Boarding time strictly enforced?

[Marjar]

I just printed our documents for our Carnival Miracle cruise and it makes you choose a boarding time and it says that the boarding time is strictly enforced.

True or not true? I have a shuttle set to get me to the pier by 11:00 but the earliest boarding time is 1:30. Anyone with recent experience at the Long Beach pier?

[klfrodo]

True

Unless you at elite (Platinum or higher) or have FTTF

[estillcrew]

They are strict about boarding before to your scheduled time, but will let you in any time after your scheduled boarding time. They have an area for you to wait until your time slot is called.

[jwth2005]

Keep in mind the time you chose is a check in time for the terminal only. Not boarding the ship.

 

 

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[Cruiseman38]

True, unless your are Platinum or higher or Faster to the Fun. You will not be allowed into the terminal until your scheduled check in time.

[SadieN]

Just back from the Imagination yesterday. Staggered Check In is still a recommendation in Long Beach.

IOW, they will check you in when you arrive.

[jdemps]

suites can also go whenever they want to check in.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

I just printed our documents for our Carnival Miracle cruise and it makes you choose a boarding time and it says that the boarding time is strictly enforced.

True or not true? I have a shuttle set to get me to the pier by 11:00 but the earliest boarding time is 1:30. Anyone with recent experience at the Long Beach pier?

 

Warning: some ports do not use this process yet, but it is not a BOARDING time, it is a CHECK IN time. That is the time they will let you into the terminal to start your check in process. That process will give you a Boarding Zone card if you are not P,D, FTTF, Wedding Party, or Suite passengers. You will not be able to board until that Zone is called. Boarding starts after all the previous cruise passengers have be debarked and the ship has been cleared by Customs and Immigration. It then might be influenced by where the cabin stewards are in having cabins that have to be available at boarding time complete and ready.

[twincheryl]

Just back from the Imagination yesterday. Staggered Check In is still a recommendation in Long Beach.

IOW, they will check you in when you arrive.

 

 

Thanks for that info... everyone is adamant about the staggered check in times... I understand from your experience that we can check in whenever we arrive, regardless of the time we selected...?

Did people just sit outside and wait for their boarding to be called by number?

 

Was there early check in at the Queen Mary? It has been several years since we sailed Carnival and we used to do that.

 

 

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[SadieN]

No more early check in at the Queen Mary. It's now done outside, in front of the Dome.

 

When I asked our Check In clerk about Staggered Check in, I mentioned how Miami has pax wait outside until it's their time. She gave me a 'deer in headlights' look and said something to the effect of 'how horrible'. Things can change at anytime. Never know when they will strictly start enforcing the Staggered Check in time in Long Beach.

 

This past cruise seemed like almost half were first time cruisers. At one adult comedy show about 3/4 of the audience were blue cards. By show of hands when asked by the comedian.

 

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If you arrive before the Dome opens, you'll get a boarding zone number. You will wait outside. If you arrive after the Dome opens, you go onboard after checking in.

 

Carnival is taking over the whole Dome. Looks like waiting will be inside when it's remodeled. No idea what will happen to Staggered Check in at that time.

[cruzeluver]

It is up to those working at the port to enforce the policy. Others have stated it is strict but some say not so much. We were just on Magic last month out of Port Canaveral which has staggered check-in, but times were not at all enforced. When entering the terminal they looked just to make sure you had a boarding pass, but not close enough to see what time you had. We entered 30 minutes prior to our assigned time (11:00AM) and talked to others already in the terminal who had check-in windows as late as 1:30-2:00 (this was at 10:30AM). I included this in my post cruise survey. Any policy is only as good as those charged with enforcing it.

[originalgeek]

It is up to those working at the port to enforce the policy. Others have stated it is strict but some say not so much. We were just on Magic last month out of Port Canaveral which has staggered check-in, but times were not at all enforced. When entering the terminal they looked just to make sure you had a boarding pass, but not close enough to see what time you had. We entered 30 minutes prior to our assigned time (11:00AM) and talked to others already in the terminal who had check-in windows as late as 1:30-2:00 (this was at 10:30AM). I included this in my post cruise survey. Any policy is only as good as those charged with enforcing it.

 

PC didn't have staggered check-in when we went in December so last month they would have still been pretty new to it. Maybe they still working out the kinks there.

 

But I certainly agree if they are going to have a policy, they should enforce it equally for everyone.

[mandybyas]

BOARDING TIME is different than CHECK-IN TIME. We cruise mainly out of Galveston and they use check-in times. FTTF, platinum, other priority status you can check-in whenever but otherwise they are very strict about check-in. Boarding does not start until noonish and we have always had a 10:30 check-in (we aren't priority) and only had to wait about an hour to board after the priority statuses. I have heard the later check-ins don't usually have too wait long since most folks want to get on board early.

[riclop]

Check in time is enforced , you will board before 130.