Online check-in question (first timer)

[skittermagoo]

So, my check in date finally showed up in the app, and I just realized I'm going to be at away from home at a retreat the weekend it opens.  Naturally, I want to check in online as early as possible to get the sweet sweet earliest possible boarding time.  If I understand correctly, there are also documents I need to upload as part of this process. 

So questions: can I start the check-in process to get boarding time slot locked in and then upload documents later, or does it all have to be done at the same time?  If I need to do it all at the same time, what documents will I need to upload (so that I can gather them ahead of time)?  Can I do this for both myself and my husband (who will not be with me on check-in weekend), or do we need to do it separately? How long does the process take (like, do I need to set aside an hour for this, or is it fast)? Is it better to do it via a laptop and the website, or through the phone app? Are there other questions I should be asking?

RC crusing vets, please share your check-in secrets and tips with me! 

[bryresangel]

Yes, you can upload your documents later. Just go in, hit edit check in, and add items.

[AshleyDillo]

32 minutes ago, skittermagoo said:

RC crusing vets, please share your check-in secrets and tips with me! 

As stated, check-in on the app and skip to the select an arrival time part and lock that in. You can go back and add everything later.

Also do not be alarmed if you go in when your check-in opens and there's only one 3pm slot available.  That seems to be the default option that they open up at the scheduled check-in date but they go back in later and open up earlier times.  You can keep checking for an earlier time and grab one when you see it.

[bryresangel]

I booked my most recent cruise fairly last minute, and check-in was immediately open. I was super surprised that I could reserve a noon check-in, because I don't think it ws the first day to check-in.

 

[CrznTxn]

The App and the website are not synchronized to each other. The app allows uploading or taking pictures of your documents such as your vaccination card while the website does not seem to give that option. IMO they have updated the app during the COVID slowdown but not so much the website. That being said, on our recent check-in I could reserve the early time on the website and then went and uploaded the documents on the app. The option to add documents did not show on the website. As @AshleyDillo stated, check-in and snag that early spot and fill the rest out later. The time will remain for you unless you change it.

[Srp431]

What time does checkin start? Should I check at midnight and every hour after that . I'm guessing it varies. We have a Sept 24 checkin for our Allure Christmas cruise

[KLA]

4 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

As stated, check-in on the app and skip to the select an arrival time part and lock that in. You can go back and add everything later.

Also do not be alarmed if you go in when your check-in opens and there's only one 3pm slot available.  That seems to be the default option that they open up at the scheduled check-in date but they go back in later and open up earlier times.  You can keep checking for an earlier time and grab one when you see it.

I cruise in just over 2 weeks and since I also booked late, the earliest check in time I could get was 2 PM. 

Do earlier times ever open up any closer to sail date? Looks like it's all the way down to 3 PM now. 

[AshleyDillo]

3 minutes ago, KLA said:

I cruise in just over 2 weeks and since I also booked late, the earliest check in time I could get was 2 PM. 

Do earlier times ever open up any closer to sail date? Looks like it's all the way down to 3 PM now. 

I haven't personally seen it, but I've heard from some that sometimes they end up opening the slot 30 minutes before whatever the earliest available was.  Maybe it has something to do with the trends they are seeing for turning things around at the port or they feel they're going to need longer to get everyone boarded, who knows.  Unfortunately Port Everglades doesn't have something like Grills close enough to walk to and kill time.  There's no easy way there to ditch your luggage early and go chill somewhere else until your boarding time.

[KLA]

5 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

I haven't personally seen it, but I've heard from some that sometimes they end up opening the slot 30 minutes before whatever the earliest available was.  Maybe it has something to do with the trends they are seeing for turning things around at the port or they feel they're going to need longer to get everyone boarded, who knows.  Unfortunately Port Everglades doesn't have something like Grills close enough to walk to and kill time.  There's no easy way there to ditch your luggage early and go chill somewhere else until your boarding time.

Understood... yeah they still have slots open all the way up to 8 PM. Given that we sail at 6, I feel like something is going to change. 

I think our plan at this point is just try and get late checkout at our hotel and try to be as patient as we can. 

[BrianB]

31 minutes ago, Srp431 said:

What time does checkin start? Should I check at midnight and every hour after that . I'm guessing it varies. We have a Sept 24 checkin for our Allure Christmas cruise

I checked in to my Nov 28 cruise this past Monday (90 days out)…I checked the app right after midnight Sunday night/Monday morning and it was available! Got checked in and got an arrival time of 12 noon. Sometimes it happens like this…sometimes it’s later Monday afternoon. Good luck!

[skittermagoo]

17 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

 There's no easy way there to ditch your luggage early and go chill somewhere else until your boarding time.

THIS brings up another question I forgot I had!  Say I get a 1pm time slot or something . . . is it possible to drop our bags with the porters earlier than that?  How early? 

[PG Cruiser]

5 minutes ago, skittermagoo said:

THIS brings up another question I forgot I had!  Say I get a 1pm time slot or something . . . is it possible to drop our bags with the porters earlier than that?  How early? 

My check in time on the Allure last week was 4:30PM, but I dropped off my bags with the porters about an hour earlier.  The porter did not ask for the check in time, he just made sure the luggage tags were on the bags.  

[AshleyDillo]

3 hours ago, skittermagoo said:

THIS brings up another question I forgot I had!  Say I get a 1pm time slot or something . . . is it possible to drop our bags with the porters earlier than that?  How early? 

The porters won't care what your check-in time is. They will take your luggage whenever you show up. I'm not sure exactly how early, but I'd imagine the few that are working debarkation take a little break and then hang around to assist with the new embarkation so there could be some porters available before the port even formally opens for check-in. 

[Srp431]

On 9/16/2021 at 1:38 PM, BrianB said:

I checked in to my Nov 28 cruise this past Monday (90 days out)…I checked the app right after midnight Sunday night/Monday morning and it was available! Got checked in and got an arrival time of 12 noon. Sometimes it happens like this…sometimes it’s later Monday afternoon. Good luck!

Check in changed to Nov 2, my wife's is Nov 5 . We have connecting balconies with the kids. I'm guessing check-in will change again

[Cruiser58]

On 9/16/2021 at 1:27 PM, KLA said:

Understood... yeah they still have slots open all the way up to 8 PM. Given that we sail at 6, I feel like something is going to change. 

I think our plan at this point is just try and get late checkout at our hotel and try to be as patient as we can. 

We booked our Sept 5 cruise in early August, and the first available check in time was 2:30, so we took it. A week or so later, we were looking, and they had opened up slots for 12:30, so we snagged one of them. We dropped off our luggage about 9 am, on the morning of the 5th. Showed up about 11:45, and were allowed to go directly in...

[BrianB]

**Update…

Check-in opened today for my Nov 7 cruise on the Anthem. When I looked last night at 11:30pm, my original check in information was already there…with my 12:30pm boarding time. Hopefully it’s the same with my other Nov cruises.

[KLA]

14 hours ago, Cruiser58 said:

We booked our Sept 5 cruise in early August, and the first available check in time was 2:30, so we took it. A week or so later, we were looking, and they had opened up slots for 12:30, so we snagged one of them. We dropped off our luggage about 9 am, on the morning of the 5th. Showed up about 11:45, and were allowed to go directly in...

The same thing happened for me - towards the end of last week 12 PM opened up and I grabbed that.

[DLJ2020]

We are less then 90 days out for our Symphony of the Seas in December. Check in was available once but now when I look at the app and online it has disappeared and says it is not available? Is the health screening the same as check in? I think when I saw it before, I got a 1:00 pm time for that. A newbie, and very confused. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

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[Ampurp85]

@DLJ2020 No its part of check-in but not the same. They pushed back some of the check-ins because of final payment. You can look under your profile in the app and it might give you a date that check-in will open.