as possible, but on the other hand, we don’t like the idea of waiting an extra hour at the port. Our scheduled check-in window is 10-10:30 AM. As Suite guests, as I understand, we are allowed to arrive and check in up to an hour earlier. But what I would like to know is whether it makes any sense to arrive earlier than 10 AM. What are the chances that they will actually start boarding before the earliest scheduled time?

 

Does anyone have a firsthand experience with that? Have you ever been able to get onboard before the earliest scheduled time? Just curious. Thanks!

 

So I had a 10-10:30 arrival time at Baltimore a month ago.  We arrived at 10:15 and check in was well underway.  By the time we got to the security check point (10:15), they held us back as it was full and they were preparing to let the suite and key guests in.  We waited about 5 min…went to our check in line.  We were boarding by 10:30ish and the suites and key folks were ahead of us.  No lines except for security when they held everyone but we were like 5th in security line.  Oh and they did hold us at the doors to head up to the ship and gangway for just a few minutes because they wanted the first group all the way through.  Truly on board by 10:40ish though.

 

Hope that helps.  I think if we arrived at 10, we would have boarded with the first group and been on board by 10:30. 

[Ilya]

3 hours ago, slyster said:

 

So I had a 10-10:30 arrival time at Baltimore a month ago.  We arrived at 10:15 and check in was well underway.  By the time we got to the security check point (10:15), they held us back as it was full and they were preparing to let the suite and key guests in.  We waited about 5 min…went to our check in line.  We were boarding by 10:30ish and the suites and key folks were ahead of us.  No lines except for security when they held everyone but we were like 5th in security line.  Oh and they did hold us at the doors to head up to the ship and gangway for just a few minutes because they wanted the first group all the way through.  Truly on board by 10:40ish though.

 

Hope that helps.  I think if we arrived at 10, we would have boarded with the first group and been on board by 10:30. 

Thank you so much for sharing your recent experience! That’s very helpful!

[EBFURR]

Ok, so what about us lowly Diamond cruisers without a suite. We haven't cruised RC since the shutdown but will be on Harmony out of Port Canaveral in a few weeks. We used to have a separate line and waiting area. Is that no longer the case? We got a later check in slot because we weren't able to check in when the window opened. Will they enforce the assigned check in time?

[Biker19]

14 minutes ago, EBFURR said:

Will they enforce the assigned check in time?

Too many variables to know for sure. No separate line for D.

[BND]

On 9/13/2022 at 8:59 AM, Ilya said:

We are sailing this week on Enchantment of the Seas from Baltimore. We are in a JS and also have Key, and would like to board as early as possible, but on the other hand, we don’t like the idea of waiting an extra hour at the port. Our scheduled check-in window is 10-10:30 AM. As Suite guests, as I understand, we are allowed to arrive and check in up to an hour earlier. But what I would like to know is whether it makes any sense to arrive earlier than 10 AM. What are the chances that they will actually start boarding before the earliest scheduled time?

 

Does anyone have a firsthand experience with that? Have you ever been able to get onboard before the earliest scheduled time? Just curious. Thanks!

We've sailed out of Baltimore 10+ times.  We're always in a JS.  In April and July we had the first boarding time (10 am in July 11 am in April).   We drive to the port so traffic on the DC Beltway can influence when we get there.  We arrived in April around 1030 and used the suite/key/pinn entrance and were onboard by 11.  In July, we arrived at 955 and were in the first 25 people inside the terminal as they open the doors for us before the other door and we were onboard by 1020.  EN boarding passes for JS say suite on them.  

[island lady]

4 hours ago, EBFURR said:

Ok, so what about us lowly Diamond cruisers without a suite. We haven't cruised RC since the shutdown but will be on Harmony out of Port Canaveral in a few weeks. We used to have a separate line and waiting area. Is that no longer the case? We got a later check in slot because we weren't able to check in when the window opened. Will they enforce the assigned check in time?

 

Check in times need to be followed.  They have pax in separate roped off areas as to their assigned check in time.  Especially if you have an early check in time, they will enforce it.  

 

Only separate line is for suites and Pinnacles.  

 

Wonder on over for Grills (next door) Bloody Marys!  😉 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 17, 2022 by island lady

[monorail81]

Ok…at Port Everglades Terminal 18. If I am facing the Terminal coming from the parking lot that’s in front, which side is the Suite entrance?

[mscinmia]

19 hours ago, monorail81 said:

Ok…at Port Everglades Terminal 18. If I am facing the Terminal coming from the parking lot that’s in front, which side is the Suite entrance?

To the left of the parking lot.  It is directly across from the bus/shuttle drop off area.  

[orville99]

On 9/17/2022 at 7:56 AM, EBFURR said:

Ok, so what about us lowly Diamond cruisers without a suite. We haven't cruised RC since the shutdown but will be on Harmony out of Port Canaveral in a few weeks. We used to have a separate line and waiting area. Is that no longer the case? We got a later check in slot because we weren't able to check in when the window opened. Will they enforce the assigned check in time?

That separate line/separate door set up disappeared when RCL moved from Terminal 10 to Terminal 1. At Terminal 1 there is only one entrance door, and the lines split once you are inside. 

[Mum2Mercury]

We sailed out of Miami at the beginning of the month.  10:30 was the earliest boarding appointment.  Here's what we saw: 

- We arrived earlier than was wise -- our own fault.  Everyone was milling around, and maybe 20% of the people were saying things like, "We actually have a 1:30 appointment, but we're hoping to get on earlier."  

- They had a separate entrance (way over to the left) for people in suites and people who had The Key.  I think they were entering the terminal /dropping off luggage, then returning outside to wait.  I could be wrong about that.

- The rumor was that "they" would open the doors at 10:00, and the line would move inside to continue waiting.  

- Around 9:30 an RC rep came out and set up signs /created three lines -- this was in addition to the suites /Key people who were some distance away from us lowly peasants:  People with 10:30 boarding, People with 11:00 boarding, and Everyone else.  The mob divided itself into three lines, but people with later appointments began grumbling as if they'd been treated badly.

- The RC rep explained that they'd allow in the suites /Key people first, then they'd let in the 10:30s, etc.  They did just that.  

- They opened the doors at 10:00, and we 10:30s were allowed in -- an RC employee was checking passes.  I was intent on getting in, and IF anyone tried to scoot in earlier, I wasn't aware of it.  

- We felt like we waited forever inside the terminal (after we'd been processed /checked in), but -- in reality -- we set foot on the ship at 10:28.  

Edited September 18, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[SplashOfWater]

On 9/9/2021 at 10:32 AM, kpark895 said:

 

Have already read that one, and the last poster on that thread also asked about a junior suite and hasn't got an answer yet.

We were in a Junior Suite on Independence out of Port Canaveral earlier this month. We had a 10:30am arrival time (which was the earliest). Our Set Sail pass had "Suite" printed on it. That's all we showed to get in the Suites lines and in the Suites waiting area (with the comfy furniture). The first to board the ship were Suites & Pinnacles. This included the Junior Suites. 

[island lady]

23 hours ago, orville99 said:

That separate line/separate door set up disappeared when RCL moved from Terminal 10 to Terminal 1. At Terminal 1 there is only one entrance door, and the lines split once you are inside. 

 

Except for the Suites/Pinnacle line to the far right before you get into the terminal.  😉 

[orville99]

35 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Except for the Suites/Pinnacle line to the far right before you get into the terminal.  😉 

True... it is a separate line that goes through the same doors as the main line unlike T10 which had a separate entrance.

[Tulsacoker]

In Seattle two weeks ago, Suites were called to board after Emeralds way down the line... 😄

[island lady]

Waiting to board Harmony yesterday, the suites/Pinnacle area waiting area, was surprised they called "Pinnacles only" before suites to board.  First time I have seen that  with this ship.  Some of the suites people were vocally upset.  Which is silly anyway...matter of a few more minutes.  

[molly361]

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

Waiting to board Harmony yesterday, the suites/Pinnacle area waiting area, was surprised they called "Pinnacles only" before suites to board.  First time I have seen that  with this ship.  Some of the suites people were vocally upset.  Which is silly anyway...matter of a few more minutes.  

I don't really blame them 

[island lady]

6 minutes ago, molly361 said:

I don't really blame them 

 

I still don't get the "me first" mentality of boarding.  We are all going to get on the ship at some point.  It won't leave without them.   It really is just a few minutes in between sets anyway.  

 

One of the last times we were waiting in the front of the lobby with our fellow B2B pax in a separate group...they called us to board first.  Some of "The Key" pax started storming the front and getting very upset/rude with the crew members that we were boarding in front of them.  I thought they were going to come to punches they were so bad.  

 

Yikes...people get a life!!  😮 

[Biker19]

13 minutes ago, island lady said:

I still don't get the "me first" mentality of boarding.  We are all going to get on the ship at some point.

Don't get between someone and their perks.

[orville99]

11 minutes ago, island lady said:

One of the last times we were waiting in the front of the lobby with our fellow B2B pax in a separate group...they called us to board first. 

 The only times we have even been herded back to the lobby to wait was in the 3-4 months just after the restart. On our last 4 B2B turnarounds we went from the ship to customs and then directly back to the ship without ever getting anywhere near to the lobby.

[island lady]

3 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Don't get between someone and their perks.

 

LOL!!   We did get some really dirty looks when we boarded before the suites guests.  😉 

[island lady]

4 minutes ago, orville99 said:

 The only times we have even been herded back to the lobby to wait was in the 3-4 months just after the restart. On our last 4 B2B turnarounds we went from the ship to customs and then directly back to the ship without ever getting anywhere near to the lobby.

 

Nice!  That is the way it should be.  🙂 

 

This is our first cruise since coming back from the summer in Maine.  

 

We are only on for this one week, not enough time in our schedule for a B2B before we board Wonder in a few weeks.  

[RobInMN]

On the Jewel B2B in Amsterdam, never left the ship, nor did anyone come aboard and check anything. We just went to the Theater, they gave us our new cards (and an "In transit" pass), then went to a security podium where the scanned us out with our old card and in with our new card, then sent us on our way. No waiting at all. We were free to roam about, but they did ask us to stay out of the cabin halls until the normal announcement.