Online check in time window opens...

[bartzcrew]

I have searched what I feel everywhere, and other than one item from quite awhile ago that says 12 am EST, I cannot find anything. 

Does anyone know, just wondering how late I will stay up tonight....

thanks all

[TNcruising02]

Yes, it it just after midnight eastern time.  I'm central time, so I was able to check in right after 11 pm.

[bartzcrew]

Thanks, I'm in AZ, so around 10 here, I can do that and not be exhausted tomorrow, well worth it, thanks again!

[TNcruising02]

11 minutes ago, bartzcrew said:

Thanks, I'm in AZ, so around 10 here, I can do that and not be exhausted tomorrow, well worth it, thanks again!

It was worth it to me.  I got the earliest appointment time, although my boarding zone is A02.  I figured it would be A01, but maybe I was too slow.  It took me about ten minutes to enter everything.  But A02 is called so quickly after A01 that it's insignificant.  I will reach platinum this cruise, so I was able to check in 16 days out instead of 14.

Edited February 17, 2022 by TNcruising02

[bartzcrew]

Just now, TNcruising02 said:

It was worth it to me.  I got the earliest appointment time, although my boarding zone is A02.  It figured it would be A01, but maybe I was too slow.  It took me about ten minutes to enter everything.  But A02 is called so quickly after A01 that it's insignificant.

We upgraded to a suite, so I am not sure how that would affect, but would much rather have an earlier time, less wait for Guys.....It been just over 2 years since I have had one, well when we get on board, it will have been 2 years and 1 day, but who's counting!

[TNcruising02]

1 minute ago, bartzcrew said:

We upgraded to a suite, so I am not sure how that would affect, but would much rather have an earlier time, less wait for Guys.....It been just over 2 years since I have had one, well when we get on board, it will have been 2 years and 1 day, but who's counting!

I think suites board first, so you are golden.  Enjoy!!

[keywest1]

9 hours ago, bartzcrew said:

We upgraded to a suite, so I am not sure how that would affect, but would much rather have an earlier time, less wait for Guys.....It been just over 2 years since I have had one, well when we get on board, it will have been 2 years and 1 day, but who's counting!

Same here.  We got an email saying we have priority boarding.  BTW, you can log in and go down to check in time and get that selected before completing the rest of your information.  

[dbrucern]

11 hours ago, bartzcrew said:

I have searched what I feel everywhere, and other than one item from quite awhile ago that says 12 am EST, I cannot find anything. 

Does anyone know, just wondering how late I will stay up tonight....

thanks all

I'm up too tonight, it opens at midnight eastern time

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

How soon does this open before your cruise now? We haven't in a while.

[Colorado Cruzer]

13 minutes ago, Gamecock_Cruiser said:

How soon does this open before your cruise now? We haven't in a while.

it states your check in date on your cruise planner I think.  Mine is FEB 26th for a March 12th cruise as an example

[bartzcrew]

28 minutes ago, Gamecock_Cruiser said:

How soon does this open before your cruise now? We haven't in a while.

It's 14 days prior for online check in. But we have a suite. So we were able to do it at 16. And I got right in at 10 pm az time last night! But it does show in your cruise manager as well. 

[mondello]

29 minutes ago, Gamecock_Cruiser said:

How soon does this open before your cruise now? We haven't in a while.

14 days before your cruise at 12:00am EST; 16 days for Platinum/Diamond, they get a 2 day head start since priority boarding is suspended. Suites do board first.

[groundloop]

I used to play the game of staying up until midnight to snag the earliest possible check in time, but have decided it's not worth the effort.  

 

With an early check-in time you'll arrive within your appointed time slot, maybe a little before, only to find the terminal already crowded with people, many of whom have later time slots.  Nobody checks the times on your boarding pass so those folks who arrive an hour or two early will clog up the terminal for everyone else.  

 

Boarding almost never starts on time, so you'll sit in a crowded terminal holding your carry on luggage for 45 minutes to an hour before you can board.  Then when you finally do get to board you'll have to find a place to sit with all of your belongings until the announcement is made at around 1:30 that cabins are ready.

 

If you had a later boarding time, 12:30 or 1:00 for instance, the rush would be over and you could stroll right through the check-in process, onto the ship, check in at your muster station and then go to your cabin.  

[bar1068]

2 hours ago, groundloop said:

I used to play the game of staying up until midnight to snag the earliest possible check in time, but have decided it's not worth the effort.  

 

With an early check-in time you'll arrive within your appointed time slot, maybe a little before, only to find the terminal already crowded with people, many of whom have later time slots.  Nobody checks the times on your boarding pass so those folks who arrive an hour or two early will clog up the terminal for everyone else.  

 

Boarding almost never starts on time, so you'll sit in a crowded terminal holding your carry on luggage for 45 minutes to an hour before you can board.  Then when you finally do get to board you'll have to find a place to sit with all of your belongings until the announcement is made at around 1:30 that cabins are ready.

 

If you had a later boarding time, 12:30 or 1:00 for instance, the rush would be over and you could stroll right through the check-in process, onto the ship, check in at your muster station and then go to your cabin.  

Yea...I may not agree 100% with all of that. Our last cruise was on the Magic out of Port Canaveral. Being retired, hanging out until midnight is a moot issue. But, being we do posses grey cards(I don't dare say the "P" word), it does lack once arriving at the port. Another thing that compounds the confusion the morning of, is the last cruise disembarking. So, not only was the outside of the terminal a total cluster with those showing up for our departing cruise, mixed in were folks still getting off from the last cruise. It was wonderful. Anyway, we took our spot in the appropriate crowded line outside the terminal, when an announcement was made that those that were "P's" and "D's" to come into the terminal, which we did. From there the biggest "hassle" we had was with the guy doing the carry on  bag scanning, convincing him the 2 bottles of wine we had were legit, that we could "legally" bring them on. We figured he probably just worked at the port, did not know Carnival's policies from Disney or RCL or whoever. All was settled, we moved to have our doc's verified and yes, did have a seat in the terminal, with our "carry ons" parked next to us. We waited maybe 30 minutes before boarding. Once boarded, we we able to drop our carry on luggage in our cabin, which appeared ready, but we just left our bags and returned a couple of hours later. If I recall, we were onboard by 11, not that, that is all of that special, but we sort of enjoy the few minutes the ship is less full...and then....it's not.

 

This all may have been a one time deal that day, who knows. And I can't really say it was due to waiting until exactly midnight to check in for the earliest check in time, but, our next cruise coming up in April, we'll probably wait until midnight, 2 whole days before the....um....normal people can check in, check in, and may decide the morning of the cruise, meeah....we'll just wait until things calm down.

[bartzcrew]

3 hours ago, groundloop said:

If you had a later boarding time, 12:30 or 1:00 for instance, the rush would be over and you could stroll right through the check-in process, onto the ship, check in at your muster station and then go to your cabin.  

Earliest spots for this cruise, were noon. Kinda odd, but I will take it. 

[travelplus]

I did not have to stay up till midnight for my checkin! I for the Panorama had all my info ready to go passport# Credit Card for incidentals etc..I got a 1:30 PM checkin time 

[NanoGirl21]

On 2/17/2022 at 10:15 AM, groundloop said:

I used to play the game of staying up until midnight to snag the earliest possible check in time, but have decided it's not worth the effort.  

 

With an early check-in time you'll arrive within your appointed time slot, maybe a little before, only to find the terminal already crowded with people, many of whom have later time slots.  Nobody checks the times on your boarding pass so those folks who arrive an hour or two early will clog up the terminal for everyone else.  

 

Boarding almost never starts on time, so you'll sit in a crowded terminal holding your carry on luggage for 45 minutes to an hour before you can board.  Then when you finally do get to board you'll have to find a place to sit with all of your belongings until the announcement is made at around 1:30 that cabins are ready.

 

If you had a later boarding time, 12:30 or 1:00 for instance, the rush would be over and you could stroll right through the check-in process, onto the ship, check in at your muster station and then go to your cabin.  

 

Thank you for this! I picked a 12:00 check in time based on your comment. This is my first cruise.

[mondello]

37 minutes ago, NanoGirl21 said:

 

Thank you for this! I picked a 12:00 check in time based on your comment. This is my first cruise.

You'll be fine. There will be hundreds of people in the mid-day crush but, they have a huge number of agents working the check-in counter and it moves quickly. Have a great cruise!