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Twow
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I did my online check-in and was able to get the 11:30 11:45 check-in time how soon after check in will I be able to get onto the ship?

 

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When you check in at the port, you'll receive a boarding number. That number is tied to the Port Arrival Time you selected.

 

Boarding starts around 11:30 (usually) with Concierge, followed by Platinum Castaway Club members. Then they start calling boarding numbers.

 

With an 11:30 PAT, I'll hazard a guess that you'll be boarding some where around 12:00-12:15. Definitely by 12:30, as that's when Open Boarding is called (anyone holding any boarding number can board on Open Boarding).

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On our last 2 cruises out of PC, boarding started about 11:15.

 

The goal of the PAT system is that guests will have little or no waiting around or standing in line. If you arrive at 11:30 or a few minutes before, you'll go thru security and be in line to check in with little or no waiting. As noted, you'll be given a boarding number which is tied to your PAT. I agree with Shmoo--your boarding number should be called shortly after noon. That's not too long after you'll have taken care of the paperwork and have your KTTW cards.

 

Open boarding will be announced any time from 12:30-1:15 depending on when they have boarded the people with lower numbers and essentially eliminated the crowd in the terminal.

 

You didn't say which ship. Things do go a little faster on the classics than on the bigger ships.

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  • 1 month later...
So if I arrive before my PAT will I be allowed to check in and get a boarding zone?
Yes, but you will get the same boarding group that would would have gotten if you arrive at your PAT. So all your doing is waiting in the terminal.

 

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So if I arrive before my PAT will I be allowed to check in and get a boarding zone?

Generally you will be allowed to enter the terminal and check in. If you arrive before boarding starts and the terminal is already at capacity (regulated for fire safety reasons), you may be held outside the terminal for a brief time--like 15 minutes. Once boarding starts there is no problem as people are rapidly moving to the ship.

 

However, your boarding card number is tied to your PAT. Arriving prior to your PAT does not get you a better boarding number. About 12:30-1:00 they will announce "open boarding," which means that they are no longer using the boarding number system as all who are there with early numbers have boarded. My usual suggestion is that if you have a PAT prior to noon, arrive at your PAT. If you have a PAT of noon or later, arrive about noon; you'll get thru check in about the time that open boarding is announced. These times will minimize your time waiting in line and just hanging out in the terminal. There are some things to do while waiting (you can see a model of the Magic in her original configuration, do kid programming check in and get their bracelet, or watch old Disney cartoons on screens. There is very little seating, and hanging out at the terminal is not on my list of "favorite things."

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Ok, so now I find out that we are platinum but I have a group of 6 cabins linked to my booking. Would the rest of my family get to priority board with us. It's my retirement party and I brought the family along to celebrate!

No, the other 6 cabins will not get platinum benefits. If you want to board together, you are welcome to wait till the boarding number for the other cabins is called. They will not get ANY of the other platinum benefits like a free trip to Palo, discount in gift shop, or whatever else the current goodies on the benefits sheet are.

 

One thing you can do is to place yourself in one cabin and your (also platinum, I'm guessing) platinum spouse in another cabin, each with a non-platinum friend as the second person in the cabin. Then, after boarding you can go to GS and have the people switched in terms of who is sleeping where. That way two cabins will be listed as platinum for the "cabin" benefits like boarding and Palo since the cabin's level is based on the highest person in the cabin. Of course the risk in doing this is that the other couple could back out on the cruise, making a total mess.

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