Haven and Boarding Group (Joy)

[js]

Hi.

 

Does it matter what Boarding Group I get for when I said Joy Haven in August or do I just 

show up early, waiting in Haven Boarding area and go up with the group.

Thank you.

[cruiseny4life]

5 minutes ago, js said:

Hi.

 

Does it matter what Boarding Group I get for when I said Joy Haven in August or do I just 

show up early, waiting in Haven Boarding area and go up with the group.

Thank you.

You won't be assigned a boarding group. Be sure to make your way to the Haven Lounge (or waiting area in some terminals). When it's time for you to board, a member of the staff will escort you onboard. I've been escorted on board by casino dealers, the assistant concierge, and the concierge. Depends on staffing. 

[js]

2 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

You won't be assigned a boarding group. Be sure to make your way to the Haven Lounge (or waiting area in some terminals). When it's time for you to board, a member of the staff will escort you onboard. I've been escorted on board by casino dealers, the assistant concierge, and the concierge. Depends on staffing. 

Thank you! We like to arrive and be one of the first groups going up but couldn't remember about doing a boarding group. I'll cross that off my list of things to stress about LOL
I will be up at midnight making my dining ressies (it's the Disney in me LOL).

How many days in advance is that for Haven. I haven't sailed since before Covid (actually it was February 2019. 
Thank you.

[cruiseny4life]

You can make dining reservations 130 days in advance. It's only Haven (and possibly some upper level Latitudes members), so you don't need to do it right at 12:01 AM EST. Now Disney, yep, you better be on there right at 5:45:01 AM! 

 

Controversial opinion coming...we make our dining reservations when we think about it. We made three reservations a week ago for our cruise that embarks on March 18th. We had no issues whatsoever getting the times we wanted. But, if you're into that ultra Disney planning mode, then I get why you would do it at 130 days out. 

[js]

3 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

You can make dining reservations 130 days in advance. It's only Haven (and possibly some upper level Latitudes members), so you don't need to do it right at 12:01 AM EST. Now Disney, yep, you better be on there right at 5:45:01 AM! 

 

Controversial opinion coming...we make our dining reservations when we think about it. We made three reservations a week ago for our cruise that embarks on March 18th. We had no issues whatsoever getting the times we wanted. But, if you're into that ultra Disney planning mode, then I get why you would do it at 130 days out. 

Thank you.

I'm platinum and I think that was 120 days so 130 is even better LOL

I figure I will make the ressies and if I want to change or tweak, we can just speak to the concierge.

We have four nights and rest will be Haven restaurant.

I remember the days when they didn't do the online booking of restaurants and I would just write down what we wanted and hand to the concierge. I also remember when the kids were really little, splitting up with my dh and I would go run and make spa appointments while I would tell him where to run to make the dining. I do not miss those days LOL I hated that but then loved when all done, had what we wanted and got a drink or three LOL

 

[BirdTravels]

11 hours ago, js said:

Thank you.

I'm platinum and I think that was 120 days so 130 is even better LOL

I figure I will make the ressies and if I want to change or tweak, we can just speak to the concierge.

We have four nights and rest will be Haven restaurant.

I remember the days when they didn't do the online booking of restaurants and I would just write down what we wanted and hand to the concierge. I also remember when the kids were really little, splitting up with my dh and I would go run and make spa appointments while I would tell him where to run to make the dining. I do not miss those days LOL I hated that but then loved when all done, had what we wanted and got a drink or three LOL

 

In the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, once you pass security, the Haven check in is about 3/4 back in the terminal. They have seating there and just outside in a Haven waiting area. The Haven will be the first to board and will be escorted from the waiting area to the Haven Lounge onboard.

 

You can book your own dinners 130 days prior to departure. You can book your own shows 26 days prior to departure. Or wait until you are onboard and have the concierge do it for you. But,,, it needs to be a priority on embarkation day since if a restaurant is fully oversold, even the concierge won't get you a seat at the time you want. We always book our own. 

 

This was our check in to Bermuda in October 2022

[DebNosek]

Thank you all for your knowledge. Haven't cruised for many years so I do feel like a first timer. We are sailing Prima March 28th. Completed online check in. My documents say boarding begins at 12pm and I do have a 12pm check in time. Staying in New York overnight and wanted to arrive at the terminal between 10:30/11:00am. We are staying in a Haven suite. Can I arrive early or is it pointless? I have read so many posts about people at the terminal at 9am, but don't see a point if you can't get on the ship.

Any clarity on this would be helpful.

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, DebNosek said:

Thank you all for your knowledge. Haven't cruised for many years so I do feel like a first timer. We are sailing Prima March 28th. Completed online check in. My documents say boarding begins at 12pm and I do have a 12pm check in time. Staying in New York overnight and wanted to arrive at the terminal between 10:30/11:00am. We are staying in a Haven suite. Can I arrive early or is it pointless? I have read so many posts about people at the terminal at 9am, but don't see a point if you can't get on the ship.

Any clarity on this would be helpful.

 

For a March 28 departure on the 5-night Bermuda, check-in (where you select your time to arrive at the terminal - check-in time) opened on on Tuesday (3/7/2023) - 21 days prior to departure. Online reservations for shows opened on 3/2/2023. 

 

Early arrival times are already sold out. Complete your online check-in and pick any time to arrive at the terminal. 

 

Show up whenever you want (we normally show up around 10:00), they won't check your check-in times. There is a Haven security line shown below. Use that line to get through security. Per Post #6 above, there is a Haven check-in about 3/4 of the back in the terminal and lounge across the hall. Ignore the port people who are asking what deck your stateroom is on, just ask for the Haven check-in. Allow time to check-in (reservation checks, passport checks, etc. at both security and at the Haven check-in desk).

 

The Haven check-in has some light refreshments, if you choose - we don't bother and go to the Haven restaurant for lunch. Haven boarding will start around 11:00. Since they ship will have just completed a 2 day repositioning cruise from Florida with no passengers, boarding may start earlier and your staterooms will be available immediately upon embarkation. If you show up at 10:30/11:00 per your post, you will miss the Haven pre-boarding and be stuck with steerage passengers on the gangway. Show up around 10:00. 

 

Look for the Haven security line - Note: you do not need a Bermuda Travel Authorization (we were one of the last cruises on the Prima that required one)

 

Bundle up and don't miss sailaway

 

 If you want to get a peak at the ship, here's a live post from our Bermuda cruise on the Prima

Edited March 11, 2023 by BirdTravels

[DebNosek]

Thank you, thank you for all of this!! I think I will arrive at the terminal at 10am. Would love to explore, take pictures and have lunch. Can't wait to see Lady Liberty on the sail away! I have already read your Bermuda sailing post! I have been addicted to these boards for a month now. Probably too much information and too many negative posts about the Prima, but I can look past most of that. Just so many questions that seem to have conflicting answers. I do have a couple more Prima questions, but I will take those to the appropriate board for answers! Look forward to your response!

 

 

[Sailing12Away]

On 3/10/2023 at 1:31 PM, js said:

Does it matter what Boarding Group I get for when I said Joy Haven in August or do I just 

show up early, waiting in Haven Boarding area and go up with the group.

It 100% depends on where you are leaving from. When we left from Seattle, we were not permitted to enter the terminal until our listed check-in time. We literally sat there on a park bench watching the security guard and our watch until 15 mins of our listed time. This most recent trip out of LA was a disaster and there was no checking of times, but no prioritization for Haven at all until you got into the terminal (after folks had already been waiting outside in the rain over an hour - no skipping the line until you made it inside).

 

Check-in time is different from boarding time. Check-in is what you pick at 21 days pre-cruise, and the time they expect you to arrive at the terminal. Boarding time is when you physically get onto the ship. If you are Haven, you board the ship whenever you want after you get through check-in once the ship is cleared. But just because you're Haven doesn't mean you can show up and check-in whenever you want.

12 hours ago, DebNosek said:

My documents say boarding begins at 12pm and I do have a 12pm check in time. Staying in New York overnight and wanted to arrive at the terminal between 10:30/11:00am. We are staying in a Haven suite. Can I arrive early or is it pointless? I have read so many posts about people at the terminal at 9am, but don't see a point if you can't get on the ship.

Any clarity on this would be helpful.

You can't get onto the ship until all the previous passengers have gotten off and the ship is 'cleared'. Once cleared the Haven guests get priority and go onto the ship first. But even if you're not in that first group, as soon as you get past check-in, if the ship is cleared you can enter it at any time you are ready with an escort from the concierge. As far as showing up earlier than your listed check-in time - it's a personal pet peeve of mine when folks do that. Simply based on the fact that if there are 500 slots for the 9am time, and they get 2,000 people showing up at 9am - it creates the fiasco that I just went through in LA where there was way too many people and not enough space to hold them all. 

 

When folks with a 12 noon check-in show up at 10am, it messes everyone else up if the workflow gets behind. I get the selfishness of why people do it, but having just experienced a 5 hr long embarkation process because of people showing up whenever they wanted - yeah.... those are the first people I'm tossing overboard if I get the chance.

[js]

22 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

It 100% depends on where you are leaving from. When we left from Seattle, we were not permitted to enter the terminal until our listed check-in time. We literally sat there on a park bench watching the security guard and our watch until 15 mins of our listed time. This most recent trip out of LA was a disaster and there was no checking of times, but no prioritization for Haven at all until you got into the terminal (after folks had already been waiting outside in the rain over an hour - no skipping the line until you made it inside).

 

Check-in time is different from boarding time. Check-in is what you pick at 21 days pre-cruise, and the time they expect you to arrive at the terminal. Boarding time is when you physically get onto the ship. If you are Haven, you board the ship whenever you want after you get through check-in once the ship is cleared. But just because you're Haven doesn't mean you can show up and check-in whenever you want.

You can't get onto the ship until all the previous passengers have gotten off and the ship is 'cleared'. Once cleared the Haven guests get priority and go onto the ship first. But even if you're not in that first group, as soon as you get past check-in, if the ship is cleared you can enter it at any time you are ready with an escort from the concierge. As far as showing up earlier than your listed check-in time - it's a personal pet peeve of mine when folks do that. Simply based on the fact that if there are 500 slots for the 9am time, and they get 2,000 people showing up at 9am - it creates the fiasco that I just went through in LA where there was way too many people and not enough space to hold them all. 

 

When folks with a 12 noon check-in show up at 10am, it messes everyone else up if the workflow gets behind. I get the selfishness of why people do it, but having just experienced a 5 hr long embarkation process because of people showing up whenever they wanted - yeah.... those are the first people I'm tossing overboard if I get the chance.

Thank you. 
 

We are leaving from New York in the Haven on the Joy.