earliest scheduled boarding time is 1.30-2pm??

Long beach, inspiration.

We embark monday the 12th. When I was doing my On Line Check In it gave me a 1.30-2pm check in time.

We usually are in line at 9am to be the first on the ship.

What is with this? If I go early will that be a problem? I've only done one cruise with Carnival several years ago. If I show up at 9 or 9.30 will they make me wait till the afternoon?

Are you platinum/diamond? Did you buy FTTF? You won't be first on the ship if you don't have any of those things . There are new procedures since the dome is now for check ins and I doubt if you can start at 9AM

If you don’t have VIP or FTTP privileges, then Yes, you’ll have to wait around.

The boarding process for Carnival has changed since you last cruised. It is no longer a cluster muck of who gets there first being crushed by who is behind them. Assigned check in times are designed to control crowd size and flow, and the staff will only allow those who have priorty or the first check in time slot to enter the terminal when it opens.

I'm Diamond, and I don't recall any Carnival terminal being open at 9 AM and letting guests board at that time. For the last few years, I've boarded in MIA about 11 or so, and a few tmes in FLL we were the first on the ship at 1 or 1:30PM.

Times and procedures change. Most of the feedback on CC about assigned check in times seems fairly positive.

Many cruise lines have implemented some sort of staggered checkin to help alleviate the lines for embarkation. If you have some sort of priority boarding privileges like being a Diamond/Platinum or you have purchased FTTF, you can essentially board whenever you want. The General Boarding population will board at their assigned check in times. If you show up at 9 am and have a 1:30-2 check in time, you will be waiting a long time in the parking lot (good chance they wont even let you in the Terminal until your time)

The Dome construction has finished and the process in Long Beach is changing.

Before we would arrive around 11:30 when boarding started and we’d be onboard within 20 minutes of arriving. Now it’s anybody’s guess how it’s being done.

You could arrive at 9, fight the parking lot crowds and wait. Or arrive a bit later and have less of a wait. Only reviews so far have been from people with some sort of priority check in.

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Many cruise lines have implemented some sort of staggered checkin to help alleviate the lines for embarkation. If you have some sort of priority boarding privileges like being a Diamond/Platinum or you have purchased FTTF, you can essentially board whenever you want. The General Boarding population will board at their assigned check in times. If you show up at 9 am and have a 1:30-2 check in time, you will be waiting a long time in the parking lot (good chance they wont even let you in the Terminal until your time)

You can check in but you still cannot board until they clear the ship which is usually somewhere between 11 and 11:30 at most ports of embarkation.

You can check in but you still cannot board until they clear the ship which is usually somewhere between 11 and 11:30 at most ports of embarkation.

I apologize, didn't realize the grammar police were here and we were going to get granular....Yes, You can CHECK IN once they open the terminal and will board once Carnival is ready for you....better? :rolleyes:

This thread is confusing me and I am not the OP. Is Long Beach different than other Carnival ports? All of the ports I have been to lately will not let you in the terminal at all until your check in time without Diamond, Platinum, FTTF or suite. Is that different at Long Beach? If I read the OP's original comment correctly, the answer is no, you will not be allowed in the terminal until your designated check in time.

Long Beach used to be quite different as you checked in and waited outside of the terminal if you came early. NOW they have remodeled the terminal so that all check ins will be inside. It is a different procedure that we are all just finding out about since the dome(terminal) has just been finished in the last few weeks.

Long Beach used to be quite different as you checked in and waited outside of the terminal if you came early. NOW they have remodeled the terminal so that all check ins will be inside. It is a different procedure that we are all just finding out about since the dome(terminal) has just been finished in the last few weeks.

Thanks

9 am is ridiculous time to arrive, we are still eating breakfast aboard. We rarely leave the ship before being last call around 10am. When we did our B2B we had the ship to ourselves from 10-11, no one boarded before 11.

9 am is ridiculous time to arrive, we are still eating breakfast aboard. We rarely leave the ship before being last call around 10am. When we did our B2B we had the ship to ourselves from 10-11, no one boarded before 11.

Agree Coevan....We were on a recent cruise out of Jax and the hotel we stayed at (got there the night before) was literally 2 miles from the port. We were traveling with another couple, 2 rooms in same hotel....My phone rings at 7 am in the morning, I answer it, still groggy...."Hello"

"Where are you guys"

Me: "Sleeping....Dave, is this you"?

Dave: "Yeah....aren't you coming"

Me: "Coming where, its 7 am, I thought we were meeting for breakfast downstairs at 9....Where are you?"

Dave: I am at the terminal, we got to get ready to get on

Me: Is the terminal open?

Dave: No

Me: Is the boat even there?

Dave: Not yet, but we need a good spot

Me: Dave, I am going back to sleep, tell you what, I will meet you on the Lido deck at noon....bet you $100 I am eating lunch before you

Dave: You are on, easiest $100 I will ever make

(Dave didn't know about FTTF, I did ;p)

Saw Dave around 12:30, we were holding 2 seats for him and his wife, I got my $100 :D

Long beach, inspiration.

 

We embark monday the 12th. When I was doing my On Line Check In it gave me a 1.30-2pm check in time.

 

We usually are in line at 9am to be the first on the ship.

 

What is with this? If I go early will that be a problem? I've only done one cruise with Carnival several years ago. If I show up at 9 or 9.30 will they make me wait till the afternoon?

I read through the thread and just wanted to clarify. OP - do NOT go to the terminal before 1:30-2. They are not going to let you in to check in. Most often, the 30 minute time slots begin around 11:30, and it would appear that those windows have been taken. You can hold off and go later if you like.

As others have said, if you don't have some form of priority check-in, you must use the time slot. I am sure you are disappointed that you will not be early on the ship as you did not know about these changes.

In the future, they usually post these slots at least 60-90 days prior to the cruise and you can select it from your cruise manager.

Sorry this caught you by surprise.

OP here.

To qualify,

Generally we arrive at the terminal around 9am(ish) to go through security and check in, avoiding the long disney-lines to check in...... then we get told to wait in the big room as it fills up with other passengers. Around 11am (generally) boarding starts.

This is exactly what we did last month in Miami.

Again.. I haven't been on a Carnival cruise for a number of years. I consider my vacation started when I get on the ship. I'd much rather get on the ship at 11(ish) than wait until 2. Especially considering this is a short 4 night vacation. Besides, sitting in the "waiting room" gives me time to meet more people!

But thanks for the info all. Much appreciated

Kingston....You could check for FTTF, doubt its available but hey, stranger things have happened.....Now, whos to say, you show up at 9 or 10ish, Your documents say 1:30-2 but if one of the terminal/carnival employees takes a nice $10 or $20 in the palm when you shake their hand and let you slide on in....doesn't hurt to try, right :)

Keep in mind that's your CHECK-IN time, not your boarding time. They likely won't let you into the terminal before 1:30. You will board depending on whatever zone you're sitting in for that time-slot. It may be 1:45 when you board, it may be 2:30.

I apologize, didn't realize the grammar police were here and we were going to get granular....Yes, You can CHECK IN once they open the terminal and will board once Carnival is ready for you....better? :rolleyes:

No grammar police here, Knights Templar... but for folks not familiar with the process it would be very disappointing if they had a 'check-in' time of 10:00 but didn't 'board' until 11:30, expecting otherwise. So the poster was just trying to make sure those who don't know are aware of the difference.

LOVED your post about your friend Dave, by the way!!! LOL!

Did the dome remodel include an actual waiting area? I think one of the reasons that the Long Beach terminal always seemed so insane was that there was nowhere to wait other than hanging around outside.

Did the dome remodel include an actual waiting area? I think one of the reasons that the Long Beach terminal always seemed so insane was that there was nowhere to wait other than hanging around outside.

They now occupy the whole Dome. The monies paid are being used to remodel/refurbish/restore the Queen Mary.

Previously Long Beach did not honor Staggered Check In times. After Early Check In everyone had to wait outside while the previous ship cleared.

My understanding now is that, all check in will be inside and there is a waiting area like other ports. Even the Captains Lounge is inside. The doors have been reconfigured allowing for both ingress and egress at the same time.

Unfortunately, I haven’t read on here or FB from anyone not having priority checkin so no info on hoe it is for the nonPriority folks. Hope to have more info tomorrow.

Problem with arriving at 9, if you’re driving, is the parking structure is a madhouse. With the Splendor having 1,000 more pax than the Miracle many will be parking over by the Queen Mary.

No grammar police here, Knights Templar... but for folks not familiar with the process it would be very disappointing if they had a 'check-in' time of 10:00 but didn't 'board' until 11:30, expecting otherwise. So the poster was just trying to make sure those who don't know are aware of the difference.

 

LOVED your post about your friend Dave, by the way!!! LOL!

Shaded, thank you for pointing that out to me. My apologies to RWolver, I thought he was trying to tweak me when in fact he was just probably pointing out the difference between "checkin" and "boarding"....My apologies Wolver, my bad if I was out of line with my smart alec response.

Dave a good guy, lol, but he is Type A "gotta go gotta go gotta go gotta go" "lets hurry up" type of person. His wife is the same way....You know how some of your friends are chronically late so if you have a dinner date with them, you tell them 6 so they show up at 7? With Dave you tell him 8 knowing he will show up at 7!!!! :loudcry:

I can not understand why someone would get to the terminal at 9. Are you going to miss the first burger? we relax in our hotel, have a casual breakfast and get to the terminal before noon. there is still food and alcohol left when we arrive.

I haven't cruised on Carnival since they implemented FTTF. It seems like the staggered boarding times are part genius, part money maker. You pay to board early but staggering times will alleviate a lot of congestion. We got a 1230-100 board time and are perfectly happy with that time.

I prefer to show up about 15 minutes before my check in time. That way you can drop your bags with the luggage handlers and go to the terminal and wait for your time. People that hate waiting in line love the new staggered check in. Those of us that enjoy getting on the ship as quickly as possible and don't mind waiting in line, it makes it harder. I am sorry the staggered check in is not working in your favor.

Long beach, inspiration.

 

We embark monday the 12th. When I was doing my On Line Check In it gave me a 1.30-2pm check in time.

 

We usually are in line at 9am to be the first on the ship.

 

What is with this? If I go early will that be a problem? I've only done one cruise with Carnival several years ago. If I show up at 9 or 9.30 will they make me wait till the afternoon?

Things change over the years.