Priority check in for suite guests?

[OasisQueen]

Does RC offer priority boarding/check in for suite guests?  Are you allowed to check in at any time or have to abide by the "check" in you selected?  Appreciate any information and thank you in advance for any insight.

[AshleyDillo]

Since the restart the Concierge has sent out a welcome letter pre-cruise stating suite guests can board up to an hour before/ after their scheduled arrival time.

[twangster]

Most cruise ports have a separate queue for Suites and Pinnacles outside of the terminal before security.  Some terminals only have a Suite/Pinnacle queue once past security.  Sydney is an exception and there is no priority for Suites or Pinnacle.  Only Star Class has priority in Sydney.  

Often at the actual check in point (past security) there will be a different area for Suites and Pinnacle.  This varies by port how it is implemented.  Ask if you don't see any signs.  

Many terminals have a separate seating area in the terminal for Suites and Pinnacle if you arrive before the ship has commenced boarding.  

[Bazza]

20 minutes ago, twangster said:

Most cruise ports have a separate queue for Suites and Pinnacles outside of the terminal before security.  Some terminals only have a Suite/Pinnacle queue once past security.  Sydney is an exception and there is no priority for Suites or Pinnacle.  Only Star Class has priority in Sydney.  

Often at the actual check in point (past security) there will be a different area for Suites and Pinnacle.  This varies by port how it is implemented.  Ask if you don't see any signs.  

Many terminals have a separate seating area in the terminal for Suites and Pinnacle if you arrive before the ship has commenced boarding.  

Hey @twangster does this include JS?

Thanks

[HeWhoWaits]

1 hour ago, Bazza said:

Hey @twangster does this include JS?

Thanks

In my experience, this also varies by port. Just this year, we were in a JS from Seattle and went through all the regular lines. Then two months later in Miami, our JS sent us through the Suite/Pinnacle priority line.

[Jerseygirl98]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

Most cruise ports have a separate queue for Suites and Pinnacles outside of the terminal before security.  Some terminals only have a Suite/Pinnacle queue once past security.  Sydney is an exception and there is no priority for Suites or Pinnacle.  Only Star Class has priority in Sydney.  

Often at the actual check in point (past security) there will be a different area for Suites and Pinnacle.  This varies by port how it is implemented.  Ask if you don't see any signs.  

Many terminals have a separate seating area in the terminal for Suites and Pinnacle if you arrive before the ship has commenced boarding.  

Do you have any experience with Bayonne and what they have for suites at the terminal?

[Done]

1 hour ago, HeWhoWaits said:

In my experience, this also varies by port. Just this year, we were in a JS from Seattle and went through all the regular lines. Then two months later in Miami, our JS sent us through the Suite/Pinnacle priority line.

We were in Seattle 3 weeks ago booked in a Jr. Suite on Ovation and we used the Suite/Pinnacle line and nobody tried to direct us to a different line.

[Pooch]

But you still need to select an arrival time.  Then you have an hour’s’ leeway from that.

[Xaa]

Forgive my ignorance here.

1. When I approach the terminal I drop my bags with porters is that right? (driving in so coming from parking deck)
2. Then proceed to the Terminal A Entrance and is this where lines will be based on boarding time?  Is there any special line at this point for The Key?
3. Then once inside, up some stairs and someone checks our check in from the app and if ok we move to scanning carry ons?  Lines here?  Is this where the Key has a special line if not before or in addition to?
4. After scanning carry ons, up another escalator and board the ship or wait to board?  Same questions on The Key at this point.

Is that a decent vision of the process?  What am I missing?

Thanks,

Bill

[HeWhoWaits]

44 minutes ago, Toby said:

We were in Seattle 3 weeks ago booked in a Jr. Suite on Ovation and we used the Suite/Pinnacle line and nobody tried to direct us to a different line.

So experience may vary even at the same port. Or maybe they were still sorting things out in May and they had it figured out by August.

[Done]

24 minutes ago, HeWhoWaits said:

So experience may vary even at the same port. Or maybe they were still sorting things out in May and they had it figured out by August.

That could be.  I read bad experiences about Seattle terminal boarding in the beginning of the Alaska season.  Much of it was blamed on guests unaware of they needed the ArriveCAN registration receipt.  I tried to show mine and was told it was unnecessary though I was asked for the receipt ID on a form delivered day 1 by our cabin attendant. 

[USCG Teacher]

3 hours ago, Jerseygirl98 said:

Do you have any experience with Bayonne and what they have for suites at the terminal?

Here's a shot on the terminal pre-security(sorry it's only uploading as an attachment, I seem to have issues uploading .HEIC files).  The serpentine line to the right is the general line, the straight line on the far left is the suites/Pinnacle line.  Sea, Sky & Star class were all permitted in the suites line.  Once through security, there were 4-5 Suite/Pinnacle check-in agents, with a special line for Star Class.

68079837334__6859D5F0-6B06-411C-940B-083333F0C907.HEIC

[twangster]

5 hours ago, Bazza said:

Hey @twangster does this include JS?

Thanks

Yes but in my experience a JS doesn't always display "Suite' on the app boarding pass while it will sometimes on the BP printed off the website.  YMMV.

[twangster]

38 minutes ago, USCG Teacher said:

Here's a shot on the terminal pre-security(sorry it's only uploading as an attachment, I seem to have issues uploading .HEIC files).  The serpentine line to the right is the general line, the straight line on the far left is the suites/Pinnacle line.  Sea, Sky & Star class were all permitted in the suites line.  Once through security, there were 4-5 Suite/Pinnacle check-in agents, with a special line for Star Class.

68079837334__6859D5F0-6B06-411C-940B-083333F0C907.HEIC 1.54 MB · 1 download

HEIC is not a standard web format.  Export it as JPEG to use on the web.  

[HeWhoWaits]

21 minutes ago, twangster said:

Yes but in my experience a JS doesn't always display "Suite' on the app boarding pass while it will sometimes on the BP printed off the website.  YMMV.

An argument for paper documentation!

[ChessE4]

3 hours ago, Xaa said:

Forgive my ignorance here.

1. When I approach the terminal I drop my bags with porters is that right? (driving in so coming from parking deck)
2. Then proceed to the Terminal A Entrance and is this where lines will be based on boarding time?  Is there any special line at this point for The Key?
3. Then once inside, up some stairs and someone checks our check in from the app and if ok we move to scanning carry ons?  Lines here?  Is this where the Key has a special line if not before or in addition to?
4. After scanning carry ons, up another escalator and board the ship or wait to board?  Same questions on The Key at this point.

Is that a decent vision of the process?  What am I missing?

Thanks,

Bill

At Port Canaveral we had to clear security before checkin. After checkin Key and others had to wait for ship to be cleared.

[AshleyDillo]

3 hours ago, Xaa said:

Forgive my ignorance here.

1. When I approach the terminal I drop my bags with porters is that right? (driving in so coming from parking deck)
2. Then proceed to the Terminal A Entrance and is this where lines will be based on boarding time?  Is there any special line at this point for The Key?
3. Then once inside, up some stairs and someone checks our check in from the app and if ok we move to scanning carry ons?  Lines here?  Is this where the Key has a special line if not before or in addition to?
4. After scanning carry ons, up another escalator and board the ship or wait to board?  Same questions on The Key at this point.

If you are talking about Terminal A at Port of Miami, you will drive around to the drop-off/pick-up area and offload your luggage with a porter. Bypassing the parking deck on the way in will let you not have to worry about bringing down your luggage from the parking deck at Terminal A. You can easily loop back around to park after dropping off the luggage.

There is a Key line outside of the terminal entrance, usually it is on the left side when facing the terminal where the restrooms are. 

Once inside whether there continues to be separation for the Key depends on when you arrive. If boarding has started already they may or may not still maintain a priority lane for the Key. I've only been there prior to boarding beginning and at that time they had all the Key grouped in seats together and they escorted them by groups to board the ship.  There was no separation for the actual check-in or security inside the terminal for the Key as it wasn't needed for the volume of people they were processing through at the time.

So effectively to make the most of it, arrive as early as you can.

[Xaa]

Thanks Ashley, that was very helpful.

Apologies to everyone for going off topic a bit.

Bill

[Xaa]

I guess one more.

How early is too early for the porters to be there?  I only ask because we're driving from Virginia to Titusville day before and those last 3.5 hours to Miami morning of embarkation.  I intend to cushion the drive heavily and in the absence of any on road issues we'll roll in well before even the earliest check in time.

Bill

[Mike n Ky]

Got on board in Galveston this past Sunday and the only thing suite did for us was save us walking to the end and getting into that line. Went into a door that moved us ahead of that line but through the same security checkpoint as everyone else. In Lauderdale it was different, this was pre covid, and suites/pinnacle etc had their own security check through.

BTW...check in time wasn't even used. It was almost as if it was pre covid on this one.

[HeWhoWaits]

2 hours ago, Xaa said:

I guess one more.

How early is too early for the porters to be there?  I only ask because we're driving from Virginia to Titusville day before and those last 3.5 hours to Miami morning of embarkation.  I intend to cushion the drive heavily and in the absence of any on road issues we'll roll in well before even the earliest check in time.

Bill

Get there too early and you'll  be fighting with the traffic for all those leaving the cruise that is disembarking (and all the other cruises disembarking at the other Miami terminals). The porters will be there, but they're busy getting to departing passengers moved out.

[ScooterScott22]

2 hours ago, Xaa said:

How early is too early for the porters to be there?

We are local and had to be dropped off once just before 7:30 and the porters were there and took our bags. Just sharing that they are there but that was unusual circumstances, and not recommended.  

If you are driving yourself, they may not let you enter the parking if you are too early.  

[Xaa]

10 hours ago, HeWhoWaits said:

Get there too early and you'll  be fighting with the traffic for all those leaving the cruise that is disembarking (and all the other cruises disembarking at the other Miami terminals). The porters will be there, but they're busy getting to departing passengers moved out.

Thanks, I didn't even think of that.  This place and your collective experiences pays off again!

Bil