Arrival Time for Princess Grill Passengers at Canada Place

[Desert Cruisers]

Will be sailing later this month to Alaska in a Princess Grill cabin on the Queen Elizabeth.  Printed off our boarding passes this morning and was surprised to find an "arrival time" of 12:45.  Previous posters who have been in the Grills this summer posted that they were checking-in at 11:30-noon and onboard soon after. 

 

I thought that Grills passengers were given priority.  We would like to get settled and to have a nice lunch in the Princess Grill restaurant. Can we show up earlier than the indicated arrival time?

 

Also, should our boarding pass note that we are in a Grill cabin (similar to cabin designation on a flight) or will the person checking us in have that info?

 

Thanks for all info.  Couldn't get through to Cunard to ask these questions.

[exlondoner]

Unless things are wildly different in Canada, Grills lunch is usually 1.00-2.30, so you are in no danger of missing it. 12.45 seems a reasonable time for Grills. We are usually given 12.30, but that is at Southampton.

[Pushpit]

28 minutes ago, Desert Cruisers said:

Also, should our boarding pass note that we are in a Grill cabin (similar to cabin designation on a flight) or will the person checking us in have that info?

 

Usually the boarding pass has the word Priority on it, and that cover both Grills and Club. They along with Platinums and Diamonds can use the Priority desk. Normally after check-in Queens Grill gets called first, then PG. It's priority in terms of access to those priority desks, not priority in terms of timing. But usually people do turn up earlier, so the queues are longer, but it's unlikely they will turn you away. If you do turn up earlier, you won't necessarily get on board any sooner, a lot depends on whether they have managed to clear the ship of the disembarkation process. 

 

The timing of Grill passengers is done with lunch service in mind, so that should be OK, and there will be plenty more meals thereafter, you are unlikely to starve.

[s.s.France]

Time is reasonable for Grills. I dont recall ever having had an assigned time before 1230 or so. 

[david,Mississauga]

For the 22nd of July cruise, we were given a Priority terminal arrival time of 12:30.  As is my custom, I went to the terminal the afternoon before and talked withy the Intercruise staff.  We were Queens Grill this time and I request wheelchair assistance for my wife to deal with what can be a lot of walking and standing. As on previous cruises, we were told to show up before 11:00 and a wheelchair and staff member would be provided.

 

We arrived at 10:45.  Check-in commenced at 11:00 in the Convention Centre Hall C upstairs.  We were processed quickly by security and the US border control and were seated in the waiting area close to the gangway by 11:30.

 

Boarding commenced at 12:15 and  was by status: assistance, QG, PG, etc. 

[Desert Cruisers]

Thanks for all of the info.

[NE John]

23 minutes ago, Desert Cruisers said:

Thanks for all of the info.

Remember that a taxi drops you off underneath the terminal and porters are right there to pickup luggage. With Uber, you have to walk outside from another building that’s a long block away. 
You’ll make it to PG restaurant with little problems. The views from the Grills restaurants are wonderful. Enjoy!

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

For the 22nd of July cruise, we were given a Priority terminal arrival time of 12:30.  As is my custom, I went to the terminal the afternoon before and talked withy the Intercruise staff.  We were Queens Grill this time and I request wheelchair assistance for my wife to deal with what can be a lot of walking and standing. As on previous cruises, we were told to show up before 11:00 and a wheelchair and staff member would be provided.

 

We arrived at 10:45.  Check-in commenced at 11:00 in the Convention Centre Hall C upstairs.  We were processed quickly by security and the US border control and were seated in the waiting area close to the gangway by 11:30.

 

Boarding commenced at 12:15 and  was by status: assistance, QG, PG, etc. 

 

Yes, it is a lot of walking. I checked with the staff the day before my departure to see when they begin check-in. I was told "11-ish." and that's when they started. 

 

I was on the cruise before yours, and they seated priority passengers in a separate section of the waiting area (close to the gangway exit, as you said). When they were ready for us to board, they sent us off by row, not status. I guess it depends on who's in charge of the area on a given day. They took guests in wheelchairs out to the hallway first, then lined them up to one side so the rest of the priority passengers could go by. I think that's the point where terminal staff hand off wheelchair guests to be pushed the rest of the way by ship staff. 

[david,Mississauga]

Yes, it varies from time to time.  We have embarked the QE four times and it's never quite the same.  Last year passengers were put in groups of rows according to their status, with "assistance" first, QG, then PG.  I'm not sure about Britannia Club.  Platinum and Diamond members were in another part of the hall.  It seemed that way on the 22nd of July but I was talking to other people and wasn't paying a lot of attention.

 

The first year of the QE Alaska cruises (2019) we had very early embarkation.  We were in Britannia yet on board by 11:20.  Staterooms were to be ready by 12:30 so everyone was asked to enjoy the public rooms and decks.

 

This year we were given a notice at check-in that staterooms would not be ready until 1:15, yet after scanning our boarding passes at the muster station we were told to go to our accommodation.  Maybe that was because we were in QG, but I don't know.

Edited August 9 by david,Mississauga