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Critique my First Day Plan, Please!


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Hello.  First time RCL Cruisers on Allure next Sunday.  Have only been on DCL cruises in the past, and feel like I have a good handle on that on-boarding process, but would like your feedback on how I envision our First Day on an RCL ship.

Our Set Sail passes state 'Arrival Appointment' of 11:30am - 12:00pm.  What exactly does that mean?

We will be driving to Ft. Lauderdale that morning.  I plan on leaving around 9:00am, which should put us at the Port sometime around Noon.

If we get to the Port around Noon, by the time we get parked and through security, will the terminal have settled down by then?  The initial rush of early arrivers will have boarded by then, yes? I still have anxiety about boarding with 6000 others, as the largest ship we have been on was in the 2500 range (Disney Dream).

After boarding, I thought I would go to a Specialty restaurant to make reservations for the week as we have the UDP for all of us.  During this time, I thought I would send the wife and children to register for their respective clubs...the daughter for the teen club and the 10 year old son for whatever club he is in.

By that time, it should certainly be after 1:00pm and we would meet back at the room, get everyone's devices sorted as far as getting them into airplane mode and connected to VOOM.  Then just exploring the ship, some lunch somewhere, a drink or two, etc.

Sound about right?

A couple questions:

1) I can make specialty dinning reservations with just Set Sail Passes for all of us, right?  They don't need to be there.

2) Will my wife will need copies of the Set Sail Passes to register children, and will she be able to purchase drinks, cokes, smoothies, etc. with these until we get to the room and get Sea Pass cards

3) Where does she need to go to register the kids.  Individual clubs or will there be a 'central' location where she can register them both.

4) On past cruises, we have never really felt the urge to eat as soon as we board.  We'll likely grab something on the way to the Port.  But after about 2:00, will the WJ remain open in case anyone is getting hungry then, or do they shut it down.  I seem to recall buffet on DCL closing around that time.

Any suggestions for improvement to the above plan?  Am I way off base anywhere?

Thanks!

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2 hours ago, OrlandoDad said:

Our Set Sail passes state 'Arrival Appointment' of 11:30am - 12:00pm.  What exactly does that mean?

Those are suggested times to help crowd control but you can arrive whatever times you'd like.  They will probably start boarding between 10:30am-11:00am  Your vacation starts as soon as you get on board so I personally would be there as early as possible.  The earlier you get on the emptier the ship will be.  

We will be driving to Ft. Lauderdale that morning.  I plan on leaving around 9:00am, which should put us at the Port sometime around Noon.

If we get to the Port around Noon, by the time we get parked and through security, will the terminal have settled down by then?  The initial rush of early arrivers will have boarded by then, yes? I still have anxiety about boarding with 6000 others, as the largest ship we have been on was in the 2500 range (Disney Dream).

After boarding, I thought I would go to a Specialty restaurant to make reservations for the week as we have the UDP for all of us.  During this time, I thought I would send the wife and children to register for their respective clubs...the daughter for the teen club and the 10 year old son for whatever club he is in.

By that time, it should certainly be after 1:00pm and we would meet back at the room, get everyone's devices sorted as far as getting them into airplane mode and connected to VOOM.  Then just exploring the ship, some lunch somewhere, a drink or two, etc.

Sound about right?

A couple questions:

1) I can make specialty dinning reservations with just Set Sail Passes for all of us, right?  They don't need to be there.

Everyone in your reservation should be linked but it never hurts to have your SetSail Passes.

2) Will my wife will need copies of the Set Sail Passes to register children, and will she be able to purchase drinks, cokes, smoothies, etc. with these until we get to the room and get Sea Pass cards

Yes, you will use your SetSail Passes for any purchases until you get your cards

3) Where does she need to go to register the kids.  Individual clubs or will there be a 'central' location where she can register them both.

Go to Adventure Ocean on Deck 14 in the front of the ship; they open up at 11:00am.  She can register them both at the same time.  They're separated by age but basically in the same general area.  

4) On past cruises, we have never really felt the urge to eat as soon as we board.  We'll likely grab something on the way to the Port.  But after about 2:00, will the WJ remain open in case anyone is getting hungry then, or do they shut it down.  I seem to recall buffet on DCL closing around that time.

Most people will be heading for Windjammer and it's going to be overly crowded there.  As I mentioned before, the earlier the better especially if you plan on having lunch.  You've already paid for it so you might as well eat on-board.  The only downside is having to lug your carry-ons around with you.  The Windjammer is open until 3:15pm

Any suggestions for improvement to the above plan?  Am I way off base anywhere?

Thanks!

 

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I agree the earlier on the better.  We got there around 945 and by 1005 we had bags checked, were through security she relaxing waiting to get on.  I never even showed my set sail pass for the reservations... They asked for my stateroom number and went from there.  You will register at adventure ocean during a time they will have listed in the cruise planner.  The teen won't register but you should walk through and someone took be there to answer questions etc.  It's s much looser process for the teens (and definitely have him/her go the first night to meet people!).   If you don't like crowds, Park Cafe was terrific for lunch that first day.  I will actually admit we didn't eat in windjammer once... There are so many different options on allure!  

   We were nervous about the hugeness on our first Oasis class cruise on Allure in March and I will say it felt like the last crowded ship we have been on.  You will have a great trip!  Enjoy!  Jane

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Hmmm...now I am rethinking the whole leave at 9:00am thing.  For our DCL cruises, my goal was to get there after the initial rush, but before the busses from the resorts started arriving...so we'd hit the road about 11:00 or so.  I also had a carryon full of 'beverages' that I had to lug around waiting for the room to be ready.  That won't be the case this time.

Now to convince the family to get out of bed that early on Sunday ?

So the teen (14 years old at time of sailing, 15 in a month or so) does not necessarily have to pre-register anywhere in order to go to the first night's meet and greet?  That is good to know....I thought I read somewhere all kids had to be registered to get a wristband with the muster station on it or something?

Thanks....and please keep the suggestions coming!

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7 minutes ago, OrlandoDad said:

Hmmm...now I am rethinking the whole leave at 9:00am thing.  For our DCL cruises, my goal was to get there after the initial rush, but before the busses from the resorts started arriving...so we'd hit the road about 11:00 or so.  I also had a carryon full of 'beverages' that I had to lug around waiting for the room to be ready.  That won't be the case this time.

Now to convince the family to get out of bed that early on Sunday ?

So the teen (14 years old at time of sailing, 15 in a month or so) does not necessarily have to pre-register anywhere in order to go to the first night's meet and greet?  That is good to know....I thought I read somewhere all kids had to be registered to get a wristband with the muster station on it or something?

Thanks....and please keep the suggestions coming!

The teen doesn't and doesn't need a wristband.  I think the 12 and under do (not positive about that).  

I'd rather spend every second I can on the ship so I've never gone late.  I have found the lines significantly lower though at the early time.   Get em up and tell them they can nap on the ship in a deck chair lol.  Jane

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I agree with what other people are saying.. I think you need to arrive much earlier.. Leaving at 9 won't get you there by 12.. And honestly from 12-2 is the MOST crowded. I would try to get there by 10:30 so that you can board right away, get the dining taken care of, get the kids registered, and then have a nice lunch.. The earlier you get everything done the better from a crowds perspective.. I think you should really be leaving by like 7 am.. But I get it the teenager factor.. Honestly if it were we I would look into an inexpensive hotel maybe in Deerfield beach so that way you don't have a huge drive in the morning but I don't know your financial situation and that just might not work for you but thats what I would do.. In fact its what I did last year lol.. I live in Ft. Lauderdale and I left out of Port Canaveral so I came in the day before and stayed at a hotel so I didn't have a huge drive in the morning. I found a hotel that included parking and a shuttle to the port so the cost was the same as if I paid to park at the port but I got there early.. Now thats really what you should try to do.. 

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1 minute ago, AGSLC5 said:

 In fact its what I did last year lol.. I live in Ft. Lauderdale 

Ok temporarily hijacking the thread.  Other than la Bamba that @Lovetocruise2002 has convinced me is great, where should we eat or what is fun to do?  I know all subjective..  we are staying at the ft Lauderdale Hilton Marina the day before (all day) and an airbnb (in the ocean manor beach resort) the 3 days after.  I will have my 16 and 22 year old with me.  Anything you love about ft laud that we can Uber to?  Also, do you know what the easiest movie theater to get to is? I'm thinking we might go see Aladdin! Been dying to see it! 

Ok... Back to Orlando dad's questions!!!!  Jane

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Agree with all above who state earlier is better.  As for meals,  WJ is too crowded, consider alternative lunch spots.  Sometimes Day 1 is a bit of a zoo in the WJ.  The daily compass will indicate available lunch locations.  On the Harmony, we enjoyed the Solarium Bistro when the WJ was too crowded, and kids may like the hot dogs at the Boardwalk or burgers at Johnny Rocket.

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53 minutes ago, OrlandoDad said:

Hmmm...now I am rethinking the whole leave at 9:00am thing.  For our DCL cruises, my goal was to get there after the initial rush, but before the busses from the resorts started arriving...so we'd hit the road about 11:00 or so.  I also had a carryon full of 'beverages' that I had to lug around waiting for the room to be ready.  That won't be the case this time.

Now to convince the family to get out of bed that early on Sunday ?

So the teen (14 years old at time of sailing, 15 in a month or so) does not necessarily have to pre-register anywhere in order to go to the first night's meet and greet?  That is good to know....I thought I read somewhere all kids had to be registered to get a wristband with the muster station on it or something?

Thanks....and please keep the suggestions coming!

IMHO- Leave the house at 7:00am. That should get you to the port right around 10:30 and that’s the sweet spot. Don’t be deterred by the notion that 6000 guests and 2500 crew members will be chaotic. RC and the folks at Port Everglades have pretty much mastered the embarkation process with Oasis Class ships. It’s surprisingly a very smooth process.

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28 minutes ago, mom2mybugs said:

Ok temporarily hijacking the thread.  Other than la Bamba that @Lovetocruise2002 has convinced me is great, where should we eat or what is fun to do?  I know all subjective..  we are staying at the ft Lauderdale Hilton Marina the day before (all day) and an airbnb (in the ocean manor beach resort) the 3 days after.  I will have my 16 and 22 year old with me.  Anything you love about ft laud that we can Uber to?  Also, do you know what the easiest movie theater to get to is? I'm thinking we might go see Aladdin! Been dying to see it! 

Ok... Back to Orlando dad's questions!!!!  Jane

I think you should consider renting a car for the 3 days after the trip.. Ft. Lauderdale is not a public transportation friendly place.. Oh sure Uber and Lyft are great but they add up really quick.. are you into shopping? Do you want beach days? What kinds of activities are you looking for? As for a movie theater close to that area for Aladdin I am not sure because I actually live 5 min from La Bamba lol which is about 15-20 min from Ft. Lauderdale where you are staying and use a movie theater close to there. Also if you rent a car you could take little fun day trips like to Delray Beach which also has a great downtown area for food and shopping, or a day trip to Miami in South beach, I wish there was more to do here in the summer but Summer is not the season in Ft. Lauderdale winter is.. Its sooo hot here that everything I do has to have A/C.. I can definitely recommend some good malls though lol. 

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35 minutes ago, mom2mybugs said:

Ok temporarily hijacking the thread.  Other than la Bamba that @Lovetocruise2002 has convinced me is great, where should we eat or what is fun to do?  I know all subjective..  we are staying at the ft Lauderdale Hilton Marina the day before (all day) and an airbnb (in the ocean manor beach resort) the 3 days after.  I will have my 16 and 22 year old with me.  Anything you love about ft laud that we can Uber to?  Also, do you know what the easiest movie theater to get to is? I'm thinking we might go see Aladdin! Been dying to see it! 

Ok... Back to Orlando dad's questions!!!!  Jane

There’s a Regal Theatre in the Oakwood Plaza off Sterling Road. I think that might be the closest to the Hilton Marina. 10-15 min Uber ride.

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3 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

There’s a Regal Theatre in the Oakwood Plaza off Sterling Road. I think that might be the closest to the Hilton Marina. 10-15 min Uber ride.

I was thinking AMC Coral ridge on Oakland Park Blvd & Federal Highway.  I think Riverfront (which is long gone) was the last time I set foot in a theater on the east side of the county.  

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5 minutes ago, Mr. Candyman said:

I was thinking AMC Coral ridge on Oakland Park Blvd & Federal Highway.  I think Riverfront (which is long gone) was the last time I set foot in a theater on the east side of the county.  

I was thinking same place but its a small theater so Aladdin might be gone by then.. My movie theater Paragon already has Aladdin gone.. 

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6 minutes ago, AGSLC5 said:

I was thinking same place but its a small theater so Aladdin might be gone by then.. My movie theater Paragon already has Aladdin gone.. 

Paragon is definite;y small....I haven't been out there since they before they revamped it and used to have $1 movies.  It really depends on where OP is going to be spending her time; she can always just find a theater nearby while she's out.  

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16 minutes ago, Mr. Candyman said:

I was thinking AMC Coral ridge on Oakland Park Blvd & Federal Highway.  I think Riverfront (which is long gone) was the last time I set foot in a theater on the east side of the county.  

AMC Coral Ridge is pretty much the same distance in the other direction. That’s a good option as well. 

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6 minutes ago, Mr. Candyman said:

Paragon is definite;y small....I haven't been out there since they before they revamped it and used to have $1 movies.  It really depends on where OP is going to be spending her time; she can always just find a theater nearby while she's out.  

Well its 8 theaters vs 10 so not that much difference.. But I like that the seats recline plus thats basically where I live. I live by Sawgrass mall so it only takes me like 10 min.. But I agree it all depends where the OP is going to be.. She mentioned La Bamba which is on Sunrise Blvd and Nob Hill Rd so that would be more out west by me. 

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1 minute ago, AGSLC5 said:

Well its 8 theaters vs 10 so not that much difference.. But I like that the seats recline plus thats basically where I live. I live by Sawgrass mall so it only takes me like 10 min.. But I agree it all depends where the OP is going to be.. She mentioned La Bamba which is on Sunrise Blvd and Nob Hill Rd so that would be more out west by me. 

I was confused by when you mentioned 5 minutes to La Bamba because so do I. There are multiple La Bambas though. @Lovetocruise2002 Is referencing the one on 17th street causeway next to the port. This one is 5 minutes from my house in the Harbor Inlet neighborhood. I was thinking “we’re neighbors”! Lol. 

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Awesome!!  Thanks everyone!!!!  I hadn't really thought about the non car friendly thing.  I hate driving in new cities though, so we may just pay a ton on Uber.  I have money now that they have given me back half my Havana cruise fare lol.  And now @OrlandoDad back to your regularly scheduled programming!!  I'm so sorry... This group is so amazing and friendly that sometimes we go on tangents... Big ones lol!  Jane

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30 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

I was confused by when you mentioned 5 minutes to La Bamba because so do I. There are multiple La Bambas though. @Lovetocruise2002 Is referencing the one on 17th street causeway next to the port. This one is 5 minutes from my house in the Harbor Inlet neighborhood. I was thinking “we’re neighbors”! Lol. 

That's what I was thinking....I just assumed it was the La Bamba by the Port and not the one in Plantation

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"

"get to the Port around Noon .... parked ....security ......boarding .....Specialty restaurant to make reservations ..... children to register for their respective clubs...it should certainly be after 1:00pm and we would meet back at the room"

That might be a bit much for the expected time frame. The ship is huge and you will not be familiar with it.

Don't over think it too much. It's certainly OK to have a plan and a list of "to-dos' but be flexible and take time to enjoy the journey with perhaps a bit less focus on the destination.

 

Have fun ?

 

 

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3 minutes ago, CGTLH said:

Also add to the mix having the UDP. Arriving early will tremendously help when it comes to availability of times and venues.

I agree with this.  Go early!  Get there at 10.  You need to make sure you get the times you want especially if you have entertainment plans to work around.  If you have a large party and want to eat around 6-7, then go early.  If you don't mind eating at 8 then don't worry about rushing there. 

When I was on Symphony, there was a specialty reservation desk on deck 5 in the Promenade with a long line.  I left my husband in that line while I went to the MDR to see if they would also take reservations.  Sure enough no line and I had the week planned before he even moved.  

I can confirm that 12 and up do not need wristbands.  The teen may or may not need to register.  We've had to register as it depends on the ship but the teen club has a different registration time than the kids club.  The kids club will be at 1 registration in Adventure ocean.  You can register all of the kids except the teens at once.  You don't need the kids set sail passes to register but she should know who is in each room.  You need the child's stateroom number and anyone who signs them out stateroom number.

For our family of 6, we typically arrive at 10.  Board when our group is called, make any specialty reservations, then head to the Windjammer right at 11.  If you go right at 11, you can get ahead of the craziness.  We take our time with a leisurely lunch and go through that day's cruise compass.  We register for the kids club and wander the pool deck or play mini golf until our rooms are ready.  I always pack a beach bag with everyone's bathing suit and carry it onboard.  We can change in our rooms and then the kids can take advantage of the pools the first day.  

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1 hour ago, tonyfsu21 said:

I was confused by when you mentioned 5 minutes to La Bamba because so do I. There are multiple La Bambas though. @Lovetocruise2002 Is referencing the one on 17th street causeway next to the port. This one is 5 minutes from my house in the Harbor Inlet neighborhood. I was thinking “we’re neighbors”! Lol. 

The only reason I thought it was the one in plantation is because awhile back there was another thread about this and @Lovetocruise2002 mentioned the one in plantation.. So I figured that was the one she wanted.. I never been to the one in Ft Lauderdale.. only plantation and Delray but both are good to me. I have been going to them for 25 years.. 

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1 hour ago, mom2mybugs said:

Awesome!!  Thanks everyone!!!!  I hadn't really thought about the non car friendly thing.  I hate driving in new cities though, so we may just pay a ton on Uber.  I have money now that they have given me back half my Havana cruise fare lol.  And now @OrlandoDad back to your regularly scheduled programming!!  I'm so sorry... This group is so amazing and friendly that sometimes we go on tangents... Big ones lol!  Jane

Well since they are giving you back half the money then sure just Uber or Lyft and don't worry about having to drive and navigate.. I am like you I get nervous driving in a new city.. Thats why I always try to travel with someone else who doesn't mind driving so I totally understand where you are coming from.. 

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1 hour ago, melski94 said:

 

I agree with this.  Go early!  Get there at 10.  You need to make sure you get the times you want especially if you have entertainment plans to work around.  If you have a large party and want to eat around 6-7, then go early.  If you don't mind eating at 8 then don't worry about rushing there. 

When I was on Symphony, there was a specialty reservation desk on deck 5 in the Promenade with a long line.  I left my husband in that line while I went to the MDR to see if they would also take reservations.  Sure enough no line and I had the week planned before he even moved.  

I can confirm that 12 and up do not need wristbands.  The teen may or may not need to register.  We've had to register as it depends on the ship but the teen club has a different registration time than the kids club.  The kids club will be at 1 registration in Adventure ocean.  You can register all of the kids except the teens at once.  You don't need the kids set sail passes to register but she should know who is in each room.  You need the child's stateroom number and anyone who signs them out stateroom number.

For our family of 6, we typically arrive at 10.  Board when our group is called, make any specialty reservations, then head to the Windjammer right at 11.  If you go right at 11, you can get ahead of the craziness.  We take our time with a leisurely lunch and go through that day's cruise compass.  We register for the kids club and wander the pool deck or play mini golf until our rooms are ready.  I always pack a beach bag with everyone's bathing suit and carry it onboard.  We can change in our rooms and then the kids can take advantage of the pools the first day.  

Since everything in the cruise compass is supposed to be equivalent to the app, do kids/teens using the app, have their kids activities listed as well?  

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I hear y'all about the benefits of an earlier arrival.  However, I am concerned about getting to the port and running in to a mass of humanity 6300 strong.  As long as we timed it to beat the DCL busses to Port Canaveral, we always walked in to a relatively empty terminal....the early arrivals had already boarded.

So what time does the terminal open? What time does boarding usually start?  Maybe I should have lead with those questions.

 

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16 minutes ago, OrlandoDad said:

I hear y'all about the benefits of an earlier arrival.  However, I am concerned about getting to the port and running in to a mass of humanity 6300 strong.  As long as we timed it to beat the DCL busses to Port Canaveral, we always walked in to a relatively empty terminal....the early arrivals had already boarded.

So what time does the terminal open? What time does boarding usually start?  Maybe I should have lead with those questions.

 

I can't speak from experience but someone posted earlier that between 12:00pm-2:00pm is probably going to be the busiest.  The terminal should already by open as the previous cruise will be disembarking.  From what I've read, boarding can start as early as 10:30am, if the ship is ready for it.  I'm sure quite a few people are going to go by the boarding times RCI has given them and not be there as early as they possibly can.  Make the family wake up and go...they will thank you for it later once on-board.

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11 minutes ago, Mr. Candyman said:

 

 I believe boarding should start around 11:00am.

So if I arrive prior to 11:00, I will be in the terminal with aforementioned mass of humanity while we wait for Suite/Key/Visiting Heads of State/etc. to board ahead of us.  This is what I would like to avoid and am willing to sacrifice lunch and exact dining times at specialty restaurants for.  Ideally, if I could arrive, get a kid registered, get dining reservations (times not critical) and then be done by 1:00 when the rooms are opening up that would be great.

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@OrlandoDad I get there around 930 to 10.  The car area is busy because people are leaving/coming but literally it’s get out of the Uber (or park...I’ve never done that) , drop bags with a porter who is right there, and breeze right through security.  There were not tons of people there...I literally walked up to the metal detector.  Then you check in and I had no wait for that either on my allure trip.  We then sat in a waiting area and they called people by groups.  This was the longest wait in that you were done checking in but the ship wasn’t ready yet.  Most of the waiting areas really have lots of seats and I’ve never felt squished except in Tampa which was a little smaller.  Once on I had a 5 minute wait at a dining podium (and you can also go to a restaurant and there may be no wait) to do reservations and then went to cafe promenade and trellis bar....got seats no problem in Central Park and a 5 minute drink line.  Adventure ocean might not open a little later and that might be a wait.  Just like at Disney...people don’t go early and the crowds are less.  Now this is just the average...there could be a long inspection or something weird happens but it just wasn’t horrible crowd wise.  I felt the worst part was the driving into the port and outside the terminal and I was so excited and not driving so it didn’t matter.  If you wait, I think the crowds will be higher.  But I am already on the ship by then so I’m just saying this from how the crowds build on the ship (I’ve never still been in the terminal at that point).   Jane

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1 hour ago, OrlandoDad said:

So if I arrive prior to 11:00, I will be in the terminal with aforementioned mass of humanity while we wait for Suite/Key/Visiting Heads of State/etc. to board ahead of us.  This is what I would like to avoid and am willing to sacrifice lunch and exact dining times at specialty restaurants for.  Ideally, if I could arrive, get a kid registered, get dining reservations (times not critical) and then be done by 1:00 when the rooms are opening up that would be great.

It’s really not that bad. If you arrive at 10:30 you almost walk right on the ship. Not much waiting at all.

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1 hour ago, Mr. Candyman said:

Since everything in the cruise compass is supposed to be equivalent to the app, do kids/teens using the app, have their kids activities listed as well?  

No.  The kids club do not have times on any of the kids compasses.  The teen compass does have times but they are not listed in the regular cruise compass so not in the app.  I like the app as a guide but I still use the paper compass mostly as that will be the most accurate.

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1 hour ago, OrlandoDad said:

So if I arrive prior to 11:00, I will be in the terminal with aforementioned mass of humanity while we wait for Suite/Key/Visiting Heads of State/etc. to board ahead of us.  This is what I would like to avoid and am willing to sacrifice lunch and exact dining times at specialty restaurants for.  Ideally, if I could arrive, get a kid registered, get dining reservations (times not critical) and then be done by 1:00 when the rooms are opening up that would be great.

Arrive at 10.  Seriously, just trust us and do it. The crowds are much worse at the times you are talking about.  It literally takes 15-20 minutes from when they start boarding suites to get to the lowly gold members and people without status.  We aren't talking hours but minutes.  If you arrive at 10, you will be on the ship at 11.  If you do that, you would be done with your reservations, kid checked into kids club, lunch, round of mini golf, explore the ship all before 1 pm when you can get to your room.  At 1, you can change into a bathing suit and really let the vacation begin!

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3 hours ago, OrlandoDad said:

So if I arrive prior to 11:00, I will be in the terminal with aforementioned mass of humanity while we wait for Suite/Key/Visiting Heads of State/etc. to board ahead of us.  This is what I would like to avoid and am willing to sacrifice lunch and exact dining times at specialty restaurants for.  Ideally, if I could arrive, get a kid registered, get dining reservations (times not critical) and then be done by 1:00 when the rooms are opening up that would be great.

Spend a few minutes and read through some live blogs/reviews from others that have done it.  You only need to read the first few posts of them to see when they arrived and most state how long it took to get on board.  As many have said, you're probably going to wait no longer than 15 minutes regardless of how many are waiting to board right at 11:00am  

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Ok...you all have convinced me and I will leave bright and early for anticipated arrival to port between 9:30am and 10:00am.  Told my family it's all I want for Father's day is for them to be in the car at 6:30am...asleep, awake...I don't care.  So I guilted them!!

I trust and believe you all!!!  

So much great info here from such helpful folks.  I'd be lost if I hadn't found this site!

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6 hours ago, Fairlynew said:

Thanks.   I hope y’all have a fabulous trip!!!   We did a Disney cruise years ago and it really turned us against cruising until we tried Royal Caribbean last fall.  

See...and I'm just dying to do a Disney cruise.  Someday ..... Jane

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I never remember having any issues with boarding. Seems like one time we sat in a holding area for a short while but typically we arrive dockside, drop off bags, go through check in and board. Sure there are lines but I never remember waiting for more than a few minutes at any point in the process. We probably spent as much time walking up the long gangways to the ship as we did anything.

The longest lines once boarding are going to be Guest Services as people try to make various reservations and want to ask questions. Most reservations can be made via the TV in your cabin if you have access when you board. Specialty restaurants, some entertainment and excursions require reservations and the most popular ones can fill up pretty quickly. If there is something you can't reserve on line in advance or you cant access via the TV in your room and you are concerned about it filling up, then standing in line is about your only recourse. Just keep in mind Guest Services are open 7/24 and much of the cruise there will be no lines. Boarding time is probably the worst.

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