Priority Embarktion

[frankathy]

Does anyone know what categories on the Westerdam are given Priority Embarktion?
Specifically Category SS

[sail7seas]

Sorry. Category "SS" does not qualify. Priority Embarkation is included for guests in "S" and "PS" cabins.

[jtl513]

Nope. On the Vistas, just PS/SA/SB/SC.

[Two if by Sea]

Is Priority Embarkation a big deal? Lots of people have posted in ways that I interpreted as saying that unless there's been a delay there aren't any really bad lines, or that the regular lines move as fast as the suite lines.

Did I misunderstand? On average, do you save a lot of time with Priority Embarkation?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Is Priority Embarkation a big deal? Lots of people have posted in ways that I interpreted as saying that unless there's been a delay there aren't any really bad lines, or that the regular lines move as fast as the suite lines.

Did I misunderstand? On average, do you save a lot of time with Priority Embarkation?

We have noticed that those people who have the numbers are called shortly after those of us who have priority boarding -- usually within 15 minutes.

For the PS, SA, SB and SC passengers, all it means is that we have a chance to go through the Lido buffet (which we skip the majority of the time) before the other passengers -- not a big deal.

[frankathy]

Thanks everyone.

Happy sailing!

[Nicki61]

We had an SA suite on the Westerdam last November, with priority boarding.
We were chatting with the couple ahead of us and then split up us going one way to priority boarding, them to general boarding.
After all was said and done, we met up after we got upstairs, right behind them again. So it didn't do anything for us. It was a tad unorganized, no one seemed to know what or where anything was. What forms had to be filled out or not...kind of a mess actually.
SO in my opinion, priority borading wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.
If I might add, neither was priority tendering. Of course we were supposed to be priority(not that I am all that special) for tendering. Which I was told, "just go to the tenders and go to the head of the line". WELL that isn't true, with priority tendering, you just don't have to wait for a number. You wait in line with everyone else, one time ours was about 40 minutes. So much for that.
Priority disembarkation, now that was nice. Simply got off the ship(albeit kicking and screaming!) when ever we wanted too. We were off the ship and back at the wonderful Riverside Hotel by 10am.

Ok, my 2 cents are used up.

Nicki

[RuthC]

I was told, "just go to the tenders and go to the head of the line".
If I may ask, who told you that? Was it someone in a position of authority on the ship? :confused:

[twinkletoes4445]

[COLOR=Red][SIZE=3][FONT=Comic Sans MS]We had an SA suite on the Westerdam last November, with priority boarding.
We were chatting with the couple ahead of us and then split up us going one way to priority boarding, them to general boarding.
After all was said and done, we met up after we got upstairs, right behind them again. So it didn't do anything for us.

This is our exact experience, however, we arrived late, and there were no lines (and quite a few to check people in) at the regular check-in, and there were two people checking in several groups of people in suites.

If I might add, neither was priority tendering. Of course we were supposed to be priority(not that I am all that special) for tendering. Which I was told, "just go to the tenders and go to the head of the line". WELL that isn't true, with priority tendering, you just don't have to wait for a number. You wait in line with everyone else, one time ours was about 40 minutes. So much for that.

I could be wrong, but I think the "priority" part of the priority tendering means you go directly to the tender area, and then wait your turn in line. The other passengers, if they want off early, have to go get a ticket and then proceed to the tender area. By the time we got off (at HMC), it was 9:00 and there were no line.

Coming back was another story. The lines were long!

Priority disembarkation, now that was nice. Simply got off the ship(albeit kicking and screaming!) when ever we wanted too.

It was nice. And it was so nice to be able to wait in our cabin for the process to begin.

[Nicki61]

If I may ask, who told you that? Was it someone in a position of authority on the ship? :confused:

RuthC- yes it was someone of authority, or we thought so. It was the person we purchased our tickets from.

[twinkletoes4445]

I could be wrong, but I think the "priority" part of the priority tendering means you go directly to the tender area, and then wait your turn in line. The other passengers, if they want off early, have to go get a ticket and then proceed to the tender area. By the time we got off (at HMC), it was 9:00 and there were no line.

Coming back was another story. The lines were long!

Nikki,

Whoops...I see you said exactly what I said. Sorry. :)

[RuthC]

RuthC- yes it was someone of authority, or we thought so. It was the person we purchased our tickets from.
Thank you for posting again. But, I'm sorry, but I'm still not clear on who told you to cut the line. By "the person we purchased our tickets from" do you mean the folks at the Shore Excursion Office?
Not that I suppose it matters now, but I would hope that if they are giving out that kind of advice they would be told not to. After all, when someone cuts the line like that, they have no idea how many others are also "priority tendering".

I'm not blaming you for doing as you're told, please understand. My concern is that someone who others would believe are in a position to know, are, unknowingly, setting passengers up for hard feelings.

[Nicki61]

Honestly RuthC it doesn't really matter. But her ya go: I was not told to "cut" in line. I was told, by the company I purchased my cruise tickets from, that being a "suite" guest gave us some perks. One of them being no waiting for tender numbers or long waiting for tenders. We would be priority and we only assumed, wrong now, that there would be 2 lines.

And i have no hard feelings. It just goes into the file of things one learns.

Nicki

[RuthC]

Thank you for clarifying that, Nicki. I'm very happy to learn that it wasn't anyone on the ship giving out that bad advice.