Scheduled embarkation time

[Singleandnotmingling]

I’ll be sailing on the Meraviglia out of Port Canaveral. I just logged in and see they gave me an embarkation time of 3pm. My flight is landing at 10:10am. Will they allow me To board early, or will I have to sit there for several hours?

[dexddd]

Welcome to CC.

 

They typically after restart have not been enforcing the times and not unusual to have three times given week of sailing via text, email, online.

 

I guess what surprised me is that you are flying if you live in Florida.

[Singleandnotmingling]

1 hour ago, dexddd said:

Welcome to CC.

 

They typically after restart have not been enforcing the times and not unusual to have three times given week of sailing via text, email, online.

 

I guess what surprised me is that you are flying if you live in Florida.

Thank you! Yes, and I’m flying into Orlando after a week in NY 😊

[Tierun]

What experience did you book? YC and Aurea have priority embarkation. They differ in the way they work. YC is personally escorted by a butler whereas Aurea guests have to alert the staff of their status to be shown where to go.

[Singleandnotmingling]

6 hours ago, Tierun said:

What experience did you book? YC and Aurea have priority embarkation. They differ in the way they work. YC is personally escorted by a butler whereas Aurea guests have to alert the staff of their status to be shown where to go.

Bella

[diverward]

14 hours ago, Tierun said:

What experience did you book? YC and Aurea have priority embarkation. They differ in the way they work. YC is personally escorted by a butler whereas Aurea guests have to alert the staff of their status to be shown where to go.

What about Diamond Status guests? Do they have priority embarkation as well? This is documented on the website for the Voyagers' Club Information. Thank you.

[ChattTenn]

We are Black Card members with MSC.  Our cruise won't be 80+ days away Fanstatica experience and but MSC assigned our  1500 check in time !!.  Is MSC always assigned that time for EVERYONE (not YC)??  Anyway can we change the boarding time?.  Any advise from the experts on this board?.

Our last cruise with MSC (first time with them) we got the same boarding time too but due to low passengers count (1900+ Divina) they did not enforce the check in time.

Thank you.

Edited September 12, 2022 by ChattTenn

[kelleherdl]

1 minute ago, ChattTenn said:

We are Black Card members with MSC.  Our cruise won't be 80+ days away and but MSC assigned our  1500 check in time (??).  Is MSC always assigned that time for EVERYONE (not YC)??  Anyway can we change the boarding time?.  Any advise from the experts on this board?.

Our last cruise with MSC (first time with them) we got the same boarding time too but due to low passengers count (1900+ Divina) they did not enforce time check in time.

Thank you.

Your currently assigned 1500 time will DEFINITELY be changed prior to sailing. If you are sailing from Miami and Port Canaveral check-in times will generally be moved at least to earlier than 2:30. Depending on cruise departure time the doors to the terminal will be closed approximately 90 minutes prior to planned sailing to fully clear the manifest for immigration control. Please do not risk missing your cruise  by showing up at the terminal too close to the sailing time. Trust me, some passengers are turned away after the terminal is ‘closed.’ 

 

When you do get to the terminal identify yourself as Diamond. I do know that Port Canaveral is now able to offer priority check-in for Diamond members. The removal of the unusual COVID lines has opened things up. I haven’t sailed from Miami in the last two months.

[JAGR]

As other have said, the time will change.  I suspect that 1500 is a placeholder.  We are in YC on Meraviglia at the end of October and also have 1500 as our time.

Edited September 12, 2022 by JAGR

[hamrag]

2 hours ago, JAGR said:

As other have said, the time will change.  I suspect that 1500 is a placeholder.  We are in YC on Meraviglia at the end of October and also have 1500 as our time.

Go at 10.30.....I know you already know this....it's more for the benefit of those who don't!

 

I recall pitching up for YC on the Preziosa Feb 2019 in Barbados. This, as JAGR knows, is part of the Caribbean Antilles cruise, and main boarding was Martinique Saturday and Guadeloupe Sunday. Barbados, fortnightly on a Tuesday, seems only to be available to Brits.

 

So, the package sold to the masses in GB is a charter flight on boarding day arriving late afternoon and boarding early evening. We booked our flights independently, flying out a few days pre-cruise, and pitched up to the ship in Barbados at 10.30am....no, one, and I mean no one not even YC are prepared for us believing all will be on the charter flight!!

 

We announce it's YC for us, a call is made and within 15 minutes we're onboard but they were definitely unprepared and bemused. By the time we got our lunch of large prawn and steak freshly cooked on the grill we were on our way. Fabulous it was, and about 8 hours later the (delayed) charter flight boarders arrived whilst we were sat at dinner in the YC restaurant! We loved it.

 

So much so, we are scheduled to repeat this cruise late November.  😊

[JAGR]

7 minutes ago, hamrag said:

Go at 10.30.....I know you already know this....it's more for the benefit of those who don't!

 

I recall pitching up for YC on the Preziosa Feb 2019 in Barbados. This, as JAGR knows, is part of the Caribbean Antilles cruise, and main boarding was Martinique Saturday and Guadeloupe Sunday. Barbados, fortnightly on a Tuesday, seems only to be available to Brits.

 

So, the package sold to the masses in GB is a charter flight on boarding day arriving late afternoon and boarding early evening. We booked our flights independently, flying out a few days pre-cruise, and pitched up to the ship in Barbados at 10.30am....no, one, and I mean no one not even YC are prepared for us believing all will be on the charter flight!!

 

We announce it's YC for us, a call is made and within 15 minutes we're onboard but they were definitely unprepared and bemused. By the time we got our lunch of large prawn and steak freshly cooked on the grill we were on our way. Fabulous it was, and about 8 hours later the (delayed) charter flight boarders arrived whilst we were sat at dinner in the YC restaurant! We loved it.

 

So much so, we are scheduled to repeat this cruise late November.  😊

The Bajans are so friendly, it is well worth spending a few days there for a pre-cruise visit.  We just love how easy it is to get around, and how dramatic the differences of windward and leeward coastal areas.

[hamrag]

8 minutes ago, JAGR said:

The Bajans are so friendly, it is well worth spending a few days there for a pre-cruise visit.  We just love how easy it is to get around, and how dramatic the differences of windward and leeward coastal areas.

Absolutely, although TBH it's about getting used to the new time zone, but yes they are a marvellous people. 

 

Thanks.

[JAGR]

3 minutes ago, hamrag said:

Absolutely, although TBH it's about getting used to the new time zone, but yes they are a marvellous people. 

 

Thanks.

I would have thought the judicious use of 18-year old Glen Moray or GlenDronach Revival would help to handle any time change!😉

[hamrag]

1 minute ago, JAGR said:

I would have thought the judicious use of 18-year old Glen Moray or GlenDronach Revival would help to handle any time change!😉

Uncharacteristically, for a Scot, Malt whisky is not a drink of preference for me but your point is well made nevertheless! 🙂 Thanks.

[JAGR]

6 minutes ago, hamrag said:

Uncharacteristically, for a Scot, Malt whisky is not a drink of preference for me but your point is well made nevertheless! 🙂 Thanks.

I shall light a candle for you tonight!

 

[kelleherdl]

2 hours ago, hamrag said:

Go at 10.30.....I know you already know this....it's more for the benefit of those who don't!

 

I recall pitching up for YC on the Preziosa Feb 2019 in Barbados. This, as JAGR knows, is part of the Caribbean Antilles cruise, and main boarding was Martinique Saturday and Guadeloupe Sunday. Barbados, fortnightly on a Tuesday, seems only to be available to Brits.

 

So, the package sold to the masses in GB is a charter flight on boarding day arriving late afternoon and boarding early evening. We booked our flights independently, flying out a few days pre-cruise, and pitched up to the ship in Barbados at 10.30am....no, one, and I mean no one not even YC are prepared for us believing all will be on the charter flight!!

 

We announce it's YC for us, a call is made and within 15 minutes we're onboard but they were definitely unprepared and bemused. By the time we got our lunch of large prawn and steak freshly cooked on the grill we were on our way. Fabulous it was, and about 8 hours later the (delayed) charter flight boarders arrived whilst we were sat at dinner in the YC restaurant! We loved it.

 

So much so, we are scheduled to repeat this cruise late November.  😊

If you want to do it again in two years we’ll do it again as well.  Truly one my favorite itineraries. Next time I will try and wrangle one of those vaunted Barbados departures. Getting to Martinique is a pain.  
 

We are doing the Seaside repo to Port Canaveral after you in April.  Don’t use up all the good cheer in YC. Unfortunately, out of Fort de France. 😢

 

Dennis

[ChattTenn]

Thanks everyone for the advises.  We will wait and print the docs later on and hope with a new check in time.

[hamrag]

17 minutes ago, kelleherdl said:

If you want to do it again in two years we’ll do it again as well.  Truly one my favorite itineraries. Next time I will try and wrangle one of those vaunted Barbados departures. Getting to Martinique is a pain.  

Can you not book it on a UK website? Agree, it's a great itinerary enabling a quick couple of hours into port most days with a rapid return to the sanctuary of the YC....absolutely wonderful. And remember, for us it's an opportunity for some much needed winter sunshine which you can enjoy pretty much year round in FL. 

[iwtobek]

7 hours ago, JAGR said:

As other have said, the time will change.  I suspect that 1500 is a placeholder.  We are in YC on Meraviglia at the end of October and also have 1500 as our time.

Maybe a silly question, but: how do I know that their port arrival time changed?

(Still struggling with the MSC app and website. Highly confused.)

[JAGR]

15 hours ago, iwtobek said:

Maybe a silly question, but: how do I know that their port arrival time changed?

(Still struggling with the MSC app and website. Highly confused.)

Port arrival time doesn't vary too much, at least here in the US  The last port of call before arriving at home port is usually very close by.  Remember, though, that arrival time isn't the critical factor on boarding time, at least in the US.  Here,  all passengers (even those traveling back-to-back) must exit the ship before passenger boarding can begin for the next cruise.

[ChattTenn]

On 9/12/2022 at 5:15 PM, iwtobek said:

Maybe a silly question, but: how do I know that their port arrival time changed?

(Still struggling with the MSC app and website. Highly confused.)

I went back MSC site to MODIFY passenger information and let them sending me another ticket then found out they changed the arrival time from 3PM to 10 AM!!.  It is a little early but it was the same on last year October due to the low passengers count they did not check the arrival time.

[hamrag]

On 9/13/2022 at 2:03 PM, JAGR said:

....Remember, though, that arrival time isn't the critical factor on boarding time, at least in the US.  Here,  all passengers (even those traveling back-to-back) must exit the ship before passenger boarding can begin for the next cruise.

True, and this reminds me of a B2B HAL cruise we did probably more than 5 years ago. We all headed out, and there were two utterly selfish guests who somehow managed to get away with keeping everyone back in a holding area for over an hour! First world problem, I know.

[GA Dave]

FYI for the Meraviglia cruise tomorrow.  This is from somebody on the ship doing a B2B:

 

"Just a heads up for those who are intending to arrive early hoping to get on early. I am on the ship now and staying on for the next 10 days and they told us that we will have to get off and no one will be allowed back on until after noon. So, I am assuming that no one new will be embarking before that either. They are doing a full Coast Guard inspection since the ship just arrived back in US waters, and they also have to convert the entire ship over to US dollars from euros. Every single menu, sign, banner, price tag, online stuff in the app and anything else you could think of. It’s going to be a frenetic day for them.  Honestly, I won’t be shocked if boarding isn’t delayed even more. It’s a lot to do in a few hours.

[luvavacation]

Well that totally stinks.  We had hoped to get on around 11, as that is what we have done on our previous cruises.  Now my boarding pass says 3.  It is already a short cruise, taking away 4 hours of exploration on board with early pool time shortens it even more. Not to mention, denying my taste buds the gelato even longer today!

 

I know it can't be helped, and what must be done must be done; I am grateful to be able to go on a cruise, I just had to whine a little.😆

[kelleherdl]

And I think that since this is a full transatlantic immigration and customs will take a little longer for disembarkation. This is just a reality for cruises that are not closed-loop and that are reentering the US market, and US Coast Guard certification. This is not anything all that unique to MSC.

 

The Seaside repositioning cruises from the French Antilles to Port Canaveral were ‘cancelled’ to accommodate some of these requirements. We were on that cruise until it was cancelled. 😢