Check in....do at midnight or early in the morning

[Biker19]

6 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

 If we show up at 10:30ish can we drop off our luggage then and hang out in our car until 11?   

Yes, though others will likely be lined up already. 

[D41]

8 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

I am the OP.  I slept in my recliner thinking I would wake up during the night and check in and then go to bed after.  Well, I guess I have a comfy chair as I didn't wake up until 5:30. Lol.  I still got 11 am check in, so all is well.  I guess 11 is the earliest time?  When should we show up at the parking deck?  I hear Port Canaveral parking can be difficult.  If we show up at 10:30ish can we drop off our luggage then and hang out in our car until 11?   

I am guessing we will see you there! this is my first time getting such an early time as well.port canaveral parking is easy. they will guide you to either drop off luggage first or park first, depending on what flow is working for them. we have been a few times recently and have never had a problem. each of those times we arrived between 11 @ 12.

[sml3]

I checked in early and earliest slot was 1 pm. I kept checking back and about a week later 10:30 opened up. This was on the Odyssey.

[RoperDK]

What is the first available time? We are on Mariner out of PC and in a JS.

[iuki]

I’m confused.  We haven’t cruised since 2019.  We could check-in online whenever the documents were ready.  What has changed?

[ONECRUISER]

On 1/25/2022 at 7:24 PM, firefly333 said:

11 pm here in texas is midnight in miami and can check in.

 

Every cruise I've been late checking in because I was on a cruise

One reasons like being in Arizona, even my Retirement Check comes in earlier time. Cruises released at 3am, no problem in Az time it's just midnite where I'm still up to get my choice Cabin

[Biker19]

36 minutes ago, iuki said:

I’m confused. We could check-in online whenever the documents were ready.  What has changed?

Documents have nothing to do with it (and now they come later) - check in opens at 45 days out, most of the time.

[gsc500]

Does check in have to be done on an APP?  Or can it be done on a laptop?  I have 3 cabins to check in for.

 

Thanks.

 

[davekathy]

14 minutes ago, gsc500 said:

Does check in have to be done on an APP?  Or can it be done on a laptop?  I have 3 cabins to check in for.

 

Thanks.

 

No and yes. 

[Florida Glamazon]

Ok, so I will be waking up at my usual horrid (only freaks and farmers are up now dagnabbit) time for work and checking in.

But if we have the key, do we still have to wait until 11:30 if I snag an 11:30 check in time?

If I try to board earlier will the earth open up and swallow all the bad insurance commercials?

[davekathy]

2 hours ago, gsc500 said:

Does check in have to be done on an APP?  Or can it be done on a laptop?  I have 3 cabins to check in for.

 

Thanks.

 

Forgot to mention. If you check in on your laptop all the info will populate on the app and vice versa. The muster drill will need to be done on your phone using the app or when you board the ship on your cabins TV. 

Edited January 27, 2022 by davekathy

[davekathy]

I did our check in (26 Jan) for our fist leg of our 13 March B2B cruise at 9:00 MST. 

Edited January 27, 2022 by davekathy

[gsc500]

1 hour ago, davekathy said:

Forgot to mention. If you check in on your laptop all the info will populate on the app and vice versa. The muster drill will need to be done on your phone using the app or when you board the ship on your cabins TV. 

 

Does everyone need the app to do the muster drill?  We are traveling with 6 people. My dad doesn't even have a cell phone...

 

I have it downloaded to my phone. Do I need to make everyone else who has a phone download it?

Edited January 27, 2022 by gsc500

[Biker19]

6 hours ago, gsc500 said:

 

Does everyone need the app to do the muster drill?  We are traveling with 6 people. My dad doesn't even have a cell phone...

 

I have it downloaded to my phone. Do I need to make everyone else who has a phone download it?

As mentioned, you can do it on the cabin TV - if you want it done before having access to the cabin, yes, you'd have to do it on the app. Depending on the ship, you might have public tablets in a couple of locations on which you could do it.

[poocher]

Ok, at midnight I started hitting the blue check in button on the app home page, nothing but that “still working on the fun” message.  12:05 opened the website & check in was live. Clicked on it and it populated with everyone in both linked reservations but did not let me skip to arrival time.  Back to the app, blue button still didn’t work.  Swiped to the little person page and HALLELUJAH!  There was the real check in button.  All 6 of us showed, had to select arrival time for each individually but got 11am for us all.  Thanks for the hand holding here!

Edited January 27, 2022 by poocher

[Starry Eyes]

1 hour ago, poocher said:

Ok, at midnight I started hitting the blue check in button on the app home page, nothing but that “still working on the fun” message.  12:05 opened the website & check in was live. Clicked on it and it populated with everyone in both linked reservations but did not let me skip to arrival time.  Back to the app, blue button still didn’t work.  Swiped to the little person page and HALLELUJAH!  There was the real check in button.  All 6 of us showed, had to select arrival time for each individually but got 11am for us all.  Thanks for the hand holding here!

You found one advantage the app…skip straight to arrival time…do the rest of checkin at leisure.  Of course, you also found the frustration of the app…when it does not behave as expected.  Glad it worked and hope you still got a good nights sleep.

[cruisegirl1]

Getting the first or second slot makes little difference in the end.  The check-in only gets you in the terminal, not the ship.   

 

They do NOT board by check-in time, but rather by group. 

 

Example -recently  at Port Canaveral - Our check in time was 11:00.  That is generally the time you are allowed in the terminal.    We were allowed in the terminal shortly before 11.  Once inside were directed to an actual check-in line.  Then directed to sit and wait in a specific area segregated by boarding category.  We waited till about NOON for the first group to be called.  Of course, times may vary slightly from sailing to sailing 

 

Those with an 11:30 or noon check-in are eventually in the same seating area as those with the 11:00 check-in.  Because of when boarding starts, someone with an 11:30 check-in may get on the ship prior to someone with the 11:00 check-in because of their particular boarding group.   

 

For Port Canaveral -

Once in the terminal building, boarding is done by group, with no regard to what time you checked in.  (Think airport - it doesn't matter what time you get to the gate; boarding is done in some order).  If B2B cruisers are in the terminal, they go back on first. Once the boarding begins there is just a few minutes between each group.  

The boarding order generally is: 

Suite/Pinnacle

Key

Diamond Plus

Diamond

Emerald

Platinum

Gold

All others

 

 

 Hope this helps. 

 

M

Edited January 27, 2022 by cruisegirl1

[Tatka]

We check-in as early as it becomes available. We are already checked in for cruise in March. 🙂

You do not need to perform full check in, you can pick only boarding time.

[Tatka]

I do not think they are boarding people by C&A status now.

[poocher]

Well we are all in suites so should be one of the first on.

[Starry Eyes]

21 minutes ago, Tatka said:

I do not think they are boarding people by C&A status now.

I can verify cruisegirl1’s observation of C&A boarding groups at port Canaveral.  In December were a part way back in a long line for 11 am check in; many in front though there seemed to be plenty behind us.  As we completed our formalities, they were calling suites.  DH needed a restroom break.  Upon exiting the restroom, I informed him they had called D+, so we headed toward the ship.  Diamonds and lower who were in line before us were seated in waiting area, though our week they had not been seated very long.  People in 11:30 group probably walked right on.  Had the ship needed longer to begin boarding, more people would have been seated and seated for longer, as cruisegirl1 experienced.

[vacationlover_mn]

I checked in around 9:30 am central, the day check in opened up.  I got 10:30am.  DH didn’t check in till 10, and he got 11am.