4* boarding in San Diego?

[57redbird]

When you are 4* & boarding in San Diego, is there a special line (either outside or inside the building) to get into?  When we boarded in 2023, we weren't 4* but were booked in a Neptune.....we were in the mob in the building where nobody asked what our status was...noticed some people just walked right up to the check-in booths....what was their status?  I guess basically I'm asking how to avoid the mob.....TIA.

[Haljo1935]

Dec 2023 no good way really to avoid the mob, but there was a line specifically for 4*, 5*, suites & CO. You have to be diligent about showing that & the Priority on the boarding pass as they will try to just put you in the lines.

[57redbird]

3 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Dec 2023 no good way really to avoid the mob, but there was a line specifically for 4*, 5*, suites & CO. You have to be diligent about showing that & the Priority on the boarding pass as they will try to just put you in the lines.

Was the line outside or inside?

[FlorenceItaly]

44 minutes ago, 57redbird said:

When you are 4* & boarding in San Diego, is there a special line (either outside or inside the building) to get into?  When we boarded in 2023, we weren't 4* but were booked in a Neptune.....we were in the mob in the building where nobody asked what our status was...noticed some people just walked right up to the check-in booths....what was their status?  I guess basically I'm asking how to avoid the mob.....TIA.

There is a separate line outside.  You will be one of the first in.  Once past security there will be a priority check in area plus another priority seating area.  Again you will be one of the first on.  This was our experience in December on two separate sailings.  Enjoy!  We love San Diego.

[oaktreerb]

18 minutes ago, 57redbird said:

Was the line outside or inside?

The line will probably start alongside the building by the drop off area.  We dropped our luggage with the luggage handlers and got in line.  It moves inside the building.  Have your boarding pass that says “priority” and show it when someone is telling you where to go.  The line snaked through the inside area until we saw a “cut off” for priority boarding.  There are a lot of people with priority boarding.  You will take the cut off and go through security and check in and be directed to the “seating area for priority boarding”.  This was in January/February and the ship didn’t start embarking until close to noon.  President’s Club were boarded first and then the rest of us in priority boarding.   

[BermudaBound2014]

The key to San Diego isn’t your priority status but if there is another ship in port that day. If so, expect a clustered immigration and possibly delayed departure. If you are the only ship in port it seems to be much smoother. 

[57redbird]

Thanks to all of you....we've sailed from there 6 times & none of them have been much fun --- trying to get a positive spin on the port for our next cruise in December.

[DAllenTCY]

4* boarding certainly depends on the length of the sailing at any port.

 

On the longer voyages from San Diego recently there have been as many as 800 priority guests.....as mentioned here on CC almost 30%.  There is no priority when so many have the same expectation of going ahead of the rest.  

 

What I've noticed more and more lately is that guests arrive without a Boarding Pass with a bar code.  One of my co-workers mentioned that 40% of those sailing today did not have one.  In such a case, boarding is delayed because a bar code is required to board the ship. 

 

It is very difficult to view your priority status when you present your bar code on a hand held phone.  The printing is too small to view in a crowded atmosphere.

 

Please print your Boarding Pass.....three or less days before your trip in order for shore side staff to recognize your status.

 

David

 

 

 

Edited April 22 by DAllenTCY

[mcrcruiser]

Please print your Boarding Pass.....three or less days before your trip in order for shore side staff to recognize your status.

 

 David that is a very good recommendation  .We always print out our boarding passes with the Bar Codes  .We only sail now from rgew SD port with HAL 

Cliff 

 

[Sir PMP]

Just did it twice, the inside waiting area is separate for 4* plus passengers until the boarding announcement starts, 11:30am, then get up and go.

[mcrcruiser]

15 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

Just did it twice, the inside waiting area is separate for 4* plus passengers until the boarding announcement starts, 11:30am, then get up and go.

What about suite guests .where are they seated ?   We will be going on a HAL cruise in a Neptune suite  

TIA

 

 TIA 

[CruiserBruce]

16 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

The key to San Diego isn’t your priority status but if there is another ship in port that day. If so, expect a clustered immigration and possibly delayed departure. If you are the only ship in port it seems to be much smoother. 

Immigration? There isn't Immigration procedures to board...unless you mean showing your passport.

[CruiserBruce]

22 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

What about suite guests .where are they seated ?   We will be going on a HAL cruise in a Neptune suite  

TIA

 

 TIA 

Suite pax have the same priority as 4 star...they will be seated in the same area.

[Sir PMP]

3 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

What about suite guests .where are they seated ?   We will be going on a HAL cruise in a Neptune suite  

TIA

 

 TIA 

All in the same area, I was in a Neptune too.

[julia]

HAL could EASILY fix the boarding pass barcode situation with an IT tweak.  This has caused SO MUCH confusion on roll calls and group sites, and unfortunately, their port agents pay the price! 😲

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Thanks, David, for the reminder.   It seems people get so excited to be able to print the boarding pass weeks ahead, not realizing that one needs the barcode to proceed. 

[taxmantoo]

Seems a bit counter-productive to ask people to print the boarding pass that is already on the app.  HAL is doing its best to eliminate as much paper as possible.  Wouldn't it be simpler and eco-friendly to provide the port personnel with hand-held scanners to read the bar code directly from the phone or whatever device the guests use?

Edited April 22 by taxmantoo

[julia]

3 minutes ago, taxmantoo said:

Seems a bit counter-productive to ask people to print the boarding pass that is already on the app.  HAL is doing its best to eliminate as much paper as possible.  Wouldn't it be simpler and eco-friendly to provide the port personnel with hand-held scanners to read the bar code directly from the phone or whatever device the guests use?

The boarding pass is scannable from the app... it's just that some ports may have sketchy wifi, or some folks may not be adept at app-ing on the fly.  The answer is: wait for the darn bar code to show up and take a screen shot.  Done.

[lais]

3 hours ago, taxmantoo said:

Seems a bit counter-productive to ask people to print the boarding pass that is already on the app.  HAL is doing its best to eliminate as much paper as possible.  Wouldn't it be simpler and eco-friendly to provide the port personnel with hand-held scanners to read the bar code directly from the phone or whatever device the guests use?

That is what they do but they need a bar code to scan.  

[terrydtx]

We boarded the Koningsdam in San Diego last November. We had CO priority boarding and there was a line to check in for CO, Neptune and Pinnacle suites and 4* and 5* guests. We had np problems using that line and checking in, then we were directed to the special waiting area for those groups to board when boarding began. We got to the terminal at 11am and boarding began about noon. We were on the ship by 12:15pm.