First cruise, best time to get to port?

[Pug Lady]

We leave on the Freedom in a few weeks and this will be our first Royal Caribbean cruise. We are super excited! But I keep reading about folks who are Diamond or Emerald level that get priority boarding. Obviously with this being our first cruise I know we will be low on the boarding totem pole. I'm a little worried about getting to the port very early, and then having to wait hours for the priority boarding to finish. I have two small children and the idea of keeping them entertained for a long period time doesn't sound like a fun way to start my vacation! Just curious if earlier is still better for a first time cruiser.

 

Thank you all for your help! I've learned so much from this board and it feeds my research/planning addiction. Lol! :)

[molsonschooner]

We like to arrive at the port around 11. it is normally not to bad at that time. Some people say they have good luck around mid afternoon as most of the crowd has already boarded

[Clarea]

We leave on the Freedom in a few weeks and this will be our first Royal Caribbean cruise. We are super excited! But I keep reading about folks who are Diamond or Emerald level that get priority boarding. Obviously with this being our first cruise I know we will be low on the boarding totem pole. I'm a little worried about getting to the port very early, and then having to wait hours for the priority boarding to finish. I have two small children and the idea of keeping them entertained for a long period time doesn't sound like a fun way to start my vacation! Just curious if earlier is still better for a first time cruiser.

 

Thank you all for your help! I've learned so much from this board and it feeds my research/planning addiction. Lol! :)

I plan to get to the terminal at 10:45am.

[BND]

We arrived for our Freedom cruise around 11. We were Emerald, I think at the time. We always liked to get there early and even if we had to wait, it was no big deal. Boarding is almost always started by 11:30 and goes very quickly so not likely you'd have to wait "hours". Our very first RCI cruise was on Grandeur out of Baltimore and we arrived by 10 am. We were onboard by noon.

Edited March 20, 2016 by BND

[blackshirt]

You won't have to wait for priority boarding to finish. There are multiple lines at checkin. Priority boarding really means the various C&A levels go to the their own checkin line which is usually shorter than the general checkin line. Once you have checked in and have your sea pass, you can board. You don't have to wait for anyone else at that point.

[Pug Lady]

Thank you Blackshirt! That really helps me. We will be taking the shuttle from our hotel, and I believe the first one runs around 10 or 10:30. So if we can just get checked in, our level won't matter. I want to keep everything as stress-free as possible. Thank you!

[readytolose]

You won't have to wait for priority boarding to finish. There are multiple lines at checkin. Priority boarding really means the various C&A levels go to the their own checkin line which is usually shorter than the general checkin line. Once you have checked in and have your sea pass, you can board. You don't have to wait for anyone else at that point.

 

If they haven't started boarding you have to wait.

 

I usually arrive around 10:30-10:45. We have usually started boarding around 11:30.

 

Some terminals have a play area for the kids, so it's possible your kids will have something to do while waiting!

[lglancy]

Great question! We find that arriving at 11:00am is the perfect time. We usually encounter no lines inside the building (though sometimes in some ports there is a line to get into the terminal and through security) and are directed right up to check in, with very few people ahead of us. Boarding doesn't usually begin until 11:30-12:00, but that gives us time to look over the ship maps and paperwork, use the restroom, and have a snack. Most times there is a table set up with water, lemonade and cookies, and that helps to occupy kids. I would bring some toys or coloring books to give them something to do during the wait, but arriving at this time and waiting in chairs is so much better than arriving later and waiting in a long line. Be sure you've printed your SetSail pass and have it ready, along with your passports and credit card. That speeds things up. Also, arriving at this time allows you to beat the crowds to the Windjammer for that wonderful first lunch. Have a great trip, sure to be the first of many more!

[BillOh]

We like to arrive at the port around 11. it is normally not to bad at that time. Some people say they have good luck around mid afternoon as most of the crowd has already boarded

 

Being that they are first time cruises, I would say 11-11:30. They will be among the last group to board that arrive at 11 if the boarding starts around 11:30 as it did for us.

[Havingfun2010]

We almost always drive the morning of a cruise, except in Miami, and plan on arriving around 10:30. Only once did we have to wait an extended period of time, and that was for an inspection of some sort to be completed but once they started boarding, it was just a steady stream. Miami, check out of hotel, and arrive by 10:30 also.

 

Just remember when checking in early, the rooms will not be ready until 1:00-1:30. One on the ship, go to lunch, take a tour, let the kids see the ship, and before you know it, it will be time to see your room. Or dress the kids in swim wear, and go straight to the swimming pool with them.

[bobmacliberty]

In case it's still not clear, think about the boarding process as being different before and after general boarding has started. When boarding first starts, the priority groups are boarded first, with a few minutes between each group. They should call your group maybe 15-30 minutes after boarding starts, so no waiting for hours. If you get there after boarding has started and they have already worked their way through the priority groups, you will walk directly on to the ship.

 

Bottom line...get there by 11:00 as others have suggested. Unless something delays boarding, you will be on the ship by 11:30...noon at the latest. When we sailed Freedom last summer, we arrived at the terminal a little after 11:00 and had one person in line ahead of us to check in. They started boarding right after we arrived and by the time we had completed check-in, they had called our group and we got directly in line to board. We were on the ship within 15 minutes of getting to the check-in hall.

[Pug Lady]

Thank you all so much for the information. You have helped put this worried Mama's mind at ease! We plan on putting the kids in their bathing suits and letting them swim until the rooms are ready. The very idea of standing in line or sitting in a dull waiting room for hours with my kiddos makes me shudder! But we can definitely handle an hour or so. Thank you all!