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NO Priority boarding line in Port Everglades ?!?


voljeep
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Let's see. 20 Princess cruises, probably 13 or 14 from FLL, we have NEVER seen priority boarding before the security checkpoint. It ALWAYS starts at the actual check-in stations, after you clear security.

 

Wow.

 

Quite a few correspondents here seem to have seen a priority line in Ft. Lauderdale,

particularly at berth 2.

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You must get there way early. We usually arrive between 11:30 and 12:00. That might be the difference. We're Elite and line up with everyone else until through security. THEN they direct you to different check-in lines. (MSC had a different security line for Black Card, which was a surprise for us!)

 

 

 

Nope. We always get there from 11:30-12:45 and have been directed to the elite line side outside the terminal. The entrance for elites, et al used to be tucked slightly around the bend, but the last few cruises it is adjacent to the other entrance.

Last year we purposely arrived late thinking we would avoid the crowd, yet the doors weren’t opened until 12:45, so we also used the priority entrance before the security check point. Once through security, we are once again directed to the appropriate elite or priority line to check in.

That is the procedure we have always followed at Terminal 2.

 

Now, in Miami it was as you say, everyone lined up, then went through security, THEN directed to appropriate check in lines.

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We cruised from Terminal 2 on March 3 on the Crown Princess - it was the fastest embarkation ever of our 25 cruises - there definitely was a priority line - we boarded right around noon.

It was a delight.

eclue:cool:

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I went on a cruise last month and the prior month out of terminal 2 and there was not a VIP line. I arrived at 9am on the first and then 11am on the second. They had everyone wait in the same line to enter the building and once inside and checked in they separated us into different waiting rooms. It ran very smooth, by far the best boarding experience. On the one that I arrived at 9am, I only waited outside for like 10 minutes before they let us inside the terminal. I remember last year when they had us line up outside and it was awful, it took forever. I am glad they are perfecting the boarding process. The new terminal is nice and has comfy couches.

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Not even sure of the issue :). But consider that an awful lot of Princess cruises qualify for "priority boarding" which include all the Elites, Suites, and apparently even others who are willing to pay extra for priority. On several cruises (with multiple cruise lines including Princess) we have actually avoided priority lines (although we qualify) because the regular lines were shorter :). But our experience at Port Everglades is that we almost always got priority boarding (we are Elite) along with a thousand plus others who also qualified. Perhaps the question should be "when is priority not really priority?" And the obvious answer is when most folks are priority.

Hank

 

:D;p.....

 

9:30?.....arrive early enough to stand in line to enter the terminal ...WHY? I know sometimes it's the only way....but I would hang out at the airport before lining up outside the terminal...But then again we seldom arrive earlier that 11:30 or noon.

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They can purchase faster to the fun.

That will not get them into the terminal any faster. They will still have to wait in the long line outside the terminal.

 

 

If I were princess, I would start enforcing the staggared boarding, as it would

make faster to the fun more profitable.

 

Staggered boarding by deck is really not practical.

a) When you arrive at the airport at 9 AM, having to wait to board until 3 PM sucks.

b) When families are on different decks, they may arrive together but be hours apart for boarding

c) What does Princess do with those that have Princess transportation from the airport to the pier terminal? Keep passengers at the airport until close to boarding time? Bring them to the terminal and let them stand outside for hours?

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That will not get them into the terminal any faster. They will still have to wait in the long line outside the terminal.

 

Most correspondents have reported that there is no longer any line outside.

 

At least at terminal 2 in Ft. Lauderdale.

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This correspondent has seen priorities having a separate line to enter the building. They did not usually have to wait outside.

 

Health Forms had been passed out while the line was outside the building.:)

 

 

 

I will be happy to report my experience in 18 days :)

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As I said earlier in the thread, we were on the 3/4 Regal sailing from terminal 2. No separate line outside from about 9:30am when we got there, till they opened doors at about 10am. I even asked because there used to be, but was told only one line. We got in that line.

They opened the doors about 10am and the same line went inside to another staging area, no separation by loyalty level at this point either. They did walk through the line asking to see passports. Not sure why.

 

Then about 10:20 am or so, they allowed those lines to move to the check in area, and separate there at least by priority vs non priority to get your cruise cards. We are elite and went to the right, non loyalty level went to the left. We got our cruise cards and went to the doors to the upstairs waiting area.

They looked at our cards, gave us an Elite A Priority Boarding ticket and sent us upstairs. We were directed to the Elite waiting lounge.

At about 11am they came in and told us we could line up to board. We did, and were let on the ship a couple of minutes later.

Saw quite a few people already on board, probably BVE and B2B persons.

 

That was our experience, and different than any previous cruises out of FLL and Terminal 2.

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.............................

Now, in Miami it was as you say, everyone lined up, then went through security, THEN directed to appropriate check in lines.

 

Uh, no, there was a completely different line through security for Black Card. That, frankly, surprised us, but we were glad to get in the very short line! It was to the far left of all the other lines.

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Uh, no, there was a completely different line through security for Black Card. That, frankly, surprised us, but we were glad to get in the very short line! It was to the far left of all the other lines.

 

I forget which port, but there was, like you experienced, a security line for priority passengers.

 

 

The problem was, it was the slowest line. As there was only one security station for the priority passengers and about five for the non-priority passengers, the non-priority line moved very quickly .

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Its good to know how early boarding process is, I am not Elite but flying in for 11 so I gather getting there by 12:30 hopefully will be able to just walk on board! It would have been nice to get there earlier, 2 hours more of a vacation but oh well :)

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I like the way they handle boarding in San Pedro. You fill out your health card downstairs, then everyone goes upstairs. An attendant asks to see your boarding pass and then directs you in an area to sit. When check-in commences groups are called up in order of priority. There are no lines outside and everyone has a seat once you get upstairs.

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Uh, no, there was a completely different line through security for Black Card. That, frankly, surprised us, but we were glad to get in the very short line! It was to the far left of all the other lines.

 

 

 

We were on Celebrity, not Princess, in Miami.

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