New Celebrity Check in and Boarding Policy "Disaster"

[WpgCruise]

Suppose you have an 11:30am boarding time and your flight doesn't arrive until noon? Or you have a late morning tour already booked? Or you had prebooked transportation arrangements in the afternoon with other cruise passengers?

 

Would you be willing to cancel and rearrange your flights or all these plans with a few days notice just to accommodate this new policy? If the answer is no then I suggest you get off your soapbox.

 

 

 

Silly me and here I thought the discussion was about people showing up early...........

 

Why don't you start another thread about how many people intentionally board late, and then get a message from the cruise line to board earlier?

 

Can't say I've seen that topic yet.

 

.

[lovemylab]

Silly me and here I thought the discussion was about people showing up early...........

 

 

 

Why don't you start another thread about how many people intentionally board late, and then get a message from the cruise line to board earlier?

 

 

 

Can't say I've seen that topic yet.

 

 

 

.

 

 

Actually this thread is about Celebrity introducing a boarding policy that asks people to show up at select times. If you read the OP you will see mention that Celebrity is assigning a 30 minute window in which you should board.

 

My point is simply that not everyone is able to change their plans to accommodate this 30 minute timeframe that Celebrity assigns you by email and text 4 days before your ship sails.

Edited December 23, 2014 by lovemylab

[Charles4515]

Silly me and here I thought the discussion was about people showing up early...........

 

 

 

Why don't you start another thread about how many people intentionally board late, and then get a message from the cruise line to board earlier?

 

 

 

Can't say I've seen that topic yet.

 

 

 

.

 

 

It is about boarding at assigned times. They ask you to board by deck and assign times. They don't say anything about boarding early or late. So if your time is 12:00 to 12:30 because you are on Deck 10 then that is when they want you to board. Not at 2:00. So by your logic if you are on a flight that is scheduled to arrive at 1:00 for example, you should comply by changing to an earlier flight....

Edited December 23, 2014 by Charles4515

[purpletequila]

his is an important message regarding your upcoming cruise.

 

Hello, this is Celebrity Cruises. We would like to provide you with important information regarding your sailing on November 29, 2014, onboard Celebrity Reflection. To enhance your check-in and boarding experience, we ask that you arrive to the terminal based on your assigned decks. 12:00 to 12:30 PM = Deck 14, Deck 12, & Deck 11; 12:30 to 1:00 PM = Deck 10; 1:00 to 1:30 PM = Deck 9; 1:30 to 2:00 PM = Deck 8; 2:00 to 2:30 PM = Deck 7; 2:30 to 3:00 PM = Deck 6 & Deck 3. We invite our Suites and Zenith guests to arrive anytime between 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation, and look forward to welcoming you onboard the Celebrity Reflection.

 

I received this text four days before the cruise was about to begin. I already have booked airfare and ground transportation and will arrive at the port at 11:30. I cant change these arrangements. I paid for a concierge balcony cabin on deck 8 which means I will have to sit around at the port for three hours. There is no mention of the captains club elite benefit which is advertised as getting priority boarding. This tactic is advertised as making boarding more organized but is most likely a ploy to get future cruisers to pay more for the upper balconies

Has anyone else experienced this, do they honor elite benefits

 

As others have already said, just go when you want to go. I was on the Nov 8th sailing, same deal except I think we got the text 2 days before. I am not elite, wasn't in a suite etc and literally walked right on at 11:30. There were zero lines, no questions just smiles and welcome aboards. Also, one couple had a major issue trying to check in at 3. Also, while cruises themselves are great on Celebrity, their customer service training is not. All you have to do is call back once or twice and you'll get a totally different answer.

[purpletequila]

Actually this thread is about Celebrity introducing a boarding policy that asks people to show up at select times. If you read the OP you will see mention that Celebrity is assigning a 30 minute window in which you should board.

 

My point is simply that not everyone is able to change their plans to accommodate this 30 minute timeframe that Celebrity assigns you by email and text 4 days before your ship sails.

 

Exactly. Which is precisely why I boarded as soon as I escaped Miami Airport. My feeling is, if they were serious about this new policy, perhaps they should mention it when you book so you can make time appropriate travel arrangements. Besides, even though they sent this text/email, my boarding pass said anytime between whatever their normal hours are, 11:30-3??

[purpletequila]

After all that unwanted communication, my experience was Celebrity simply did not board by deck

 

LOL! Yup, well on my cruise, a couple was told the letters are actually sent by the port authority, not Celebrity.

 

The simple fact of the matter is Celebrity needs to get this figured out because forgetting everything important like travel arrangements, suddenly getting this text days before a cruise you have waited a minimum months for is stressful. They need to 1) Mention this when booking. 2) Get their service reps on the same page with the correct answer. 3) Put the proper time based on reservation on the boarding pass.

[gimletgal]

Celebrity strikes again! Much to do about nothing. Why they even started sending out these messages a few days before your sailing is beyond me! Once you are at the pier, absolutely nothing has changed. You may board at your leisure - same as it has always been. :D

[donaldsc]

Annoyance - maybe. Disaster - hardly. How would you react if you were in a real natural disaster?

 

DON

[The_Big_M]

Good for you. Wait for 2:00. That is your choice. It is your vacation. It won't bother me that while you are waiting to board at 2:00 I will have had lunch and a drink. And unpacked my suitcase! I am not going to store my luggage and find something else to do for 3 hours.

 

I'm sure you tell the airport crew the same thing when they call disabled and children boarding first, but you're in the mid section.

 

It's known as co-operating with the rules for the betterment of everyone, not that you're the most important and can choose to do whatever you want, whenever you want.

[The_Big_M]

It is about boarding at assigned times. They ask you to board by deck and assign times. They don't say anything about boarding early or late. So if your time is 12:00 to 12:30 because you are on Deck 10 then that is when they want you to board. Not at 2:00. So by your logic if you are on a flight that is scheduled to arrive at 1:00 for example, you should comply by changing to an earlier flight....

 

Unless it's different where you are, where the policy has run here for the past few years, it's from that time ON.

 

The greater congestion has always been at the early times. Later times in the day are less congested so there is no difficulty with late arrivals.

[lovemylab]

Unless it's different where you are, where the policy has run here for the past few years, it's from that time ON.

 

 

 

The greater congestion has always been at the early times. Later times in the day are less congested so there is no difficulty with late arrivals.

 

 

The original post states that Celebrity is now providing a 30 minute window for boarding. I don't see anything about boarding from that time ON.

 

On the cruises I've taken, it was definitely more congested in the afternoon. I've boarded in San Juan, Miami, Barcelona and Fort Lauderdale. The line ups between 11am and 1pm were often minimal or non existent.

[Travel Hunter]

Good for you. Wait for 2:00. That is your choice. It is your vacation. It won't bother me that while you are waiting to board at 2:00 I will have had lunch and a drink. And unpacked my suitcase! I am not going to store my luggage and find something else to do for 3 hours.

 

I'm with you rather be doing lunch and a drink and get settled. I am not sure about the storing of luggage as I think it might take three hours to find a place to store your luggage unless your staying in a hotel. Where would you store your luggage at the airport, I guess your could leave it on the baggage carousel and hope its there three hours later

[Travel Hunter]

Two questions:

 

1) How far in advance are you notified?

 

2) Does this also affect Elites and above (and Suite pax)?

 

Thanks

 

1) Four (4) days before the cruise

2) The text which is posted in full at the beginning of this thread stated Suites could board anytime but Elites had to board by time based on your deck

[Travel Hunter]

Suppose you have an 11:30am boarding time and your flight doesn't arrive until noon? Or you have a late morning tour already booked? Or you had prebooked transportation arrangements in the afternoon with other cruise passengers?

 

Would you be willing to cancel and rearrange your flights or all these plans with a few days notice just to accommodate this new policy? If the answer is no then I suggest you get off your soapbox.

 

Well said

[Travel Hunter]

As others have already said, just go when you want to go. I was on the Nov 8th sailing, same deal except I think we got the text 2 days before. I am not elite, wasn't in a suite etc and literally walked right on at 11:30. There were zero lines, no questions just smiles and welcome aboards. Also, one couple had a major issue trying to check in at 3. Also, while cruises themselves are great on Celebrity, their customer service training is not. All you have to do is call back once or twice and you'll get a totally different answer.

 

You said "Also, while cruises themselves are great on Celebrity, their customer service training is not. All you have to do is call back once or twice and you'll get a totally different answer"

I agree that you can get several different answers to the same question from Celebrity. Most likely the couple that had "a major issue trying to check in at three" attempted to comply with Celebrities request to board by time and deck. (LOL)

[Travel Hunter]

LOL! Yup, well on my cruise, a couple was told the letters are actually sent by the port authority, not Celebrity.

 

The simple fact of the matter is Celebrity needs to get this figured out because forgetting everything important like travel arrangements, suddenly getting this text days before a cruise you have waited a minimum months for is stressful. They need to 1) Mention this when booking. 2) Get their service reps on the same page with the correct answer. 3) Put the proper time based on reservation on the boarding pass.

 

That's it I agree with all three. In addition Celebrity needs to understand when they send these communications and then ignore them, they are akin to the "boy who cried wolf" and as I read this thread it seems as if people have learned to disregard their communications. I think that could be a dangerous precedent.

[luv2trvlnow]

I'm sure you tell the airport crew the same thing when they call disabled and children boarding first, but you're in the mid section.

 

It's known as co-operating with the rules for the betterment of everyone, not that you're the most important and can choose to do whatever you want, whenever you want.

The airport scenario is totally different. The difference in boarding time is a matter of minutes not hours. You do not have to find something to do until you are allowed to board. And there seems to be conflicting information as to whether this is a suggestion or policy. It doesn't seem to be policy or people would be told they couldn't board until the time they are scheduled.

[gimletgal]

There is no boarding policy. They asked people to board by decks at certain times. That is not a policy.

 

Excellent reply, Charles. Might we call this a "request" by Celebrity? Certainly not a "policy" and certainly not enforced! ;)

[Can'tstopcruising]

1) Four (4) days before the cruise

2) The text which is posted in full at the beginning of this thread stated Suites could board anytime but Elites had to board by time based on your deck

 

Four days? That's ridiculous. We will already be away on vacation.

 

It's like they give you one week after the cruise to comment. We have yet to be home on time to do so.

[fortinweb]

The airport scenario is totally different. The difference in boarding time is a matter of minutes not hours. You do not have to find something to do until you are allowed to board. And there seems to be conflicting information as to whether this is a suggestion or policy. It doesn't seem to be policy or people would be told they couldn't board until the time they are scheduled.

 

If it were a policy they would be posting it in the cruise contract documents we get after final payment, as well as on the website. To receive an email a few days prior is akin to an afterthought. Many of us are traveling prior to the cruise. We would already be away from home. And many of us, myself included, are not so obsessed with being "connected" that we can't exist for a few days without checking for email or text messages, having more important things to do while on vacation - like, enjoying our vacation AWAY from the day to day issues of home.

Edited December 24, 2014 by fortinweb

[helen haywood]

And if this were an enforced policy, people traveling with friends or family members on other decks might have chosen to book other cabins had they known of this.

[Celebrity Cruises]

There is no boarding policy. They asked people to board by decks at certain times. That is not a policy.

 

Hi all,

 

We believe this quote sums this up pretty accurately. From my understanding, we ask people to arrive at a specific time if possible. We understand this won't always be the case due to many reasons. No one should worry about this part of the trip!

[teecee60]

Hi all,

 

We believe this quote sums this up pretty accurately. From my understanding, we ask people to arrive at a specific time if possible. We understand this won't always be the case due to many reasons. No one should worry about this part of the trip!

 

THANK YOU for a much needed and very welcomed breath of REASON and SANITY to this thread. ;) :rolleyes:

[richsea]

Hi all,

 

We believe this quote sums this up pretty accurately. From my understanding, we ask people to arrive at a specific time if possible. We understand this won't always be the case due to many reasons. No one should worry about this part of the trip!

 

Thank you!

 

Time police, you may now stand down. All is safe once again. Rule breakers, you may stow your excuses.

[Hawkstar33]

Oh my gosh..What time then will us lowly steerage passengers get to go on board?..If this is how it is, I think you should consider staying home and avoiding this major dilemma..I mean you haven't even got there yet, and there is a problem..