What are boarding zones?

[bagelmom6]

Can someone explain boarding zones to me? I've never been on a cruise that used them and I have no idea how they work. How do they assign zones? I figure we'll probably be arriving at the cruise terminal around 11. Will we be likely to get a good zone number since we'll be there fairly early or are there other factors that determine your zone number?

[H82seaUgo]

they are arbitrarily assigned numbers to debarkation. some are classed by decks, sections, and even need to debark.

 

when your number is called, you proceed to the gangplank.

 

for embarkation, depending on the port, you may be assigned one based on your arrival time. or you just stand on a huge line.

[firefly333]

11 am you will get a pretty good zone, but some give numbers to platinum so they and weddings and HC will still board before you.

[Martini Mom]

We have always arrived early (by 11 am) and we usually board right after the VIP and special needs cruisers.

[luvtovaca]

We have always arrived early (by 11 am) and we usually board right after the VIP and special needs cruisers.

 

Us too.

[navybaby1113]

I've never had a boarding zone before. Just stand in line and get straight on the ship.

[mrpayroll]

We always arrive between 10:30 and 11:00 and are usually in zone 7 or 8. The boarding goes pretty quick and they call two zones at a time usually.

[skrufy]

We have gone out of Port Canaveral 5 times and never had a boarding number, just checkin and boarded. We sailed out of Tampa and arrived at noon, upon checkin we were givin a boarding number. All ports are different. You always get a debarkation number

[marshhawk]

I am always so excited to cruise that I don't recall boarding numbers. When we sailed out of Jacksonville, we checked in and then were told to go to the end of some line, and we became " Larry's. " He was our official boarding helper, and when Larry was called, we all stood up and got back in line and boarded the ship. I love being treated like an obnoxious kid at camp LOL :D;)