Embarkation boarding prior to your time

[dacf]

We're going on Celebrity Equinox for March 23rd sale.  Our check in time on embarkation day is 2pm.   Unfortunately we couldn't get any earlier.  We would love to get on board for lunch, even an hour earlier would be great.   If we did show up for 1pm, how big of an issue would it be, or would we have to wait till 2pm before we board?  This is our second sail with Celebrity so I don't think we have any special status.

Thanks for your help 🙂

[helen haywood]

At Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale) no one has been paying attention to the scheduled boarding times since the post Covid sailings recommenced. 

[dacf]

Oh great to know!!  We'll go for 12:30 - 1ish.  Thanks:)

 

[TheHawk1]

Sure, consider your boarding time just a "suggestion".  Great news to those of us that sit up until midnight the day that check in opens, which is what I did several weeks for a recent cruise, so that I was able to receive an 11:30am boarding time.  But let's have everyone just show up when they feel like it.  Doesn't seem fair or appropriate to those of us who actually follow their assigned time.

[Galaxy2004]

@TheHawk1 The reality is that at Port Everglades the port authorities and check-in staff do not follow the assigned boarding times. Their goal is to get people through and onboard as quickly as possible. Put that with people like me who have flown in the night before who are not going to sit at a hotel for 3 or 4 hours when we can go wait at that beautiful almost new terminal and maybe get on early. When lines are set up with time slots displayed I always go to my assigned line but even then I've been sent through as soon as the other lines are empty. Maybe some of those people who are grabbing the 11:30 slots are grabbing lunch somewhere in FLL and deciding to arrive whenever they want and that's why I've been able to get in early. Who knows. Anyway, if 1000 people show up at 10:30 one cruise, maybe they will reconsider their process. 

[wrk2cruise]

The new embarkation procedures are very efficient.  If you arrive at 12:30 I'm sure you will not have any issue boarding in a relatively short time.  Most of the rush should be over by then.

[Liao]

1 hour ago, dacf said:

We're going on Celebrity Equinox for March 23rd sale.  Our check in time on embarkation day is 2pm.   Unfortunately we couldn't get any earlier.  We would love to get on board for lunch, even an hour earlier would be great.   If we did show up for 1pm, how big of an issue would it be, or would we have to wait till 2pm before we board?  This is our second sail with Celebrity so I don't think we have any special status.

Thanks for your help 🙂

And if my dining time (only option available) is too late for me, can I cut in front of you?

[kaysha2004]

Out of respect for all of us who have the early boarding times, just wait your turn.  People who show up early and cut the line cause chaos in the boarding process.  You're on a cruise ship, so you will never go hungry.  The buffet is open all afternoon.

[Galaxy2004]

@kaysha2004 6 cruises from FLL in the last 2 years all from Terminal 25 so not for sure on others but I've never seen "chaos in the boarding process" at any time I've shown up. 

[DaKahuna]

Just a reminder - a check in time, what you are assigned when you check in for your cruise, is not a "Boarding Time."  They are two totally different things.  No one gets a boarding time assigned. Boarding is done once the ship has reached a zero count (all passengers from the pervious cruise have checked off the ship) and then boarding is done by  Back to Back, Suits & Zenith, those needing additional assistance, and the any Priority boarding.  Boarding is never a set time. 

 

[jwlane]

30 minutes ago, kaysha2004 said:

cut the line 

That would be wrong.  That's not the same as showing up when one wants and going to the end of whatever line might exist.

[d9704011]

3 hours ago, dacf said:

Oh great to know!!  We'll go for 12:30 - 1ish.  Thanks:)

 

Don't forget to pack a selection of shorts, t-shirts and sandals for dining and large clips to secure a towel to a pool-side lounger early in the morning before heading off to a leisurely breakfast; skip the handwash station... totally unnecessary.

[kaysha2004]

9 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Just a reminder - a check in time, what you are assigned when you check in for your cruise, is not a "Boarding Time."  They are two totally different things.  No one gets a boarding time assigned. Boarding is done once the ship has reached a zero count (all passengers from the pervious cruise have checked off the ship) and then boarding is done by  Back to Back, Suits & Zenith, those needing additional assistance, and the any Priority boarding.  Boarding is never a set time. 

 

This is off topic from the original question, but I believe you are incorrect.  Boarding time and check-in time are synonymous and used interchangeably in cruise language.  After you "check in" on the website or app, you're assigned an "arrival time", aka boarding time, which shows up in the app and on the website.  Boarding/arrival is always a set time.  

[d9704011]

1 minute ago, kaysha2004 said:

This is off topic from the original question, but I believe you are incorrect.  Boarding time and check-in time are synonymous and used interchangeably in cruise language.  After you "check in" on the website or app, you're assigned an "arrival time", aka boarding time, which shows up in the app and on the website.  Boarding/arrival is always a set time.  

Really!  If my check-in time (or arrival at the check-in area time) is 1130, why am I not already onboard?  In fact, I may actually have to sit around for a period of time for no apparent (at least to me) reason.

[DaKahuna]

18 minutes ago, kaysha2004 said:

This is off topic from the original question, but I believe you are incorrect.  Boarding time and check-in time are synonymous and used interchangeably in cruise language.  After you "check in" on the website or app, you're assigned an "arrival time", aka boarding time, which shows up in the app and on the website.  Boarding/arrival is always a set time.  

 

 I hate to break it to you but arrival times are set, boarding times are never set.  Yes, a lot of people think the assigned arrival time you get when you check in on-line 45 day days before you cruise is a board time but it is not.  You can arrive anytime you want and you may be able to check in any time you want (they've pretty much stopped checking assigned arrival times for check in) but you may not board any time you want.  No one boards until the ship has been cleared by port authorities for boarding. 

 

Edited March 14 by DaKahuna

[Rick&Jeannie]

Given that your interaction with "pier/port personnel" are *not* cruise line personnel (in general) I have always highly doubted that they are even aware of the systems that the cruise lines put in place to simply "spread the load" of passengers' arrival times.  They are *certainly* not "checking people off a list in regards to any assigned arrival time.

[TheHawk1]

2 hours ago, Galaxy2004 said:

@TheHawk1 The reality is that at Port Everglades the port authorities and check-in staff do not follow the assigned boarding times. Their goal is to get people through and onboard as quickly as possible. Put that with people like me who have flown in the night before who are not going to sit at a hotel for 3 or 4 hours when we can go wait at that beautiful almost new terminal and maybe get on early. When lines are set up with time slots displayed I always go to my assigned line but even then I've been sent through as soon as the other lines are empty. Maybe some of those people who are grabbing the 11:30 slots are grabbing lunch somewhere in FLL and deciding to arrive whenever they want and that's why I've been able to get in early. Who knows. Anyway, if 1000 people show up at 10:30 one cruise, maybe they will reconsider their process. 

There are over 2,800 passengers on Equinox (the OP's ship) and I'm sure Celebrity doesn't want them all showing up at the same time, which is why they assign boarding times in the first place.  The only people who can show up at any time are suite passengers.  The rest of us should stick to the time we're assigned and then everyone has the same opportunity to board quickly.

[Galaxy2004]

Ascent capacity is over 3200 and when we got there at 10:30 in February we were immediately directed into the terminal. Set with a couple 100 other early arrivals in a terminal that was never full and were on board at 11. We were very happy to be on board when at 1:30 a deluge hit and we able to watch from the comforts of a warm, dry ship with a drink in hand having already partaken of our Concierge lunch. Again, when Celebrity and the port authorities determine that arrival times matter, we will too.

[MISTER 67]

4 hours ago, dacf said:

We're going on Celebrity Equinox for March 23rd sale.  Our check in time on embarkation day is 2pm.   Unfortunately we couldn't get any earlier.  We would love to get on board for lunch, even an hour earlier would be great.   If we did show up for 1pm, how big of an issue would it be, or would we have to wait till 2pm before we board?  This is our second sail with Celebrity so I don't think we have any special status.

Thanks for your help 🙂

2 days in the brig. 

[MISTER 67]

25 minutes ago, TheHawk1 said:

There are over 2,800 passengers on Equinox (the OP's ship) and I'm sure Celebrity doesn't want them all showing up at the same time, which is why they assign boarding times in the first place.  The only people who can show up at any time are suite passengers.  The rest of us should stick to the time we're assigned and then everyone has the same opportunity to board quickly.

So what are people who have early flights to do? 

We drive from the gulf coast and I leave time for traffic jams and accidents usually arriving at the port around 10:45, we have never been denied entry into the terminal if we arrive before our time. There is plenty of room in the Celebrity terminal and Celebrity does a great job in boarding passengers by the section they are waiting in, I have never seen the terminal packed to capacity.
When there is a second Celebrity ship in Port Everglades Celebrity has to use terminal 29 which is a lot smaller and things can get chaotic in that terminal.

Edited March 14 by MISTER 67

[dacf]

Thanks to all that wrote in.   To those who made a comment of me cutting the line, we would never do that on purpose, that's just rude and insensitive and it's not what I meant.

 

For the other folks, you've helped me decide on what to do, so thank you.  Our check out time is at 11am, we'll definitely take our time and even ask for a late check out if possible - not sure if we'll get that or not.   We'll eventually head over to that end - probably closer to 1pm.   I'll mention it to the personnel there that our time is not till 2pm and if we need to sit back and wait, it'll be more entertaining people watching than sitting in the hotel lobby bored, if they tell us to go ahead, because of lack of people then we will. I will leave it up to them.

[TheHawk1]

28 minutes ago, Galaxy2004 said:

Again, when Celebrity and the port authorities determine that arrival times matter, we will too.

So, following that logic, the next time I'm on a crowded flight and assigned Zone 5 or 6, I guess I'll just push my way to the front of the line and board with Zone 1, because being assigned a boarding group doesn't really matter any more apparently.

[dacf]

1 hour ago, d9704011 said:

Don't forget to pack a selection of shorts, t-shirts and sandals for dining and large clips to secure a towel to a pool-side lounger early in the morning before heading off to a leisurely breakfast; skip the handwash station... totally unnecessary.

We've done many cruises in the past (this is only our 2nd Celebrity) but never until this one cruise had a late check time which is why I made my post.   With that being said I'm already aware of what to pack in my carry-on, but thank you for mentioning anyway as I know you were not aware of my cruising past.   However saving your chair with your large beach chair clips and then going to a leisurely breakfast?!  I find that rude to others who have already eaten and now looking for a chair.   Don't be a chair hogger!!  

Secondly you're telling me and whoever else to skip the hand washing station??!!!  Are you serious??!!!   That is simply disgusting unless you plan on using latex gloves when you serve yourself food.   I just hope that everyone else out there knows the importance of basic hygiene!   Afterall, we all use the same serving utensils, unless that's changed.

[Galaxy2004]

@TheHawk1 Nonsense. Gate attendants enforce their boarding times by zone and we always wait for our zone to be called. After it is called, we proceed to the boarding area. We actually wait to last call since we never use the overhead bins and can avoid the chaos by waiting🙂. As I've already stated, any time they have signs posted at the terminal entrance with designated times we get in those lines and proceed when directed. We don't get in a 11:00 line if we are assigned a 1:30 arrival time but we have been in later lines and the terminal personnel open those lines up and direct us in. No jumping lines when there are no other lines.

[kaysha2004]

1 hour ago, d9704011 said:

Don't forget to pack a selection of shorts, t-shirts and sandals for dining and large clips to secure a towel to a pool-side lounger early in the morning before heading off to a leisurely breakfast; skip the handwash station... totally unnecessary.

Yuk!  You must be one of those people that pick your nose and cough into the buffet while getting your food and spread norovirus.