Does check in time matter for platinum?

[elmojessi]

Hi!  Last time we cruised was pre-pandemic and our first time as platinum guests.  We checked in online as one normally would, but the actual check in time we were assigned didn’t matter because platinum could board first as “priority guests.”

 

I read somewhere here that platinum guests now get to check in two days earlier than gold/red/blue guests, which has me wondering if check in time is now relevant for everyone?  If not, what’s the benefit of the earlier check in?  

Edited February 13, 2022 by elmojessi

[tcgary]

Yes you get two days earlier and if you arrive before your scheduled time they will send you away, most of the time.

[Elaine5715]

4 minutes ago, elmojessi said:

Hi!  Last time we cruised was pre-pandemic and our first time as platinum guests.  We checked in online as one normally would, but the actual check in time we were assigned didn’t matter because platinum could board first as “priority guests.”

 

I read somewhere here that platinum guests now get to check in two days earlier than gold/red/blue guests, which has me wondering if check in time is now relevant for everyone?  If not, what’s the benefit of the earlier check in?  

Platinum and Diamond guests get a two day advance to select their arrival appointment.  So those who chose could select the earliest arrival appointment.  Some people want to gel on the ship as soon as possible and some don't 

[icft]

Yes, the check in time is now relevant for everyone. They said the change was due to covid. I don't understand how the two are related. But, to be honest, with the reduced number of passengers things have moved as fast or faster on our three post-reopening cruises than in the before times as Diamond with the old priority line.

[Pellaz]

Currently the only boarding advantage for Plats and Diamonds (and suite guests) is your two-day advance window for selecting your "arrival time", but that also determines your boarding time in order.  So, it can be a huge advantage if you DO want to board early.  

 

Having said that, I'm merely a Gold schlub, and I was still able to get the first arrival slot for my upcoming cruise even after waiting those agonizing two days for all the cool cats to book first.   🙂  

[audcc77]

3 hours ago, icft said:

I don't understand how the two are related.

Me neither.  🤷‍♀️

[elmojessi]

7 hours ago, icft said:

We’ll be cruising during spring break, so not sure how much the passenger load will be reduced for us.

 

I’m glad I asked…we like to maximize our time on the ship and it would have never occurred to me that I should prioritize checking in right away!

 

thanks everybody!

[BallFour4]

Here was our most recent experience from Galveston. We had 10:00 - 10:30 check-in and our friends had 10:30 -11:00. Within 15 min of arriving at the terminal we were all seated together.
 
 Our boarding passes had the first boarding group and theirs had the ones to follow. It's not much different than before, but you do need to capture a check-in time on the 48 hour advance window.
 Again, this was from here in Galveston, we haven't cruised from any other port since the return to sailing.

 

.

[dsfitz]

when we cruised from Baltimore on 1/23, I had platinum with my son but my daughter didn't.  We all arrived at my time and all of us were on the ship 10 minutes after we walked in the door.   There was no sitting and waiting for numbers to be called.  They didn't appear to even look at the times.   But, this may have been because our cruise wasn't very full.  Probably can't count on this.

[BlerkOne]

Check in time determines when you are allowed to enter the terminal and also determines your boarding zone. Check in time is not boarding time. When boarding begins, they board by zone numbers.

 

The relationship to covid is it allows Carnival to distance people out. In theory.

[Bostwick girl]

7 hours ago, audcc77 said:

Me neither.  🤷‍♀️

Probably because it takes longer to read thru all your Covid tests and vax cards.

 

[BlerkOne]

11 hours ago, icft said:

 I don't understand how the two are related.

The same relationship applies to the new safety drill procedure but people don't complain about that.

[ninjacat123]

11 hours ago, Pellaz said:

Currently the only boarding advantage for Plats and Diamonds (and suite guests) is your two-day advance window for selecting your "arrival time", but that also determines your boarding time in order.  So, it can be a huge advantage if you DO want to board early.  

 

Having said that, I'm merely a Gold schlub, and I was still able to get the first arrival slot for my upcoming cruise even after waiting those agonizing two days for all the cool cats to book first.   🙂  

On our Sept 21 Magic cruise, passengers in suites were boarded earlier than Plats and Diamonds (unless those Plats and Diamonds were in Suites).  Not a huge difference in time but you do get on board earlier, regardless of Plat or Diamond status just because you purchased a suite.

If you are Plat or Diamond I would suggest looking at your Cruise Manager and locating your online check in date.  For example, if your check in date is April 3, 2022 go to your Cruise Manager on April 2, 2022 at midnight to get the earliest check in and boarding time. FWIW.

[Pellaz]

13 hours ago, dsfitz said:

when we cruised from Baltimore on 1/23, I had platinum with my son but my daughter didn't.  We all arrived at my time and all of us were on the ship 10 minutes after we walked in the door.   There was no sitting and waiting for numbers to be called.  They didn't appear to even look at the times.   But, this may have been because our cruise wasn't very full.  Probably can't count on this.

 

No, and I surely wouldn't count on it.  

 

For our 70% or so capacity Mardi Gras cruise in October, we arrived about 20 minutes before our scheduled time and were asked to wait on the stairs outside the building entrance, which was fine with us; we knew we were early.   🙂   

About ten minutes later after some radio traffic (probably getting word that the inside had emptied out enough) they waved us inside, about ten minutes before our scheduled arrival window.   

After a short wait in line before document-check and security screen, we were on our way.  Ten minutes tops between entering the building and stepping off the gangway onto the ship.  It was nice.  

 

 

11 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

On our Sept 21 Magic cruise, passengers in suites were boarded earlier than Plats and Diamonds (unless those Plats and Diamonds were in Suites).  Not a huge difference in time but you do get on board earlier, regardless of Plat or Diamond status just because you purchased a suite.

 

Good.  Suite passengers on Carnival already get shafted on several fronts (no double-credit for nights at sea, no butler or concierge service as on most other lines, etc.) so this is a nice little perk for them.  

Doesn't really make up for the other stuff, though.  

 

[cathyz]

On 2/13/2022 at 2:08 AM, audcc77 said:

Me neither.  🤷‍♀️

Carnival is trying to spread out the crowds which would happen with all the arrival times if everyone followed the rules, but many don't so not sure how much it helps trying to keep the crowds down.

[1BDNANA]

My DH and I are platinum and the guests in the second room under our booking are gold. We are all arriving together . Would they be included on our time slot or would they have to try for a slot near our time slot?

[ProgRockCruiser]

On 2/13/2022 at 1:45 AM, icft said:

Yes, the check in time is now relevant for everyone. They said the change was due to covid. I don't understand how the two are related.

 

On 2/13/2022 at 12:06 PM, BlerkOne said:

Check in time determines when you are allowed to enter the terminal and also determines your boarding zone. Check in time is not boarding time. When boarding begins, they board by zone numbers.

 

The relationship to covid is it allows Carnival to distance people out. In theory.

Indeed, that is the reasoning.  If a sailing had a large majority of D&Ps (or even just a large number), they could all show up for the first window, and there would be much consternation when they are told to wait outside because the inside of the check-in terminal area was full.

 

22 hours ago, cathyz said:

Carnival is trying to spread out the crowds which would happen with all the arrival times if everyone followed the rules, but many don't so not sure how much it helps trying to keep the crowds down.

If there are excess numbers of people showing up to check in they make you wait outside (sometimes in an orderly fashion, like I observed for our Mardi Gras sailing in Dec).  In theory, if a D&P-heavy sailing has all the D&Ps selecting the first two windows for check-in, then the rest of us hoi polloi wouldn't show up right away with them, instead arriving in an orderly fashion for our time slots.

 

Of course, in practice that simply doesn't happen, but now, from what I have seen, those arriving out of sequence to a crowded terminal are told to wait outside.  Even with us arriving at our allotted time we had to wait because there was some sort of delay to the whole process, and/or impact from the Horizon guests who got shifted to MG due to the Horizon sailing cancellation.

 

The only time you glide right on through when arriving out of sequence is when the terminal isn't full/busy, so why not process you ASAP?

[ProgRockCruiser]

20 minutes ago, 1BDNANA said:

My DH and I are platinum and the guests in the second room under our booking are gold. We are all arriving together . Would they be included on our time slot or would they have to try for a slot near our time slot?

In theory you would check-in and board separately.  (I think - not really sure how it works if all on one booking...)

 

As noted above by another poster, if there are no crowds you may just skate on by.

Edited February 15, 2022 by ProgRockCruiser

[Bostwick girl]

53 minutes ago, 1BDNANA said:

My DH and I are platinum and the guests in the second room under our booking are gold. We are all arriving together . Would they be included on our time slot or would they have to try for a slot near our time slot?

You would get to choose your arrival time slot 16 days out, and they choose 14 days out. Simply choose the same arrival times. They go by arrival time these days, not status.