Is this true?

[wernew2cruising]

On our cruise personalizer it says for faster check-in to arrive after 2pm. What is your experience with this? True? Will our room be ready?

 

Also, this is our first Princess cruise. What are your recomendations for when we first board? Do we go and make speciality dining reservations, go to the buffet, what?

 

Thanks for all your help!

[Beryl]

We usually arrive at the pier sometime between 11:30am and noon. Sometimes the wait is a bit longer, sometimes there is no wait at all. We've never waited until as late as 2pm to check in.

 

Your cabin will be ready and waiting for you when you board.

 

Check your cruise card to make sure you have the dining assignment you were given/or requested. Should you wish to make changes the Maitre 'd is usually available to speak to. Check the Patter, which should be in your cabin when you arrive, to find out where he will be seeing passengers.

 

If you know when you want to dine at the specialty restaurant just pick up the phone and dial D I N E . They will help you with your reservations.

 

Have lunch in the buffet. :D

[Solida123]

Your room should be ready as soon as you board, no matter when you board (unlike Carnival where you often have to lug your carry-ons around the ship if you board early).

 

As for when to board, once the floodgates open shortly after noon most people report a 30 minute or shorter wait.

 

They advise after 2 p.m. to keep the early lines a little shorter. I know that many people like to be in line by 10:30 and are Ok with waiting a couple hours.

[wernew2cruising]

Your room should be ready as soon as you board, no matter when you board (unlike Carnival where you often have to lug your carry-ons around the ship if you board early).

 

 

They advise after 2 p.m. to keep the early lines a little shorter. I know that many people like to be in line by 10:30 and are Ok with waiting a couple hours.

 

Did this with Disney...waited then lugged carry-ons around until room was ready. Don't want to do that again, which is why I asked.

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

Follow up question. How do you determine which nights to do the speciality dining? Are any nights better to do that than others?

[wernew2cruising]

sorry...double post

[S.S.Oceanlover]

On our cruise personalizer it says for faster check-in to arrive after 2pm. What is your experience with this? True? Will our room be ready?

 

Also, this is our first Princess cruise. What are your recomendations for when we first board? Do we go and make speciality dining reservations, go to the buffet, what?

 

Thanks for all your help!

 

You should go get your picture taken with Mickey!:p

 

Bill

[JLC@SD]

It is hard to tell when any time is better / faster. We like to check in around 11, drop off our hand luggage and head to the buffet for lunch....:)

[Cruisin' Chick]

We have never had to wait for our cabin on Princess. And we try to get to the port by noon. Sometimes even earlier. The last time we got to San Pedro at 12:15 pm and were escorted to an available clerk. We were on the ship with unpacked carryons and ready to explore the ship by 1:15pm.

[marlinmike]

Cindy,

 

We like to sleep in as much as possible, have a large, late as possible breakfast and get to the dock as late as possible to let the lines die down.

 

All sounds good, but a lot of times we still can't wait and rush down to get in line to get aboard. The worst day at the buffet is the first day lunch so if we don't lollygag and rush to get on, we're going to try to see if "sit down" lunch is available in the dining room on the first day.

 

I don't know why it is, but the hang-out seems to be at the Horizon Court on embarkation day and it is MUCH busier that day than any other day on the cruise (maybe it's because it takes the first day for everyone to figure out there is really nothing to do there but eat and get the heck out!)

 

Marlin

[drpack]

 

If you know when you want to dine at the specialty restaurant just pick up the phone and dial D I N E . They will help you with your reservations.:D

 

On the CB they wouldn't let you make a reservation on the phone on embarkation day. You have to go and stand in line at Sabatini's. They use to start at 2:00 pm but on our cruise last week they started taking reservations at 1:00 pm.

[cruiserbryce]

maybe faster but you get on the ship a lot later...we usually get to the port at about 12-1230

[chil-laxin]

Follow up question. How do you determine which nights to do the speciality dining? Are any nights better to do that than others?

__________________

 

 

We usually make our specialty reservations when they first offer it on embarkation day. The last two cruises, we have chosen the first night because we thought the dining room menu was not as strong and because on the first night, you can basically take your pick of times.

[Foxy lady]

After you have followed the suggestions above, I suggest you go for lunch in the dining room. There's something about having a waiter spread your linen napkin out on your lap, hand you a beautiful menu & wait on you hand & foot, that puts you in the mood for the cruise & gets you relaxed. You might even order a bloody mary or a pina colada. Relax, you're onboard!

 

Your bags may not show up for quite awhile. It may be quite hot, you may feel like sitting on deck. If the pools are open, you could take a dip. Take along your bathing suits, whatever you might need for the afternoon, etc. in your carryon bag so you can change & settle in. Believe me, others will comment that they wish they had done the same thing.

[geoherb]

I think the maitre d' taking reservations for the specialty restaurants will have a copy of all the menus for the cruise. That way you can decide which night you want to skip the regular dining room.

 

I love it when the dining room is open for lunch on embarkation day. It hasn't been on our most recent cruises.

[Colo Cruiser]

On the Emerald cruise 10/27 the lines at 2pm were really long.

 

I try to get to the pier as early as possible.

[JennAngel9]

We have never had to wait for our cabin on Princess. And we try to get to the port by noon. Sometimes even earlier. The last time we got to San Pedro at 12:15 pm and were escorted to an available clerk. We were on the ship with unpacked carryons and ready to explore the ship by 1:15pm.

I hate to be the downer, but we have had to wait for our stateroom is ready on some Princess cruises (although we went in and dropped off our carry-on anyway).

[wernew2cruising]

You should go get your picture taken with Mickey!:p

 

Bill

Thanks Bill...I MIGHT just do that! ;) :D

[Casshew]

I check in as late as possible, I don't like lines and crowds.

[Hplar]

On the CB they wouldn't let you make a reservation on the phone on embarkation day. You have to go and stand in line at Sabatini's. They use to start at 2:00 pm but on our cruise last week they started taking reservations at 1:00 pm.

Where do you live in Leesburg? We live in The Plantation. I was also a Coastie...

[Coral]

Staterooms are almost always ready when you embark on Princess. Of course there are rare examples when they are not but every time I have been on Princess, they have been ready.

 

Princess prefers that people on disembarkment day wait in public rooms - this way, room stewards can clean the rooms and they will be ready for new passengers right away. Of course, there are those who insist on waiting in their rooms until they disembark and this then complicates things for the room steward who tries very hard to have the rooms ready by the time guests embark.

[notentirelynormal]

I hate to be the downer, but we have had to wait for our stateroom is ready on some Princess cruises (although we went in and dropped off our carry-on anyway).

 

Really? I'm surprised. I've never had to wait and I've been on quite a few cruises. Our cabin steward greets us right off, we drop off our stuff, order ice and off the the buffet for lunch. We usually cruise with groups of 20 plus people too, and they've never had to wait either.

[SaltwaterTwo]

On our cruise personalizer it says for faster check-in to arrive after 2pm. What is your experience with this? True? Will our room be ready?

 

Also, this is our first Princess cruise. What are your recomendations for when we first board? Do we go and make speciality dining reservations, go to the buffet, what?

 

Thanks for all your help!

 

True. I have done it a couple of times. Under normal circumstances there will be no wait in line.

[Seal]

After you have followed the suggestions above, I suggest you go for lunch in the dining room. There's something about having a waiter spread your linen napkin out on your lap, hand you a beautiful menu & wait on you hand & foot, that puts you in the mood for the cruise & gets you relaxed. You might even order a bloody mary or a pina colada. Relax, you're onboard!

 

Your bags may not show up for quite awhile. It may be quite hot, you may feel like sitting on deck. If the pools are open, you could take a dip. Take along your bathing suits, whatever you might need for the afternoon, etc. in your carryon bag so you can change & settle in. Believe me, others will comment that they wish they had done the same thing.

 

Never can understand why people go to the Horizon when not necessary--RELAX in the dining Room--when you've had lunch--maybe --even your luggage may make it early--or make reservations for specialty restaurants--

 

When you board the ship--usually you are told to get into the elevator and go to deck 14 or whatever to the Horizon--Wealso know that sometimes the elevators are only going to go where they want you to go--still-go to your stateroom--leave your hand luggage and go to the Dining Room--GREAT START for a great cruise!!

 

Nancy:D

[trvlcrzy]

Follow up question. How do you determine which nights to do the speciality dining? Are any nights better to do that than others?

 

On our Sun Princess cruise, there were several people walking around in Horizon Court offering various items (such as the wine tasting, the soft drink card...) including reservations at Sterling. After much time on CC, I knew I didn't want to eat in the dining room on Frog Leg night (don't like lamb either... and I can't recall the other main option), so I asked if he knew which night this was. He "hopped" away with a smile on his face to find out for me. "Juneau night," he said. We then made our reservation.

 

(Of course, I wish we had made the reservation later in the evening for that night. Juneau was a late port night, but we felt "rushed" to make it back for our reservation.)

 

That particular server waited on us at Sterling, and he "hopped" to the table when he saw us... a good-natured "ribbeting" at me for not wanting frog legs. He also offered to go to the main dining room for me to get my frog legs. We also saw him in Verdi's (pizza to die for... much better than the pool-side stuff we were used to), and he picked on me again. I made sure to find him on the last full day to share an extra tip. He made our cruise special with those fun memories.

[Coral]

Never can understand why people go to the Horizon when not necessary--RELAX in the dining Room--when you've had lunch--maybe --even your luggage may make it early--or make reservations for specialty restaurants--

 

When you board the ship--usually you are told to get into the elevator and go to deck 14 or whatever to the Horizon--Wealso know that sometimes the elevators are only going to go where they want you to go--still-go to your stateroom--leave your hand luggage and go to the Dining Room--GREAT START for a great cruise!!

 

Nancy:D

 

We have always been pointed to our rooms first, and then Horizon Court.

 

I much prefer the dining room for lunch.