HIMSELF has a Question!

[Himself]

I am sailing on the Rotterdam the day after Thanksgiving.

I got a message from HAL telling me to get to the ship at 12:30 PM.  I have to check out of the Hotel by 11:00 AM.  If I got right to the pier a way early, will I have to wait until 12:30 PM to start the boarding process?

Please advise!   Thank you.

[POA1]

No. You can check in when the terminal opens. There's usually an excess of people then, but they don't turn people away.

[RuthC]

What port can make a difference. Some ports will let you in when you get there, while others are sticklers for keeping to the precise time assigned. 

If you are working the cruise as chaplain, you are considered staff, so should be able to clear early in order to be ready for your duties at 5:00 PM. 
Otherwise, you could check out of your hotel, then hang around in the lobby for a while before heading to the pier. 

[sailingdutchy]

Father , just leave the hotel when you are ready at about 11:00 or say 11:15 and go to the port and embark , nobody will stop you and you will be on board ship before you know it . 

We have done that ever since they started giving us specific boarding times and never had any problems. 

Enjoy your cruise ! 

[crystalspin]

7 minutes ago, RuthC said:

What port can make a difference. Some ports will let you in when you get there, while others are sticklers for keeping to the precise time assigned. 

Rotterdam is leaving FLL on 11/24. I do not know how sticklerish they are. Have a good cruise Father!

[REOVA]

FLL is easy embarkation. Get through security (usually line is longer earlier but not always). Depending on priority level you either wait seated downstairs or go upstairs and sit until boarding is started (usually 11:30 ish). As Ruth stated, you may get bumped up as crew as well. 

[Himself]

11 hours ago, REOVA said:

FLL is easy embarkation. Get through security (usually line is longer earlier but not always). Depending on priority level you either wait seated downstairs or go upstairs and sit until boarding is started (usually 11:30 ish). As Ruth stated, you may get bumped up as crew as well. 

I am a passenger and not the Chaplain.  I will go to Mass, but I do not plan on Concelebrating.

[yerdua]

Most hotels will also allow you to check out up to 1 hour late with no penalty as long as you ask ahead of time.

[rafinmd]

Father, does your boarding pass say "Priority"? (not sure if you get mariner credit for times as chaplain but if so you should be at least a 4-star Mariner, or perhaps you took Club Orange.  If you're "Priority" you have an express line for security but even in the regular line it shouldn't take that long.

 

My boarding pass said 12:00 but I arrived at the terminal at 11 and was onboard by 11:30. 

 

One other thing.  While rooms are normally open on boarding, for me they were not quite ready.  Everyone was sent up to the lido, and I was almost at the Dive-In counter when the announcement came that rooms were ready.

 

Roy

[Moriah]

I will be on your cruise and can't wait!  I plan to get to the pier at 10:30 and since I am 4 star (I believe you are as well?) I have priority boarding and ignore the time they've sent me for boarding.  I'll take an Uber over from my hotel around 10.  For some reason I find it easier to wait around at the terminal than to sit around at the hotel, but that's just me LOL. 

[rafinmd]

10 minutes ago, Moriah said:

I will be on your cruise and can't wait!  I plan to get to the pier at 10:30 and since I am 4 star (I believe you are as well?) I have priority boarding and ignore the time they've sent me for boarding.  I'll take an Uber over from my hotel around 10.  For some reason I find it easier to wait around at the terminal than to sit around at the hotel, but that's just me LOL. 

Be mindful of which security line you get into.  When I arrived it looked like there was only 1 line but after I moved up a few feet I could see there was a second line for priority.  Fortunately, the gal opened the ribbon so I could cut to the correct line.  Saved several minutes through security.

 

Roy