Priority boarding (suites)

[johnnebz]

Sorry if this has been covered already. I searched for an answer but I found conflicting information. We are booked on the Sunrise in the Captain's suite in June. I have never sailed in a suite on Carnival before. Does "priority embarkation " mean that we can arrive at the Port and get in earlier than our assigned time (11:30)? Also, does this mean the room will be ready? Or does one have to purchase FTTF for that?

Thanks 

[Palmetto Pilot]

You can board at any time, if you are there early you will be among the first to board. Unless it's a specific captains suite perk, your room will not be ready before 1:00pm

[ShakyBeef]

Yes, you would have to purchase FTTF for the Suite to be guaranteed ready upon boarding.

[loki100]

You will get to use the same check in lane as the diamond, platinum, and FTTF guests. You will get to board after the diamond and platinum members. The same time as the people with FTTF. Definitely get the FTTF. At least that is how it worked the 2 times i had a vista suite.

 

 

 

 

[teknoge3k]

49 minutes ago, loki100 said:

You will get to use the same check in lane as the diamond, platinum, and FTTF guests. You will get to board after the diamond and platinum members. The same time as the people with FTTF. Definitely get the FTTF. At least that is how it worked the 2 times i had a vista suite.

 

 

 

 

Suites board before FTTF guests.

 

B2B->Wedding -> Diamond -> Platinum -> Suites->FTTF->Zone 1->Zone 2, etc.

 

Yes you want FTTF with a suite, so you can go to the cabin as soon as you embark the ship. Also you'll get the dedicated line at guest services which pays for itself. 

[swodog94]

We've cruised in suites many times, and while not a published perk, our stateroom has invariable been ready as soon as we board. As a matter of fact, I can't think of any time it wasn't ready. This has been our experience in ports where S&S cards were issued at check-in and where they were placed in the mailbox outside the stateroom. Either way, our suite was ready and available for us.

[ShakyBeef]

26 minutes ago, swodog94 said:

We've cruised in suites many times, and while not a published perk, our stateroom has invariable been ready as soon as we board. As a matter of fact, I can't think of any time it wasn't ready. This has been our experience in ports where S&S cards were issued at check-in and where they were placed in the mailbox outside the stateroom. Either way, our suite was ready and available for us.

 

How did you know your Suite was always ready upon boarding?  Were all staterooms ready (was it after 1:30?)? Are you Platinum or Diamond?  Did you have FTTF?  Or did you go through the closed hallway doors when you were not supposed to?

[kaclmay]

On 3/27/2019 at 7:05 AM, ShakyBeef said:

 

How did you know your Suite was always ready upon boarding?  

I was wondering this too.... if you have a suite (any suite?) but not FTTF, do they tell you at check-in that your suite is ready or not?   

[ShakyBeef]

14 minutes ago, kaclmay said:

I was wondering this too.... if you have a suite (any suite?) but not FTTF, do they tell you at check-in that your suite is ready or not?   

 

No, not that I have ever experienced with booking Suites, with or without FTTF.    In order to have early access to your Suite (without being Plat or Diamond), you must book FTTF.  If not, you must wait to enter your Suite when the doors are opened for everyone to enter their cabins (generally 1:30PM).

 

I'm guessing Swodog94 went through the closed hallway doors when he did not have the right to do so (not being Plat, Diamond, or FTTF, I'm assuming), and happened to find his Suite ready.  This would be breaking the rules and disregarding the very clear printed instructions on the signs on those closed doors.

 

[swodog94]

Haters gonna hate.

[PhillyFan33579]

On 3/31/2019 at 8:31 AM, ShakyBeef said:

 

No, not that I have ever experienced with booking Suites, with or without FTTF.    In order to have early access to your Suite (without being Plat or Diamond), you must book FTTF.  If not, you must wait to enter your Suite when the doors are opened for everyone to enter their cabins (generally 1:30PM).

 

I'm guessing Swodog94 went through the closed hallway doors when he did not have the right to do so (not being Plat, Diamond, or FTTF, I'm assuming), and happened to find his Suite ready.  This would be breaking the rules and disregarding the very clear printed instructions on the signs on those closed doors.

 

 

The room stewards are not supposed to put out S&S cards until 1:30 PM except for passengers with some type of priority.  This is supposed to keep non priority people out of the hallways (or at least out of their cabins) before 1:30 PM. This is how a hotel director explained it to several of us at a D&P party around a year ago. 

Edited April 7, 2019 by PhillyFan33579

[StolidCruiser]

40 minutes ago, swodog94 said:

Haters gonna hate.

Can you explain this comment? Better yet, answer directly the question asked of ShakyBeef. 

 

It's not a matter of "haters gonna hate" but understanding how you accessed your suite prior to being able to according to policy.

[ShakyBeef]

On 3/27/2019 at 6:36 AM, swodog94 said:

We've cruised in suites many times, and while not a published perk, our stateroom has invariable been ready as soon as we board. As a matter of fact, I can't think of any time it wasn't ready. This has been our experience in ports where S&S cards were issued at check-in and where they were placed in the mailbox outside the stateroom. Either way, our suite was ready and available for us.

 

How did you know your Suite was always ready upon boarding?  Were all staterooms ready (was it after 1:30?)? Are you Platinum or Diamond?  Did you have FTTF?  Or did you go through the closed hallway doors when you were not supposed to?

 

2 hours ago, swodog94 said:

Haters gonna hate.

 

OK.  That's terribly interesting and relevant to the conversation here.  Thanks for that.  Now, are you going to answer my question(s)? 

 

[Chervil]

We sailed a suite in Feb on Vista and we boarded at about 12:30.
Were told our room was ready and we could go ahead to it and get our SS cards.
Since we were told this, we went through the closed doors and our suite was ready and our cards were in the slot.

Not sure if we were told that in error, or if they were trying something different.
However I do know the steward greeted us in the hallway and didn't seem surprised we were there.
He even went ahead and introduced himself, gave us his card and asked our cleaning preference (2x day, please and thank you).
(Wayan is one of the best stewards we have ever had and you will see me sing his praises often in posts.)

[PhillyFan33579]

2 hours ago, fyree39 said:

On my Splendor cruise last month the doors were closed to everyone with signage stating the rooms would be available at 1:00.  No exceptions for FTTF, P/D, etc. I suspect Carnival will stop with the early cabin readiness entirely at some point. Other lines have ALL cabins ready at a certain time with no exceptions for status or cabin type.

 

That signage is standard on every ship. They always mention that in the priority lounge that the doors will be closed but we are free to go to our cabins as soon as we board the ship. 

[teknoge3k]

32 minutes ago, fyree39 said:

The signage has changed from the old "no one can pass except D/P/FTTF" to "no one can pass." If one doesn't go to the priority lounge because one boards directly upon check-in, and where you check in is port specific, one will not have the opportunity to learn that the rooms are ready. On this past cruise no one told us to go directly to our rooms.

 

This type of screw up is why I'm trying other lines with a better product.

 

 

 

FTTF guests don't go to a priority lounge, so they all miss this announcement. 

[Nic6318]

1 hour ago, fyree39 said:

 

This type of screw up is why I'm trying other lines with a better product.

 

 

 

Hi

 

You keep saying that, but you also have said that you have never liked Carnival and the only reason you sail with them is because it is your husband's preference. Have you worked that out yet? 😁

[JQTravels]

 

[swodog94]

On ‎3‎/‎31‎/‎2019 at 3:09 PM, kaclmay said:

I was wondering this too.... if you have a suite (any suite?) but not FTTF, do they tell you at check-in that your suite is ready or not?   

Just checked my records to make sure I had the time correct. I took a picture in my suite at 1125am when we boarded Victory in Miami in Aug18. Despite the fact that it was not 1330 (gasp!), my S&S cards were in the mailbox and the suite was cleaned and ready to go (I had pre-ordered roses for the wife and they were in the room), The room steward met us immediately and welcomed us quite warmly; checking to see if there was anything we needed. We have never cruised in anything but suites, and that has been my experience every time. It gets under some folks skin for some reason, but the crew and room stewards recognize that suite-cruisers have paid a bit extra (and the difference between a balcony and a suite is significantly more than what FTTF costs) and they ensure that the rooms are ready early. You can flame me all you want, it doesn't change the reality of the situation. 

[ShakyBeef]

3 hours ago, swodog94 said:

Just checked my records to make sure I had the time correct. I took a picture in my suite at 1125am when we boarded Victory in Miami in Aug18. Despite the fact that it was not 1330 (gasp!), my S&S cards were in the mailbox and the suite was cleaned and ready to go (I had pre-ordered roses for the wife and they were in the room), The room steward met us immediately and welcomed us quite warmly; checking to see if there was anything we needed. We have never cruised in anything but suites, and that has been my experience every time. It gets under some folks skin for some reason, but the crew and room stewards recognize that suite-cruisers have paid a bit extra (and the difference between a balcony and a suite is significantly more than what FTTF costs) and they ensure that the rooms are ready early. You can flame me all you want, it doesn't change the reality of the situation. 

 

Congratulations, Mr. Big Spender.  We're all impressed.  I, too, only cruise in Suites for the past few years, now.  And I buy FTTF each time so that I am actually entitled to enter the closed hallway and find my Suite ready upon boarding.  Without FTTF, it might be ready upon embarkation, but I would not know that, since I would not be allowed to step into that hallway and thus have access to my Suite.  I know that just because I paid more than the majority of other passengers on board for my accommodations does not give me any right to take perks that are not mine to take.   Yes, it does "get under my skin, for some reason" when people act as if the rules don't apply to them and proceed to not only break those rules, but then brag about doing so as well.

[Cruiser_1977]

On Fantasy in January I had a Junior Suite. I boarded in the order listed above by @teknoge3k. After I got my cocktail, I asked the gentlemen guarding the doors to the V level rooms if the suites were ready. He said "yes". I showed him my boarding pass and voila my S&S card was at my door and I was in my room. Now my checked bag wasn't there but I didn't care...

[hotsauce126]

On 3/25/2019 at 9:34 PM, teknoge3k said:

 you'll get the dedicated line at guest services which pays for itself. 

 

How often are you guys going to guest services? I've been once in 6 cruises to contest a drink that I didn't order on my account

[teknoge3k]

1 minute ago, hotsauce126 said:

 

How often are you guys going to guest services? I've been once in 6 cruises to contest a drink that I didn't order on my account

 

I know I'll be going at least once per cruise. The last night of our voyage I go to guest services to pay our balance with the discounted gift cards. I don't pre-load them and I don't use the kiosk that rarely works. It's much easier to just go the last night and pay whatever is owed. 

 

Then I know I'll want to get to my cabin as soon as I embark to drop off out 48 sodas and bookbags. If we have tender ports, it's great so we can get off of the ship first and out into the islands to do our excursions. We won't do excursions through Carnival, rather we book with local vendors. It's nice to get the day started earlier than later. 

[RWolver672]

On 4/7/2019 at 1:15 PM, fyree39 said:

On my Splendor cruise last month the doors were closed to everyone with signage stating the rooms would be available at 1:00.  No exceptions for FTTF, P/D, etc. I suspect Carnival will stop with the early cabin readiness entirely at some point. Other lines have ALL cabins ready at a certain time with no exceptions for status or cabin type.

 

If memory serves me correctly, there are certain cruises such as a Journey's cruise, and/or where there are so many P/Ds that there is no way that they can get all of the cabins ready before 1:00 so they won't let anyone in until that time.

[Citykitty21]

Pardon my ignorance, but I'm a first time cruiser.  What is FTTF?  I am cruising Princess, and wanted to get priority boarding.