Fort Lauderdale - Boarding Time

[willbrook]

Our January 29th cruise on the 'Sun Princess' departs at 5 P.M. Can anyone give me an idea how early passengers are permitted to board? Thanks

[spongerob]

You can usually start boarding around noon, sometimes a bit earlier. People will be lining up by 10 AM. The line moves very quickly once boarding starts.

[cruzinchris]

If you're among the first 300 or so passengers to arrive at the terminal, you will be let into a "waiting room" of sorts. There are comfortable chairs, and coffee, tea, water available while you wait. Boarding group numbers are distributed. Once boarding commences, the lines move very quickly.

 

Bon Voyage!

Chris

[VaBeachCruisers897]

I dont know about this waiting room but I would suggest arriving an hour or so after boarding begins.... A three hour wait stresses me out for some reason. Maybe its all the new cruisers wondering why the wait is so long.

[Toto2Kansas]

We have found it much less stressful to arrive around 10:30-11:00 and be allowed to relax in comfortable chairs in the waiting room with a book or just visiting with other passengers. If boarding is held up for any reason, at least you are comfortable while you wait. If you arrive later and the waiting room is already full, then you must stand outside in line, and when it is hot, it is not the best way to begin a vacation (which can be very long) until boarding begins.

[twocats]

Waiting room in FLL, never saw it. We sailed a little more than a year ago from FLL and we observed very long long lines that wound around the walll (outside the building) to the end of the wall, back half way, down a ramp and who knows where. Fortunately we were at the begining. Due to some unfortuate circumstances we had been dropped off at the port so early (before 10 am) that the prior cruisers were still disembarking. We were told where to wait, later moved up to the building and started the line. There were only two benches against the wall and the first 4 couples were able to sit. A little after 11, they had elite cruisers with special boarding move up in front of us. They were allowed to pass thorough and by 11:15 the rest of us were allowed to follow. We were directed through roped off lines. The funny thing was since the elite passengers were already aboard my husband and I were directed through the elite lines Anyway long story to say no waiting room with chairs, did we miss something?

[chrysalis]

waiting room depends on which terminal is being used. When we boarded the Sea last March, we were directed to a waiting room with lots of chairs. Good thing, too, since boarding was delayed big time (hours) by a surprise Coast Guard inspection.....

[cruzinchris]

Waiting room in FLL, never saw it. We sailed a little more than a year ago from FLL ...Anyway long story to say no waiting room with chairs, did we miss something?

 

Twocats,

Don't know exactly when the passenger waiting room in FLL became available. It wasn't there for our 1/2005 cruise on the CB, but it was there in January of this year.

 

We plan to arrive at the terminal fairly early for our Star sailing on 11/6. We hope the waiting room is open because we'll have a long wait prior to boarding.

Chris

[scots]

We were on the Grand Princess in February and stayed at the Hotel Galvez in Galveston pre-cruise. Princess reps were at the hotel and our check-in was done through them and really expedited our process at the terminal. Is this option available at FLL?? If so, which hotels do they do this at?

[Ethel5]

Don't know exactly when the passenger waiting room in FLL became available. It wasn't there for our 1/2005 cruise on the CB, but it was there in January of this year.

 

Only one of the terminals Princess uses has the waiting room. It usually is used by Celebrity. Most of the time we have waited in the heat for the line to move.