Staggered Check in Time....REALLY?!?!?!

I got an email from Carnival about our cruise that departs on 3/12. It says that we have been assigned a staggered check in time at 3-4 PM. I have never, in my life, boarded a ship that late. I find this irritating since this is only a 3 day cruise and now they are shortening one of those days! How closely do they actually follow that policy? This is for the Imagination 3 day Baja. Anyone have experience with this? It says they can send us away and we will have no where to go...

I'd ignore the e mail.

I think most everyone else will ignore it too!

I'd ignore the e mail.

I think most everyone else will ignore it too!

I like the way you think ;)...I will ignore the email but worried that they will enforce it. Hope not!!

Got the call instead of e-mail, see my post earlier today. My time was 1 but will show at noon as I usually do for this trip.

Can you book FTTF this late out?

We ignore it and get there as usual. Princess does the staggered boarding also.

We are paying for day 1 (embarkation day) so we like to get on the ship as soon as possible and start our vacation.

Enjoy your cruise!

Ignore it.

They send these types of emails often. Show up WHEN YOU WANT.

It won't be enforced.

Enjoy your cruise!

Excellent! Thank you everyone! I really think that stinks as we are paying or that day so I'll be darned if I show up that late!! This is the first I have ever encountered this but glad to hear it won't be enforced. I would not be happy! :mad:;)

They send these types of emails often. Show up WHEN YOU WANT.

It won't be enforced.

Enjoy your cruise!

They are charging you for that day, I don't see how they could possibly tell you to show up that late. I would refuse and show up at the time I normally do, which it seems you will do.

We have NEVER paid attention to that email or the calls. :cool:

We always go early and want to get on the ship as quickly as possible, especially, if we get Faster To The Fun. :D

I got an email from Carnival about our cruise that departs on 3/12. It says that we have been assigned a staggered check in time at 3-4 PM. I have never, in my life, boarded a ship that late. I find this irritating since this is only a 3 day cruise and now they are shortening one of those days! How closely do they actually follow that policy? This is for the Imagination 3 day Baja. Anyone have experience with this? It says they can send us away and we will have no where to go...

It seems to me the are really affecting other cruisers just to support this FTTF program, and it irritable me, even though I'm Platinum.

Other cruiselines where I am not VIP do not seem to have the embarkation problems Carnival has.

In any case, I would certainly ignore the letter and show up when I felt I wanted to arrive, which is never later than 10:30.

I agree. Arrive when you want. It's atrocious to prevent paying guests to board the ship one second later than they are able.

I like to arrive before sunrise and press my nose against the window until they open the door to let me in. Nothing says "vacation" like waiting with thousands of other people as desperate as me to board and getting grumpier by the minute as the wait gets longer and longer. If only they made Platinums go last things would go so much faster!

I agree with everyone else. You paid for it, you should be able to board when you want. That's craziness! So if you were "assigned" 1 pm and you couldn't arrive until 3 are you just off the ship? NO! Of course not! :mad: I hate the game playing crap! Stop it already and let people on to start spending their money on your ship idiots.

Disney Cruise Line has this policy, and if you arrive too early, they still hold you until your assigned boarding time. It's easy for them to do so, via the assigned boarding group # that you are given.

CeleBrat

Disney Cruise Line has this policy, and if you arrive too early, they still hold you until your assigned boarding time. It's easy for them to do so, via the assigned boarding group # that you are given.

 

CeleBrat

Yes, but when do you get assigned that group number on Disney?

Disney Cruise Line has this policy, and if you arrive too early, they still hold you until your assigned boarding time. It's easy for them to do so, via the assigned boarding group # that you are given.

 

CeleBrat

But with Disney you pick the time you want to board, at least that's what we did on Disney Dream! They don't pick for you. We chose our boarding time when we did online check in.

I got an email from Carnival about our cruise that departs on 3/12. It says that we have been assigned a staggered check in time at 3-4 PM. I have never, in my life, boarded a ship that late. I find this irritating since this is only a 3 day cruise and now they are shortening one of those days! How closely do they actually follow that policy? This is for the Imagination 3 day Baja. Anyone have experience with this? It says they can send us away and we will have no where to go...

I read on rcl's fb page that they are also doing the staggered check in, and it was mentioned that the ports are starting to do this. Im looking for the link now. I never heard about it until a few days ago when I read it. I still say, go when you want, just be prepared to wait

I can't post a link, but its on rcl fb page dated March 5 at 8:03pm

It seems to me the are really affecting other cruisers just to support this FTTF program, and it irritable me, even though I'm Platinum.

Where does it say that this has anything to do with FTTF? The numbers of FTTF are controlled by the number of Diamond and Platinum cruisers.

I agree. Arrive when you want. It's atrocious to prevent paying guests to board the ship one second later than they are able.

 

I like to arrive before sunrise and press my nose against the window until they open the door to let me in. Nothing says "vacation" like waiting with thousands of other people as desperate as me to board and getting grumpier by the minute as the wait gets longer and longer. If only they made Platinums go last things would go so much faster!

This made me laugh :D

I believe one of the reasons that the cruise lines are staggering the boarding time is that there are so many complaints about standing in line to board and not being told anything. Another reason is that there are unannounced ship board inspections where passengers are not allowed to board until the inspections are done.

We go to the ports and arrive about 10:30 and I know that if I have to wait, it's no one's problem but mine because I am ignoring what I have been told. Having said all that, I did email Vicki Rey, who is the one that has sent me the email, why give me such a late time when I am Platinum and traveling with those who have FTTF? She answered that I should ignore the letter.

So, do what you feel is right for you. It may result in a wait before boarding, so be prepared, or you may get right on. Who knows?

I got an email from Carnival about our cruise that departs on 3/12. It says that we have been assigned a staggered check in time at 3-4 PM. I have never, in my life, boarded a ship that late. I find this irritating since this is only a 3 day cruise and now they are shortening one of those days! How closely do they actually follow that policy? This is for the Imagination 3 day Baja. Anyone have experience with this? It says they can send us away and we will have no where to go...

I got the same email on my last two cruises (which were my first two as well lol) and the first cruise i let carnival do everything including flight and transfers - the transfer got me to the ship at 11 am did not have any hassels with getting on even though i had the email saying that check in was at 3. My bags werent to my room until around 3 but thanks to the many posts on here advising to pack things like a change of clothes/swim suit and essentials in a carry on i had everything i needed.

We ignore it and get there as usual. Princess does the staggered boarding also.

 

We are paying for day 1 (embarkation day) so we like to get on the ship as soon as possible and start our vacation.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

You are paying for a partial day on embarkation day and a partial day on debarkation day, not the full days.

I'm appreciative that Carnival sends out boarding time emails. It actually staggers the amount of humanity that would, otherwise, all be chomping at the bit at 10:30 am just to get a free lunch. Always get to the pier about noon after the debarkation progress for the ship is over and parking lots have cleared, luggage handlers aren't doing double duty, and the drive up lanes aren't packed with peeps waiting for their rides. It's nice to get onboard after the rooms have opened up so we don't have to carry stuff around or find a place to sit. By 1:30 the crush of humanity has left the buffet and their is still ample to eat. Have boarded early once and won't ever do it again.