First to board for purchase

[caribill]

I think this order is wrong. Full suite passengers have boarded with Elites on the cruises we've taken.

 

I agree with you. What I listed was taken from an earlier poster.

[caribill]

The value of this new purchase will depend on the cruise. On an Alaskan cruise, it can be a great benefit. There are often over 75% of the passengers on their first cruise. That would be a lot of "general" passengers you could bypass.

 

Not when going southbound from Whittier.

 

People arrive by train or bus throughout the afternoon and into the early evening. There should not be a big line at noon when boarding would usually be underway.

[caribill]

However, yes, the passengers who purchase those things very much share the fault. If there was not a demand for payment of such things, the cruiselines would not offer it.

 

Agree.

 

Another example of this is upsells. Free real upgrades used to be often possible. Then Princess found that passengers were willing to pay extra to upgrade and the number of free real upgrades (to another type cabin) is now very low. There are many posts on Cruise Critic with posters almost begging for Princess to offer them the opportunity to pay more for what used to be free.

 

Also the specialty restaurants. The cruise lines have discovered that if you reduce the quality of food in the main dining rooms that passengers will jump at the chance to pay to eat elsewhere.

[SewMuch]

Here's another possibility. When people ask what's so great about Princess, they are told that your cabin is ready as soon as you board. What if, just guessing here, in the future you will have to be in one of the priority groups or pay this extra fee to have your cabin ready. Everyone else will have to wait til 1:30 or so like on other cruise lines.

[Beach710]

The next logical thing for Princess to do is enforce check in / boarding times like Carnival does.

[kendon]

I see a trend:

 

1. Priority/private dining in the main dining room for suite passengers leaving no room for the loyal passengers

2. Pay to board early...pushing the Platinum and Elite further back in the line

 

What??

[kendon]

I whole heartedly agree with you! They have just so diluted our Elite benefit that we all spent so much money earning.

 

Absolutely! We go further back in the line...

 

Bottom line...people can now by some Elite/Platinum benefits. It doesn't make sense.

Edited March 5, 2018 by kendon

[likeadisguise]

Except the pay to board early is after Elite and Platinum, so how does that affect you at all?

[voljeep]

pay to board "with Priority" or "after Priority earned by loyalty level"

[land lover]

Maybe it will just be offered on sailings that usually have few priority boarders.....we usually do not get to the terminal early to wait in the elite lounge but on 2 recent cruises out of San Pedro we have and honestly the there must have been 500 early boarders....including probably 30 wheel chairs... IF I paid I certainly would want to be after the wheel chairs..just sayin'...

 

Interesting thought from one poster about having your cabin ready ahead of others........often our cabin is not ready when we board after 12:30ish.....

Edited March 5, 2018 by land lover

[land lover]

The next logical thing for Princess to do is enforce check in / boarding times like Carnival does.

 

 

Princess was doing this on our recent Nov. Mexican Riviera cruise.......Priority groups were categorized it was either numbers or letters I can't remember.......but were called as Priority A,B, C etc....and they were letting no one through early than their card showed..it was like boarding at the airport. They kept on making announcement to wait until your priority letter or number was called. It was a zoo.....

[Beach710]

Princess was doing this on our recent Nov. Mexican Riviera cruise.......Priority groups were categorized it was either numbers or letters I can't remember.......but were called as Priority A,B, C etc....and they were letting no one through early than their card showed..it was like boarding at the airport. They kept on making announcement to wait until your priority letter or number was called. It was a zoo.....

 

Carnival doesn't let you in the terminal building before your boarding time.

[Thrak]

Princess was doing this on our recent Nov. Mexican Riviera cruise.......Priority groups were categorized it was either numbers or letters I can't remember.......but were called as Priority A,B, C etc....and they were letting no one through early than their card showed..it was like boarding at the airport. They kept on making announcement to wait until your priority letter or number was called. It was a zoo.....

 

On our last cruise we were grouped with letters. They wouldn't let you board until they called your letter group. It wasn't ideal but we were waiting to board for 28 days. A bit of a wait really wasn't all that bad. I think we were in the terminal by around 10:30 and there were already long lines. There were about a zillion people but we still boarded in time for lunch in MDR.

 

Sigh... We fly out on the 14th (sail on the 18th) and I am going nuts waiting. Just printed boarding passes and luggage tags. :D:D:D

[frugaltravel]

Princess was doing this on our recent Nov. Mexican Riviera cruise.......Priority groups were categorized it was either numbers or letters I can't remember.......but were called as Priority A,B, C etc....and they were letting no one through early than their card showed..it was like boarding at the airport. They kept on making announcement to wait until your priority letter or number was called. It was a zoo.....

 

It makes checking in later more and more attractive!

 

Doesn't sound like it was similar to boarding at the airport - where people board before their own zone or seating group is called and the gate agents don't enforce it :D

[Kenswing]

Would people really spend money just to board a little earlier? Why not use the money and treat yourself to a specialty restaurant instead?

[Thrak]

Would people really spend money just to board a little earlier? Why not use the money and treat yourself to a specialty restaurant instead?

 

People use Faster to the Fun on Carnival. They definitely do pay to board sooner. I'm not in that much of a hurry.

Even on Carnival the FTF folks don't get priority over their loyalty tier folks. The Platinum and Diamond passengers get FTF "for free". I don't know if there is any separation or if those folks and the FTF folks have equal boarding priveleges or not. They charge by the stateroom so only one person in the cabin has to pay and everybody in the cabin gets it. It seems to range from $49.95 to $59.95 for 5 daily sailings depending on the ship. For sailings of 8 days or more I see a price of $69.95. It also says there are limited spots and FTF sells out quickly. Whatever... Doesn't sound worth it to me.

[moki'smommy]

In three long threads, what we've basically managed to say is "It's OK as long as they board after whatever reason I have to board earlier," and "Why would anyone pay to board at the beginning of people who don't have any reason to qualify for earlier boarding?"

 

Both points are valid. And it indeed appears that those who purchase this option are supposed to board at the beginning of general boarding. On something like an Alaskan cruise, where a large percentage of cruisers are first timers, it might make sense. On a more typical Princess cruise where probably 50% of cruisers qualify for "Priority boarding," thru loyalty status or cabin choice, it sounds like a waste of money to me. But you can't fault Princess for trying to make a little more money thru a program that costs them nothing.

[land lover]

It makes checking in later more and more attractive!

 

Doesn't sound like it was similar to boarding at the airport - where people board before their own zone or seating group is called and the gate agents don't enforce it :D

 

What airlines have you been flying;) we flew, I am guessing over 40 segments last year several international and since on many of them we were lowly economy with no priority, I saw agents turn several people away.....Maybe you were in Business or first class and saw them let many people pass through.......:D

 

 

Definitely coming later has its advantages....and the lunch in the dining room does not have as many selections as it did in the past......Last August when embarking in South Hampton we came in on a transfer at 1:30pm and checked in, I was surprised there were still many pax sitting and waiting to board...being elite we went on the ship straight away. Usually when embarking in other ports, no one is waiting to board...after 1:30pm, many might be in line for check in but usually everyone by that time goes directly on board.

 

Every sailing is different.....so we just deal with the situation we are dealt...and we will enjoy ourselves regardless.....

[land lover]

In three long threads' date=' what we've basically managed to say is "It's OK as long as they board after whatever reason I have to board earlier," and "Why would anyone pay to board at the beginning of people who don't have any reason to qualify for earlier boarding?"

 

Both points are valid. And it indeed appears that those who purchase this option are supposed to board at the beginning of general boarding. On something like an Alaskan cruise, where a large percentage of cruisers are first timers, it might make sense. On a more typical Princess cruise where probably 50% of cruisers qualify for "Priority boarding," thru loyalty status or cabin choice, it sounds like a waste of money to me. But you can't fault Princess for trying to make a little more money thru a program that costs them nothing.[/quote']

 

One will never know how the people who pay for the privileged board....they could be given group A and none of us will be the wiser......

[land lover]

Carnival doesn't let you in the terminal building before your boarding time.

 

 

Interesting.......which terminal or is it all terminals? Only have 1 cruise with Carnival 1983(honeymoon)...a Caribbean Cruise, at that time there were no terminals to sit in or early boarding, of course ships were smaller.....they flew us on a red eye into MIA frm LAX and put us up in a day room until it was time to board.

[golfb4cruzing]

People use Faster to the Fun on Carnival. They definitely do pay to board sooner. I'm not in that much of a hurry.

Even on Carnival the FTF folks don't get priority over their loyalty tier folks. The Platinum and Diamond passengers get FTF "for free". I don't know if there is any separation or if those folks and the FTF folks have equal boarding priveleges or not. They charge by the stateroom so only one person in the cabin has to pay and everybody in the cabin gets it. It seems to range from $49.95 to $59.95 for 5 daily sailings depending on the ship. For sailings of 8 days or more I see a price of $69.95. It also says there are limited spots and FTF sells out quickly. Whatever... Doesn't sound worth it to me.

 

Our last Carnival trip, I decided to buy the FTTF package. Sounded great with all the special attention and front of the line hype. We get to FLL our usual time around 10am. We get checked in and shown to our "special" waiting area. Just a row of seats against a wall. SO special. Then comes boarding time around 1230 -100 and then the parade starts, Diamonds, Elites....all the way down to assists and weddings. Then finally comes our turn and we all stand but the attendant gets gang rushed and the free for all loading was on. Poor attendant got knocked out of the way and landed by some vending machines. Then special line at Passenger Service, we never use it. Then special front line for tendering. The line was down the hall so I went the desk and they said just follow the line. Then disembarkment with all those others first AGAIN. Finally I got POd, grabbed our stuff and walked off. No one said a peep. That's it for Carnival. We finally made Plat on Princess and we'll see how is goes next month on the Regal. Who knows, Celebrity is starting to sound awful good.

[ExDean]

This may have been posted since I haven't read through all almost 100 postings. But, this from Cruise Fever web site today.

 

Princess Advance Boarding will be tested on three of the cruise line’s cruises on Ruby Princess. Those who decided to purchase Advance Boarding will be among the first to enjoy amenities onboard and access to book activities like shore excursions, specialty dining, and Sanctuary reservations.

Guests with Princess Advance Boarding will use the Priority check-in lane and will board after Elite, Platinum, Suite, and Club Class Mini-Suite guests. Space is extremely limited and subject to availability. It will be available online up to three days before the cruise.

[Host CJSKIDS]

This may have been posted since I haven't read through all almost 100 postings. But, this from Cruise Fever web site today.

 

Princess Advance Boarding will be tested on three of the cruise line’s cruises on Ruby Princess. Those who decided to purchase Advance Boarding will be among the first to enjoy amenities onboard and access to book activities like shore excursions, specialty dining, and Sanctuary reservations.

Guests with Princess Advance Boarding will use the Priority check-in lane and will board after Elite, Platinum, Suite, and Club Class Mini-Suite guests. Space is extremely limited and subject to availability. It will be available online up to three days before the cruise.

 

Thank you for that information.

[land lover]

This may have been posted since I haven't read through all almost 100 postings. But, this from Cruise Fever web site today.

 

Princess Advance Boarding will be tested on three of the cruise line’s cruises on Ruby Princess. Those who decided to purchase Advance Boarding will be among the first to enjoy amenities onboard and access to book activities like shore excursions, specialty dining, and Sanctuary reservations.

Guests with Princess Advance Boarding will use the Priority check-in lane and will board after Elite, Platinum, Suite, and Club Class Mini-Suite guests. Space is extremely limited and subject to availability. It will be available online up to three days before the cruise.

 

Interesting...I have a a Pac Coastal at the end of the month and Alaska in May.. both on Ruby.......we'll see what happens...but then again I probably will not arrive early.......LOL...but if I do....I'll interview everyone waiting...:D

Oh know that's right when I began reading this post ...I checked my personalizer no option on my sailings......OH well.....

Enjoy everyone....

[Purple grandmother]

I’m in room E626 did I make a huge mistake