Scheduled Boarding

I know I recently read this on here but I literally just received a phone call from Celebrity and a Text message detailing the boarding times for my Reflection cruise this Saturday 11/29. Depending on you deck the times run from 12:00-12:30 to 2:30 to 3:00. I wonder how this is working, you know how we all can't wait to hit the buffet the minute we board!! I'm lucky I'm on an upper deck scheduled for 12-12:30. My flight gets in at 8:15AM and would hate to wait until 2:30! Will they really turn people away? Suites and Zenith guests can board anytime. Suppose someone is an Elite or even Elite Plus, since it goes by decks they get no preference. If strictly enforced Celebrity is going to anger a number of people. I wouldn't really care but there isn't even a place to sit at the Miami terminal. I guess I would just go for breakfast and drag my luggage if I had to.

They don't turn you away, but they are trying to spread out the boarding time. You can come earlier than your designated time, you can come later. But, since as you know there is no place to sit in the terminal, they are doing what they can to keep everyone from showing up at once.

I suspect that when you get to the pier, everything will go the way it normally does. They are just trying to spread the people out. For some folks, arriving a little later is easy....for others it doesn't make sense.

I would be really shocked if you arrived at 11:30 (perhaps on the celebrity bus) and they made you wait until 2:30 because your deck hasn't been called.

For our 11/8 cruise on Ref, we had to check out of our nearby hotel at 11 am, arrived at port shortly after that and went right up to the check in windows.....staggered is a good idea but not so easy if flights do not match up etc,

rooms were not ready til much later than usual so you will be sitting someplace w/any carry ons... we booked our spa appts, had a great made to order grilled salmon/chicken at AQ spa cafe and found a comfy spot in the libaray...bring a book...selection not so great!

luggage also arrived later than usual...but we got it all!

I thought I saw at the bottom of the email wording someone else had posted a reference to elite, etc. being able to board when they wanted. Was that not in your email?

Edit, I found the wording the other person posted and they said their email said:

"Our Suite, Zenith, Aqua, and Elite Plus Guests can board anytime between 12-3"

There are different instructions for different cruises, if not very many Elites vs. if half the ship or more are Elite level

For the 11/8 cruise Elite was not in the e mail.which we received a day or two ahead,,, The..port was not backed up when we arrived and processing flowed smoothly...our sailing was the one after the delayed departure ..(.the one just after the TA returned..,)...would never book one right after a TA...too many to clear customs and kinks to work out,...

Our disembark was also smooth..we walked off in first group, got a cab to FLL, and arrived early...but were able to check in...Glad we did, b/c those arriving just a bit later had much longer check in lines, very long lines through security, etc...we did have to wait around for our flight but glad we avoided alot of the lines and stress!

I think the process will be Ok going forward

It's another Select and Elite benefit that is being taken away. So much for loyalty.

Benefit taken away? Not sure where you are getting that idea.

At most ports there are different check-in lines for different classes of passenger. You will typically find one for Aqua, one for Concierge, one for Zenith, one for Elite and Elite+, one for Select, one for Suites. You don't always find these lines, in Buenos Aires, for instance, there were no priority boarding lines, it was all first-come-first-served.

They know ahead of time, of course, how many Elite+, Elite, Selects will be on any cruise. Could be 200, could be 900 as on most transatlantics. The letter advising people to show up deck by deck is adjusted accordingly.

The differentiated check-in lines will still be there no matter what time you show up.

Keep in mind that the whole concept of "priority boarding" is a bit of an advertising hype. When over half the ship qualifies for Priority Boarding, there really isn't any such thing. On some cruises, two-thirds of the passengers qualify for it!

Has anything else been taken from Select/Elite? What & when?

Has anything else been taken from Select/Elite? What & when?

As a cost cutting measure designed to boost stock prices, Celebrity cruises has announced that ALL perks associated with their loyalty program are being completely eliminated. :eek:

Under a NEW program, Preferred Guests staying in Penthouse Suites and Royal Suites WILL get one lump of coal. ;) :D :rolleyes:

As a cost cutting measure designed to boost stock prices, Celebrity cruises has announced that ALL perks associated with their loyalty program are being completely eliminated. :eek:

 

Under a NEW program, Preferred Guests staying in Penthouse Suites and Royal Suites WILL get one lump of coal. ;) :D :rolleyes:

Lol, I like your style.

Maybe Santa has been watching the CC Boards...

And is determining who has been Naughty & Nice this year

Could explain things just as logically as anything else ;)

Cheers!

Benefit taken away? Not sure where you are getting that idea.

 

At most ports there are different check-in lines for different classes of passenger. You will typically find one for Aqua, one for Concierge, one for Zenith, one for Elite and Elite+, one for Select, one for Suites. You don't always find these lines, in Buenos Aires, for instance, there were no priority boarding lines, it was all first-come-first-served.

 

They know ahead of time, of course, how many Elite+, Elite, Selects will be on any cruise. Could be 200, could be 900 as on most transatlantics. The letter advising people to show up deck by deck is adjusted accordingly.

 

The differentiated check-in lines will still be there no matter what time you show up.

 

 

Keep in mind that the whole concept of "priority boarding" is a bit of an advertising hype. When over half the ship qualifies for Priority Boarding, there really isn't any such thing. On some cruises, two-thirds of the passengers qualify for it!

Except for security I never saw any real lines for check-in. I was excited when I started booking concierge thinking I would get priority boarding but the few people on line was the same as non-concierge. Now that I reached Elite I found the same thing, no real lines no matter what category. I think X does a pretty good job with check-in, just wish it translated to their web site!!!

I know I recently read this on here but I literally just received a phone call from Celebrity and a Text message detailing the boarding times for my Reflection cruise this Saturday 11/29. Depending on you deck the times run from 12:00-12:30 to 2:30 to 3:00. I wonder how this is working, you know how we all can't wait to hit the buffet the minute we board!! I'm lucky I'm on an upper deck scheduled for 12-12:30. My flight gets in at 8:15AM and would hate to wait until 2:30! Will they really turn people away? Suites and Zenith guests can board anytime. Suppose someone is an Elite or even Elite Plus, since it goes by decks they get no preference. If strictly enforced Celebrity is going to anger a number of people. I wouldn't really care but there isn't even a place to sit at the Miami terminal. I guess I would just go for breakfast and drag my luggage if I had to.

I board on my schedule not theirs. Everyone's schedule is different. Whether it's a hotel checkout, or like you with an early flight.

Has anything else been taken from Select/Elite? What & when?

We used to get a box of truffles as a welcome amenity. Sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, we had priority embarkation (including not having to wait outside in the security line), and preferential debarkation (the CC hostess used to escort the group off in one of the first groups off). I don't know the dates that these ended. As these things have been faded out, we have gained social drinks hours, CC breakfast, free internet, Persian Gardens passes, and free laundry.