Who boards 1st?

[awinner]

Who gets to board 1st...suite, elite or disabled?

[srphnx]

I have seen both and it is platinum/elite/suite as a group. At San Pedro they have two lines so they often take one for disabled and one for preferred. FWIW I have no mobility issue and have been THE first aboard about 1/2 dozen times and in the first 10 more times than I can count.

[Beopthtuh]

like other poster says the lines are for plat,elite and suite with the disabled with their own seperate line ,i,ve seen first timers get on before prefferd travellers its pot luck.

[capriccio]

Who gets to board 1st...suite, elite or disabled?

 

 

Bon Voyage program passengers and their guests are first (if offered on that specific cruise).

[5fathom]

In San Pedro in Oct they had Elite in a private room. Not sure if Suite was also in that room. When they announced "Black Card" boarding we were escorted to a boarding line. It was very orderly. Not sure about Handicapped passengers. Our last cruise out of Pt Evergaldes they had Suite/Elite/Platinum in one room. They just opened the doors and the stampede began. You never know from port to port.

[cb at sea]

And, since folks will be arriving for HOURS...not all at once, like on airplanes, after the initial boarding has started, it's basically 1st come, 1st served.

[Pam in CA]

I've cruised with my daughter who embarked in a wheelchair several times. Those with special needs have a check-in line just for them and for boarding, go with the first group, which usually is the Platinum/Elite/suite passengers. They are not pre-boarded like they are on an airplane.

[Astro Flyer]

Bon Voyage program passengers and their guests are first (if offered on that specific cruise).

 

I've read posts that say intransit passengers doing a b2b when required to get off the ship also go ahead of the priority (elite, platinum, suite) passengers.

[2little time]

Who gets to board 1st...suite, elite or disabled?

In my past boarding experiences, I see the disabled boarded first for safety reasons.

[srphnx]

I have been an in transit passenger several times and sometimes that is the case sometimes it is not the case. The one thing I know for sure is that there are no hard and fast rules but more like general guidelines.

 

In general the preferred board first and those are elite/platinum/mobility challenged. IF the pier side employees hold the line for in transit they go first but often they are busy with other concerns. One more for the mix, newly boarding entertainers often go ahead of everyone because they are pseudo crew.

 

 

 

I've read posts that say intransit passengers doing a b2b when required to get off the ship also go ahead of the priority (elite, platinum, suite) passengers.

[Renmar]

Does it matter, as long as you make it on board before the ship sails your fine.

Theo

[Astro Flyer]

Does it matter, as long as you make it on board before the ship sails your fine.

Theo

 

We're just answering the question the OP posted...:rolleyes:

[Pam in CA]

Does it matter, as long as you make it on board before the ship sails your fine.

It seems to matter to the OP or perhaps they were just curious. It's a good question and deserves an answer. If you're traveling with someone who's disabled or has a mobility problem and you're unfamiliar with the boarding process, it's a concern.

[awinner]

Does it matter, as long as you make it on board before the ship sails your fine.

Theo

 

Does it matter...yes & no. We are in a suite this time so we know if we are there early enough, we get priority boarding....my mother need a wheelchair to board, and several years ago when it was time to board someone who was elite staus made quite a ruckus that we were boarding before him, and made a point to let everyone know he was elite status and should be on board before anyone else. So, that being said, I had wondered of things had changed. No harm, no foul...in the end we all enjoy the ship..just one enjoys it 10 minutes earlier;)

[cherrybear]

We’ve never been concerned with being on the ship first; but this will be the first time traveling with Mom in a wheelchair. It's good information to know if we decide to get to the port early. So...

 

Thanks

Cherry

[pablo222]

Who gets to board 1st...suite, elite or disabled?

 

Bon Voyage.

[4cats4me]

when in san pedro they call the elites and platinums, and i've noticed when we board as platinums there is also a separate line with wheelchairs going through their own separate line; therefore, there are two or 3 metal detectors in san pedro from what I can recall. line moves very quickly, and it seems to run quite nicely

[caribill]

I've read posts that say intransit passengers doing a b2b when required to get off the ship also go ahead of the priority (elite, platinum, suite) passengers.

 

 

Intransit passengers can board anytime after the ship has been cleared. They do not have to wait until boarding for new passengers begins.

[srphnx]

Correct, however as a practical matter once the ship has cleared they start boarding the new group of passengers nearly immediately so that is often a distinction without a difference.

[Coral]

Intransit passengers can board anytime after the ship has been cleared. They do not have to wait until boarding for new passengers begins.

 

I have done several B2Bs and a few times, we have had to wait for the ship to be cleared to reboard the ship. Ridiculous as it sounds, we were forced to wait and then boarded right before everyone else. Last New Years cruise in San Pedro was a recent example. We had to wait probably an hour to re-board the ship - it was a mess how it was handled.

[DesrtDrmr]

I use a mobility scooter and no matter what other group I belong to, we check in with disabled......because at San Pedro and other ports, we have to take an elevator up so the boarding line "re-lines" at the elevator.

[Astro Flyer]

I have done several B2Bs and a few times, we have had to wait for the ship to be cleared to reboard the ship. Ridiculous as it sounds, we were forced to wait and then boarded right before everyone else. Last New Years cruise in San Pedro was a recent example. We had to wait probably an hour to re-board the ship - it was a mess how it was handled.

 

Is this primarily in US ports? I recall previous discussions that said outside of the US it's generally not required to get off the ship until it's cleared. On a b2b in Copenhagen we weren't required to get off the ship & were issued new cards onboard.

[srphnx]

Yes Astro Flyer, it is a US customs issue not a Princess issue. This is also somewhat recent, it didn't used to be a requirement and frankly the turnaround day was a real thrill, those few hours when the ship is empty feels surreal.

 

We took advantage and toured all the suites and other cabins we wanted to see once they were empty and cleaned but not yet reoccupied.

 

We felt a little more connected to the crew and they us when they knew we would be staying for a second round.

[Coral]

Is this primarily in US ports? I recall previous discussions that said outside of the US it's generally not required to get off the ship until it's cleared. On a b2b in Copenhagen we weren't required to get off the ship & were issued new cards onboard.

 

Mine have been in US ports where we have encountered problems. Last Christmas/New Years was a mess (and we had friends on the one before Christmas and Christmas and thought the same thing). We were given no instructions and were lead right to the point where we were off the concourses thingies (that connect the pier to the ship) and then let go. On other cruises, we have been escorted off the ship and then back on the ship as a group, not in this situation! It was frustrating as we thought we would have a leisurely morning on the ship but we were in the Wheelhouse Lounge for a long period of time before we were led off the ship and then had to go through everything to get to the room where the Elite were standing and then wait probably an hour. The pier people remembered us from the week before and had us stand in a certain area and let us back on 2 minutes before everyone else.

 

I have been on other cruises with turnaround in San Pedro where we were allowed to stay on the ship (Coastal Vancouver to LA and then LA to Mexico) but in that situation, we didn't have to clear customs so we could come and go as we pleased - they just asked that we get our photos taken with the new cards. Silly me for thinking it would be easy with 2 Mexican cruises (I do understand about clearing customs was necessary).

 

I can't remember the other place we ran into problems. I know my Vancouver to Whittier and then Whittier to Vancouver were a piece of cake also.

[Coral]

As far as who boards first - Elite or Disabled. It varies. I often travel with my mom who is both Elite and disabled (and I am Elite). It actually varies from trip to trip who goes first (elite or disabled). No rhyme or reason. Either way - we are often the first on the ship.