Icon past cruisers, what time did you arrive for embarkation?

[qkd0314]

If we have an 11:30am boarding time, what is the earliest we should plan to arrive at the port to get in line, etc? I want to make sure that we leave our hotel at a good time.  Thanks in advance 🙂

[PhillyFan33579]

11:30 AM. Keep in mind that is your check-in time, not boarding time. 

[mramella]

We also had the 11:30 AM boarding time for our March 9th Icon cruise. We arrived at the pier at 10:20 AM and we were onboard with drink in-hand by 10:31 AM. We were completely impressed by the streamlined embarkation process. They don't mess around! By the time we got onboard, there were probably already several hundred passengers onboard.

 

I've got to hand it to Royal for their streamlined and frictionless boarding process. Very impressive! I also believe their goal is to get you onboard spending money on drinks, food, etc. ASAP, and I love that! I think their North Star is "Instant Embarkation Process for Our Passengers." 

 

[Cruise a holic]

We were in a suite and boarded around 10:30- no problem.

[qkd0314]

5 hours ago, mramella said:

We also had the 11:30 AM boarding time for our March 9th Icon cruise. We arrived at the pier at 10:20 AM and we were onboard with drink in-hand by 10:31 AM. We were completely impressed by the streamlined embarkation process. They don't mess around! By the time we got onboard, there were probably already several hundred passengers onboard.

 

I've got to hand it to Royal for their streamlined and frictionless boarding process. Very impressive! I also believe their goal is to get you onboard spending money on drinks, food, etc. ASAP, and I love that! I think their North Star is "Instant Embarkation Process for Our Passengers." 

 

Thank you! I thought that I read something similar in another thread, so I thought I would ask here just in case I remembered incorrectly.  

[OhJinkies]

My boarding time isn't until noon, but I had made a lunch reservation at Giovanni's for 12:30. Concerned about getting hung up in a long line for security. So I'm going to plan to get there closer to 11 AM and hope that they'll at least let me get through security if I show them my lunch reservation.

[PhillyFan33579]

4 minutes ago, OhJinkies said:

My boarding time isn't until noon, but I had made a lunch reservation at Giovanni's for 12:30. Concerned about getting hung up in a long line for security. So I'm going to plan to get there closer to 11 AM and hope that they'll at least let me get through security if I show them my lunch reservation.

I have cruised out of Miami four times in the last few months (Icon, Explorer, Freedom x 2). For every one of these cruises port employees never looked at or checked anyone’s check-in time. That has also been my experience when cruising out of Port Tampa, Port Canaveral and Port Everglades this year. The bottom line is you can show up at the port any time you want.  

[SUgwoz]

Embarkation and disembarkation process has been streamlined in Florida ports I haven't seen a scenario where people were queued up when I show up between 11-1130.  They just have so many stations of workers checking people in. 

 

The check in times encourage where everyone doesn't show up at the same time, but as long as there is no backup in the port terminal the workers will waive everyone to checkin soon as they arrive.

Edited Sunday at 03:48 PM by SUgwoz

[OhJinkies]

3 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I have cruised out of Miami four times in the last few months (Icon, Explorer, Freedom x 2). For every one of these cruises port employees never looked at or checked anyone’s check-in time. That has also been my experience when cruising out of Port Tampa, Port Canaveral and Port Everglades this year. The bottom line is you can show up at the port any time you want.  

Thanks - as long as I can make it to Giovanni's by 12:30, I'm good with that! What deck do you actually enter the ship? I know there's an escalator to Deck 5, just below Giovanni's.

[PhillyFan33579]

31 minutes ago, OhJinkies said:

Thanks - as long as I can make it to Giovanni's by 12:30, I'm good with that! What deck do you actually enter the ship? I know there's an escalator to Deck 5, just below Giovanni's.

You enter on deck 5 on Icon.