Not Happy with Assigned Boarding Time

[Woody14]

17 minutes ago, REDSTRIPETYPE said:

SO AH NEVERLAYSUP....I booked 1 hour after Celebrity sent me an email stating that I could NOW do my online check in.....had no idea or indication that I could do it earlier as you suggested...yes I guess technically my fault but Celebrity has the most culpability here I would suggest

If your in to technicalities then I would say Celebrity has no culpability here as you technically don't have to do anything in advance and just show up at the pier and do it all at that time and you need to deal with the results.     

 

Celebrity publishes the timeframe for advance check in on the website.   Depending how you booked they may send you advance, day of or at somepoint later reminders that you have the opportunity to do your check in.    After the point that check in is available they send out reminders to all (often even those already checked in) encouraging them to check in and get yourself a set time but it is still your choice.   

 

The really keen and the experienced put in their calendars when check in is and are the ones often asking which timezone the 12:01 am is in so they can get first choice.     

 

One other note is if you booked 1 hour after Celebrity sent you the email, many others could have booked 1 min or even 59 min after and been ahead of you on the selection of the preferred times.

 

My recommendation is to book another cruise and try again - practice makes perfect 🤣

[ldubs]

I'm happy going a little later to avoid the frantic folk in the early group.      

[CruisinShips]

I like to go as early as I can so I can ensure I get my money's worth on my drink package.

[LMHSRN]

2 hours ago, REDSTRIPETYPE said:

SO AH NEVERLAYSUP....I booked 1 hour after Celebrity sent me an email stating that I could NOW do my online check in.....had no idea or indication that I could do it earlier as you suggested...yes I guess technically my fault but Celebrity has the most culpability here I would suggest

I would say you sound like a responsible adult.  That being said. get over it as you messed up.  It is well published here and elsewhere when you can check in.  You missed the earliest times.  Is that going to ruin your cruise?

 

2 hours ago, REDSTRIPETYPE said:

 

 

[kywildcatfanone]

Why are people hung up on boarding times.  I've never had them check. Go when you are ready.  At least that is my experience.

[Twigster]

1 hour ago, CruisinShips said:

I like to go as early as I can so I can ensure I get my money's worth on my drink package.

And, as may be inferred from your other posts... to have time to place towels on multiple deck chairs, sweaters on good seats in the theater, unread books on the best buffet tables, and to cut in front of others at the service desk.  After all, it's the responsibility of the cruise line to get passengers to engage in socially respectful behavior.  

[CruisinShips]

1 minute ago, Twigster said:

And, as may be inferred from your other posts... to have time to place towels on multiple deck chairs, sweaters on good seats in the theater, unread books on the best buffet tables, and to cut in front of others at the service desk.  After all, it's the responsibility of the cruise line to get passengers to engage in socially respectful behavior.  

That was funny.

 

Let me ask you a question. Let’s say you’re attending a concert or some other event. The tickets say “Doors open at Noon”.  You happen to arrive early because you encounter less traffic than expected, say, at 11:20, and you see the doors are open and everyone is going in. 
 

What do you do?  Do you wait until noon because that’s what the ticket said, or do you enter early because they are happy to take your ticket and allow you entry?

 

if you do go in early, I give you my word I won’t judge you like you’ve judged me. I won’t ask if you leave the toilets unflushed or if you intentionally take too long to order your snacks at the concession stand. 
 

 

[DaKahuna]

7 hours ago, CruisinShips said:

I like to go as early as I can so I can ensure I get my money's worth on my drink package.

 

I drink later into the night -- No need to get that early of a start.  

 

[CruisinShips]

9 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

I drink later into the night -- No need to get that early of a start.  

 

I assumed it would have been obvious I was joking….guess not. 

[Mrs_Tiki]

There seems to be some variation in enforcement of boarding times. When we sailed Apex in November 2022 from Fort Lauderdale, we were herded into roped off queues according to our assigned boarding times and not allowed to enter the building until the prior group had finished checking in. Port employees were checking the times carefully.

[jwlane]

So much angst over nothing.

[bEwAbG]

It doesn't matter until it does.  As long as you know that you may end up waiting until your assigned time (or after, if there is some sort of delay), then all is well.

[jwlane]

14 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

I drink later into the night

 

I'm with you---tastes so much better after dark....

[DaKahuna]

17 hours ago, CruisinShips said:

I assumed it would have been obvious I was joking….guess not. 

 

And so was I.  Not sure what made you think I did not get that you were joking?

[rcrabb1513]

On 10/25/2023 at 3:10 PM, ebockelman said:

Give feedback on the post-cruise survey. Celebrity should be enforcing arrival times. I've sailed other lines that won't even let you enter the terminal building far ahead of the arrival time.

The port side staff are usually contractors and while paid by the cruise line they tend to do whatever they want.  Some make passengers adhere to boarding times, others don't.

Edited October 30, 2023 by rcrabb1513
typo

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

On 10/27/2023 at 4:36 PM, kywildcatfanone said:

Why are people hung up on boarding times.  I've never had them check. Go when you are ready.  At least that is my experience.

I've only once seen Celebrity make early arrivals wait at the side, as personnel outside the terminal door were checking arrival appointments. That has happened no other time in my cruising experience. It was right after the pandemic, so perhaps they were beng careful to keep crowd numbers inside low for the six foot separation rule ( which went by the wayside in elevators on the ship.)

[Woody14]

On 10/28/2023 at 6:54 AM, Mrs_Tiki said:

There seems to be some variation in enforcement of boarding times. When we sailed Apex in November 2022 from Fort Lauderdale, we were herded into roped off queues according to our assigned boarding times and not allowed to enter the building until the prior group had finished checking in. Port employees were checking the times carefully.

it is all about volume management.   if there were not many people checking in and no lines they would just process whoever is there.  if there are lines than it is about preassigned times and not first come first served.