Boarding Process with Princess Hotel & Transfer

[flip side of fifty]

For the first time, we are staying the night before the cruise in a hotel as part of a "Princess Hotel and Transfer Package". I understand that the luggage will be picked up from our hotel room and delivered to the ship. My question is the boarding process. As part of a group, are we ushered to a particular area? Is there any time saved in the boarding process by doing this? Or, once we disembark the transfer bus are we on our own (as if we had driven to the port)? We are doing it all the same, I was just interested. If it matters we will be leaving from Houston.

 

Also, has anyone experienced boarding under the new "Ebola" threat and has that extended the boarding process?

[HomelessBear]

We've done this sort of thing quite a bit in the past, as UK packages had an overnight hotel stay before the cruise.

Your luggage will be collected from inside your room (it used to be left outside the room until it started to go missing!) and transferred to the ship. It'll get taken onto the ship and so the next time you see it will be in your cabin.When you get off the bus at the port, you'll queue up with everyone else, with no special line for those from the hotel. Sorry, no time saved by being part of a bus group.

 

Hope this helps. Have a great cruise.

[HomelessBear]

Sorry, forgot to add this onto last post.....this has been my previous experience.....

 

There should be Princess staff in the hotel when you arrive. If there are a number of buses going to the port from the hotel, you will be given a number or colour, so you'll know what bus you're on.

Last time we did this in LA, we were given a time to be in a conference room in the hotel in the morning, where we waited until our number / colour was called, then we went to be bus. We had about an hour's wait in the room, but it was comfortable enough.

It's all done very smoothly.

 

Happy cruising.

[flip side of fifty]

Sorry, forgot to add this onto last post.....this has been my previous experience.....

 

There should be Princess staff in the hotel when you arrive. If there are a number of buses going to the port from the hotel, you will be given a number or colour, so you'll know what bus you're on.

Last time we did this in LA, we were given a time to be in a conference room in the hotel in the morning, where we waited until our number / colour was called, then we went to be bus. We had about an hour's wait in the room, but it was comfortable enough.

It's all done very smoothly.

 

Happy cruising.

 

Thank you so much!

[Pam in CA]

One thing to know is that if the terminal is very busy or embarkation is delayed, you will be kept on the bus until it clears out a bit. The buses don't leave the hotel first thing in the morning but mid- or late-morning. Also, you will be kept on the bus until all of your luggage is offloaded and taken into the terminal so you don't have to tip the porters. :)

[HomelessBear]

Thank you so much!

 

You are so very welcome.

 

Have a great cruise.:)

[AKman2495]

When you do get off the bus, you will be led to the terminal. There, the elite/platinum/suite passengers go into one line and the peons into another. All go through security and then into the check-in area like everyone else.

 

The only exception I had was when we were in Vancouver. We stayed in the Pan Pacific hotel, which is right on the pier. We went to the Princess desk in the morning and checked in there around 8 am. We got our cruise cards there. They told us to assembly in the lobby at 10 am, where we were led to security and right to US immigration, and into a line for boarding (bunches of folding chairs actually). We were blue cards at that time and were at the head of the peon line.

 

That was an easy check in.

[Coveguy4]

I/we did this same package at the 4 Seasons thru Princess last April out of Houston. It was effortless and never had to deal with our luggage that morning, was put on the bus at hotel and never handled it till we unpacked in our cabin. as Pam stated, we did not leave the hotel very early. What I found frustrating,I went in the Elite line off the bus, my friends went in the regular line and were processed thru and onboard about 10 minutes before I was. The check in line for Elite had a lady in charge who would only use the last 2 agents right in front of her. Regular line used the remaining 8 or 10 and moved right along...... After a cocktail, all was right with the world.....great cruise!

[caribill]

The check in line for Elite had a lady in charge who would only use the last 2 agents right in front of her. Regular line used the remaining 8 or 10 and moved right along...... After a cocktail, all was right with the world.....great cruise!

 

Luckily, those who are platinum or elite do not have to use the special check-in line. Just pick the shortest line or the one that moves the fastest.

[flip side of fifty]

When you do get off the bus, you will be led to the terminal. There, the elite/platinum/suite passengers go into one line and the peons into another. All go through security and then into the check-in area like everyone else.

 

The only exception I had was when we were in Vancouver. We stayed in the Pan Pacific hotel, which is right on the pier. We went to the Princess desk in the morning and checked in there around 8 am. We got our cruise cards there. They told us to assembly in the lobby at 10 am, where we were led to security and right to US immigration, and into a line for boarding (bunches of folding chairs actually). We were blue cards at that time and were at the head of the peon line.

 

That was an easy check in.

 

Well, while I am a "Peon" (hoping to change that soon)- my mother is Platinum, and since we are both in the same cabin I understand we can both go through the Boarding Platinum line. Hate to get in the Platinum line only to find out I need to go back and get into the "Peon" line. Am I mistaken?

[MTNestr]

At the Embassy Suites in FLL there was a Princess Representative who arrived around 11:00 AM with a list of all of the people who had transfers. This person would verify that you had purchased a transfer and give you a color/number based on went you reached her desk. If you want to get to the terminal early then make a point to be in line as soon as the representative arrives. The first bus arrived about 90 minutes before the last bus and the line was very long at the terminal.

 

Otherwise the process at FLL was pretty much the same as the others mentioned.

[Coveguy4]

Luckily, those who are platinum or elite do not have to use the special check-in line. Just pick the shortest line or the one that moves the fastest.

 

The shortest line WAS the elite /platinum....... It just didn't move, kept expecting someone upfront to make it happen, the woman in charge of the line was inept and didn't acknowledge the agents at the other desks signaling to send someone down. When you have 30 people in front of you and 30 behind you, getting out of line to join the other line which was 4 times as long does not seem as a good idea, after all we had already stood in that line for about a half an hour hoping it would move faster.

[flamomo]

Well, while I am a "Peon" (hoping to change that soon)- my mother is Platinum, and since we are both in the same cabin I understand we can both go through the Boarding Platinum line. Hate to get in the Platinum line only to find out I need to go back and get into the "Peon" line. Am I mistaken?

 

Yes, since you are sharing a cabin you should be able to go thru with your Mom.