Queen Mary. . .early check in????

I am a little confused about the embarkment process on the Pride.

I have filled out the funpass.

We are staying on the Queen Mary. My understanding is that there is an early check in (of at least your luggage). In the morning (as early as 9:30) you can have your luggage taken to the cruise check in (adjacent to the QM???) and then you can be checked in.

Has anyone done this (staying on the QM or hotels nearby)? I presume there is still a waiting time before you can physically board the ship. Are you free to roam the area nearby or are you stuck in a room?

Thanks!

vacationingdiva

Early check-in is between 9:00 and 11:00.

No... it is not to check in your luggage. It is to initiate the check-in, or boarding, process of Carnival.

You will still need to drop off your luggage at the Parking Garage with the Porters. It's like a two minute walk from the Queen Mary.

Luggage drop-off is right at the entrance of the parking garage, on the corner nearest the Carnival ship. Follow the crouds.

Then you wait in the "Early Check-in" line. Be sure to ask the folks you are standing in line with if it's the "early check-in" line.

Thanks VentureMan!

I think I will just print out your response and take it with me!

Early check-in is between 9:00 and 11:00.

 

No... it is not to check in your luggage. It is to initiate the check-in, or boarding, process of Carnival.

 

You will still need to drop off your luggage at the Parking Garage with the Porters.

On VentureMan's awesome advice (on another thread) I have booked us into the GuestHouse Inn the night before we cruise. If we show up at the port at 10:00 am, drop off our luggage with the porters, and do the early check-in at QM, what then? What time do they actually start processing the early check-in people usually?

We will have our DD (5) with us, and I can't see her patiently standing in line for an hour and a half. :rolleyes: I'm just trying to get a sense of whether we are better off doing early check-in, or better staying at the hotel by the pool, and showing up around 2:00 or 2:30.

What if anything is there to do in that vicinity between early check-in and getting in the line for people who have done the early check-in? I know there is the tour of the QM (and I've never been). Do you think there is enough of interest on the QM to keep a 5 year old entertained enough for whatever length of time is necessary?

Ocean Dreaming,

It does seem a little confusing.

My thoughts are that we would go down around 10:00 and check in. We would then get rid of our luggage with the porters. I think we are doing the tour the afternoon before, but we may do that Sun morning instead (early check in at 9, drop luggage and then go do the tour).

Based on past reviews, it appears that the bar of the QM opens around 11:30. . . I guess if we get board we could go there and hang out.

Would it be possible for you all to come over at 9:00, do early check in and drop luggage and then go back to the hotel and swim. I think then you can come back to the ship and get in the early check in line and you will be through quickly.

We are almost there!!!!

You know, that's a GREAT idea. We'll have our car, so we could drive over, drop our luggage with the porters, park the car at the Queen Mary (which I'm guessing will be free, or at most $3.00 for the short time we'll be there), do the early check-in, and drive back to the hotel and park there. We can then take the free shuttle later back to the pier. That really is a great idea! Thank you!:D

We have some some friends picking us up around 10:00 am and we are heading over to Shoreline for some cocktails... they will have lunch... ours will be waiting on the ship. We will arrive for boarding around 1:00 this time around. We did this 'friend visit and board' in Miami and it worked out well.

Not too much to do there at the port. There is some lawns at the check-in for your daughter to roll around on. There are some shops and such... but not much.

I got there at 8:30 and did not board until 12:30. :eek: We were excited. :D

The pool could be fun. Most of the shops and restaurants do not open until 11:00 am at Shoreline.

If your Mom is in a walker... then I would think you can board with her as she will need help. Handicaps board first... so you could be on board first... as early as 11:00.

Personally... I would stay at the hotel until about 10:00 and catch the shuttle to the Port. The shuttle is a minivan and holds 6 or 7 people.

By the time the shuttle gets you to the Port, and your drop off your luggage with the porters (drop off of luggage is in the parking garage), you do early check-in, and head to wait in line... it will be 11:00.

I say just go and wiat in line.

Also, there are a few benches nearby your Mom can sit in while you wait in line.

Good luck. I'll want to hear how it all went when you get back.:)

Here is what the Long Beach port looks like ...