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Boarding Zones

RumpunchGirl

By RumpunchGirl,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Elaine5715

Elaine5715

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, RumpunchGirl said:

I'm just wondering what the different boarding Zones numbers mean or what order they are. I have boarding zone A05 on Panorama. Thanks for your help!

Boarding Groups start with A01 and get called in order similar to airplane boarding groups

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jsglow

jsglow

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Weddings, Suites, Diamond, Platinum, FttF, then in order A01...9, B01....9, C01.....9, etc.

 

Note, one can board anytime after their group becomes eligible.  The caveat is on  Journey cruise when the Dia/Plats don't have anytime privileges and I suspect FttF simply isn't sold. The rationale behind that is the preponderance of Dia/Plats overall.  Everyone can't be first.

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ninjacat123 "Live from...." Rare

ninjacat123

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I usually get A01 being Platinum and doing online check in at the crack of midnight.  I don't put in all the info so I can move through the process quickly, then go back and complete it after I get my check in time and zone.  This upcoming cruise on Jan 14 on Magic I got 10:00 - 10:30 check in and A02.  Must be some crazy fast typing going on to put me in A02😉

No big deal, I just find it interesting.

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springtr

springtr

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

  This upcoming cruise on Jan 14 on Magic I got 10:00 - 10:30 check in and A02. 


I’m a newbie, so please bare with my dumb/obvious question: 

 

If you’ve got 10am boarding, can you get on board that early? What is the earliest time the first passenger sets foot on a 3:30pm cruise? 
 

Google says carnival starts boarding 4 hours before cruise sail time. Does that mean the first group has to hang out at the terminal for about an hour? 

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Sailin_Pirate

Sailin_Pirate

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17 minutes ago, springtr said:


I’m a newbie, so please bare with my dumb/obvious question: 

 

If you’ve got 10am boarding, can you get on board that early? What is the earliest time the first passenger sets foot on a 3:30pm cruise? 
 

Google says carnival starts boarding 4 hours before cruise sail time. Does that mean the first group has to hang out at the terminal for about an hour? 

Check in time is different than boarding time .

 

In my very many (4) cruises we have always had to hangout outside for some time before being let into the terminal. Then you check in then sit around until called to board. Miami/Baltimore/New Orleans and Norfolk

 

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Schoifmom

Schoifmom

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9 hours ago, springtr said:


I’m a newbie, so please bare with my dumb/obvious question: 

 

If you’ve got 10am boarding, can you get on board that early? What is the earliest time the first passenger sets foot on a 3:30pm cruise? 
 

Google says carnival starts boarding 4 hours before cruise sail time. Does that mean the first group has to hang out at the terminal for about an hour? 

 

What you recieve is an arrival time, not a boarding time.  The time the ship boards depends on many factors.  They have to clear the previous cruise then there is sometimes some inspections that have to be performed prior to boarding the new cruise.  We have boarded as early as 10:30 and as late as 1:00, both with early arrival times.

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jsglow

jsglow

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11 hours ago, springtr said:


I’m a newbie, so please bare with my dumb/obvious question: 

 

If you’ve got 10am boarding, can you get on board that early? What is the earliest time the first passenger sets foot on a 3:30pm cruise? 
 

Google says carnival starts boarding 4 hours before cruise sail time. Does that mean the first group has to hang out at the terminal for about an hour? 

Usually boarding begins at 11a. That's not set in stone but is certainly the target.

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jsglow

jsglow

Posted
Posted (edited)
9 minutes ago, Schoifmom said:

There may be 50 persons per group, but not 50 numbers per letter group.  I believe that there are 10 in each letter group (A01, A02 ... B01, B01...)

Yeah, if I remember correctly it goes from AO1-9, then the Bs.  I'm betting 50 is a good guess for each number so call it 450ish for A.

 

I also think letter C is the last of the queuing.  After that it's simply 'Welcome Aboard'. I'm a proponent of boarding early on short cruises when travel plans permit.  On longer ones (especially Journeys), take Aaron Rodgers' suggestion to R-E-L-A-X. 🏈

Edited by jsglow
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jsglow

jsglow

Posted
Posted (edited)
10 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

In Seattle, the letter for boarding group go well past 'C'.  At some point later in the day it just turns into 'open boarding'.


Seeing as I'm always on the ship by then Ferry! 😁 Am I correct though that it's about 400-500 per letter? Enjoying the rain up there?

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asalligo

asalligo

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, springtr said:


I’m a newbie, so please bare with my dumb/obvious question: 

 

If you’ve got 10am boarding, can you get on board that early? What is the earliest time the first passenger sets foot on a 3:30pm cruise? 
 

Google says carnival starts boarding 4 hours before cruise sail time. Does that mean the first group has to hang out at the terminal for about an hour? 

 

Yes, the first group usually has to just hang out in the terminal seating area for about an hour. December 18th on the Carnival Pride I had a 10am check in time, but the Uber showed up early so we headed to the terminal. They let me in line at 9:37 am. I was through security and the check in process and seated in the terminal to wait for boarding at 9:50. Boarding started at 10:35 and I was on the ship at 10:37. 

 

 

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asalligo

asalligo

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40 minutes ago, jsglow said:

Yeah, if I remember correctly it goes from AO1-9, then the Bs.  I'm betting 50 is a good guess for each number so call it 450ish for A.

 

I also think letter C is the last of the queuing.  After that it's simply 'Welcome Aboard'. I'm a proponent of boarding early on short cruises when travel plans permit.  On longer ones (especially Journeys), take Aaron Rodgers' suggestion to R-E-L-A-X. 🏈

 In Tampa they had all the way back to section E and they called each by section. 

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RumpunchGirl

RumpunchGirl

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I am wondering, does the assigned boarding zone have anything to do with your check-in time? DH and I are cruising with friends.  We all have a checking time of 10-10:30.  But, DH and I finished our online check-in process when we selected our check-in time and got boarding Zone A01 . Our friends only secured their check-in time but still have to finish their online check-in process.  Will they have a different Boarding Zone than us?  This is all new so I'm trying to understand how this works.  Thanks!

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jsglow

jsglow

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Posted
2 minutes ago, RumpunchGirl said:

I am wondering, does the assigned boarding zone have anything to do with your check-in time? DH and I are cruising with friends.  We all have a checking time of 10-10:30.  But, DH and I finished our online check-in process when we selected our check-in time and got boarding Zone A01 . Our friends only secured their check-in time but still have to finish their online check-in process.  Will they have a different Boarding Zone than us?  This is all new so I'm trying to understand how this works.  Thanks!

Pretty sure the answer is NO.  It's the selection of your arrival time that prompts your boarding zone.  On an upcoming Journey we're not arriving at the port until after 11 so selected that slot. Got C01.

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barbatkins

barbatkins

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On 1/2/2023 at 7:29 PM, ninjacat123 said:

I usually get A01 being Platinum and doing online check in at the crack of midnight.  I don't put in all the info so I can move through the process quickly, then go back and complete it after I get my check in time and zone.  This upcoming cruise on Jan 14 on Magic I got 10:00 - 10:30 check in and A02.  Must be some crazy fast typing going on to put me in A02😉

No big deal, I just find it interesting.

I got the same A2 at midnight for Jan. 15 sailing of Celebration.  I’m Diamond so I expected A1… must be a lot of suite guests

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eltigre

eltigre

Posted
Posted
On 1/2/2023 at 4:29 PM, ninjacat123 said:

I usually get A01 being Platinum and doing online check in at the crack of midnight.  I don't put in all the info so I can move through the process quickly, then go back and complete it after I get my check in time and zone.  This upcoming cruise on Jan 14 on Magic I got 10:00 - 10:30 check in and A02.  Must be some crazy fast typing going on to put me in A02😉

No big deal, I just find it interesting.

Midnight what time zone? I will be in Hawaii when mine opens up.

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