Celebrity Edge 2021 embarkation time slots- recent cruisers' experience?

[fsukel02]

Hello all,

  My husband and I are going to be on the July 31st edge sailing. We are doing Aqua Class for the first time, but when I recently did the check in, the earliest time slot was 2pm.  We are flying in that morning around 10am.  In the past, we would just head right there and be able to check in. 

 

My question is for those who have recently gone on the Edge since it resumed cruises starting June 26th.  Did anyone have any luck going early for embarkation? Were you turned away? What is the earliest you got there? I was under the impression that AQ had priority embarkation- does this apply to getting on earlier? We really don't feel like lugging our luggage around to a restaurant or something...hoping to board sooner!

 

Thanks in advance!

[Keys Kathy]

I don't have an answer for you, but you can drop off your luggage anytime, even if they make you wait to board. Since you are Aqua, I would believe they would let you on when you got there. They just don't want everyone arriving at once. 

[Sam.Seattle]

I was told by an actual Edge cruiser that YES you are not able to board outside your scheduled arrival time.

[Fouremco]

Several threads have posts addressing this issue. It appears that suite guests can enter at their leisure, but all other categories must await their appointed time.

[Tatka]

We were slotted 1:00 - 1:30.

We showed up at around 11 (we had hotel check out at 10:00).

We were allowed in at around 12:15 after earlier groups were boarded.

You will wait outside of terminal until you are let it. 

[Sam.Seattle]

10 minutes ago, Tatka said:

We were slotted 1:00 - 1:30.

We showed up at around 11 (we had hotel check out at 10:00).

We were allowed in at around 12:15 after earlier groups were boarded.

You will wait outside of terminal until you are let it. 

Were you in a suite?

[Tatka]

No

1 minute ago, Sam.Seattle said:

Were you in a suite?

 

[cruisemom42]

I wish people would just wait for their scheduled time (allowing for suites of course). It just slows things up for everyone when passengers all arrive at once.

[fsukel02]

@Tatka So you were able to board just 15 minutes after "boarding" begins at noon? I am willing to wait a little bit if it means we might be able to board early.  I enjoyed it so much more when there wasn't timeslots. Not a fan. 

[Sam.Seattle]

12 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

I wish people would just wait for their scheduled time (allowing for suites of course). It just slows things up for everyone when passengers all arrive at once.

Do you mean "except suites" by saying "allowing for suites of course"?

 

[Tatka]

1 minute ago, fsukel02 said:

@Tatka So you were able to board just 15 minutes after "boarding" begins at noon? I am willing to wait a little bit if it means we might be able to board early.  I enjoyed it so much more when there wasn't timeslots. Not a fan. 

We were let in at 12:15. 45 minutes before. We needed to stand in line though. I’d probably spend time somewhere else, but it’s ok either way. Cruise is so amazing it doesn’t really matter. We waited for 1.5 year!

[cruisemom42]

6 minutes ago, Sam.Seattle said:

Do you mean "except suites" by saying "allowing for suites of course"?

 

 

Yes, assuming suites are allowed to arrive at any time.

[Jeremiah1212]

We arrived a few minutes after our noon check in time. They were trying to have later arrivals line up to the side but more than a few people blew past the port employees and went inside anyway. They're going to have to enforce check-in times more or the whole process is useless. Then we can wait in line 2+ hours to check in like those people on Carnival Horizon did. No thanks!

[C-Dragons]

2 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

We arrived a few minutes after our noon check in time. They were trying to have later arrivals line up to the side but more than a few people blew past the port employees and went inside anyway. They're going to have to enforce check-in times more or the whole process is useless. 

It would seem so.
If passengers with later check in times show up and expect to be let in early, when are those who have the actual 12:00 check in time supposed to show up..? 

[lbryant]

Question to clarify: I understand there is a long line of non-suite passengers waiting to get into the terminal.  I assume the line is mostly made up of people trying to board  before their assigned check in time. If we arrive at our boarding time (assigned 12:30-1p) do we still stand in that line or are we allowed to directly enter the terminal?   If celebrity isn’t enforcing their own rules and we have to stand in line anyway, then I agree the assigned boarding time serves no real purpose. 

[ItsADryHumor]

2 minutes ago, lbryant said:

Question to clarify: I understand there is a long line of non-suite passengers waiting to get into the terminal.  I assume the line is mostly made up of people trying to board  before their assigned check in time. If we arrive at our boarding time (assigned 12:30-1p) do we still stand in that line or are we allowed to directly enter the terminal?   If celebrity isn’t enforcing their own rules and we have to stand in line anyway, then I agree the assigned boarding time serves no real purpose. 

I’ve heard that most people were not allowed in unless it was their slot time. I would imagine that if, for some reason there was a lull, you might be allowed to board sooner.
 

But I also think it would be kind to consider the people who have that assigned boarding time and that you might cause them to be delayed for a time they signed up for. 

[lbryant]

9 minutes ago, stinkyenglishteacher said:

 

But I also think it would be kind to consider the people who have that assigned boarding time and that you might cause them to be delayed for a time they signed up for. 

Totally agree. We plan to arrive at our assigned boarding time. I just didn’t know if we would be in that long line anyway or if we would be allowed to enter right away.  I had read some reports of other cruise lines who were not enforcing the arrival times so people who showed up at their boarding time had 1-2 hour waits to board. 

[ItsADryHumor]

43 minutes ago, lbryant said:

Totally agree. We plan to arrive at our assigned boarding time. I just didn’t know if we would be in that long line anyway or if we would be allowed to enter right away.  I had read some reports of other cruise lines who were not enforcing the arrival times so people who showed up at their boarding time had 1-2 hour waits to board. 

Carnival enforces nothing hahaha. 

[Jeremiah1212]

1 hour ago, lbryant said:

Question to clarify: I understand there is a long line of non-suite passengers waiting to get into the terminal.  I assume the line is mostly made up of people trying to board  before their assigned check in time. If we arrive at our boarding time (assigned 12:30-1p) do we still stand in that line or are we allowed to directly enter the terminal?   If celebrity isn’t enforcing their own rules and we have to stand in line anyway, then I agree the assigned boarding time serves no real purpose. 

We had a noon check-in and arrived within a few minutes past noon. A lady came to us, asked our time, then directed us towards the terminal entrance. There was already a second line of 40+ people off to the side. There was no line at that point but boarding had just started. You showed your passport and vax card right inside the terminal doors before the escalator. Next stop was security where you showed your docs again. I assume they will keep people stationed at the first check point right inside the doors to control traffic as much as possible. I timed it at 11 minutes from drop off to standing in the Martini Bar. 

[KKB]

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I wish people would just wait for their scheduled time (allowing for suites of course). It just slows things up for everyone when passengers all arrive at once.

The problem is, people have to check out of hotels at 11 or flights arrive in the morning. 

Passengers have few options with all their luggage and the need to call a Lyft/Uber/cab.

[bucfan2]

4 minutes ago, KKB said:

The problem is, people have to check out of hotels at 11 or flights arrive in the morning. 

Passengers have few options with all their luggage and the need to call a Lyft/Uber/cab.

Hmmm....doesn't sound like rocket science to me.  Hang out w/ your luggage in the hotel lobby/etc, or risk waiting in line in the heat....no problem - make your choice based on your comfort level/protocols provided and the risk you're willing to take.  Kinda sounds like every other protocol/etc associated w/ cruising....either ya do or ya don't.

[cruisemom42]

8 minutes ago, KKB said:

The problem is, people have to check out of hotels at 11 or flights arrive in the morning. 

Passengers have few options with all their luggage and the need to call a Lyft/Uber/cab.

 

Many times I've checked out of a hotel and left my luggage there while I go eat lunch, etc.  Just requires a little forethought.

[KKB]

1 minute ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Many times I've checked out of a hotel and left my luggage there while I go eat lunch, etc.  Just requires a little forethought.

We once had a hotel out by the Fort Lauderdale airport that had NO restaurants within walking distance. We didn't know that when we booked it. 

But you are correct--it is possible to hand out in the airport or in the lobby of a hotel with planning.

But I have learned that far too many people aren't good with that foresight thing...

[cangelmd]

Sounds like a business opportunity for the Luggage Valet people - convey your bags from the airport and/or a few of the hotels?

Im sure cruise lines would like this change to stay past Covid, although they seemed to have most of the kinks worked out on Edge before - still hard on staff.

[Fouremco]

We've found hotels very amenable to holding our bags, whether we arrive too early for check in or need a place to park our bags after we check out.