Showing up earlier than assigned check in time

Bowen · April 3

If you show up earlier than your assigned check in time, let's say by an hour, do they give you a problem or let you board? I always get an 11 or 1130 check in, and I'm usually at the port and on board before 11, and it's never been an issue. But I wonder if that's just because I get there early? Does it get crazier as the noon boarders get there, and then the boarding time is more strictly enforced?

Matt · April 3

In my experience, the check-in times barely matter. I can't recall the last time anyone asked me my boarding time, let alone made me wait in a designated zone with others in my time.

I can't go as far as to say it wouldn't happen, just that it seems to have gotten quite lax lately.

Jolly Ogre · April 3

48 minutes ago, Bowen said:

If you show up earlier than your assigned check in time, let's say by an hour, do they give you a problem or let you board? I always get an 11 or 1130 check in, and I'm usually at the port and on board before 11, and it's never been an issue. But I wonder if that's just because I get there early? Does it get crazier as the noon boarders get there, and then the boarding time is more strictly enforced?

36 minutes ago, Matt said:

In my experience, the check-in times barely matter. I can't recall the last time anyone asked me my boarding time, let alone made me wait in a designated zone with others in my time.

I can't go as far as to say it wouldn't happen, just that it seems to have gotten quite lax lately.

And then when you get on early by not following you assigned boarding time go to the pool deck and reserve a deck chair for the remainder of the cruise.

OCSC Mike · April 3

The only time it has ever mattered in the past couple years for us is when we arrived at PC before the doors opened last July. We always get there to park around 9:30am for our 10:30am arrival time and the doors are normally open, we breeze right through and board before it even gets to 10:30am.

Last July the doors hadn't opened yet and there were separate queues for 10:30am and 11:00am.

ChessE4 · April 3

It mattered in Baltimore but not in New Orleans. In Baltimore we were admitted to the building 30 min early, but those an hour early had to wait in the next line.

WAYNO · April 3

I cannot always control my arrival time to the port(s). And for the folks that are early, there are also folks arriving late. With all that in mind, they are mostly very lax at the port, and usher us thru the doors as quickly as we arrive.

One exception... Los Angeles. The cruise port is somewhat dysfunctional, and there are extensive lines for all the check-in time slots.

USFFrank · April 3

Maybe they should start enforcing the assigned arrival time rule again like they're evidently now enforcing the wine corkage fees again.

Mrs. Thomas · April 3

Thanks for asking this question because I was wondering too! I have a 1pm boarding time (yeah, I was lax about doing check in) but we will be there closer to 11:30. I would love to just be able to board instead of having to wait for over an hour.

RCIfan1912 · April 3

9 hours ago, Jolly Ogre said:

And then when you get on early by not following you assigned boarding time go to the pool deck and reserve a deck chair for the remainder of the cruise.

How did you know my routine!

PPPJJ-GCVAB · April 3

I’m sorry to be a bubble burster but why bother having boarding times if people are not going to follow the rules and adhere to them? I’m sure many of you are not happy with this reply but honestly…I am from the generation where we were all taught to follow the rules. I am not sure when the notion was born that rules are made to be broken?
If I want an early boarding time I will stay up to make sure I get one. Otherwise I will take what I get and arrive at the time given to me.
Lol that’s probably why I’ve always liked SWA…you get a boarding number and that is when you get on.

If I am the only one here who feels this way… .

smokeybandit · April 3

I think enough people do follow the boarding times and do effectively thin out the early rush.

ScottishRobbie · April 3

28 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

I’m sorry to be a bubble burster but why bother having boarding times if people are not going to follow the rules and adhere to them? I’m sure many of you are not happy with this reply but honestly…I am from the generation where we were all taught to follow the rules. I am not sure when the notion was born that rules are made to be broken?
If I want an early boarding time I will stay up to make sure I get one. Otherwise I will take what I get and arrive at the time given to me.
Lol that’s probably why I’ve always liked SWA…you get a boarding number and that is when you get on.

If I am the only one here who feels this way… .

Very well said. Imagine everyone boarding Icon this weekend thought they could just arrive whenever they wanted and they all arrived at 1100. 7500 passengers turning up all at once, it would be absolute carnage.

tonyfsu21 · April 4

34 minutes ago, ScottishRobbie said:

Very well said. Imagine everyone boarding Icon this weekend thought they could just arrive whenever they wanted and they all arrived at 1100. 7500 passengers turning up all at once, it would be absolute carnage.

Nobody who is serious about boarding early arrives at 11am. If you are going to board early, get to the port at 10am and get in line.

tonyfsu21 · April 4

1 hour ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

I’m sorry to be a bubble burster but why bother having boarding times if people are not going to follow the rules and adhere to them? I’m sure many of you are not happy with this reply but honestly…I am from the generation where we were all taught to follow the rules. I am not sure when the notion was born that rules are made to be broken?
If I want an early boarding time I will stay up to make sure I get one. Otherwise I will take what I get and arrive at the time given to me.
Lol that’s probably why I’ve always liked SWA…you get a boarding number and that is when you get on.

If I am the only one here who feels this way… .

There’s a disconnect in the system because on one hand the company assigns a boarding time and sends emails instructing you to adhere to the boarding time yet the port has no boarding times. Personally, I refuse to lose day 1 vacation time that you are paying for and I don’t follow any boarding time. 0.00 time spent waiting on check in’s online to open as a 2:00pm check in is the same as a 10:00am check in to us.

RCIfan1912 · April 4

I have a caveat to the boarding at your scheduled time. If you didn't wake up at midnight of check date you won't get the early boarding times. I mean we know to do that but some don't. I will have my alarm set for midnight this Friday/Saturday morning to get the earliest boarding time for our May cruise.

You shouldn't have to wake up at midnight or even know that to get the earliest boarding times.

PPPJJ-GCVAB · April 4

Thanks to those who have not ripped me to shreds…actually…everyone who has commented. I was afraid to come back here thinking the worst. I truly respect everyone’s opinions and I also agree and laughed with your comments. To those (and that does include me) who want as much of a first day as possible do what we all do…check in as early as you can and grab that coveted first boarding time! And to your point @smokeybandit I do agree it probably does even out in the long run. I just needed to say what was on my mind.

tonyfsu21 · April 4

6 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

I have a caveat to the boarding at your scheduled time. If you didn't wake up at midnight of check date you won't get the early boarding times. I mean we know to do that but some don't. I will have my alarm set for midnight this Friday/Saturday morning to get the earliest boarding time for our May cruise.

You shouldn't have to wake up at midnight or even know that to get the earliest boarding times.

It’s great to follow the rules but you are wasting valuable time by getting up at midnight for no reason if you are leaving out of a FL port.

RCIfan1912 · April 4

Just now, tonyfsu21 said:

It’s great to follow the rules but you are wasting valuable time by getting up at midnight for no reason if you are leaving out of a FL port.

I'm confused, why is it a waste to get up at midnight for the earliest boarding times? Why is there no reason if you are leaving from a FL port?

RockerDom31 · April 4

Last summer in Bayonne, they were really strict on check-in times. The port sent text-after-text throughout the day reminding people to arrive at their check-in times. If you showed up early, you were sent to the back of the line. You weren't even allowed inside the terminal.

Traveling Mike · April 4

Does it matter if you can get in or not? You have a time that you said you would come to get on the cruise ship. What would the port be like if everyone ignores their boarding time? How much better would boarding be if everyone would come at their boarding times?

tonyfsu21 · April 4

10 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

I'm confused, why is it a waste to get up at midnight for the earliest boarding times? Why is there no reason if you are leaving from a FL port?

Because boarding times are non existent once you get to the port. They simply don’t exist.

RCIfan1912 · April 4

2 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

Because boarding times are non existent once you get to the port. They simply don’t exist.

Ah ok now it makes sense. We showed up an hour early for our last cruise our of Cape Liberty and no one checked.

tonyfsu21 · April 4

6 hours ago, Traveling Mike said:

Does it matter if you can get in or not? You have a time that you said you would come to get on the cruise ship. What would the port be like if everyone ignores their boarding time? How much better would boarding be if everyone would come at their boarding times?

100% yes it matters to me. If you want to see what the port looks like when everyone ignores the boarding time then just show up to a FL port at 10am. When we arrive at 9am and park the vehicle (peacefully since outgoing traffic is largely past peak) and walk to the entry where there are no signs indicating boarding times. At 10:30-10:45 we are normally on our way to the ship without a single person EVER asking about a boarding time.

ChessE4 · April 4

Just for the record, I believe the focus on early boarding is overblown. We find it awkward to arrive before lunch is served as we have carryon to schlep around and little to do. We are seldom on a new ship that requires an orientation. I don't usually get up early for checkin. We find the 11 to 12 window just fine. What I like is a smooth boarding process once we do arrive. We've read that at some ports early boarding can be congested. I guess it helps to know the practice at your departure port.

ChessE4 · April 4

10 hours ago, tonyfsu21 said:

There’s a disconnect in the system because on one hand the company assigns a boarding time and sends emails instructing you to adhere to the boarding time yet the port has no boarding times. Personally, I refuse to lose day 1 vacation time that you are paying for and I don’t follow any boarding time. 0.00 time spent waiting on check in’s online to open as a 2:00pm check in is the same as a 10:00am check in to us.

You aren't losing vacation time by arriving later, you are just spending it differently, perhaps sightseeing on the way to the port. The key point is to avoid spending your vacation time standing in line. That is the day 1 challenge. Whether it is arrival line, security, restaurant reservation, or bar/cafe line, minimizing waiting time is key. And we all know about avoiding guest services at peak periods...

OCSC Mike · April 4

18 minutes ago, ChessE4 said:

I guess it helps to know the practice at your departure port.

Combo of this & personal preference in my eyes.

We enjoy being on the ship ASAP & know from experience if we park early at PC we will breeze through check-in and likely be on the ship prior to 10:30. Not long after that we will have made our D+ BOGO reservations, completed muster, grabbed a drink, and be sitting in an empty WJ as soon as it opens.

I’m not suggesting this is the right way to do things (and other ports work differently) but it’s our preference.

PPPJJ-GCVAB · April 4

I guess the bottom line to this topic is arrive early…arrive late…arrive in between. Get right on or wait in line all depending on which port you are cruising from. Chaos may be present…or it may be missing. Rules will be enforced…or they won’t!
Everyone does their own thing. As for me? I will still check in on the noted date and will arrive at assigned time…hoping for a smooth, line free admittance!
One thing is for certain…everyone’s goal is the same…be onboard before sail away!

LOL I wonder if @Bowen thought this topic would be such a big deal?

smokeybandit · April 4

Honestly the only chaotic port I've seen in the era since they stopped enforcing times was Boston.

Everywhere else there are people starting to line up prior to boarding beginning but it's not bad.

I always get the earliest time available plus I can use the 1 hour suite passenger buffer, so I never feel "guilty" about getting there first thing. But for those of us who fly in the night before, no sense hanging out at the hotel right until checkout time.

RCIfan1912 · April 4

We always do specialty lunch at Chops although I was they offered many other places too, but we do specialty lunch on embarkation Day so we have to board early. Reservations are for noon and I really don't like to eat lunch any later than that, more like 11 at home.

tonyfsu21 · April 4

1 hour ago, ChessE4 said:

Just for the record, I believe the focus on early boarding is overblown. We find it awkward to arrive before lunch is served as we have carryon to schlep around and little to do. We are seldom on a new ship that requires an orientation. I don't usually get up early for checkin. We find the 11 to 12 window just fine. What I like is a smooth boarding process once we do arrive. We've read that at some ports early boarding can be congested. I guess it helps to know the practice at your departure port.

This is an example as to why it’s a good thing that people do different things. Personally, living 2 minutes from port Everglades and 25 minutes from port of Miami makes sightseeing something we don’t need to do. My family enjoys getting onboard first (by the way most things including dining/drink venues are open) and enjoying the ship. We have backpacks which makes walking around the ship or waiting in line a non issue. Different strokes for different folks.

tonyfsu21 · April 4

46 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

I guess the bottom line to this topic is arrive early…arrive late…arrive in between. Get right on or wait in line all depending on which port you are cruising from. Chaos may be present…or it may be missing. Rules will be enforced…or they won’t!
Everyone does their own thing. As for me? I will still check in on the noted date and will arrive at assigned time…hoping for a smooth, line free admittance!
One thing is for certain…everyone’s goal is the same…be onboard before sail away!

LOL I wonder if @Bowen thought this topic would be such a big deal?

What you just mentioned above fully reinforces the fact that boarding times don’t matter. Regardless, people are going to do what they want to do. It’s clear that the system works fine in its current form and there is no need to enforce a boarding time or set an alarm in the middle of the night to get a check in time that really has no meaning (at least in FL).

Jolly Ogre · April 4

So I get an early boarding time and I don't stay up or set an alarm. I just do my "check in" in the morning when I normally get up.

I show up at my boarding time and I always have to wait as the doors are not even open at the port @ 11:00. Then we are through the line and then have to sit in a waiting area until the ship doors open up.

I have never been on earlier than 11:00 even though we are one of the 1st folks there. That all said the longest we had to wait has been 10-20 min to get on. The lines for boarding and security always less than 5 min.

PPPJJ-GCVAB · April 4

47 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

What you just mentioned above fully reinforces the fact that boarding times don’t matter. Regardless, people are going to do what they want to do. It’s clear that the system works fine in its current form and there is no need to enforce a boarding time or set an alarm in the middle of the night to get a check in time that really has no meaning (at least in FL).

No it does not fully enforce that at all! Boarding times matter to those who follow the rules. My last post was merely stating that people clearly do what they want to do regardless of the rules and they may get lucky and get on earlier but may not! But you keep mentioning Florida as the state with no rules (interesting) and as noted in a few of the prior posts there are other states with ports that do make and follow the rules. It’s a toss up…that was my point…
I didn’t start this post and my original reply basically mentioned rules and if we have them why do some people not follow them? This post clearly ran amok and if I was responsible for that…sorry! In my opinion…and my opinion only…boarding times should matter.

smokeybandit · April 4

I haven't seen boarding times enforced since Los Angeles in summer 2022.

smokeybandit · April 4

15 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

my original reply basically mentioned rules and if we have them why do some people not follow them?

Rules not enforced turn into rules not followed.

In my county, the police don't enforce expired vehicle registrations because any fine money would go to the state, not county, so it's not worth their effort. As a result, you see expired registrations all over the place.

Srp431 · April 4

Boarded Symphony on March 30 with a 1pm boarding time and arrived @ 11am and on ship by 11:30am in Miami

tonyfsu21 · April 4

1 hour ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

No it does not fully enforce that at all! Boarding times matter to those who follow the rules. My last post was merely stating that people clearly do what they want to do regardless of the rules and they may get lucky and get on earlier but may not! But you keep mentioning Florida as the state with no rules (interesting) and as noted in a few of the prior posts there are other states with ports that do make and follow the rules. It’s a toss up…that was my point…
I didn’t start this post and my original reply basically mentioned rules and if we have them why do some people not follow them? This post clearly ran amok and if I was responsible for that…sorry! In my opinion…and my opinion only…boarding times should matter.

Yes, Florida ports are exactly as described. I am not looking for a political slant. I think it’s good that you do what you think is right. I will continue to do as I do because that’s just the way it’s going to be.

tonyfsu21 · April 4

2 hours ago, Jolly Ogre said:

So I get an early boarding time and I don't stay up or set an alarm. I just do my "check in" in the morning when I normally get up.

I show up at my boarding time and I always have to wait as the doors are not even open at the port @ 11:00. Then we are through the line and then have to sit in a waiting area until the ship doors open up.

I have never been on earlier than 11:00 even though we are one of the 1st folks there. That all said the longest we had to wait has been 10-20 min to get on. The lines for boarding and security always less than 5 min.

Even PC? We have walked on Utopia at 10:15am (non suite).

tonyfsu21 · April 4

5 minutes ago, Srp431 said:

Boarded Symphony on March 30 with a 1pm boarding time and arrived @ 11am and on ship by 11:30am in Miami

You are not in the minority here. This is how most people who prefer to avoid the traffic mess in Miami would operate. A 1pm boarding time is unacceptable and a waste of 1/2 of a paid cruise day.

TexanTwoStep · April 4

I paid for the whole day, therefore I will be on as early as possible.

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