RC Assigned Check-in Time - Flexable?

[Sunshine3601]

5 hours ago, susanf31 said:

How many times have you sailed on Harmony out of Port Canaveral, Cured?  I actually took your advice and looked up the "enormous lines early for boarding Harmony."  Here is what people who have actually done it recently are saying:

_____________________________________________________

"

That being said, if interested in boarding early and unable to get appropriate time slot, weigh the risk/reward of getting on vs. having to wait for assigned time.  If it's worth the risk, awesome.  (Our boarding time was never checked).

Agreed.

Of all our cruises, assigned boarding times are never checked"

____________________________________________

So if boarding times are not checked, then you can enter the terminal before your boarding time. Which is EXACTLY what the security agent told me last Sunday. He said "the doors open at 10:00 and you can walk right in."  If there's no lines, perhaps they will let them check in. If they can't, then they can take a seat inside the terminal and await their boarding time.  

So think of this way.    My boarding time is 10 am.    I arrive at 10 am as Scheduled with my parents in their 80's who cannot stand in long lines for extended periods of time, especially in the heat.      Now we have to Wait because you and other "entitled people" got into the terminal before us!!!

Is that Fair???     Ask your Parents if that is Fair?

 

Maybe next time you want to stay up until midnight to get a 10 am check in time like a lot of us do!!!

 

I have a feeling it doesn't matter what any of our opinions are anyway.   

 

[Ret MP]

8 hours ago, CruisingHogFan said:

Our last cruise they made people wait outside the terminal until check in. Hopefully all the ports continue to do this process. Makes things so much smoother!

So, you'd rather wait outside in the heat, rain, cold, sun, whatever?  With today's standards at just about every port, you stand in line outside of the terminal in all kinds of weather.  And, no, I don't believe it's because of people showing up early.

Terminals are built to hold the masses INSIDE.  

[Mum2Mercury]

1 hour ago, Another_Critic said:

Do you realize that you are AGREEING with whom you quoted?  😄

Yes, I was expanding upon that person's thought.  Not disagreeing.  

[luv2ski98]

anyway ...last week we had 10:00 to 10:30 got there at 10:30 waited about 15 minutes in garage and went to sit in the terminal. They did start boarding suites, pinnacle and so on about 10:50. Others in our  party got there at about 12 and wait was less than 20 minutes.

[Merion_Mom]

@susanf31 -  Gently tell your parents this wonderful news:  If they board after 3,  they can go straight to their cabins with their carryons, which they cannot do if they check in at 10.

 

They will be so happy and pleased!

 

win-win-win

[PhillyFan33579]

15 hours ago, susanf31 said:

That's why I spoke to the security guy. He told me that at that particular cruise terminal that houses Harmony of the Seas, the line is always zero at 10:00 a.m. and the doors open. He suggested to get there then or after 3:00 p.m., and he is there every week.

I have sailed on Harmony twice in the last month and the lines outside were very long by 10:30 AM for both cruises. Additionally, they didn’t start allowing people into the terminal until around 10:45 AM, and that was only people who had a 10:30 AM check-in time (they also had a separate line for suite guests). 

[BND]

Funny, last night I saw basically the exact same question, almost word for word on FB.  Person got the same answers there.  Now I can't find it to see more responses.

[island lady]

5 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I have sailed on Harmony twice in the last month and the lines outside were very long by 10:30 AM for both cruises. Additionally, they didn’t start allowing people into the terminal until around 10:45 AM, and that was only people who had a 10:30 AM check-in time (they also had a separate line for suite guests). 

 

I tried to tell her that as well.   Myself, local and have been on 7 cruises out of Port Canaveral in the last six months.  Always...always a line by 10 am.  Pax with later boarding times had to wait in sectioned off gates.  

 

Simple:  Wait to check in when your scheduled time is.  

 

Though I have to admit...I arrive earlier than my check in time, just to drop off luggage...leave carry on bags in vehicle....then walk over to Grills for a wonderful "way to start the vacation" Bloody Mary on the dock.  😄 

 

At my scheduled check in time...collect the carry on bags...waltz right in through check in with a pleasant frame of mind.  😉 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by island lady

[danv3]

Rules or no, when I sailed on Harmony in April, no one was enforcing--or even checking--boarding times.  You could arrive and join the (quite long) line whenever you wanted.  

[CruisingHogFan]

3 hours ago, BND said:

Funny, last night I saw basically the exact same question, almost word for word on FB.  Person got the same answers there.  Now I can't find it to see more responses.

I think the OP has disappeared since no one would agree with her. 

[susanf31]

7 minutes ago, CruisingHogFan said:

I think the OP has disappeared since no one would agree with her. 

I have not disappeared. I have read all of the responses and appreciate everyone who took the time to politely give their 2 cents. 

First of all, i don't know who assumed it was my parents. It is not my parents. It is family members flying in the night before and staying in CC for the night. We will be dropping them off at the terminal.  I stopped by last Sunday around 1:30 p.m. to get a feel of what it will be like when we drop them off.  The line was horrendous. I asked the security agent if it was always like that. He said "Nope, doors open at 10:00. There is nobody here then. Then it gets like this from about noon until 3:00 p.m. Then the line dies down again." 

 

That is why I posed the question here. Figuring out options.

 

But, like most of the internet, it flew quickly off the rails with insults and accusations. LOL  My favorite is the one who said if you arrive earlier than >30 minutes before your check-in time should have to go to the end of the line.  If we are "sticking to the rules" and "adhering to check-in times", then anyone not arriving at their assigned time should have to go to the back of the line for the day, right? Because if you miss your 10:00 am check-in group and want to jump in line at noon, after all of the 10:00 am folks should have already been boarded, then you are, indeed, a LINE CUTTER!!!!!  You've added another person to the Noon group who should not be in it, making their line longer and everyone behind them. 

I will relay all of the excellent advice you all have given to them so they can make their choice as to when they want to arrive.

But again, I'll repeat - if you ever have a delayed flight or there is a traffic accident on SR 528 - which OFTEN happens, and you end up arriving late, you will WISH some folks got on early to shorten the line for you late arrivers. Wrecks and backed up traffic on SR 528 is especially common on days where a rocket launch is going off, fishing tournaments at Port Canaveral and any holiday weekend with beach traffic.

[zimmerman]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Though I have to admit...I arrive earlier than my check in time, just to drop off luggage...leave carry on bags in vehicle....then walk over to Grills for a wonderful "way to start the vacation" Bloody Mary on the dock.  😄 

 

taking this thread off at a tangent (seems like it’s run it’s course anyway).

 

 

does the above mean i can drop my luggage off (check them in) ahead of my check in time? Do they do this at all locations/ships?

 

im not due to board till 12:30, so I like the idea of dropping our suitcases off earlier and being able have a relaxing mooch, ahead of boarding time.

Edited July 22, 2022 by zimmerman

[Cruising89143]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

I tried to tell her that as well.   Myself, local and have been on 7 cruises out of Port Canaveral in the last six months.  Always...always a line by 10 am.  Pax with later boarding times had to wait in sectioned off gates.  

 

Simple:  Wait to check in when your scheduled time is.  

 

Though I have to admit...I arrive earlier than my check in time, just to drop off luggage...leave carry on bags in vehicle....then walk over to Grills for a wonderful "way to start the vacation" Bloody Mary on the dock.  😄 

 

At my scheduled check in time...collect the carry on bags...waltz right in through check in with a pleasant frame of mind.  😉 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that’s a plan. That Bloody Mary sounds good to me.

[psimpson]

We did our Covid test this morning and then headed to Port Canaveral from Jensen Beach to board Independence  of the seas. We arrived at 1015 and our time was 1130. Before we could even tell the gentleman that we were early and our boarding time was 1130 we were put in line and waited 5 minutes. 

[zimmerman]

[happy cruzer]

So the take-away is that they might get to checkin early if the boarding starts as planned and there is not a line of people with the earlier times.  Or they may be placed in a line for their allocated time and have to wait in the sun.  It probably is not  possible to guarantee they will not be stuck in the sun if they arrive early.  They need to decide how much risk they will assume.

 

And blaming early arrivers for being able to jump the line is ignoring the fact that the port should be organized to prevent the problem.

 

I think you got your answers - it happens both ways...

[Biker19]

26 minutes ago, zimmerman said:

Does the above mean i can drop my luggage off (check them in) ahead of my check in time?

Do they do this at all locations/ships?

Yes.

Maybe.

[dcgrumpy]

On 7/21/2022 at 10:56 AM, susanf31 said:

Here's the issue. I live in Cape Canaveral. I stopped by Port Canaveral and viewed the line to get in the terminal- Harmony of the Seas, because we have family sailing on her next week.  The line was HUGE - HOURS long in a very hot parking garage.

 

I spoke a security guy. He said the line looks like that from noon to 3:00 p.m.  He said that there is absolutely NO line from about 10:00 am to noon and the doors to the terminal open at 10:00 a.m.  From noon to 3:00 p.m, the line is monsterous. Then after 3:00 p.m. there is no line once again.

 

So if we can get them there at 10:00 a.m. if would actually help shorten the busiest time of noon - 3:00 p.m.  Again, I witnessed this first hand.

 

Just wondering if they got there when the doors open at 10:00 a.m., would they let them check in or at least wait in the air conditioned terminal.

 

Here's a video of the line I'm speaking about.

 

In answer to why they didn't choose an earlier time. Noon was the earliest time available.  

 

IMG_2708 (1).MOV 16.68 MB · 34 downloads

 

 

 

Yes. There are long lines because people don't adhere to their times and show up when it's convenient for them. Like you're planning on doing. I sailed on Harmony in May I showed up at 11:25 for an 11:30 check in. I ended up waiting for over an hour because no one as checking times. It's very frustrating. If you don't want to wait, switch the check in time to the latest available. 

[robsmom]

22 hours ago, susanf31 said:

Again, let's not get off on a "that's not fair" tangent.

 

I'm not asking to cut in line. I've been told by a security agent who works at this terminal every week that there is NO LINE at 10:00 a.m.

 

The question is - if the doors open at 10:00 and we are allowed inside AND THERE IS NO LINE, has anyone ever been able to check-in before their check-in time?

 

I would think that if there is NO LINE and a people with a noon check-in get there early, they might want to go ahead and board them since such a huge line will soon be building around noon.

 

If no, then if they arrive at 10:00, right when the doors open, perhaps they will be able to have a seat in the terminal instead of standing in line outside in the heat.

 

One good thing about Port Canaveral is even if they aren't allowed in, there are several restaurants within walking distance to hang out in while waiting on assigned check-in times.  🙂

I agree that in your scenario, they might want to check people in earlier if possible to lower lines.  That said, if this is regularly the case, why wouldn’t they just give more people the earlier time.  The reality i, that if the line is busy midday it might be because people do come earlier and over time this creates backups.   Alternatively,  Royal is not properly spreading people out, which is quite possible given their business process/IT success rate. 

[LMaxwell]

1 hour ago, susanf31 said:

I have not disappeared. I have read all of the responses and appreciate everyone who took the time to politely give their 2 cents. 

First of all, i don't know who assumed it was my parents. It is not my parents. It is family members flying in the night before and staying in CC for the night. We will be dropping them off at the terminal.  I stopped by last Sunday around 1:30 p.m. to get a feel of what it will be like when we drop them off.  The line was horrendous. I asked the security agent if it was always like that. He said "Nope, doors open at 10:00. There is nobody here then. Then it gets like this from about noon until 3:00 p.m. Then the line dies down again." 

 

That is why I posed the question here. Figuring out options.

 

But, like most of the internet, it flew quickly off the rails with insults and accusations. LOL  My favorite is the one who said if you arrive earlier than >30 minutes before your check-in time should have to go to the end of the line.  If we are "sticking to the rules" and "adhering to check-in times", then anyone not arriving at their assigned time should have to go to the back of the line for the day, right? Because if you miss your 10:00 am check-in group and want to jump in line at noon, after all of the 10:00 am folks should have already been boarded, then you are, indeed, a LINE CUTTER!!!!!  You've added another person to the Noon group who should not be in it, making their line longer and everyone behind them. 

I will relay all of the excellent advice you all have given to them so they can make their choice as to when they want to arrive.

But again, I'll repeat - if you ever have a delayed flight or there is a traffic accident on SR 528 - which OFTEN happens, and you end up arriving late, you will WISH some folks got on early to shorten the line for you late arrivers. Wrecks and backed up traffic on SR 528 is especially common on days where a rocket launch is going off, fishing tournaments at Port Canaveral and any holiday weekend with beach traffic.

 

I see no reason for 80% of the answers to dog pile on you. Cruise Critic used to be a place to learn all the best money saving tips, time efficient shortcuts, didja-know-about-this inside deals, etc.  Now people get very angry if they suspect you are getting something slightly better than they are. 

 

I thought your question was fair. You're just asking how things operate IN REALITY and did not need a lecture.  my replies in this thread were more to allow you to measure pros and cons of going early and being prepared. I don't believe in badgering people as a means to get them to see other points of view. If you read between the lines here long enough you find that many people are trying to find an advantageous situation for themselves in one way or another and there's nothing wrong with that if there's no malicious intent.  You had no malicious intent so I call fair game. 

[Another_Critic]

1 hour ago, susanf31 said:

My favorite is the one who said if you arrive earlier than >30 minutes before your check-in time should have to go to the end of the line.  If we are "sticking to the rules" and "adhering to check-in times", then anyone not arriving at their assigned time should have to go to the back of the line for the day, right? Because if you miss your 10:00 am check-in group and want to jump in line at noon, after all of the 10:00 am folks should have already been boarded, then you are, indeed, a LINE CUTTER!!!!!  You've added another person to the Noon group who should not be in it, making their line longer and everyone behind them. 

Thank you for voting my comment your favorite.  🙂

 

Someone arriving at 10 for 12 check-in pushes the queue back (your a line cutter).  Someone not showing up at 10 pushes the queue forward (you moved someone forward).  Someone arriving at 12 for a 10 check-in puts the queue back in synch (we're back where we should have been).

 

I could be wrong, but I don't think they hold the next queue until the exact scheduled boarding time (assuming the previous queue is empty).  If they actually do, then my queue logic is flawed.

[actuarian]

16 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

with my parents in their 80's who cannot stand in long lines for extended periods of time, especially in the heat.   

 

Since your parents are in their 80s, they should feel free to request wheelchair assistance when they arrive at the pier.  The wheelchair pushers are usually allowed to bypass the lines and, in any case, any waiting that they do have to experience will be sitting rather than standing.

[broadwaybaby123]

In NJ in April, they were STRICT! Now if you arrive a few min. early (say 11:15 for an 11:30 check in), fine. I heard porters sending people to the back of the line for trying to jump the line.

[island lady]

3 hours ago, zimmerman said:

 

taking this thread off at a tangent (seems like it’s run it’s course anyway).

 

 

does the above mean i can drop my luggage off (check them in) ahead of my check in time? Do they do this at all locations/ships?

 

im not due to board till 12:30, so I like the idea of dropping our suitcases off earlier and being able have a relaxing mooch, ahead of boarding time.

 

Yes, you may.   I asked the porters one time a few months ago at Port Canaveral, how early they start accepting luggage for drop off.  I was shocked when he told me 7:30 am!!  Now, that would not be the case at all terminals...but it works for them there.  

 

And to your question...absolutely, you can drop off your checked (and tagged) bags ahead of time with the porters at any cruise terminal with RCI.  I know of friends that will drop them off, then head out to get supplies (wine, etc.) or simply return the rental car in advance.  It then leaves you with just your carry on bags...quite the "freeing" feeling.  😉  And indeed...relaxing.  

[island lady]

3 hours ago, cruisingator2 said:

Now that’s a plan. That Bloody Mary sounds good to me.

 

OMG...Grills makes one heck of a delicious Bloody Mary!  😋🍹

 

We adore just standing there on the dock/deck with our drinks, which looks right at the aft of the cruise ship...and getting our cruise mode on early.  😉