Port Canaveral - Diamond Priority Line for Boarding?

[ready2cruzagain]

We went on the Seashore earlier this year out of Miami and there was no Diamond Priority Line for boarding. Has anyone who has sailed out of PC lately seen the Priority Line for boarding for Diamond?  I seen a video where the guy said he was told no but later on found out there was one. Just wondering how to find it if it is really there.

[kelleherdl]

If you self identify as Diamond to port staff you will be directed to the Aurea/Diamond line for CHECK-IN. There is only one line for actual BOARDING. When boarding commences it is by group with Yacht Club and special assistance guests followed by Aurea/Diamond then by group number. Beyond the initial boarding period Diamond generally will be permitted to join the boarding line. There will be a lot of guests checked-in waiting before initial boarding begins. Your actual experience will depend on when you arrive at Port Canaveral. 

[def0715]

I was on the Meraviglia this month out of PC. First time on MSC. (I had status-matched to Diamond.) Very long line out the door. Approached several people to ask about a possible Diamond line. Was told there was a Diamond area once inside the terminal, and that I needed to go to the back of the line. Once inside, before security, there was another long-ish line. After I got through that I was pointed to a Diamond area and on the ship quickly. Also, they didn’t care whatsoever about my boarding time, so I don’t know what the point of that was. I think they said it was because there were so many passengers on that sailing that they didn’t care about boarding time window. Curious to know if this is standard at PC.

Edited November 23, 2022 by def0715

[MikeMSD]

On 11/23/2022 at 7:17 AM, def0715 said:

Very long line out the door. Approached several people to ask about a possible Diamond line. Was told there was a Diamond area once inside the terminal, and that I needed to go to the back of the line.

That seems to be the standard for everything out of PC at least in my experience. I've taken Carnival out of PC several times, and it's the same line to get into the building, then once you're in, they have a separate section for suites and status. Going out of New Orleans on Carnival, they had a separate line for status and first to the fun. Not sure why they don't do that at PC.

[def0715]

I booked YC for the first time. Will be interesting to see if that matters. 🙂

[twangster]

2 hours ago, def0715 said:

I booked YC for the first time. Will be interesting to see if that matters. 🙂

 

Go to the YC tent at the bottom of the escalator near the terminal entrance.  

[twangster]

I boarded Meraviglia last week.  The ship was late coming in and slow to debark guests.  I didn't know that and I had a 12:30pm - 1pm arrival time slot so I arrived on time.  If I had known the whole process was delayed I would have arrived later.  No communication from MSC and no one was outside to let us know what was going on.  Word passed down the line as new guests joined the misery.  

 

The line was very long and not moving at first.  In this photo the line on the left doubles back (the line on the right).   This picture was taken from the area where the line did the 180° turn.  When I joined the line it was near the crosswalk from the garage.  The line didn't move for an hour when I joined it.  Only once the line started moving and I reached this turn did I take the picture.

   

 

It was slow going and there was no Diamond shortcut until after security.  

 

After security you enter another zig zag rope course which took about 25 minutes to reach a point where there were two terminal reps directing guests so at that point I asked and was able to go left towards the YC and Diamond check in queue inside the terminal.  

 

It took me about two hours to reach the point where Diamond could leave the general queue.  I'm guessing the Diamond queue saved me about 30 - 45 minutes given that general queue went into another zig zag rope course that wasn't moving very fast when I left it.

 

Once in the Diamond check in queue I was next up and on board within 10 minutes.  

 

I had friends that had arrived early.  They were let into the terminal but had to wait in the terminal for several hours.  They got on board just after 1pm I think.  So while they waited in the terminal I waited outside.  Fortunately it wasn't raining.  

 

I had sunscreen and a hat in my carry on and I was very thankful for that as the sun was cooking us all.  Everyone behaved and no one threw a fit.  It was miserable but everyone recognized it was miserable for everyone.  

 

There are restrooms outside in a couple of places.  The first restrooms I saw were about 250 yards down the line in the picture at the end of the terminal building.  Another set of restrooms are outside, closer to the terminal entrance.

 

For YC guests there is a covered canopy tent host station at the bottom of the escalators at the terminal entrance.  YC guests should not get in the general queue seen above.   Security is just inside the terminal at the top of the escalators.  YC have a separate queue at security and after security there was someone waiting there to drop the ropes and let YC through to bypass the general check in queue.  

 

I boarded Divina here last year and on that occasion they lost network connectivity in the terminal during check in so it halted for a long time and I had another miserable standing for hours in lines experience at the same terminal.   I have more booked so maybe my 3rd time will be a charm.