What time do you get to port?

[Disneycup]

I apologize if this has been asked numerous times!

What time do you get to port on the day your cruise leaves? I have read various things, but am getting it all confused. We are early people as we like to be early for everything and we will have a rental car so we can get there at anytime. We also have a room with conceirge so does that change boarding procedures? Thank you so much with your help! You're all a life saver!!

 

[ducky_love]

We all are here because we like to answer the same questions over and over.

There are two schools of thought:

1) Get there as early as they will allow. (about 10am)
2) Get there before the boat leaves. (before 4pm)

I'm an early bird because I want to take pictures of the port and get checked in first so we can get on first. Now, I believe with conceirge you will automatically board first so you would have to be there because you want to see the building. Or just because you are excited and can't wait. Boarding normally begins at 11:30 if everything goes smoothly.

When you get onboard you can grab a navigator, plan your day, have lunch, swin, make spa reservations, ect. You cannot get to your room until 1:30pm.

So it is really up to you if you want to get there early or roll in later. Everyone likes to do it a different way! I'm sure some we'll get some others that like to get there late and they can tell you the benefits of that.

Welcome and I hope you have a great cruise!!!

 

[davidls]

I apologize if this has been asked numerous times!

What time do you get to port on the day your cruise leaves? I have read various things, but am getting it all confused. We are early people as we like to be early for everything and we will have a rental car so we can get there at anytime. We also have a room with conceirge so does that change boarding procedures? Thank you so much with your help! You're all a life saver!!

We like to arrive early at the port also. Like the previous poster stated, the port does not open until 10:00 am. But we like to look around, get some great photos of the terminal and of that beautiful ship you are about to sail on, and most important get an early boarding pass.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

We like to arrive a little before 10 am and grab one of the #2 or #3 boarding passes.

However, since you are Concierge, you can arrive anytime before 11:30 and still get a #1 boarding pass.

If you do decide to arrive earlier, you can always get your picture taken with characters and register kids for the kids club and pick up your "wave phone" as I believe they have now instead of pagers. Other than that, it's just waiting to board.

 

[kcashner]

As a concierge level guest, you are #1 boarding no matter when you arrive. This means that you will check in thru the concierge line (shorter than the normal lines), have a special waiting area with seats, and will be in the first boarding group. There is no "order" within the groups....it's just who gets to the boarding line first, but you are talking about maybe 2 minutes between the first person in group one and the last person.

SO...boarding usually starts about 11:45 although the written literature says later. If you arrive at 10, you will get to sit for 90 minutes. Yes there will be brief character appearances, etc. but reality is that you will sit and wait. My suggestion would be to arrive in the 11:15-11:30 window. That gives you time to check in, and regardless of arrival time you will be one of the first on the ship. My experience with returning a rental car has been VERY positive, with little or no waiting for a shuttle to the port. In fact, on 2 occasions my "gang" already was on the shuttle ready to go when I came out of the building from the car return. In both cases, the shuttle was there, and the driver suggested that they not even go in the building with me but just get directly on the shuttle. In one case, I had 5 teens with me (and the luggage). We had planned to drop luggage at the terminal, but when I found out that Thrifty was literally across the street from our hotel, I decided against the "extra" trip down the road to the terminal.

If you were not concierge, there are 2 good arrival times. You'd want to arrive either early (10-10:30) to get a low boarding number, or arrive about 12:30. By this time, the people who arrived early have boarded and the bus traffic from WDW has not arrived yet....so you would check in and walk right on. The WDW bus traffic arrives about 1:30-2, again making this a crowded time.

All that said, the check in lines are much quicker and shorter than in past years as DCL is working to develop more "off site" check in to prepare for the Dream. Guests are being allowed to check in at the Welcome Center at MCO and at some of the resorts (I can't say whether this is happening on all cruises, but it has happened to us at both places). You do get a boarding card at those check ins, and security photos were taken at MCO. Thus, there is nothing for those guests to do at the terminal except board the ship! NICE!

 

[Disneycup]

Thank you everyone for your help!!! We are so excited and am very grateful for the input!! We are doing a land/sea adventure and working out the details is a bit overwhelming!