Carnival Paradise out of Tampa - What's the earlist one can begin boarding?

[BarbieGee]

I've looked at a few videos of cruisers embarking from Tampa and one of them said they got on board at 11am. Really?

I've sailed out of Miami and the earliest we were allowed to begin check-in was 12pm with boarding beginning at 1pm.
 

What is the earliest anyone has checked in at the Tampa port for a Carnival Paradise cruise?

[Gypsywych]

Admittedly before Covid, but we had a check in time of 11am in Nov 2019.

[groundloop]

I've sailed out of Tampa a total of three times, twice since the restart.  The earliest arrival appointments were 10:00 AM but boarding typically didn't start for another 30 or 45 minutes after that - which led to large crowds in the terminal exacerbated by folks who showed up way before their appointment.

 

And I'll mention again here that I recently sailed on Holland America for the first time I really like their boarding procedure.  You're assigned an arrival time by the cruise line and not allowed into the terminal until your appointment.  Check-in goes quickly and then you get on the ship and have access to your cabin immediately, no sitting around on a crowded lido deck with all of your carry-ons.

Edited August 18, 2022 by groundloop

[May1cruiser]

Walked on at 11am saturday. Got off at 815 today with checked luggage. Paradise has there stuff together right now. One of the best emb/deb I can recall. 

[nascartim]

Another here at 11am. 

[thunderingherd11]

So what's the latest you can get on.   Doing Paradise in December and two of my kids will be pushing it to get to the port in a timely manner.

[groundloop]

5 minutes ago, thunderingherd11 said:

So what's the latest you can get on.   Doing Paradise in December and two of my kids will be pushing it to get to the port in a timely manner.

 

I just pulled up my boarding pass for the last time we sailed out of Tamp and final boarding time was 2:30 PM.  

[BarbieGee]

7 hours ago, groundloop said:

I've sailed out of Tampa a total of three times, twice since the restart.  The earliest arrival appointments were 10:00 AM but boarding typically didn't start for another 30 or 45 minutes after that - which led to large crowds in the terminal exacerbated by folks who showed up way before their appointment.

 

And I'll mention again here that I recently sailed on Holland America for the first time I really like their boarding procedure.  You're assigned an arrival time by the cruise line and not allowed into the terminal until your appointment.  Check-in goes quickly and then you get on the ship and have access to your cabin immediately, no sitting around on a crowded lido deck with all of your carry-ons.

In reading the check in procedures on the Carnival website, one gets to select the check in time. 10am seems a good time which would then allow boarding by 11am? I would love to go aboard early to explore and familiarize myself with the layout of the ship.

[IslandHppy]

8 hours ago, BarbieGee said:

In reading the check in procedures on the Carnival website, one gets to select the check in time. 10am seems a good time which would then allow boarding by 11am? I would love to go aboard early to explore and familiarize myself with the layout of the ship.

Those times are selected during online check in but may be "sold out" - I did a late booking on the Glory and only times after 1130 were open. 

[groundloop]

10 hours ago, BarbieGee said:

In reading the check in procedures on the Carnival website, one gets to select the check in time. 10am seems a good time which would then allow boarding by 11am? I would love to go aboard early to explore and familiarize myself with the layout of the ship.

 

EVERYBODY wants the earliest check-in times.  That, coupled with the fact that actual boarding never begins on time, plus the large number of people who show up well before their appointment creates a big mess in the terminal.  

 

To be honest there will be plenty of time to wander around the ship even if you get a later check-in appointment.  I've learned that it's easier to go with one of the later check-in times, you can walk right onto the ship with no crowds and go directly to your cabin without waiting on the crowded lido deck.

[mickeychicky]

With that being said.....what time are the rooms available? 

I have to sneak away from my travel companions and decorate the room for a 1ST TIME CRUISER.  Need to be stealth-like without raising suspicion that I was the one who did it. 

Any room decor ideas for a 1st timer would be awesome too.    I already picked up a banner that I have to personalize to hang in the room. 

[groundloop]

3 hours ago, mickeychicky said:

what time are the rooms available? 

 

 

Typically at 1:30 PM.

[Cruiseman38]

Was just on Paradise on the 07/30 to 08/04 cruise.  Got in line at 10:15 a.m. , was sitting waiting to board at 10:30 a.m. and boarding started promptly at 11:00 a.m.  Was on board by 11:30 a.m.

 

Rooms were ready by 1:15, 1:30 p.m.  We not allowed to go earlier as S & S cards were not yet out until 1:15 p.m.

 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Cruiseman38

[Corby114]

Earliest check in time is usually 10:00AM. Earliest boarding time is 11:00AM and the latest your allowed to board the ship is 2:30PM for a 4:00 PM sailing. A few years ago on a Holland America Eurodam sailing from Port Everglades we watched a few different families arrive approximately one hour before the ships departure. They were trying to enter the terminal and all the doors were locked and check in was closed. They were upset and still standing around the terminal as the ship left the dock.

[breadandbutter]

On Aug 22nd we started boarding att 10. 45am

[UPNYGuy]

Just got off the ship. Got in line at 11:30, went through security and check in and was on the ship in 15 minutes. Did the new muster and there were 4 other people at my station. Went and grabbed my keys (think it was 12:00-12:30), went to the lido and had a drink (paradise has a bar in the lido buffet) and ate outside (also has outside seating at the stern)

[ober134]

On 8/18/2022 at 3:51 PM, thunderingherd11 said:

So what's the latest you can get on.   Doing Paradise in December and two of my kids will be pushing it to get to the port in a timely manner.

There is a cut off time. I believe there's a passenger head count and/or manifest that needs turned over to authorities. Its usually about an hour before sail away. No one will be permitted to board after that cut off time.