Miami boarding question

[NC State]

We will be taking our first Virgin cruise in Feb.  We are not new to cruising, we have always received boarding times of 11:00-11:30. With Virgin we have 1:30; I understand they have all late arrival times. We will be using our hotel transportation. I'm not sure what their latest bus will be leaving but let's say it's 11; will the terminal be open for us to wait in or will they make us wait outside like the other cruise lines?

[CruisingWalter]

The terminal itself will not open until boarding begins around 1:30. You will wait outside in designated lines per your boarding time. You can show up early, say 11am to drop off your checked luggage and take a free VV supplied shuttle to the Bayside Marketplace to hang out until your boarding time. Your carry luggage has to stay with you.

Edited June 26, 2023 by CruisingWalter

[cantgetin]

THe flip side of VV's late disembarkation times is the late embarkation times.  As above, you can drop luggage and take the complimentary shuttle to Bayside (an area with shopping, restaurants, etc.) and return at your scheduled time.  THe good news is that check is is NORMALLY very quick after your scheduled time.

[TheonlyBuster]

I've been in a similar situation a few times.  For starters, hotel's shuttles/buses tend to work all throughout the day.   Keep in mind that their main purpose is to take guests to and from airports as well as cruise ports.  So it's highly unlikely that the latest their shuttle travels is 11am.  Maybe 11pm (night), but definitely not 11am.  

 

That said, you need to contact the hotel and ask two simple questions. 
1. Do they offer late check-out and if so what's the surcharge?  
2. What time(s) does the hotel's shuttle go to the port?  

 

Late check-outs is usually around 2 or 3pm, but some hotels will even go to 6pm depending on how full they expect to be.  So definitely inquire.  This will likely incur an additional fee, so ask so you're not surprised.  

 

In most instances, if you tell the hotel your situation, they'll do quite a bit to help accommodate your needs, especially if they're as simple as what you have going on.  But please contact them as early as possible, that way when the time comes everything is in place to accommodate you and those traveling with you.  

[cantgetin]

We were able to get a late checkout of 1pm (rather than 11am) with no fee, staying later would have incurred a charge. The hotel we used did not offer a complimentary shuttle to the port, and their shuttle charge was higher than a Lyft or Uber.  It all depends on where you are staying.  I would suggest calling the hotel directly; calling a national number will only give generic information which might not apply to that specific location.

 

As above, the shuttles generally run a continuous loop to airport and cruise port with departures about every 30 minutes.  As more area hotels are becoming aware of the VV schedule, they are building in later cruise shuttle times.  And just so you know, 1:30 is the earliest time.  In fact, on cruises a few months down the road, the earliest time has been changed to 2pm.  You are in great shape for boarding.

Edited June 29, 2023 by cantgetin

[LibratPDX]

As with other lines, those are CHECK IN times, not boarding times.  1:30 is the earliest published time I have seen.   

 

You can ask your hotel for 1pm checkout, many times they will do it free of charge, or a minimal fee; always worth asking.  SO FAR I have yet to be charged for late checkout!    It's worth double-checking the times of their transport, assuming it's free.  If it's not free, it's worth taking UBER or LYFT to the cruise port at the time you prefer.  

[CineGraphic]

Have the hotel store your luggage after check-out and grab an early lunch somewhere.

Don't limit yourself to the hotel's shuttle, the port is just a short Uber/Lyft ride from most hotels in the area.

[cantgetin]

VV calls the assigned times "Terminal Arrival times."    Interestingly, this may be changing as on our previous cruises, it was 1:30.  On our future cruises, the earliest time was 2pm.  I called VV to ask as one cruise was nearly a year in advance, and was assured that this is now the earliest available time.  The good thing is that check in has usually started before the terminal arrival time and boarding very shortly thereafter.

For instance, we had a 1:30 time on our first cruise and were in our cabin by 1:45.  

[AtlantaCruiser72]

So if Virgin will not allow folks into the terminal until their arrival time why the heck did they ballyhoo so much about their “bespoke” Miami terminal with all its snazzy facilities for ‘sailors’ …. Rather than use waiting space as designed/intended they force people to stand in the Florida sun and humidity which is NOT a great start to the cruise experience, especially for a line that tries so hard to market itself to non-cruisers. 
 

Poor form, VERY poor form!

[jon81uk]

2 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

So if Virgin will not allow folks into the terminal until their arrival time why the heck did they ballyhoo so much about their “bespoke” Miami terminal with all its snazzy facilities for ‘sailors’ …. Rather than use waiting space as designed/intended they force people to stand in the Florida sun and humidity which is NOT a great start to the cruise experience, especially for a line that tries so hard to market itself to non-cruisers. 
 

Poor form, VERY poor form!

Yeah I don’t understand why there is the huge waiting room upstairs after you do all the waiting. They really should have had security or check in upstairs to allow space for a waiting area before the check-in desks. Once you’ve done check in there is no reason not to allow people almost straight onto the ship.

[cantgetin]

44 minutes ago, jon81uk said:

 Once you’ve done check in there is no reason not to allow people almost straight onto the ship.

We have always been in our cabin within 15 minutes of our time, even though they were calling it a "terminal arrival time" rather than check in time.  In Miami, there were crowds of people lined up outside; we had priority boarding, so avoided most of that once we got our Sailing Club bracelet, but were then lined up inside.  No one sat down either downstairs or upstairs as there was no seating downstairs and as soon as we were allowed up we checked in and boarded.

 

The set up in Barcelona made more sense.  There, we went thru security at the entrance to the terminal at 1pm (the designated 30 minutes before our 1:30 time), then to check in, and then to a waiting area until 1:30 when boarding started.  And we boarded within minutes of 1:30, as soon as the crew member got the word to start boarding....and were in the cabin with luggage gy 1:45

[jon81uk]

1 hour ago, cantgetin said:

We have always been in our cabin within 15 minutes of our time, even though they were calling it a "terminal arrival time" rather than check in time.  In Miami, there were crowds of people lined up outside; we had priority boarding, so avoided most of that once we got our Sailing Club bracelet, but were then lined up inside.  No one sat down either downstairs or upstairs as there was no seating downstairs and as soon as we were allowed up we checked in and boarded.

 

The set up in Barcelona made more sense.  There, we went thru security at the entrance to the terminal at 1pm (the designated 30 minutes before our 1:30 time), then to check in, and then to a waiting area until 1:30 when boarding started.  And we boarded within minutes of 1:30, as soon as the crew member got the word to start boarding....and were in the cabin with luggage gy 1:45

when we went to Barcelona there was a long queue outside, but once we did check in it was straight onto the ship. It’s the design of the Miami terminal that is poor with a large amount of waiting space after check in that isn’t needed, whereas more seating is needed before check in for those who are early for their arrival slot. 
 

In Athens they had a tent set up for people to wait in if they were early for their slot, but  only a small queue for check in and security and then directly onto the gangplank. 

[cantgetin]

Interesting....when we boarded in BCN, they were not allowing any waiting in the terminal area.  People who showed up early, even if only by a few minutes, were sent to the plaza next door or the coffee shop just beyond that.  Another option was the hotel lobby that was just a few minutes away.  Obviously, it might have gotten crowded later as we had an early arrival time.  Disembarkation in Barcelona was great as well.  Very organized and several awning type tents set up for shade as we waited for taxis to drive up.  There were plenty of taxis, but the issue was that as they drove up, it would take  a couple minutes to load each one.  We waited about 10 minutes--no big deal.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Unless the post security/check-in area is not sterile from disembarking passengers (which for a new terminal means LOUSY design) there should be ZERO reason to not allow check-in earlier than 130/2pm and then have guests wait in the lounge until boarding can commence.  It makes absolutely no sense

[Freelancer3]

Two points of interest : Disembarkation time is later than most cruise lines and once you board, all the cabins are ready for occupancy. Normally, you are in your cabin in 15 minutes.

[cantgetin]

1 hour ago, Freelancer3 said:

Two points of interest : Disembarkation time is later than most cruise lines and once you board, all the cabins are ready for occupancy. Normally, you are in your cabin in 15 minutes.

Exactly.  They don't start boarding until the cabins are cleaned and ready.  And disembarkation morning fits whatever your plans are.  You can do a self-disembarkation between 7 and 7:30am or you can have a leisurely brunch and disembark at 10:30n for your afternoon flight.  And you don't have to be out of your cabin till 10:45, so you can leave your stuff in the cabin rather than dragging it to breakfast.  

Sure, the crew will start working on the cabins of those who leave early, but there is no pressure to get out.