Boarding times - are they strict?

[Ret MP]

8 minutes ago, FastShip24 said:

It's on your boarding pass

I'd have to look at one of my old boarding passes.  But I'm in the middle of a move and that stuff is packed away.  If true, I stand corrected.  Does the boarding pass say that "Boarding" starts at XX:XXAM Or is it an individual time.  

[steveru621]

17 minutes ago, FastShip24 said:

It's on your boarding pass

 

Your arrival time is on your set sail pass. No other numbers related to boarding the ship.

 

Perhaps you are referencing another cruise line.

[Ret MP]

8 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

 

Your arrival time is on your set sail pass. No other numbers related to boarding the ship.

 

Perhaps you are referencing another cruise line.

Could be!

Edited August 18, 2023 by Ret MP

[steveru621]

Just now, Ret MP said:

Nope, RCCL is the only cruise line I've cruised in a ~couple decades.

 

Not you @Ret MP, I referenced @FastShip24.  

[Ret MP]

Just now, steveru621 said:

 

Not you @Ret MP, I referenced @FastShip24.  

Yep, I changed my post already

[steveru621]

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, steveru621 said:

That's what I thought.  But, I don't have documentation to back myself up.

[eggnoodle]

When I arrived at my scheduled 10.30-11am boarding time last week at Port Canaveral for Marina OTS in terminal 5 they didn't check anyone. When I arrived, the waiting area was at 90% capacity!   Maybe terminal 5 is smaller than terminal 1 so they don't check? What is the use to select a boarding time if the staff don't enforce it. 

[nferr]

4 minutes ago, eggnoodle said:

When I arrived at my scheduled 10.30-11am boarding time last week at Port Canaveral for Marina OTS in terminal 5 they didn't check anyone. When I arrived, the waiting area was at 90% capacity!   Maybe terminal 5 is smaller than terminal 1 so they don't check? What is the use to select a boarding time if the staff don't enforce it. 

 

Same at Cape Liberty in December.

[steveru621]

13 minutes ago, eggnoodle said:

When I arrived at my scheduled 10.30-11am boarding time last week at Port Canaveral for Marina OTS in terminal 5 they didn't check anyone. When I arrived, the waiting area was at 90% capacity!   Maybe terminal 5 is smaller than terminal 1 so they don't check? What is the use to select a boarding time if the staff don't enforce it. 

 

That's why RCI calls it an arrival time.  Boarding is a separate process.

[FastShip24]

38 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Could be!

Nope.  On Panorama, I had an 1130 check in and had a b5 boarding pass.  It's right on your boarding pass

[steveru621]

8 minutes ago, FastShip24 said:

Nope.  On Panorama, I had an 1130 check in and had a b5 boarding pass.  It's right on your boarding pass

 

Nope, No ship or port called Panorama.

[loman]

1 hour ago, steveru621 said:

 

Nope, No ship or port called Panorama.

Thats a Carnival ship , just googled it .

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, FastShip24 said:

Long Beach assigned you a slot

I think you may be confusing another line with RCI - RCI doesn't sail out of Long Beach.

[Mum2Mercury]

On 8/16/2023 at 6:09 AM, GTO-Girl said:

We sail out of Canaveral quite often.  On our last few cruises they allowed people to line up in their marked off areas up until the 11:00-11:30 assigned times.  All others were moved to the side and told to wait.

 

we had a 10:30 check in so I am not sure exactly how it was handled after that but once they started letting people inside and they were processed they probably started letting others line up….but again I wasn’t there so I don’t know…

This was my experience as well.  We always have 10:30 check-ins, and I've seen the staff -- in Orlando and in Miami -- sending later check in people to the back.  As you say, I went on in, and I don't know if those people had to wait until (for example) 1:00 or not -- or if they were allowed in during lulls in the crowds.  But they did not get in at 10:30 with us.

[volk904]

I want to board early. I was very surprised when I checked I. On the 17th the first day for our Oct 1 Harmony cruise rather I could get no Tim earlier than 12:30.  Do they open up earlier times over as the cruise gets closer so the first to check in don’t take them all? 

[alex_drew]

9 hours ago, volk904 said:

I want to board early. I was very surprised when I checked I. On the 17th the first day for our Oct 1 Harmony cruise rather I could get no Tim earlier than 12:30.  Do they open up earlier times over as the cruise gets closer so the first to check in don’t take them all? 

Yes, check back later and they often open up earlier times.

[BirdTravels]

On 8/17/2023 at 11:22 PM, FastShip24 said:

I understand that. In Seattle, boarding times were as soon as you checked in. You check in time had no lines.  I e been on over 25 cruises.  It helps if you read what I wrote. 

Actually not. They need to get all of the previous passengers off. Normally the earliest that start boarding is between 11:00 and 11:30. If you have cruised 25 times, that should be obvious unless you consistently show up after noon. 

 

Have you been on 25 cruises since the pandemic restart?

 

We sailed out of Seattle last year and they checked our check-in time. 

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, volk904 said:

I want to board early. I was very surprised when I checked I. On the 17th the first day for our Oct 1 Harmony cruise rather I could get no Tim earlier than 12:30.  Do they open up earlier times over as the cruise gets closer so the first to check in don’t take them all? 

Most of your fellow cruisers waited until midnight ship's time and checked in. If you wait to long, early times are gobbled up by those flying in day of cruise with early flights. 

[PacnGoNow]

On 8/20/2023 at 12:14 AM, BirdTravels said:

Most of your fellow cruisers waited until midnight ship's time and checked in. If you wait to long, early times are gobbled up by those flying in day of cruise with early flights. 

Has anyone checked in and boarded out of Galveston recently?

Are they strict on arrival times there?

Using Harmony in February.

When can you pick arrival groups?  On the App?

Haven’t sailed RCI in a while.

TIA

[Another_Critic]

40 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Using Harmony in February.

When can you pick arrival groups?  On the App?

 

Check-in (where you pick arrival time) starts at 45 days out at 12 midnight local time of departure port.  Can be done via app or online account.  Check-in date is listed in the app and your online account.  

[PacnGoNow]

6 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Check-in (where you pick arrival time) starts at 45 days out at 12 midnight local time of departure port.  Can be done via app or online account.  Check-in date is listed in the app and your online account.  

Thank you.

[cruiselvr04]

3 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

Has anyone checked in and boarded out of Galveston recently?

Are they strict on arrival times there?

Using Harmony in February.

When can you pick arrival groups?  On the App?

Haven’t sailed RCI in a while.

TIA

In February and March they basically let anyone in the building.  You wait upstairs until the area you’re waiting in is allowed to board.  I think we had times of 1130 and were on board by then.  I wouldn’t try going more than an hour early in case you have to wait.  FYI. Unless you travel carry on only, the line to drop luggage can take as much as 30 minutes so factor that into your arrival time. 

[PacnGoNow]

2 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

In February and March they basically let anyone in the building.  You wait upstairs until the area you’re waiting in is allowed to board.  I think we had times of 1130 and were on board by then.  I wouldn’t try going more than an hour early in case you have to wait.  FYI. Unless you travel carry on only, the line to drop luggage can take as much as 30 minutes so factor that into your arrival time. 

Thank you, very helpful.