What is the hurry to board?

[Hlitner]

So, why do many of us like to board as early as possible? There are many reasons but we will give just a few of ours. Most cruises actually sail between 4 and 5pm with boarding normally commencing around 11:30-12:00 pm. We are generally among the first to board since we do get priority boarding on most lines. If we get aboard by noon, depending on the cruise line we either drop our carry-on in our cabin (some lines like HAL let you go directly to your cabin) or head to lunch before things get too crowded. After lunch, if its a warm weather day, we head to our cabin and put on swim suits. Then its a relaxing afternoon in a deck chair with our Kindles...and a lot of fun "people watching." Then, about a half hour before the boat drill we head back to our cabin, and if our luggage has arrived we will quickly unpack before heading off the boat drill. Getting aboard early in the afternoon has essentially turned the first day into the equivalent of a sea day. We are paying for that first day, so why not enjoy a relaxing time?

 

There are a few other advantages to being aboard early, although they do not always come into play. For example, on Princess we might want to sign-up for the Chef's Table dinner which is limited to only a few dozen cruisers and is first come-first serve. Come aboard later in the day and you will generally be out of luck. On Celebrity, some want to sign up for the Ultimate Dining Package...which is also first come first serve and can only be booked aboard. On our recent Celebrity Eclipse cruise we had originally booked late fixed seating dining, but on the day of the cruise we decided we wanted to do their Select Dining (its an Anytime Dining Scheme). By being aboard early we could quickly approach the Maitre' d and get high on the wait list (we did clear the wait list and get our preference). Those that came aboard later would have generally been out of luck.

 

Celebrity also gives huge discounts (up to 50%) for their excellent alternative dining venues on the first night of the cruise. Space is limited and it is on a first come first serve basis. Arrive at the port at 3 and you will likely not have a prayer at nailing the possible large discount (which can amount to nearly $50).

 

Hank

Edited January 9, 2015 by Hlitner

[marco]

I don't like lines, I don't like queuing, I don't like waiting, waiting, and waiting. We usually board as late as possible. There's always still something to get to eat at the lido, have a nosh, go to the cabin (if you're too early, cabins aren't ready and you have to shlep carry-on around with you) So...what did I miss by boarding 2 hours later then you, other then the lines, queuing, and waiting?

[donnatello]

Have to agree with the above post. We prefer to avoid the "cattle call" and endless lines and wait. We don't feel we "miss out" on anthing by boarding a couple of hours after the masses.

[SantaFeFan]

I don't like lines, I don't like queuing, I don't like waiting, waiting, and waiting. We usually board as late as possible. There's always still something to get to eat at the lido, have a nosh, go to the cabin (if you're too early, cabins aren't ready and you have to shlep carry-on around with you) So...what did I miss by boarding 2 hours later then you, other then the lines, queuing, and waiting?

 

Have to agree with the above post. We prefer to avoid the "cattle call" and endless lines and wait. We don't feel we "miss out" on anthing by boarding a couple of hours after the masses.

 

I find that the lines at early boarding aren't long at all. There is no wait (OK, maybe about 10 minutes), the ship is much less crowded, and it's just plain fun to explore when there are fewer people on board. If you never board early, you wouldn't know this. :)

 

Plus, since we are staying in a local hotel instead of arriving the same day, this eliminates the issue of what to do with our luggage from the time the hotel kick's us out to a later boarding time. No way will I "shlep" my luggage for hours on end, or waste time going back to the hotel to retrieve it from storage. :cool:

Edited January 9, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[ronandannette]

Thank goodness for all the early boarders. Makes it so nice when I show up toward the end of the process -- no lines. :D

 

I cruise for the travel opportunities. As an example -- although I've been to Rome many times, and although I try to arrive with 2-3 days of sightseeing time, I'm in no hurry to rush to the ship. Is the food onboard the ship going to be as good as the lunch I can enjoy in Rome?

 

I can say the same for Istanbul, Athens, Barcelona, Copenhagen -- basically any great embarkation port.

 

Have to agree with the above post. We prefer to avoid the "cattle call" and endless lines and wait. We don't feel we "miss out" on anthing by boarding a couple of hours after the masses.

 

This is us exactly. We plan our day around arriving AFTER the rush - usually about 3:00 p.m. Most times we've walked straight on and into our cabin. We would never stand in line outside the terminal waiting for the doors to open. On our last cruise out of PE everyone had received an e-mail from RCCL advising that boarding would be delayed due to a Coast Guard inspection and assigning boarding times by deck. Apparently 1,000's of people thought they knew better and ended up standing outside for hours because they refused to follow instructions. Not a very pleasant way to start a vacation.

[Cruisin' Chick]

The scheduled sailaway for all of our cruises have been either 4 or 5pm. The one time we sailed after 8 was when the captain was waiting for a group that was coming from the UK to LA (they never made it -- between the bad weather on their end and in LA).

 

For us, it seems that if we go earlier, there are less lines than if we wait until 1pm. For example a couple of times we arrived by noon, and had to wait for just one party for the line we were directed toward. A couple of other times, my line-adverse hubby decided to try getting there at 1pm -- bad idea.

 

We're not trying to sign up for this and that once on board, but we do like to get to our cabin (which we can do on Princess), unpack our carry ons, and then start exploring the ship, with a stop at the Horizon for lunch.

 

If we're sailing from LA, it's an hour's drive but we try to be on the road by 10am at the latest. Elsewhere, we plan to be in the embarkation city at least a day ahead. We can have a relaxing dinner and maybe even get in a little shopping for soda, wine, etc. A couple of times we added time post cruise for sightseeing, including a week in Florida as we've never been to the Keys.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We fly into port a day or 2 early so any sight seeing is out of the way. Check out time at the hotel is usually 11:00 - 11:30 AM. Much prefer sitting on the deck of the ship with a glass of wine waiting for the cabin to open than sitting in the hotel lobby waiting for a shuttle or taxi to the ship,

 

Mary Lou

[sail7seas]

Most HAL ships embarking in U.S. ports sail at 4 - 5 P.M.

[sail7seas]

I don't like lines, I don't like queuing, I don't like waiting, waiting, and waiting. We usually board as late as possible. There's always still something to get to eat at the lido, have a nosh, go to the cabin (if you're too early, cabins aren't ready and you have to shlep carry-on around with you) So...what did I miss by boarding 2 hours later then you, other then the lines, queuing, and waiting?

 

 

With rare exception, HAL has cabins ready for guests when they begin embarkation which is usually about 11:30 A.M.

 

 

[ger_77]

We don't care about the lines, the waiting, etc., we are on vacation and want to get onboard to get our cruise started. Once I step on the ship and hear the "ding ding" that my card makes, I'm officially on holidays. The sooner that starts, the better!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[PrincessC15]

It's the excitement, the food, the layout of the ship, the atmosphere and everything.

 

On medium size ship I tend to board 30 mins to 1 hr before departure time and depending on disembarkment location and my work location.

 

On the diamond princess, our last cruise in Dec 2014 my husband wanted to be on board very early, like 1pm or even earlier if possible. When we finally boarded there were well over 100 people. He gets very excited on cruising.

 

Next cruise we are going to be even earlier so I can take pics without people in my shots and the food in the buffet area which hasn't been touched. In addition, a video would go nicely too.

 

Happy cruising.

[pris993]

The sooner you board, the sooner you get your luggage... among other reason, we like time to check our table in the MDR... we love to sit on our balcony when we sail... love being on the ship what else can I say. Never gets old... even after 50+ cruises.

Edited January 10, 2015 by pris993
wrong word

[SPacificbound]

We always fly in a few days early also.

 

We typically board early afternoon, the rush is all over by then. :)

[pris993]

Another reason to board early, we usually go on a "new ship" or at least new to us, rarely go on ships on a repeat basis, really enjoy exploring the ship when it is still half empty. :)

[fortinweb]

Another reason to board early, we usually go on a "new ship" or at least new to us, rarely go on ships on a repeat basis, really enjoy exploring the ship when it is still half empty. :)

 

We were on Celebrity Reflection's second cruise, immediately after a 9 night cruise to where we were getting on. One thing I clearly remember was the "new ship" smell when we walked through it after being some of the first people to board the cruise. Hardly any people around, and the faint smell of new carpet, new upholstery, new paint and varnish. Wonderful experience!!!

[Lerin]

We often cruise from the same port which also happens to be where we used to live, so sightseeing is a non-issue.

 

We want to get on the ship and relax. Unlike most who head for the buffet, our first stop is usually the pool or hot tubs. AAaaaaahhhhh :cool: Often the only time we can get them to ourselves.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We always go to the embarkation port 2 or 3 days ahead if in the US. In Europe we always went 4 or 5 days early so that we could explore the area.

We like to get on the ship early, have lunch, if it is a new ship, explore it, make certain that all pre-purchased specialty restaurant reservations are in place, unpack as soon as luggage arrives.

[Velvetwater]

Depends on port or if you have had a stay there already.

 

We sailed from Dover UK which is a serious dump (apart from the obvious) so were itching to get on board.

 

When we sailed from Florida we had a few nights there beforehand so had some fun before we boarded anyway. Not to mention the hotel kicked us out at 11.

 

We did consider boarding then getting off again but once we got on the ship I was far too excited to leave....we werent coming back either as it was a Panama Canal voyage.

[cruisemom42]

The sooner you board, the sooner you get your luggage... among other reason, we like time to check our table in the MDR... we love to sit on our balcony when we sail... love being on the ship what else can I say. Never gets old... even after 50+ cruises.

 

No matter what time someone boards, they should be able to do this.

 

If not, then there's a big problem.....:eek:

[KKB]

They are about the cruising experience.

 

I want to be on that ship as soon as possible to begin the experience!

[Lionesss]

We love to explore on a less crowded ship.

 

Take pictures.

 

Find our MDR table, change it to better location if needed.

 

Eat.

 

Get into cabin.

 

Safe travels.

[CraftyScribbles]

My husband and I won't pay to get on board early; but, I understand why others do.

[fortinweb]

My husband and I won't pay to get on board early; but, I understand why others do.

 

Why would anyone have to pay to get on early? :confused: I have never been asked to pay to get on as soon as the boarding began! We prefer to be some of the first on board and don't pay for the privilege.

Edited January 10, 2015 by fortinweb

[CraftyScribbles]

Why would anyone have to pay to get on early? :confused: I have never been asked to pay to get on as soon as the boarding began! We prefer to be some of the first on board and don't pay for the privilege.

 

Carnival gives you the option to board earlier. But, you have to pay.

[PCLMassachusetts]

 

Since the price of my cruise includes embarkation day, I like to enjoy it as much as possible.!

 

That is the reason right there. You are paying for that day on the ship. Why not get on and start enjoying yourself?