Retreat Boarding Time

[Sascol]

Hello everyone. We are sailing in the retreat for the 1st time on the Beyond in November. We have sailed on celebrity many times and we always go online prior to the cruise and pick a boarding time. Since we have a suite this time do we still need to do that or does the priority boarding we have assigned as retreat guests take care of that? Thank you in advance. Any other tidbits about the retreat anyone can provide would be appreciated as well!

[canderson]

The system will have you pick a time because it's not smart enough to know you don't need one.  Pick a late slot.  That leaves an earlier one for someone else.

[canderson]

As for "tidbits", the answers need to be tailored to cabin class since perks vary considerably.

[Sascol]

46 minutes ago, canderson said:

The system will have you pick a time because it's not smart enough to know you don't need one.  Pick a late slot.  That leaves an earlier one for someone else.

In other words, pick 3 o’clock, but show up at noon?

[dcbiker97]

20 minutes ago, Sascol said:

In other words, pick 3 o’clock, but show up at noon?

Yes. Pick the latest time the system allows, (which saves the earlier places for folks where it matters )and you can board generally around 11ish.  

Edited September 4 by dcbiker97

[bigbenboys]

1 hour ago, Sascol said:

In other words, pick 3 o’clock, but show up at noon?

We normally show up at 11:30. Onboard about noon. Then do the muster drill check in. Then off to Luminae for lunch. Luminae lunch can open as early 11:30am and closes at 1:30pm. 

[zitsky]

We’re in a SS in 4 months, Bali.  I’m afraid of another hours long boarding experience like Valparaiso so we plan to show up at 10am for a 10:30 am boarding.  I expect to wait in line.  We’ll go to the Retreat lounge and they tell me someone will hold our luggage for an hour or so while we have lunch.

 

I’ll tell you a tip if you promise not to share it with anyone.  If you’re in Luminae and joke about wanting a banana split, it may show up the next day.  I do not know if this works for other desserts.  I think it only works for the ones that are hard to make.

[MamaFej]

2 hours ago, canderson said:

The system will have you pick a time because it's not smart enough to know you don't need one.  Pick a late slot.  That leaves an earlier one for someone else.

 

1 hour ago, dcbiker97 said:

Yes. Pick the latest time the system allows, (which saves the earlier places for folks where it matters )and you can board generally around 11ish.  

Thanks for this very polite suggestion. In lieu of programming that makes sense, this is the right thing to do. 

[bigbenboys]

4 hours ago, zitsky said:

  We’ll go to the Retreat lounge and they tell me someone will hold our luggage for an hour or so while we have lunch.

 

 

While it has been a couple of years since we were on Millie out of Seattle. We were able pickup our Seapass cards when dropped our bags off in our suite. 

[zitsky]

6 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

While it has been a couple of years since we were on Millie out of Seattle. We were able pickup our Seapass cards when dropped our bags off in our suite. 

That was before they were ready at noon, yes?  We have never tried to board so early. (10:30 or 11:00am)

 

 

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, zitsky said:

That was before they were ready at noon, yes?  We have never tried to board so early. (10:30 or 11:00am)

 

 

Whatever time you board, you go straight to your stateroom to drop off your carry on luggage and pick up your sea pass cards. It doesn’t matter how early. 

[George C]

14 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

We normally show up at 11:30. Onboard about noon. Then do the muster drill check in. Then off to Luminae for lunch. Luminae lunch can open as early 11:30am and closes at 1:30pm. 

We do same , we make sure to get to Luminae before 1:30 normally just a few minutes before so I can get my lobster roll it is normally offered only at lunch on embarkation day. We normally will have a few drinks in retreat before lunch and meet the concierge.

Edited September 5 by George C

[George C]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

Whatever time you board, you go straight to your stateroom to drop off your carry on luggage and pick up your sea pass cards. It doesn’t matter how early. 

Top suites sometimes get escorted to your suite .

[Tudy]

Here's my tip: When staying in the Retreat, it is tempting to just stay in the Retreat, and forget that a whole beautiful ship exists outside of the Retreat. Spend some time outside of the Retreat every day. 🙂

 

[DaKahuna]

14 hours ago, zitsky said:

I expect to wait in line.  We’ll go to the Retreat lounge and they tell me someone will hold our luggage for an hour or so while we have lunch.

 

The only line you will wait in is the line with other Retreat passengers. 

 

Why not drop your bags off in your suite before going to lunch.  No need to take them to the lounge. 

[DaKahuna]

3 minutes ago, Tudy said:

Here's my tip: When staying in the Retreat, it is tempting to just stay in the Retreat, and forget that a whole beautiful ship exists outside of the Retreat. Spend some time outside of the Retreat every day. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 Even on the E-class, unless you are in one of special suites, your suite could be anywhere on the ship and you would need to go through some common areas when going from the lounge, Luminae, or Sun Deck, to your room, same as on M and S class. 

 

[zitsky]

6 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

The only line you will wait in is the line with other Retreat passengers. 

 

Why not drop your bags off in your suite before going to lunch.  No need to take them to the lounge. 

 

In Valparaiso, we were not in a suite, but I looked for any/the Retreat line (inside the terminal).  I didn't see one.  There probably was one once you got off the ship.  So I don't know if it will be the same in Bali.  A long line going into the terminal, THEN a Retreat line inside.

 

I do not have a problem waiting, within reason.

[DaKahuna]

@zitsky We have never embarked Celebrity anywhere other than US and Japan and there has always been a separate queue for Retreat passengers embarking the ship.   Maybe go ask in the Ports of Call - Asia board.  I think I saw some discussions on Indonesia when I was researching information for our Japan cruise. 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/43-asia/

 

[2flacruisers]

3 hours ago, Tudy said:

Here's my tip: When staying in the Retreat, it is tempting to just stay in the Retreat, and forget that a whole beautiful ship exists outside of the Retreat. Spend some time outside of the Retreat every day. 🙂

 

Totally true...seemed like we were always in the Retreat the first time we sailed in a suite...go figure.  So, this time, we will make more time to enjoy the rest of the ship.  😁

[horseymike]

We will be sailing in steerage class this week . What time should we board ? 3:55 ?

[sdnich]

On 9/4/2024 at 2:11 PM, canderson said:

The system will have you pick a time because it's not smart enough to know you don't need one.  Pick a late slot.  That leaves an earlier one for someone else.

We upgraded our room to a SS a few weeks ago and had a check time for 10:30 and just changed to 2:30 to hopefully help another cruiser to check in earlier! 

[chemmo]

17 hours ago, Tudy said:

Here's my tip: When staying in the Retreat, it is tempting to just stay in the Retreat, and forget that a whole beautiful ship exists outside of the Retreat. Spend some time outside of the Retreat every day. 🙂

 

Totally agree with this. We are aware with the price we pay for a higher suite we could book on a luxury line but we don’t want that…We love the buzz of a decent sized ship. We enjoy the wide variety of restaurants, the entertainment, the choice of bars…

 

 

[zitsky]

The Retreat desk says we can board at 10:30am.  But I expect the line will start earlier than that.  

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, zitsky said:

The Retreat desk says we can board at 10:30am.  But I expect the line will start earlier than that.  

 

Keep in mind - check in and boarding are two separate events.  You may be able to access the terminal and check in at 1000 but boarding will usually be at 1030 or often later. 

 

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Keep in mind - check in and boarding are two separate events.  You may be able to access the terminal and check in at 1000 but boarding will usually be at 1030 or often later. 

 

 

Thanks, but I mentioned that in my post.  Waiting in line is not boarding.  I refer to 1) waiting in line for check in 2) security screening 3) check in and 4) boarding.

 

I thought someone in another thread mentioned there would be a separate waiting line for Retreat, but I think they were referring to the separate Retreat check in line inside the terminal, not the line outside.

 

I'm trying not to repeat my mistake in South America.  So I'll get there early this time. 

 

Edited September 6 by zitsky