Princess at Sydney - boarding and cabin access times?

[lorri111]

Wondering what boarding is like in SYD nowdays (we're on the Royal)- what time are you usually allowed to board and what time are you able to access cabin if just to drop off bags? Hoping to avoid carrying bags to lunch.

[arxcards]

33 minutes ago, lorri111 said:

Wondering what boarding is like in SYD nowdays (we're on the Royal)- what time are you usually allowed to board and what time are you able to access cabin if just to drop off bags? Hoping to avoid carrying bags to lunch.

On a good day, check-in and boarding will start at 11 to 11 30. Priority for elite/suite/premier package will speed this up, but the previous cruise has to fully disembark first. There can be delays there that will cause a delayed embarkation, so take note of Princess communications and terminal staff announcements. You can take your bags directly to cabin.

[MicCanberra]

Cabins are usually available after 1pm if embarkation starts at 11am.

[arxcards]

5 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Cabins are usually available after 1pm if embarkation starts at 11am.

We have never had to wait to enter our cabin on Princess. Not always 100% ready, but have always been able to drop our carry-ons straight after boarding. 

[cruisevac4]

We arrived at the port just before 11:00 for a cruise on the Grand last month.  I read somewhere that we could drop our luggage after 8:00am.  We walked right on the ship.  We actually had to wait for the dining room to open before eating lunch!

[resordanis]

On Majestic last week, we were on board by just after 11. Cabins were not available till around 1. I did notice that one of the bars were holding small hand luggage so that you didn’t have to have it with you whilst walking around. Unfortunately I didn’t read that till the evening when we had lugged our wine, iPads and tablets around till our cabin was ready😩. I might add Princess did embarking and disembarking extremely well on that cruise.

 

[cruisevac4]

 

On 3/6/2024 at 9:11 AM, cruisevac4 said:

We arrived at the port just before 11:00 for a cruise on the Majestic last month.  I read somewhere that we could drop our luggage after 8:00am.  We walked right on the ship.  We actually had to wait for the dining room to open before eating lunch!

 

[Russell21]

If the previous cruise was to NZ and the cruise you are boarding is going to NZ again, you may receive a notice that boarding will start at 3.00PM. This is because of the number of people who boarded at Auckland and are entering .Australia and needing border clearance.. This happened to us a few weeks ago but we actually boarded just before 2.00PM.

[lorri111]

Thankfully its coming from Tassie and off to Japan afterwards

[CDaze71]

Questions. 

Boarding Royal to NZ on 7th Dec. 

I'm Elite. Do I pick a boarding time? Or just join the Priority line? 

[lorri111]

1 hour ago, CDaze71 said:

Questions. 

Boarding Royal to NZ on 7th Dec. 

I'm Elite. Do I pick a boarding time? Or just join the Priority line? 

You will get a boarding pass on your app 11 days before which will give you a window - on our cruise last week we were given 12.30-3.00, but we were boarding by 11 in Sydney.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, CDaze71 said:

Questions. 

Boarding Royal to NZ on 7th Dec. 

I'm Elite. Do I pick a boarding time? Or just join the Priority line? 

We usually turn up between 11-11:30am and have been onboard in time for lunch in the MDR. 

 

Usually the priority line is in the check- in area on the first floor, although sometimes they've checked if you have priority boarding before letting you into the terminal.

[arxcards]

No boarding slots anymore, just open or priority boarding. I expect similar disembark times as for Majestic, so check-in will open around 11:20. The last few times, they have had a priority line entering the terminal and the check-in counters. On a good day, you will be on well before noon.

 

Unlike the joy of Carnival watching passengers drag their luggage through the buffet, you can go straight to your cabin, drop your luggage, do your safety video, get checked off at your muster station -  all before lunch is served.

[Muffinz]

10 hours ago, arxcards said:

No boarding slots anymore, just open or priority boarding. I expect similar disembark times as for Majestic, so check-in will open around 11:20. The last few times, they have had a priority line entering the terminal and the check-in counters. On a good day, you will be on well before noon.

 

Unlike the joy of Carnival watching passengers drag their luggage through the buffet, you can go straight to your cabin, drop your luggage, do your safety video, get checked off at your muster station -  all before lunch is served.

That's the plan for us in December

Wife said she wants to wait until the crowds die down before we go the OPT in Sydney to board Crown Princess in December... but I said we've paid thousands of $$ to go on this cruise so I intend to get on the ship as soon as humanly possible!

 

Besides we have to check out of our hotel at 10am and by the time we get the tram / light rail to circular quay and get to the terminal it will be close to 11am.....

Edited October 6 by Muffinz