Staggered Boarding??

[lhall85917]

We just received notice that there is a staggered boarding schedule for our Sea Princess cruise leaving Sydney on April 15, kind of disappointing. We like to arrive early and our time is 3:30 with all aboard by 5:00.

[JulieRose]

We're sailing in 2 weeks on the crown and we did not get an email like this. Even if we did, we have to check out of our hotel room at 11a. What are we supposed to do for 3 hours between checking out of the hotel and boarding the ship? Sit on the dock with our luggage longingly watching those with earlier boarding times get on board? There's no way.

 

I would ignore the email if I were you.

[critterchick]

We dropped a friend off at the pier in L.A. today for a cruise on Sapphire. We arrived about noon, and it was pretty quiet in the parking lot. I got a text at 12:18 that he was onboard. His scheduled boarding time was 2:30. :). He's Platinum, but I don't think that it mattered.

[grandmaa]

We were on a cruise out of Los Angeles last week and had also been given a boarding time of 2:30 with all aboard by 3 and sail away at 4. Not much time to get on board and get settled with that time frame. We did not arrive at 2:30 but at 1. No problem parking or

getting on board earlier..no one in Elite line at the time. We went through security and were on the ship by 1:30ish. I imagine they are doing this for a better flow of passengers but it certainly creates a problem if you want to make reservations for restaurants and The Sanctuary.

[chloe kitty]

Here is the text from the email:

 

Good Afternoon.

 

To ensure a smooth start to your voyage, we operate a staggered check-in schedule.

 

Please arrive at your scheduled check in time as noted below, determined by your deck and cabin number. Passengers arriving prior to their check-in time will be asked to return at their scheduled time:

 

12:30 PM - Caribe Deck / Cabins C100 -C757

1:30 PM - Baja & Lido Deck /Cabins B100-B753, L200-L311

2:00 PM - Dolphin & Emerald Deck / Cabins D102 - D741 & E100 - E735

2:30 PM - Aloha & Plaza Deck / Cabins A104 - A751 & P200 - P337

 

Priority check in will be available for Preferred passengers within your allocated check in time as above. Boarding will commence shortly after check-in. All passengers must be onboard by 3:00pm.

 

We look forward to welcoming you onboard the Sapphire Princess

 

We received this same "urgent notification" from Princess, with different times, for our departure out of Sydney. We are Elite. We are very unhappy about this change too. You must check out of a hotel by 11am. Yes, you can check you luggage early, but what about your carry-ons. Some people on our cruise arrive at 7am into Sydney airport and have arranged for Princess transfers. Apparently they are told that they will be held at the airport until it is time to leave for their designated time. The ship boarding time is from 2:30 pm, with the last boarding time at 4:30pm. It says everyone should be onboard by 5:00pm.

What about those people who do want to make special reservations as soon as they arrive onboard? It sounds like this has not been thoroughly thought out.

[chloe kitty]

We just disembarked from the Diamond Princess. Our boarding day was Feb. 4th in Sydney & we had also received information from our TA about the assigned boarding by deck. In addition this notice was written in our cruise personalizer. Our cabin was on Caribe deck and Caribe had been assigned the last boarding time at 4:00 p.m. Our roll call was worried until an Australian TA in the Sydney area informed her clients that the ship was boarding passengers as they arrived as always and that the notice was really just a "suggestion." Anyways, we arrived at noon and went right through with no problems along with others regardless of deck.

I am very glad to hear this!! We will do the same.

Thank you.

[sama10]

On our first Princess cruise in December on the Sun Princess from Brisbane to NZ we were informed that boarding would start at 1pm. Ten days before the cruise we had an Emergency Notification to say that boarding would be staggered and gave us a time of 2.30 (last deck to board). Two days before leaving we were told that because of the ship`s late arrival we would still be staggered boarding but now at 5pm (first group to board).

We are recently back from another Princess cruise - same ship-same port, waited for the e-mail with boarding times - nothing, but in the personalizer it did say that boarding would start at 1pm and we never met anyone who had been told different. Seems like nothing is set in stone with Princess.

Anne

[generichandle]

Our boarding time for the Diamond in Beijing is 12:30, the first wave. Doesnt matter since we are on the 3-day Pre-Cruise which will arrive late anyway.

 

I do agree it is a pain when you get the boot from the hotel at 11:00AM and get the boat from Princess at 4:00PM. Anyone play chess?

 

Doug

[Bobed1927]

It occurred to me last night in bed while waiting to fall asleep that, if they have to have a staggered system, they should do it by cabin category. The suite passengers first, then the balcony passengers and so on. It seems fair to me that those who paid the most should have priority in a staggered system.

[MrYellowDuck]

The best order would be the one that most increases profits for shareholders.

 

This is unlikely to be suites first since such customers already pay lots of money and keep coming back. Treating these folk a little bit better probably would do nothing to increase profit.

[rickdeni]

Last March we took the grandchildren on the new Disney Dream. We were assigned boarding times based on when we filled out the necessary information on line and printed out our boarding passes. I always do it right away and my son always does it last minute. We were assigned to the 1st group after handicapped, suite passengers and passengers with more than 5 cruises at noon. My son's family was given a 2:30-3 PM boarding time. However, they were allowed to board with us. Disney was very strict about having the correct time to board and checked to make sure that our reservations were together.

[denmarks]

The best order would be the one that most increases profits for shareholders.

 

Stockholders first, then Elite, Platinum, Gold, and the rest. It should NOT be by deck or the amount you spend for a room.

[Pia1913]

As an Elite stockholder, I get to go first. :D

[Nancyquilts]

Princess just re-thought the balcony furniture on the Caribe Deck. Let's hope sane minds prevail there to realize that while staggered boarding works for them, it doesn't work for their passengers. Don't let us on the ship if there is a problem, but give us a place to sit in the terminal.

[paul929207]

As an Elite stockholder, I get to go first. :D

As the same do we board right after you?

[sez809]

On the Grand last summer, from Southampton, we travelled with my sister who had booked separately to us but travelled with us. As on different decks we had boarding times with over two hours between them. We all arrived at the gate at her allotted time ( as we were all in the one car) and boarded with no issue at all.

 

This summer we are once again on the Grand in August, and again travelling with friends, but with cabins on different decks. (We are plaza they are higher, but not sure which deck).

 

I plan to ignore the email (if it comes) and be very angry if they try to split us up. It is our third 14 night cruise with Princess, but their first cruise ever. I feel a very bad impression would be made if they could not board with their travelling companions, dont you?

[4cats4me]

Best customers, Elites & Platinums, should continue to have priority boarding no matter what. Suite passengers should also have priority.

Boarding by deck is so arbitrary, ie, in San Francisco Caribe boards first and Dolphin last? People pay a lot more for Dolphin cabins than for Caribe cabins. Please. There should be SOME benefit for frequent cruisers.

[Putterdude]

As the same do we board right after you?

 

No, no, I am also an Elite stockholder with a wife in a wheelchair.....I should go first.......:D

[Pia1913]

As the same do we board right after you?

 

Only if you're on the same ship. ;)

[paul929207]

Only if you're on the same ship. ;)

I guess that probably would be a factor. But I will get to board before you in Singapore. :)

[mr green]

April 1st is here, 'Is this an Aprils Fools joke'? That is what I consider 'Staggered Boarding' to be.

Consider.

It appears that the request comes from some cities to 'reduce traffic congestion'. Well if these port cities can't handle it, then IMO they had no business in allowing cruise ships to terminate in their cities in the first place. True, cruise ships are bigger than they used to be, but so are sports stadiums!

Consider

If a person holds a couple of football tickets for a stadium that holds 60,000+ persons, would the holder of said tickets expect to be informed, 'Don't show up at the game until half-time, as we are anticipating traffic problems around the stadium'? I don't think so.

 

john

[cherylandtk]

I think Princess should come up with a computer ranking program that combines both the Suite, Elite/Platinum/Gold status as well as the date you complete online check-in and print your boarding pass (as in the Disney system). Then assign everyone their boarding time from that combined priority. It's not that hard and is fully automated, prints right out on your boarding pass.

 

Boarding by decks is as frustrating as debarkation by deck, perhaps worse, because it starts you off with a bad experience.

[mr green]

I think Princess should come up with a computer ranking program that combines both the Suite, Elite/Platinum/Gold status as well as the date you complete online check-in and print your boarding pass (as in the Disney system). Then assign everyone their boarding time from that combined priority. It's not that hard and is fully automated, prints right out on your boarding pass.

 

Boarding by decks is as frustrating as debarkation by deck, perhaps worse, because it starts you off with a bad experience.

 

That is very simple to do, however----. Not that we have used it, but there is an inexpensive 'cruise bus', that leaves our city at 8.00am, and gets to the dock between 1.30 and 2.00pm. How would that fit in with your 'plan'?

Some cruiser do not wish to 'overnight', while others may have too, 'What would you suggest those persons do, who have been told to board at 3.30?'

 

Boarding a ship is like driving in rush hour. First there is the 'rush' before the rush, then the 'rush' itself, and then the 'rush', after the rush. I have done all three, because of the transportation involved and they all have about the same 'wait times'. Why fool with Mother Nature?

 

If there is an answer maybe the cruise lines should listen to what several persons on Cruise Critics seem to like. Smaller ships.

 

john

[lhall85917]

Several thoughts come to mind with this plan of staggered boarding that come at the expense of passengers -

* first boarding is at 2:30, effectively eliminating eating lunch onboard your first day

 

*many people arrive the day before (like us) and will have to check out of a hotel by 11 or 12:00 - this still leaves a significant amount of time to have to find something to do while still managing carry-ons at a minimum. And what about people arriving on flights that day? More than likely they have planned an early arrival time to the port city, do they just go to the terminal and wait all day?

 

*we were told that luggage could be dropped off at 8, then we can return at our boarding time - 4:00. This means we are carrying around a fairly heavy bag all day and this can't be modified - most people aren't willing to put expensive electronics in checked luggage meaning you keep it with you all day

 

*generally, the dock isn't conveniently located to shopping or tourist areas meaning that if you drop off luggage it involves extra expense taking a taxi to the dock, then to another location, then back to the dock later (along with the expense of lunch off ship). Not a big deal - but a fact

 

*my biggest fear is having trouble checking in at the ship, although I overplan and overprepare, there is a huge relief in receiving your ship card and heading up the gangway. Checking in at 4 (or even 2:30) doesn't allow very much time to take care of any problems that arise. I have seen shows where passengers need to get something faxed that they needed or other similar problems, if you are supposed to be onboard by 5 this doesn't give you very much time - finding out at noon is very different than finding out at 2:30 or later.

 

*I am a goody two-shoes rules follower so will not ignore the email and show up early and I understand the reasoning behind staggered boarding; however, instead of this being a pleasant day that is part of your vacation we now have to plan for a whole other day with boarding the ship being a late afternoon event. Will I stress out over it a whole lot? No, but I am don't see this as a positive for Princess passengers. I would much rather show up early, wait my turn and board when I can then be told I have to arrive at a certain time, which in my opinion is quite late considering the time indicated for everyone to be onboard.

[1 HappyCruiser]

All the talk about assigning boarding times to people and has anyone actually been turned away if they arrived before their appointed time? It's doubtful.

I realize what Princess is trying to do by alleviating the congestion but I have serious doubts if they would tell someone they couldn't board if they were there earlier. The scare tactic is their only hope of getting people to arrive at a later time.