Saturngrl

My last cruise out of Port Canaveral was on Oasis in 2017.  We arrived about 10:00 and had to wait to board the ship until 11:00.  Seats in the port waiting room were full and it was standing-room only. We went straight to the Solarium Bistro before the crowds hit there for lunch.  Then carried our carry-ons around the ship until the cabins were ready shortly after 1:00 p.m.

Unless you are Diamond, Platinum, have a suite or purchased the Key,  you may want to stick to your assigned check-in time to avoid the crowds and waiting. 

Following...my friends and I will be on the Allure in less than 3 weeks!

Thank you for this post!  So glad I'm single, lol!

I live in Central Florida and would NOT risk a time table as tight as this!  As a previous poster noted, there is construction and traffic on the 528 even on a Sunday.  It's an hour drive from the port to OIA.  Then, there's traffic at the airport, checking your bags, getting to the gate....even with TSA Pre-Check there will be a wait.   Book a later flight and enjoy your cruise and the wedding!

I've done both Mid-port garage and Park n' Go.  Will take Park n' Go any day of the week over parking at the port.  You drop off your car at the entrance and the shuttle is right there.  Very little, if any, wait to go to the port.  The shuttle driver handles your luggage, and drops you right at the port.

Upon disembarkation, the shuttle is waiting for you and again, little to no wait to take you back to your car.  Your car is ready and waiting for you.  Quick check-out with a bottle of water, a peek at the monkeys on site, and your are on your way home! 

I'm surprised this wasn't added as a perk of The Key.  But then again, I live in Central Florida where waterparks with slides abound.  Count me as one of the people who will free up the line at the waterslides and free up a chair by the pool on the ship. 

I hope RC analyzes the results of its "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" sales, i.e. lack thereof.  Perhaps market forces will determine how they adjust pre-cruise sales as well as on-board sales. 

I just had the thought.....perhaps RC will do the same with unsold cabanas at CoCo Cay Club that they did with my gang on Labadee bungalow.  On the day of our visit, they sold a vacant bungalow to us for $250.   I have a feeling that the pre-cruise prices are so high on CoCo Beach Club cabanas and OTW cabanas, they might sell the vacant ones to CoCo Beach Club pass members at a discounted price.   We will have to wait and see.....

My friends and I did this on the Oasis in 2017.  Like the above poster, the drinks were too sweet for me.  The entertainment was a little hokey and the energy level was low.  We had fun dressing the part and posing for our own photos.  However, for $35 and the 10:00 p.m. time slot...not worth it to me. 

Another vote for Park n. Go here!  They are located near the port.  You can reserve and pay in advance on their website.  Upon arrival, you will drop off your car at the entrance and they will immediately board you on a shuttle.  The shuttle will take you to your pier (about a 5-10 minute ride).  On Disembarkation Day, the shuttle will pick you up at your pier and your car will be ready at the gate.  Check out, receive your bottled water and enjoy looking at the monkeys playing on the property. 

They are much cheaper and easier than parking at one of the port garages! 

Of course Royal (as well as every other cruise line) wants to make money.  That's business.  They may post these prices, but the consumers will determine if these rates are value-added for the product, or not.  I was willing to pay for an Oasis Lagoon Cabana at $499.  My friends and I agreed to this rate, which boils down to about $84 per person for 6 of us.  Let's see who will do the CoCo Beach Club OTW cabanas at the current asking price (and make friends with them on our cruises!).

I'm one of those people who tries to memorize deck plans in advance.  I try to get to Muster drill early to snag a seat (or line up in the shade if on one of those other cruise lines), thus want to know in advance where Muster drill will be.  Sometimes, a little OCD pays off....lol.

Is there a good day spa or massage studio near the pier? 

I'm a little OCD and do extensive research in planning all trips and cruises.  It's helpful to know where my  muster station is before boarding and I try to memorize the deck plans before sailing.  This allows me optimal time to enjoy the ship before heading (instead of wandering) to my muster station, getting a seat and enjoying the muster drill while seated. 

The best part is also planning my escape route to my balcony cabin to directly go and pop the champagne bottle for sailaway! 

2 minutes ago, parsec0298 said:

I really like the idea of this thing, but it looks so bulky.  Not sure I would want to pack such a giant thing in my luggage.  I wonder if TSA ever has issues with these in checked luggage too.

I have one and it doesn't take up that much room in my luggage, especially since I put my foldable hangers in it  and some other small items in my checked suitcase.  It works very well!

On my recent Paradise cruise, the 5-minute rule applied to when your last alcoholic beverage was entered into the system.  This created a penalty against me the first night because the dining room crew waited an hour after dinner before they rung up my drinks from dinner.  Thus, an hour after dinner, I  was told "5 minutes", then waited another 10 minutes before being told "5 minutes" again.  When I asked the bartender to check my account, she said I had only 4 drinks that day and clearly was not abusing my CHEERS!  package. 

They did always provide both Diet Coke and a Mimosa simultaneously at brunch. 

1 hour ago, Retired_to_Cruise said:

How do you know that this is not already being done. Are you just making the assumption that efforts to "balance work loads, improve value, and continuously improve operations" are not being done effectively? Where do you think the changes being made all the time are coming from?

This was merely a suggestion in case Carnival hasn't used this option,.  I'm sure the cruiseline takes customer feedback seriously and Hohn Heald does a fantastic job in his role.

$70 is about the same price that Mr. Sancho's charges for a 1-hour massage.  Having had massages at both Mr. Sancho's and Nachi Cocum, I can report the difference between the two resorts is HUGE!!! 

1.  The massage therapists at Mr. Sancho's are some of the best I have ever encountered.  The massage therapists at Nachi Cocum were unfriendly and provided superficial massages with no regard to the client on the table.

2.  The massage huts at Mr. Sancho's are off to the side and have fans blowing to keep the clients cool.  Two tables per open-air hut. The massage hut at Nachi Cocum holds three tables, is indoors with an air conditioner blowing COLD air directly over the middle table.

3.  There was NO privacy at Nachi Cocum!  They bring people in and out of that hut while massages are happening.  The man selling massages kept opening the door during my massage,  exposing my naked self to anyone looking in. 

Worse, they brought in a man for a massage while my female friend and I were still receiving ours, naked on the table. 

I will NEVER get a massage at Nachi Cocum again!

I would hire a Lean Six Sigma Specialist (like  me) for Carnival team members and loyal passengers to identify sources of waste to eliminate.   That would help balance work loads, improve value and continuously improve operations. 

If you want to avoid long lines in the heat waiting to board the ship, I recommend you arrive 1 hour earlier than the required time.  Shorter lines, and more time to freshen up to watch the "pier runners" who waited until the last minute.

Still waiting for the Key to open in Cruise Planner for my January Allure cruise.

Waiting for it to appear for January 19, 2020 Allure sailing. I check Cruise Planner several times a day.

Please allow me to echo how wonderful Park n' Go Ft. Lauderdale  is!!! I use them for EVERY cruise out of Port Everglades.  Beats port parking (which I tried once and walked forever to get to the terminal).  Glad you are using Park n' Go!

I love Concierge perks and will not sail any lower category on Celebrity.  The check in line, the separate waiting area to board are great starts.  The Embarkation luncheon in the MDR is very nice.  The menu is limited  but it's so great to set down your carry-on luggage away from the table, be waited upon and enjoy a glass of wine with your first meal on board.   We do enjoy the bottle of bubbly on our balcony.  The Concierge on past ships has been very helpful.  Also, the designated lounge on Disembarkation day is wonderful.  They provide coffee, tea, juice and pastries as well as a comfortable place to wait for your group number to be called. 

Everyone has his/her own preferences as far as cabin class on Celebrity.   Choose the class that best meets your needs and enjoy accordingly! 

1 hour ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Yes, it will probably save you time.

I called RC today to purchase a beverage package.  When I asked about The Key for January 2020,  I was informed that it is not yet available and advised to keep looking on Cruise Planner daily.   This is the same information I received when I called RC a few weeks ago to inquire about The Key.   Will keep checking Cruise Planner frequently.