staggered checkin...could this really work?

[jints07]

Knowing the cruise industry, in a few years you will be able to choose your arrival time slot for a "small" fee! Only $99 per person for the "premium" early times! Think of the marketing opportunities as it can then progress to be offered as a "free at sea" choice in which case you'd only be responsible for the 18% gratuity. :p

[hawkeyetlse]

The monitoring of group numbers was supposed to be for exiting the building --boarding ships in small, controlled groups--based on when you arrived from the security area.

It's two different issues: the arrival/check-in times are for entering the building, boarding group numbers are for exiting the building. I think it's a given that boarding group numbers are necessary, for the reason you stated, and NCL already uses them (although people are not always satisfied with the way the numbers are distributed, etc.).

 

Enforced arrival times would certainly help, at least for the megaships, but people seem to find that the crowds/lines are acceptable under the current system, where everyone shows up whenever they want. I think situations like the one you described for the Epic TA in October are exceptional, because I have boarded the Epic in Barcelona a number of times, with no assigned check-in times, and I have never seen a line out the door like there was that day. (We boarded the Jade at the next terminal over, where there were no lines to enter the building.)

[Rhea98]

...I think it's a given that boarding group numbers are necessary, for the reason you stated, and NCL already uses them (although people are not always satisfied with the way the numbers are distributed, etc.).

I think they are necessary, too. However, in Miami (3 from there on NCL and 1 on Carnival so not by any means a statistically significant count) boarding group numbers were not checked by NCL. They were collected. I don't remember actual boarding numbers in Barcelona. The first boarding I did there (2015) was a reboarding so not the same. In October, it seemed the line just continued at the same pace through security, through check-in, and then directly onto the ship. Actually, not a bad situation except that I'd always heard that Barcelona cruise terminals did a great job with getting passengers on-board. In NOLA in December, they were checked and some were asked to wait until their numbers were announced. "Epic" ships definitely present more challenges for embarkation; but, if you have rules, enforce them. Otherwise, why bother? I think those intentionally trying to sidestep the system at cruise terminals represent a very small percentage--manageable, although can be vocal.

 

 

 

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Edited January 7, 2017 by Rhea98

[dexddd]

DCL lets you put in your credit card online, register the kids in the kids clubs online, and they don't make the adults take pictures at the port if you have a recent picture on file.

 

While that doesn't take a long time, every bit helps.

[CruisinHarvey]

As long as VIBE passes are "first come, first served", staggered check-in/boarding will never work.

 

That will be solved shortly. They are implementing boarding by latitudes tier. It is already started in Port Canaveral in November. It's now in Tampa. I'd heard it's in NYC now, but haven't verified it yet. So, people can get upset, but the top tier travelers are going to get the passes, right or wrong. It will eliminate the need for most to rush to the port though.

[Warm Breezes]

We had it for New Orleans in May with the Carnival Dream and New York in October with Carnival Sunshine with no problems. Worked just fine.