Do we need to prioritize getting onboard?

[gzmtlock]

Cruising on the Escape in January with my adult daughter.  We have the stateroom we want, thermal suite passes, dining reservations and excursions that we like.  We may want to schedule manicures on the first sea day.  We do want to do shows. 

 

We're spending the night before at WDW (using DVC points I would otherwise lose) and driving a rental car to Port Canaveral Saturday morning. 

 

I'm already clear on why we might want to sleep in at WDW and not rush to get on the ship.  😁  And not stay up late to get an early PAT at 21 days pre board.  👍

 

What opportunities might we be losing if we take our own sweet time to get aboard?

[debenson0723]

The only disadvantage is the ability to reserve the shows you want to see.  I personally have never had an issue getting to see the shows on the Escape but I get on before noon and it's the first thing I do. We don't do the comedy shows but have heard those are harder to reserve the later you board.

My other non ship concern would be the drive...any type of accident could delay your arrival. If you are familiar with it and know alternate routes to PC, then that won't be a problem either.

Enjoy your cruise!

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, gzmtlock said:

What opportunities might we be losing if we take our own sweet time to get aboard?

Dining reservations, if you have not made them all at 120 days prior to departure. Comedy show reservation. 

 

We do the same thing, stay down near Disney Springs and driver over in the morning, dropping our car rental at the port. But, we always get an early start to be at the port by 9:30ish. 

[gzmtlock]

Thanks to you both!

Not worried about travel to port.  We're both morning people, and "sleeping in" likely means not later than 8 am.  😂  We got the dining reservations we most wanted.  We do love a good comedy show, so it might be worth it to stay up and get our port time at midnight on day 21.  My hesitation is that day 21 is a long travel day to make a day visit to family during the holidays.  So staying up late the night before is not ideal.

The whole reason for the cruise, we both have a desperate desire for a break from high stress jobs.  We're gonna unplug, relax, and rejuvenate.  No stress allowed.  (Here we come, thermal spa!)  I'll just decide on day 22 if I'm staying up or not, and run with it. 

Thanks again for the helpful info. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

6 hours ago, gzmtlock said:

So staying up late the night before is not ideal.

Go to bed, set an alarm for midnight EST, spend ten minutes checking in, go back to bed?

[Kim L]

On Tuesday this week was my day to check in for my Jan 3 cruise on the Encore. I didn't get up at 12:01am to check in, I did it about 6am and had no problem selecting the time I wanted which was 10-10:30. The 9 was available but don't want to wait in the terminal that long. 

[gzmtlock]

2 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Go to bed, set an alarm for midnight EST, spend ten minutes checking in, go back to bed?

Thanks for the suggestion.  Knowing myself, the likelihood for failure in getting checked in smoothly and/or getting back to sleep easily makes this option less attractive to me.

2 hours ago, Kim L said:

On Tuesday this week was my day to check in for my Jan 3 cruise on the Encore. I didn't get up at 12:01am to check in, I did it about 6am and had no problem selecting the time I wanted which was 10-10:30. The 9 was available but don't want to wait in the terminal that long. 

Helpful info, thanks!  I'm more likely to be able to get up early than stay up late.  This looks like my best bet, to balance healthful choices on day 21 with entertainment opportunities while onboard.  

[phillygwm]

I've found the check-in times not to be enforced so no need to get up at midnight, especially if it isn't your intent to get an early slot.

 

I want to be among the first onboard; just my personality to be early for everything.  But you already have the dining reservations you want.  If you're flexible about when you attend the shows you shouldn't have an issue if you board in the afternoon.

[Sailing12Away]

Guess I'm in the minority. We try to intentionally NOT get to the ship before 11am as the likelihood of getting onto the actual ship is slim to none. I'd rather take my time getting there when the rush of folks has come and gone, and when I'm checked in just walk right on board instead of sitting and waiting and waiting and waiting.

 

Having said that, I've never been in a rush to do my check-in beyond being able to say it's 'done', and usually when I remember to do it around 8-9am there are still plenty of options available to me earlier than 11am if I wanted them. Guess it all depends on the sailing and ship you'll be on and what your fellow travelers are thinking.

 

I'm in the camp voting for waking up a smidge earlier than normal if it's important to you. 

[IronRobi]

On 12/15/2022 at 10:50 PM, debenson0723 said:

The only disadvantage is the ability to reserve the shows you want to see.  I personally have never had an issue getting to see the shows on the Escape but I get on before noon and it's the first thing I do.

Just off the escape a few weeks back. They would only allow you to book 2 shows out of all the theatre shows, comedy shows and supper club. Not 2 from each category, but 2 total. They want to "ensure space for all guests". 

 

I was disappointed when we could no longer do this pre-cruise, and even more disappointed when I was told this once boarding. Ultimately we were able to get in to any venue we wanted via the standby line. But that involved showing up 30mins prior and standing in line for 15+ minutes before every show.

[Treasure Hunter]

What! That’s terrible and very stressful. Why should lazy slugs get into shows before those that plan!😁

[graphicguy]

52 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Guess I'm in the minority. We try to intentionally NOT get to the ship before 11am as the likelihood of getting onto the actual ship is slim to none. I'd rather take my time getting there when the rush of folks has come and gone, and when I'm checked in just walk right on board instead of sitting and waiting and waiting and waiting.

 

Having said that, I've never been in a rush to do my check-in beyond being able to say it's 'done', and usually when I remember to do it around 8-9am there are still plenty of options available to me earlier than 11am if I wanted them. Guess it all depends on the sailing and ship you'll be on and what your fellow travelers are thinking.

 

I'm in the camp voting for waking up a smidge earlier than normal if it's important to you. 

Amen to that.  Rush, rush, rush and wait.  I don’t see the sense in that.

 

Get there around 11-ish.  Walk in…check in….walk on.

[RocketMan275]

13 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Amen to that.  Rush, rush, rush and wait.  I don’t see the sense in that.

 

Get there around 11-ish.  Walk in…check in….walk on.

We used to be among those standing outside the port when they first opened the doors.

Then we discovered we didn't get on board significantly before those who arrived later and didn't have to stand there waiting.

On our next cruise on Breakaway we don't intend leaving the hotel until checkout time.  The hotel room is much more comfortable than sitting in those plastic chairs.

[IronRobi]

We booked our last check-in time for noon. Figured we could sleep in a little, have a nice breakfast, and make the hour drive from Orlando to the Port without much stress. Dropped off the rental car to budget, hopped on the shuttle, got to the port and the lineup for security was wrapped right around the building. Hundreds of people just lined up outside in the sun. I felt defeated. Gave the porters a decent tip ($20 for 4 bags, not huge but fair) because those guys work hard, and I think we were the only ones on our little shuttle that did. The guy said "come with me" and walked right up to the NCL security guy at the front of that huge line, gave him a nod, and they opened the little divider and sent us up the escalator and into the building. 20 minute or so line inside for security, walked right up to the counter to get our ship cards then walked straight onto the ship.

 

Moral of the story.... noon may be a little late, I'll try 11 next time. And good things come from tipping the porters!

[RocketMan275]

15 hours ago, IronRobi said:

Moral of the story.... noon may be a little late, I'll try 11 next time. And good things come from tipping the porters!

Or noon maybe a little early.

I've had porters escort me to the front of the customs lines after a tip.

[gzmtlock]

On 12/17/2022 at 10:02 AM, IronRobi said:

Just off the escape a few weeks back. They would only allow you to book 2 shows out of all the theatre shows, comedy shows and supper club. Not 2 from each category, but 2 total.

This is disappointing - and super helpful.  There's no way we're going to spend hours in crowds to reserve just two shows.  Or, I should say, hours in crowds when we don't have to.  There will be plenty of that once onboard!  It looks like our cruise is at 95+% capacity - all Haven booked, only a handful of balcony cabins left.  

Our best start to a cruise was a few years back.  On a ship we'd been on before, out of Miami.  Dropped the rental car at the airport, took the shuttle to the ship, arrived about 1 pm, and breezed through check in.  Didn't have to wait in line at all for anything.  It was awesome.

Feels like it's time to repeat that approach. . . with the longer drive, we may arrive a bit earlier and leave ourselves some buffer for "unexpecteds."  

 

On 12/17/2022 at 8:37 PM, IronRobi said:

We booked our last check-in time for noon. Figured we could sleep in a little, have a nice breakfast, and make the hour drive from Orlando to the Port without much stress. Dropped off the rental car to budget, hopped on the shuttle, got to the port and the lineup for security was wrapped right around the building. Hundreds of people just lined up outside in the sun. I felt defeated. Gave the porters a decent tip ($20 for 4 bags, not huge but fair) because those guys work hard, and I think we were the only ones on our little shuttle that did. The guy said "come with me" and walked right up to the NCL security guy at the front of that huge line, gave him a nod, and they opened the little divider and sent us up the escalator and into the building. 20 minute or so line inside for security, walked right up to the counter to get our ship cards then walked straight onto the ship.

 

Moral of the story.... noon may be a little late, I'll try 11 next time. And good things come from tipping the porters!

 

I always tip the porters - they do work hard!!  If it leads to a pleasant outcome for me, that's icing on the cake.

[weltek]

On the Encore last week we were to port at 11:10, breezed through security with just a few people in front and behind us, no wait to check in at the port desk. We were seated around 11:25 in the waiting area, and they started boarding guests needing assistance at 11:35. Platinum and above boarding was around 11:45. There were about 4,100 people on our sailing.

For disembarkation, it was much longer than I was expecting (and I'm an experienced cruiser). We were priority escorted off in the first group after self-service walk off. Everyone had to go through a customs line and have their passport viewed. I thought facial recognition was going to make it go quicker at POM, but that wasn't our experience. Long lines, for sure. And MIA was a zoo at the security checkpoint. If you didn't have TSA Precheck or Clear, your wait was probably a good 45 minutes just to get through security. So, remember if you have a flight before 11, you need to carry your bags off and do self-walk off as soon as available. Things can get hairy after that.

Edited December 20, 2022 by weltek

[RocketMan275]

My wife didn't want to get Global Entry.

We were in a long security line at FLL

On one wall was a sign that said Global Entry with only two people in line.

Wife said, get us that GE as soon as we get home.

[phauenstein]

Our trip in September, we booked a mid-afternoon boarding.  The line was super long and we arrived almost an hour before our scheduled time.  We waited a long time to get on.  We didn't realize that the shows had to be booked, prior to COVID, it was always first come until it was full.  So when we finally decided which nights a show would work for us a couple days in, there was nothing we could get.  This coming trip we're doing a Haven Suite.  We have to check out of our San Juan hotel between 8am and 11am, so we are planning to arrive sometime early, with Haven we should walk right on, that way we can get to the concierge and have lunch on board.

[RocketMan275]

7 hours ago, phauenstein said:

 We have to check out of our San Juan hotel between 8am and 11am, so we are planning to arrive sometime early, with Haven we should walk right on, that way we can get to the concierge and have lunch on board.

Not necessarily and depends upon the port.  For example, at NOLA there is only one line for security and you have to go through that before checking in.  We arrived at 0945 and stood in line for security until after 1100.

[Langham1865]

Well... aside from booking something not booked.  Aside from the longer you wait to start the drive, there could be something along the drive to delay you.  

 

The reason I would get onboard, is I personally would rather nap on a deck chair on the ship then sleep late in a hotel room.   Personal preference there though.  Or on your balcony when the room is ready, IF you have a balcony.   

[spanishguy1970]

On 12/15/2022 at 9:33 PM, gzmtlock said:

Cruising on the Escape in January with my adult daughter.  We have the stateroom we want, thermal suite passes, dining reservations and excursions that we like.  We may want to schedule manicures on the first sea day.  We do want to do shows. 

 

We're spending the night before at WDW (using DVC points I would otherwise lose) and driving a rental car to Port Canaveral Saturday morning. 

 

I'm already clear on why we might want to sleep in at WDW and not rush to get on the ship.  😁  And not stay up late to get an early PAT at 21 days pre board.  👍

 

What opportunities might we be losing if we take our own sweet time to get aboard?

nothing really, for us is about just getting on, relaxing and enjoying lunch on board. IMHO

[RocketMan275]

24 minutes ago, Langham1865 said:

The reason I would get onboard, is I personally would rather nap on a deck chair on the ship then sleep late in a hotel room.   Personal preference there though.  Or on your balcony when the room is ready, IF you have a balcony.   

I would rather sleep late in the hotel room rather than napping in a plastic chair in the embarkation area waiting for boarding to start.

[DebQ5]

On 12/17/2022 at 10:02 AM, IronRobi said:

Just off the escape a few weeks back. They would only allow you to book 2 shows out of all the theatre shows, comedy shows and supper club. Not 2 from each category, but 2 total. They want to "ensure space for all guests". 

 

I was disappointed when we could no longer do this pre-cruise, and even more disappointed when I was told this once boarding. Ultimately we were able to get in to any venue we wanted via the standby line. But that involved showing up 30mins prior and standing in line for 15+ minutes before every show.

Only two shows?  That's not good... If you don't mind a few questions... we have 8 people in 4 cabins.  Can one cabin book 2 shows for 8 people and the other book 2 shows for 8 people (or something like that).  I confess I've been sailing in the Haven and haven't had to deal with this so it's all new :(.  Where do you go to book once you get on?  Thanks for any help!

[MCMC100]

1 hour ago, DebQ5 said:

Only two shows?  That's not good... If you don't mind a few questions... we have 8 people in 4 cabins.  Can one cabin book 2 shows for 8 people and the other book 2 shows for 8 people (or something like that).  I confess I've been sailing in the Haven and haven't had to deal with this so it's all new :(.  Where do you go to book once you get on?  Thanks for any help!

You can book theatre shows either at the box office or any of the video terminals located in each stairwell/elevator lobby. At the terminals you can only book for your cabin. You have to enter your cabin number and swipe your cabin card. The system pulls up the names of people in your cabin and you select the people who want to attend and the time you like (based on availability).  Same process for reservations at restaurants, go kart tracks, laser tag and other types of entertainment. It’s quick and easy. Just do it ASAP after boarding because availability disappears quickly.