What is the earliest you have ever gotten on a ship?

[Eli_6]

With priority boarding - i.e. suite, FTTF, or Plat/Diamond.

 

Just curious.  

[bobbismith]

10:30 am

[Elaine5715]

9 minutes ago, bobbismith said:

10:30 am

Same

[StephPS79]

Mmm, maybe between 10-10:30a.  We got married on the Glory in February, so had priority boarding.  We arrived at the port at around 9:30a, then waited in a little room for awhile until the ship was cleared.  We were the first to "board."  

[Drazil65]

Around 10:30 sounds about right for us too.  

[cmack9076]

10:30a, in Galveston

[Riles34]

Without priority or any of that, 10:37 on the Celebration from Miami. From drop off to being on the ship took about 15 minutes. It was insane!

[Old Fart Cruisers]

 

Other than B2B where you are walked off through customs, and back on board, this was the earliest for us:

I think it was just after 10:00 last month.  My wife was in a wheelchair recovering from hip surgery.  John the 'Lead' wheelchair pusher grabbed the chair, even when I insisted the I could push her and that she was okay to walk short distances.  He said "no, I go her and she will be the first person on.  My people are ALWAYS first on and I'm not going to loose my record"  He looked older then me, but seemed like a kid trying to win some kind of contest.  He must have stopped by ten time while we were in the holding area waiting to board to remind her that she was going to be first on, to the point that it was getting embarrassing.  I thought he was going to have a heart attack as he pushed her through the long gangway, but he wouldn't let me push the chair.  When we got to the ship, he turned her chair around to show her that no other passengers were even in the boarding gangway yet.  After we were on board, he continued pushing her all the way to our muster station.  We gave him a nice tip, but it was really a strange experience😅.

[john91498]

9:15. We had a suite and even went to have breakfast. It was a short 4 day cruise, so we did carry on instead of checked baggage.

[Butterbean1000]

11ish

[pe4all]

10:30 multiple times.

[stobe1]

56 minutes ago, john91498 said:

9:15. We had a suite and even went to have breakfast. It was a short 4 day cruise, so we did carry on instead of checked baggage.

Wow!! Was that ship on its 1st sailing fresh out of drydock or something? 

[sgttami]

My first Carnival cruise on Splendor from NY in Feb. 2014 there was a blizzard and my sister and I were on board by 9:30am.  

I was very glad I never paid for FTTF.  We each had a regular balcony cabin and no special perks for boarding.

There were a lot of people who never made the cruise due to the weather.

Most of my NY Carnival cruises were early boarding but that was the earliest ever!

[nycruise1]

I consider being on before 11 a "victory" and it has happened a few times with 10:45 or 10:50 the earliest.  But technically on a b2b we never left so dont know how to count that.  We met in a lounge and they checked us in and out and gave us our new cards without having to leave the ship.

[LatinaInTexas]

1 hour ago, Riles34 said:

Without priority or any of that, 10:37 on the Celebration from Miami. From drop off to being on the ship took about 15 minutes. It was insane!

Same for us recently on Celebration, no priority, got a drink and eating Big Chicken by 11:10.

[Eli_6]

1 hour ago, john91498 said:

9:15. We had a suite and even went to have breakfast. It was a short 4 day cruise, so we did carry on instead of checked baggage.

Wow!  That must be a record. 

[bobbismith]

We are doing an TA in Barcelona following dry dock. I bet we get on super early, if we want.

[Organized Chaos]

10:30 with FTTF, but I do remember one time we were on by 10:30 without priority of any kind. Judging by other comments, 10:30 seems to be the average early time. I love the times we've gotten on and put our bags in our cabin, went to Lido for lunch, and were finished eating by the time the big crowds came to eat.

[Pellaz]

10:30 or so, both with FTTF (pre-COVID) and without (afterward).   Latest with FTTF was 11:30, due to police activity and an investigation onboard.   (Part of the reason why virtually every ship nowadays has lifeguards stationed at the pools.  😢)  

 

I have friends who have boarded a ship at around 7 a.m  😮    ...But they were part of the stage crew for a full-boat music charter and the load-in process begins as soon as the ship clears from the prior sailing.  

[Itried4498]

5 hours ago, bobbismith said:

We are doing an TA in Barcelona following dry dock. I bet we get on super early, if we want.

I’ve been on a handful of cruises immediately following dry dock.  None boarded early.  Turns out, the crew isn’t that eager :).  Not saying it never happens…

[Jtislandgirl]

10:30 last week on the Conquest. Out of Galveston, it is usually around 10:45 to 11:00

[Eli_6]

8 hours ago, Itried4498 said:

I’ve been on a handful of cruises immediately following dry dock.  None boarded early.  Turns out, the crew isn’t that eager :).  Not saying it never happens…

Yeah, the only time I have been on a cruise following dry dock, it boarded late.

[odis]

10:45 a.m. We were the 3rd, 4th, and 5th persons to board.  

[bobbismith]

10 hours ago, Itried4498 said:

I’ve been on a handful of cruises immediately following dry dock.  None boarded early.  Turns out, the crew isn’t that eager :).  Not saying it never happens…

We are not going to be in a hurry. We get many sea days. Lol

[teknoge3k]

10:00 is the earliest I've ever gotten on. That was on the Ecstasy when it was in Charleston. We were sitting on our balcony with a drink at 10:15.