Embarkation time?

[threetimesalady]

I can't seem to find any information regarding the exact times to begin dropping off baggage at the port and to begin boarding the ship. We are sailing on the Island Princess to Alaska out of Vancouver in late August. Is this information given to you closer to sailing date?

[likeadisguise]

The itinerary on your Cruise Personalizer should show embarkation times, usually.

[Pam in CA]

It'll be on your boarding pass. However, you can drop off your luggage from 10am on, check-in will start between 10:30-11am and boarding between 11:30am-Noon. If you're staying at the Pan Pacific hotel, they'll pick up your luggage in your room and deliver it to the ship.

 

First to board are those with Priority Boarding, i.e., Platinum, Elite and full suite. After they have boarded, general boarding begins by group based on first come, first to board.

 

The times are general because there's no way to predict when check-in will start and the ship is cleared for boarding.

[Colo Cruiser]

I can't seem to find any information regarding the exact times to begin dropping off baggage at the port and to begin boarding the ship. We are sailing on the Island Princess to Alaska out of Vancouver in late August. Is this information given to you closer to sailing date?

 

They start taking luggage in Vancouver about 9:30am, unless there are issues with the ships arrival etc.

 

Boarding starts around noon.

[WonderingWanderer]

Any insight into timing for boarding in Barcelona would be appreciated. I am trying to utilize every minute on the ground before boarding.

 

And yes, in Vancouver, certainly stay at the Pan Pacific if possible. Nice facility and the transfer to ship could not be easier! Just love that airport too!

 

Thank you!

Edited July 21, 2014 by WonderingWanderer

[caribill]

Any insight into timing for boarding in Barcelona would be appreciated. I am trying to utilize every minute on the ground before boarding.

 

 

The timing is basically the same at Princess embarkation ports everywhere.

 

Luggage collected by 10 AM

 

Check-in starting around 11 AM

 

Boarding starting by noon.

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes.

[threetimesalady]

Thanks, everyone!

[latebloomer56]

It'll be on your boarding pass. However, you can drop off your luggage from 10am on, check-in will start between 10:30-11am and boarding between 11:30am-Noon. If you're staying at the Pan Pacific hotel, they'll pick up your luggage in your room and deliver it to the ship.

 

First to board are those with Priority Boarding, i.e., Platinum, Elite and full suite. After they have boarded, general boarding begins by group based on first come, first to board.

 

The times are general because there's no way to predict when check-in will start and the ship is cleared for boarding.

Heard about the Pan Pacific (not offered from Princess) after we booked across the street. We are in the Fairmont Waterfront before and after the cruise and were told they would take care of our luggage for us also. However question for you. When we sailed from Vancouver years ago we checked in at the Princess desk at our hotel. Then went off for the day and just walked on the ship an hour before we set sail. Do any of the area hotels still do this? Think it would be to late to change this year but in 2016 with the kids maybe :).

Thanks

[Pam in CA]

That sounds like a great deal. I didn't see a Princess desk at the Pan Pacific. My guess is that you'd have to book a Princess pre-cruise hotel for this service (hotel check-in for cruise.) I've done this several times in various ports but always with a Princess pre-cruise package. I've stayed independently at a Princess pre-cruise hotel and the Princess desk rep wouldn't do a thing for me. I was told it was only for Princess-booked guests.

 

Don't know any more than this.

[LeeW]

Princess does use the Fairmont, but when we checked in they only had cruise cards for the people who booked through Princess. Both Fairmont and Pan Pacific are pretty pricey but there are at least a dozen decent hotels within a few blocks. There is a tunnel from the food court below the Fairmont (and connecting to the Metro) to the Pan Pacific and you can take the farthest two elevators on the right down to the cruise terminal. Or walk around the right side of the Pan Pacific and down the ramp.

 

For the last three trips we have dropped off luggage around 9:30, but entry into the checkin area was delayed until close to 11:00. No priority line until you get through the first gate, just a long zigzag.

[latebloomer56]

Thank you Pam and LeeW. We did book through Princess for both before and after the cruise. With a 3:00 sailing time we didn't want to arrive the same day as the flight wouldn't give us enough time if we had any issues. When possible we try to go a day early for this reason and have used Princess hotels most of the time as we do the transfers as a rule any way. Two exceptions were in London in 2010 and Venice 2011. TA got us real nice hotels with good deals, high yes but less than Princess and perfect locations each time.

Laura