Check in time

[Hlitner]

On 7/7/2023 at 4:25 PM, brunello22 said:

How far in advance before the sail date does Seabourn advise of your boarding time?  We are boarding Odyssey in Juneau on August 18.  Thanks!

We board the Quest next week.  They gave us a boarding time about 2 weeks before embarkation and have already changed that time (via e-mail).  On our prior SB cruise (Ovation) our boarding time was changed 3 times in the 10 days prior to the cruise :).  In all cases we ignored the times and went to the port when it was convenient (for us).  No problem boarding.  I should add that we have cruised several other lines in the past 2 years, they all gave us boarding times, and they all completely ignored those boarding times.

 

Hank

[brunello22]

11 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We board the Quest next week.  They gave us a boarding time about 2 weeks before embarkation and have already changed that time (via e-mail).  On our prior SB cruise (Ovation) our boarding time was changed 3 times in the 10 days prior to the cruise :).  In all cases we ignored the times and went to the port when it was convenient (for us).  No problem boarding.  I should add that we have cruised several other lines in the past 2 years, they all gave us boarding times, and they all completely ignored those boarding times.

 

Hank

Thanks, Hank!  We do not sail until late evening, so our plan is to head to the port after we check out of the hotel, drop off our bags, and then do some sightseeing around Juneau before going back onboard late afternoon. 

 

 

[Utopia1]

Is there really priority embarkation for Diamond members?  

[SLSD]

3 hours ago, Utopia1 said:

Is there really priority embarkation for Diamond members?  

I am not sure.  I've seen priority embarkation for Diamond members in the past, but our latest experience was in Copehagen and everyone at the terminal was invited to board pretty much at the same time.  The lines were minimal and there was plenty of staff to process everyone.  It was seamless and quick.  As far as I am concerned, everyone was treated equally well. 

 

I read someone's post above about not honoring boarding times being an elitist behavior.  As someone who IS a rule follower, I have a few things to say.  First, boarding times change--even after transport to the port has been arranged.  I don't think it is alway feasible to keep changing arrangements for transport.  I think Seabourn realizes this and are laid back about boarding,.  I'm sure every port is different and I can only report on our most recent experience.  

[imescaping]

My boarding also kept changing. I called Seabourn and basically said I was OK with the time but needed it confirmed (and firm). For many of the reasons listed here including transport, hotel extended checkout time etc. The representative I spoke with was very kind and set it manually and said it will not change again once it was set manually by her. It has held since. 
 

On another note, Some other cruise lines ( Disney for instance, maybe only Disney) have a set of times and a number of slots at that time and allow the customer to choose their slot. It does create a frenzy of beat the clock, but it would allow someone who wishes to tour the city before embarking or (who has a long drive or whatever) to choose a later slot vs being assigned early, which in turn would open an early slot for someone who prefers that. UGH! I just re-read what I typed I hope it makes sense.

 

 

 

 

 

[imescaping]

Just now, imescaping said:

My boarding also kept changing. I called Seabourn and basically said I was OK with the time but needed it confirmed (and firm). For many of the reasons listed here including transport, hotel extended checkout time etc. The representative I spoke with was very kind and set it manually and said it will not change again once it was set manually by her. It has held since. 
 

On another note, Some other cruise lines ( Disney for instance, maybe only Disney) have a set of times and a number of slots at that time and allow the customer to choose their slot. It does create a frenzy of beat the clock, but it would allow someone who wishes to tour the city before embarking or (who has a long drive or whatever) to choose a later slot vs being assigned early, which in turn would open an early slot for someone who prefers that. UGH! I just re-read what I typed I hope it makes sense.

 

 

 

 

 

PS. Disney, at least for our cruise enforced times (sort of) , you showed your boarding pass got a ticket and stood in the line for your time. ( you can get a ticket if you arrive late, but not early) If I remember correctly they had 3 times lined up at any point. When it was time, your line opened up, you turned in your ticket as you entered the terminal, lined up again for document check, then went to the x-ray/metal detectors, then actual check in. Ours opened early as the time before us had pretty much cleared the security area. It was a fairly quick and seamless process. Other than waiting 20 minutes or so outside the terminal, because we arrived early as my Daughter and her Husband dropped us (me and the grandkids) and the luggage off and then went to return a rental car. From rope drop to boarding took about 15 minutes. Due to the early open my daughter and hubby didn’t make it back by the time the grandkids and I entered the terminal, but they were not far behind, maybe 10 minutes or so. We’d have waited but the littles were antsy.

This was a San Diego departure. 

All that said, while there were definitely many pros, one big con is it doesn’t feel very luxurious to line up like cattle in between separate ropes waiting outside an industrial looking port building, in the whatever weather then getting what was like ticket from a carnival, to be herded toward the security lines. 

[klkaylor78]

My experience is that the time on your pass does not matter yet Seabourn makes it sound important. Text today from Seabourn that we will be sent away if we arrive early- sorry doubt that would happen.   I like to follow rules but if they are not enforced equally one must question why are the rule followers disadvantaged by doing the right thing.  My personal approach is to set up my transfer based on the original time and leave it - I hate rework.  In early covid I changed my transfer with Blacklane three times and then they were unhappy. I could understand the desire to reduce crowds during covid but now not so much.  I think Seabourn should go back to a time block for boarding like 12300-1500 and let us do our thing.  I think Diamond have their own line but unsure what criteria they use to assign groups.  I’m quite hurt at being in Group C this trip but will show up at 1320 to meet my fellow C,s.

[frantic36]

I remember when we first started sailing Seabourn in 2010 that the scheduling at that time was 2pm boarding, similar to hotel scheduling. We were told at that time it wasn't important and to turn up at 12MD or earlier by people on CC. After a couple of cruises we decided we wouldn't bother to board earlier because we encountered a few times where people were waiting for awhile.

 

I have no issue with people boarding early but I would kindly request if people do go earlier than advised they don't complain about crowding in check-in or having to wait for awhile in queues.

 

With regard to Diamond and above getting in early the last time I experienced this was in Alaska in 2017 but since we usually arrive later it is not something I look for. 

[jondfk]

I’ll add our experience boarding Ovation in June in Copenhagen.

 

This being our first on SB we didn’t expect any sort of priority.  We were assigned a boarding time of 1:00.  This time never changed in the days prior to sailing.

 

We didn’t aim to arrive early, we booked a taxi from the airport (we stayed there the night prior) for noon.  Google maps estimated the travel time as 40 minutes including a bit of city center traffic.  Our cab arrived 10 minutes early, we reconned arriving ~30 minutes early wouldn’t lead to our being scolded.  Actual travel time was closer to 25 minutes putting us, oops, 45 minutes early.

 

Not a word was said.  We encountered two brief stops before checkin, while I fumbled for boarding passes at the first stop, the person said “don’t bother with that just give me your names”, we did and she moved us along to the second station at which someone was looking over a long list.  I quipped “is that the naughty list” and was assured, no this is the nice list” (meaning the upgrade list) no such luck for us, we were directed onwards to checkin.  Passports were checked and boarding chits with bar codes were issued.  At that precise moment boarding was announced and an ordered procession across the pier and towards the gangway began.

 

The entire process took something like 20 minutes and I’d estimate we were roughly in the first half of the passengers with roughly 250 boarded ahead of us (though we later learned that about 75 had continued onward from the prior Iceland sailing).

 

I’ve commented elsewhere some displeasure at that first meal after boarding, a good reason to delay a bit when we board Odyssey in a couple weeks, but speaking only about our boarding process it would be very difficult for SB to make meaningful improvements.

 

[Hobar]

We started sailing SB in 2002.  There was no assigned boarding, but the ships then were the baby triplets, so only 200 passengers.  It was truly magical because as we waited to board, the SB service was in full play already with champagne, etc, as we waited.  (It was the Panama Canal voyage.). My mother, who was with us and had already been sailing SB for a few years, told us that this was a typical SB embarkation.  Truly magical, and so it was not until the next iteration of SB ships that we started seeing changes.  But we do still love SB and even if it occasionally takes a bit more time to embark (which I actually only recall on an Asia sailing), it’s ok, as we know we will be embarking on another adventure. And yes, admittedly, sometimes service is not as quick on the ships as it was all those years ago, but we are no longer in a hurry.  We enjoy life much better focusing on positives rather than occasional disappointments which we quickly forget.  Life is too short, and gets only shorter as we get older.  How fortunate are we to be sailing on SB, especially those of us who do so again and again.  

Edited July 23, 2023 by Hobar

[cruiseej]

On 7/23/2023 at 3:58 AM, klkaylor78 said:

I’m quite hurt at being in Group C this trip but will show up at 1320 to meet my fellow C,s.

 

I wouldn't feel hurt or slighted at all! Other than perhaps uber-elite passengers, I don't think you can find any meaning in the boarding time you've been assigned. In fact, in the two years since Seabourn resumed cruising post-Covid and implemented these boarding times, no one I've met or talked to on our three cruises or online about the boarding times has been able to explain — or even discern — what rules or algorithm they are using to assign people to boarding time slots. Nor why they send multiple emails and sometimes change the boarding time once or twice. What new information do they have between a week in advance and three days in advance which would require changing anyone's boarding time? My guess is that your cruise has Group A at 13:00, Group B at 13:10 and Group C at 13:20. Of course, everyone wants to be first, but everyone can't be first, and it really doesn't matter. 

 

On our most recent cruise two months ago, we were happy to be traveling with 5 other couples; we had the most nights on Seabourn in the group, but we just became Gold level. Three other couples had one or two prior Seabourn cruises. Two couples were new to Seabourn. We were all in the same class of suite, all adjoining on the same deck. Yet we received three different boarding times among us, and one of the new couples received the earliest time slot, and ours wasn't the earliest. Go figure! 🤣 Because we had booked a van from our hotel to the port, we naturally arrived at the same time — and it was no problem, as there was no queue, and no one asked for our boarding pass document. After dropping off our luggage and checking in in the cruise terminal, we received a small laminated group number for boarding, base don our time of arrival. I think we were group 8, and we had about a 10 minute wait until we were called to board, probably about 1:30. Within minutes, we had visited our suite to drop off carry on bags, stopped to talk to a hostess at Thomas Keller to square away a night when we could all dine together (which hadn't been possible to book online in advance), and found two adjoining tables outside at the back of the Colonnade for lunch and wine (not necessarily in that order) — it was all smooth and perfect!

[SLSD]

jondfk, We have cruised Seabourn many times and had a later boarding time than you were given.  There is no rhyme or reason here as cruiseej has suggested.  I think traveling abroad can be challenging and the best we can all do is arrange transportation to the port based on what we are told initially.  

[klkaylor78]

No plan survives first contact— transfer set up for 1250 to meet 1320 check in time. Driver shows up an hour early- I expect 15 min early but… hurry a bit finishing getting ready. Check out at 1230 - 15 min drive takes25 due to traffic. Arrive at 12555. No one asks for our checkin time despite a warning we would be turned away if early. No one looks at our boarding pass even though a text message that morning insuring us without our source downloaded pass we would delayed. New paper passes printed and like a friendly precision machine we we welcome back to our favorite ship the Quest. (I wa worried she would be a bit sullen as we has a fall fling on the Odesey and a steamy affair with the Sojourn in March but no). 

Lunch in the colonnade, help de conflicting a TK reservation with fried chicken night.  Pleseantly surprised with being given the diamond internet pkg for free even though we were a few nights short of Diamond(2 to be exact).  
Seabourn please get rid of the boarding times and the unnecessary warnings and do what you do best-great service with no hassles.

[whirldcruzrs]

On 7/23/2023 at 4:24 PM, Hobar said:

We started sailing SB in 2002.  There was no assigned boarding, but the ships then were the baby triplets, so only 200 passengers.  It was truly magical because as we waited to board, the SB service was in full play already with champagne, etc, as we waited.  (It was the Panama Canal voyage.). My mother, who was with us and had already been sailing SB for a few years, told us that this was a typical SB embarkation.  Truly magical, and so it was not until the next iteration of SB ships that we started seeing changes.  But we do still love SB and even if it occasionally takes a bit more time to embark (which I actually only recall on an Asia sailing), it’s ok, as we know we will be embarking on another adventure. And yes, admittedly, sometimes service is not as quick on the ships as it was all those years ago, but we are no longer in a hurry.  We enjoy life much better focusing on positives rather than occasional disappointments which we quickly forget.  Life is too short, and gets only shorter as we get older.  How fortunate are we to be sailing on SB, especially those of us who do so again and again.  

So nice to see a positive comment. Seems like so many flock to negative comments but your post just feels good.  Thank you.