Boarding arrival times

[Rungee]

Does anyone know if Princess is still doing arrival times on the app, and if so, how many days from the sailing can you choose them?   Our cruise is less than 45 days away and arrival times are still not available.  Someone said that Princess told them that if you are in the green lane you can arrive whenever you want and they are no longer doing arrival times.  Can anyone confirm this?   Thanks in advance. 

[Steelers36]

Arrival times in the App mean nothing in reality.  Arrive at the terminal for check-in at your convenience. 

[Steelers36]

Hi, @dog.  I wasn't trying to be funny.  Many posters here contributed innumerable posts to this effect.  Seems easier to give a short answer to this one that has been posted so much rather than a detailed explain.  Some folks do fret over this aspect needlessly.  Hope you are enjoying summer in TO and I think we have had enough of the smoky air.  Happy Canada Day.

[trin880]

2 hours ago, Rungee said:

Does anyone know if Princess is still doing arrival times on the app, and if so, how many days from the sailing can you choose them?   Our cruise is less than 45 days away and arrival times are still not available.  Someone said that Princess told them that if you are in the green lane you can arrive whenever you want and they are no longer doing arrival times.  Can anyone confirm this?   Thanks in advance. 

In the app, I was able to see and select Arrival Group at 59 days before departure. But I understand that it is not super important and no one is turned away if you arrive earlier. 

[david63]

Whilst I agree that nobody checks arrival times there is always a possibility that they could suddenly start doing so as has happened with another Carnival brand.

[PacnGoNow]

7 hours ago, Rungee said:

Does anyone know if Princess is still doing arrival times on the app, and if so, how many days from the sailing can you choose them?   Our cruise is less than 45 days away and arrival times are still not available.  Someone said that Princess told them that if you are in the green lane you can arrive whenever you want and they are no longer doing arrival times.  Can anyone confirm this?   Thanks in advance. 

Yes, it’s still in the App.  I still do it, just in case.

App

Personal information and documents 

Move down to Suggested 

Arrivals

Click on your ship

Pick an arrival time

 

They are available 59 days to 10 days before sailing.

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

3 hours ago, david63 said:

Whilst I agree that nobody checks arrival times there is always a possibility that they could suddenly start doing so as has happened with another Carnival brand.

Agreed. Southampton Port, UK has been getting strict. Can’t comment for other ports. Or if other ports will begin to do he same.

I think it depends on how busy the ship is. I have seen people being directed into a ‘holding area’ when they have turned up too early. I mainly travel in School Holidays.

 

It’s my home port. I know people who have had to wait. And people who just walk on whenever they arrive

 

[OccasionalSanta]

20 hours ago, Rungee said:

Does anyone know if Princess is still doing arrival times on the app, and if so, how many days from the sailing can you choose them?   Our cruise is less than 45 days away and arrival times are still not available.  Someone said that Princess told them that if you are in the green lane you can arrive whenever you want and they are no longer doing arrival times.  Can anyone confirm this?   Thanks in advance. 

It may depend on the departure port. My August cruise out of L.A. had been telling me that no slots were available (which made no sense at all) so I was just going to show up whenever i happened to get there. Then suddenly a few weeks ago, I was able to chose a spot.

 

My suggestion would be to keep checking and if nothing ever materializes in the app, then just show up whenever it's convenient and if they question it, tell them you tried.

[paradiselivin1]

It has been consistently around the 60 day mark until very recently. We also leave in under 45 days and are unable to request a boarding group. We'll just show up when we want. Sure do miss the old days of priority boarding....

[nycruiser80]

I’m booked on the Diamond Princess July 10, 2023 sailing so I am departing in 8 days. The app stills says to check back closer to my sailing. I’m not concerned and will just show up whenever. I don’t think their app is all that reliable anyway.

[Steelers36]

13 hours ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

Agreed. Southampton Port, UK has been getting strict. Can’t comment for other ports. Or if other ports will begin to do he same.

I think it depends on how busy the ship is. I have seen people being directed into a ‘holding area’ when they have turned up too early. I mainly travel in School Holidays.

 

It’s my home port. I know people who have had to wait. And people who just walk on whenever they arrive

 

If guests arrive prior to when they open check-in processing, they will have to wait either outside or in some sort of holding area.

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

5 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

If guests arrive prior to when they open check-in processing, they will have to wait either outside or in some sort of holding area.

If guests arrive prior to their check in time too. Not just before the terminal opens. The holding area had later arrival times on sign posts next to them. I arrived when check in was open. Others were directed to areas based on their later check in times

 

doesn’t always happen. But it can

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

If guests arrive prior to their check in time too. Not just before the terminal opens. The holding area had later arrival times on sign posts next to them. I arrived when check in was open. Others were directed to areas based on their later check in times

 

doesn’t always happen. But it can

Seems like Southampton is an outlier.  IDK your CC Member level, but if Elite or Platinum, or booked into Reserve Class cabin or a Suite (regardless of CC Member level), no guest should be detained from checking in upon arrival. 

 

Most of the "gatekeepers" I have encountered are not PCL employees and who knows where they get directions from. 

 

The arrival time staggering was a Covid thing and PCL has the ability to define and adjust how many guests fit in a group and sub-group.  Those groups could be pretty open these days as I have not read lately of anyone reporting/inquiring on here about having a late time in the App.  I wonder what the latest App times are these days (after early times are supposedly filled up). 

 

The whole thing makes no sense to me anymore since any check-in I have been involved in or read about begins long before the earliest time offered in the App - in fact some guests are on board the ships before the earliest App arrival time. 

 

I am, of course, unfamiliar with Southampton and no idea the size of the terminal indoors, etc.  I do know if I was affected, I'd be asking ship personnel or PCL HQ why Southampton was doing this.

[PMGS247]

While I still snag a boarding time as early as possible because you never know when they could suddenly decide to start enforcing, historically it's never meant a thing. I wouldn't bet on this changing anytime soon...things seem to go pretty smooth as-is. This is from experience in Fort Lauderdale and LA.

 

As for when the time slots open up this seems to vary pretty widely. Start checking at 60 days but don't be shocked if 3 weeks out it's still not available.

[Rungee]

Thanks everyone for the responses!  Sounds like selecting arrival times doesn’t matter much anyway, but all you need is one “diligent” check-in agent at the port to make an issue of it.  Oh well I guess will just see what happens.  Not sure why Princess doesn’t have a consistent process like others.  

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, Rungee said:

Thanks everyone for the responses!  Sounds like selecting arrival times doesn’t matter much anyway, but all you need is one “diligent” check-in agent at the port to make an issue of it.  Oh well I guess will just see what happens.  Not sure why Princess doesn’t have a consistent process like others.  

Very doubtful one agent will be rogue.

[PacnGoNow]

1 hour ago, Rungee said:

Thanks everyone for the responses!  Sounds like selecting arrival times doesn’t matter much anyway, but all you need is one “diligent” check-in agent at the port to make an issue of it.  Oh well I guess will just see what happens.  Not sure why Princess doesn’t have a consistent process like others.  

I’m glad they are not real ridged like some other lines.  Anyway, enjoy your cruise!

[Rungee]

Agree.  Thanks again!

[kywildcatfanone]

They do on the app, but it's overall just a suggestion.  They are not checking.

[Mike07]

I've been on PCL, HAL, and Celebrity since restart... none of them cared what my boarding time was. Granted, I usually had very early check in times... but none of that really mattered.

[TW6cruiser]

On 7/2/2023 at 9:56 AM, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

Agreed. Southampton Port, UK has been getting strict. Can’t comment for other ports. Or if other ports will begin to do he same.

I think it depends on how busy the ship is. I have seen people being directed into a ‘holding area’ when they have turned up too early. I mainly travel in School Holidays.

 

It’s my home port. I know people who have had to wait. And people who just walk on whenever they arrive

 

We are going out of Southhampton next month.  I did pick a group on the app (second set of timing) but I'd hope if we do arrive earlier, Princess would let us Board as we are Elite.  I'd plan to look for a Princess person if we'd have to wait.