"Progressive check-in" - suggested or mandatory?

Sailing Ruby out of San Pedro cruise terminal in a couple of weeks. Received an email stating there was a "progressive check-in" to help control volume - is this mandatory or just an attempt to influence arrivals to help regulate lines? Since we've traveled in day in advance, we normally like to show up at terminal around 11am or so.

In the past it has been suggested. The attempt is to keep everyone from showing up at 11:00 am.

We usually show up around 10:30 or 11:00. No problems so far. Unless there is a problem withe the ship (deep cleaning) or customs in the port boarding usually starts some time between 11 and 11:30. Let us know how it works out for you.

Suggested

As others have suggested, you can get there even at 10:30am

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In the past it's always been "suggested".

As has been mentioned, it's just a suggestion. Suite,Elite, Platinum board first, after that it's general boarding in groups based on when you get there. If you don't mind standing around and waiting you can get there early. The suggested times work great if you just want to walk on the ship. After the first big groups board, most passengers board as they arrive.

It's a requirement for anyone not in the know. ;) ;) :D

It has been suggested that it is mandatory.

SUGGESTED - Do you agree floridalover

I ignored it and had no problem. I’m sure they intend it to be mandatory, but they treat it as a suggestion.

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Princess presents it as mandatory but with everything Princess they don't seem to enforce it. Although I did see one post several years ago in San Francisco where it was enforced. I have sail out of the city by the bay several times and it was not enforced. So go figure.

In the past it has been suggested. The attempt is to keep everyone from showing up at 11:00 am.

It should be enforced the, as my experience shows most pax turn up 11am to 12 noon, wanting to check in, board and get eating !! :') That is why it is chaos in the cruise terminals. Some lines do enforce check in times, at Overseas Terminal in Sydney. They send them away if they are early.

I'm new and learning as much as possible before boarding the Regal in March. I'm assuming progressive boarding could harm my chances for purchasing some days in the sanctuary? It sounds like Princess has this set up so that I have to stand in line early and board as fast as possible is this still correct?

Yes, Quasimodo says; "You better board early, if you want sanctuary." :evilsmile:

I'm new and learning as much as possible before boarding the Regal in March. I'm assuming progressive boarding could harm my chances for purchasing some days in the sanctuary? It sounds like Princess has this set up so that I have to stand in line early and board as fast as possible is this still correct?

Yes, the progressive boarding - if it were enforced - is totally unfair as the decks chosen are arbitrary and some are first and some are last and the last ones would have almost no hope for demand bookings. I'm Platinum now so those times wouldn't matter anyway. We just have Suites & Elites boarding ahead of us, but that can be quite a large number these days. I always hope boarding starts early (on time) and not so many of them have checked in as yet. I imagine on Caribbean area cruises that people with regular boarding rarely get booked into the Sanctuary. In fact, I bet anymore that some Platinums get turned away, unless port intensive voyage.

Fortunately we have been Platinum since Sanctuary became popular. Now I feel like I need to be Elite to guarantee getting what I want in terms of days and location of chair.

Sailing Ruby out of San Pedro cruise terminal in a couple of weeks. Received an email stating there was a "progressive check-in" to help control volume - is this mandatory or just an attempt to influence arrivals to help regulate lines? Since we've traveled in day in advance, we normally like to show up at terminal around 11am or so.

It’s Suggested not Mandatory. If you show up a 11am you probably will be waiting about one hour to board.

Tony

We’re cruising out of Florida on the 5th and we are in a full suite. Our check in time said 2:00. I say no way. I want to get my party started earlier. What do you think?

We’re cruising out of Florida on the 5th and we are in a full suite. Our check in time said 2:00. I say no way. I want to get my party started earlier. What do you think?

Suite/Elites are invited to turn up at anytime, irrespective of check in time on boarding pass. So the website says. You go to the priority line anyway.;) And when boarding is open, Suite pax will be called first, followed by Elites.

It's a requirement for anyone not in the know. ;) ;) :D

Yup.....:D:D:D

Bob

If you really want a stress free embarkation, show up at 2:45 or 3. You will have practically no line and basically walk on. We did it in 20 mins from curb to deck .

We showed up a little before 11 on our Ruby Alaska cruise out of Seattle in late July. (I believe our "suggested" time was 1 p.m.) There were no lines, and we were sitting in the dining room by noon! ( There was a postcard in our cabin saying they were using an early boarding policy.)

We have sailed out of San Pedro 6 times always show early only once ever did it not pay off. Go early

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If you really want a stress free embarkation, show up at 2:45 or 3. You will have practically no line and basically walk on. We did it in 20 mins from curb to deck .

Right...and get there at 3:30 PM and you can skip muster also. ;)

On the last few cruies we have arrived about 12:30 and were in our room before 1:00