Port Arrival Time / Boarding??

[shanshan444]

I am so confused on Port Arrival time and boarding time since I have seen may different things. This is our first time cruising so I have no clue what I am doing!

Our port arrival time is 11am. Is there any reason to get there any earlier than this? How long is it until we are able to board? We are just wanting to get the most out of our trip!

Also, I have been reading a lot about Shutters the last few days. Does anyone know typically what pics cost on a 3 night cruise?

Thanks so much for all your help!

 

[Justacruiser]

I am so confused on Port Arrival time and boarding time since I have seen may different things. This is our first time cruising so I have no clue what I am doing!

Our port arrival time is 11am. Is there any reason to get there any earlier than this? How long is it until we are able to board? We are just wanting to get the most out of our trip!

Also, I have been reading a lot about Shutters the last few days. Does anyone know typically what pics cost on a 3 night cruise?

Thanks so much for all your help!

Port will open at around 10:45. There is really no need to get there earlier. It will take 10-15 minutes MAX to get through customs and get checked in.

Boarding does not begin until around 12:00. Getting there at 10:45 or 11:00 will have you ready to board when your Boarding Number is called. You will receive your Boarding Number when you check-in. It is based on your port arrival time (PAT). You should have a boading number around #4. By 12:15 you should be on board!!

It is up to you how many pictures you purchase. You will get your first picture taken after you scan you KTTW card to board the ship and before you get to the ship, the spot they take pictures in on the gangway. Pictures w/o a packet are 19.95 for an 8x10. I AWAYS ask them to give me the picture in a 5x7 for 12.95 instead. It takes them about 24 hours to get you the smaller and cheaper size.

 

[loricfam]

i've been wondering the same thing! My online registration is in May for our July 27 cruise. Some people have told me I can pick a port arrival time when I do online registration. Other people have told me that since I'm using the DCL transfer bus, a PAT will be assigned to me. So which is true?

Also, we're flying in the night before and staying at the airport hotel (Hyatt?) so we will be ready to get on the DCL transfer bus early. For that reason I'm really hoping to get an early PAT. Otherwise I'm stuck hanging out with 2 bored kids for hours!

 

[Kendal]

i've been wondering the same thing! My online registration is in May for our July 27 cruise. Some people have told me I can pick a port arrival time when I do online registration. Other people have told me that since I'm using the DCL transfer bus, a PAT will be assigned to me. So which is true?

Also, we're flying in the night before and staying at the airport hotel (Hyatt?) so we will be ready to get on the DCL transfer bus early. For that reason I'm really hoping to get an early PAT. Otherwise I'm stuck hanging out with 2 bored kids for hours!

We took the shuttle on our first cruise I wanna say it left at 9 or ten... We had our boarding pass before we left the airport at the Disney desk by where the shuttle picks you up... The earlier your shuttle leaves the sooner you get in the ship when boarding starts... Our second cruise we had a port arrival time of 11 we hit there and checked in an was in the ship I would say no later than 1130 we are always early on our cruises I like I get my money's worth... My advice is to try to get a early shuttle or a early port arrival time

 

[lbgraves]

The DCL transfers USE TO get a boarding number at the airport because they did check in at the airport. They stopped doing this months ago and now EVERYONE other than concierge and platinum cruisers need to select a PAT. You being on the transfer will get you into the DCL terminal, BUT your boarding number will depend on your PAT.

 

[lbgraves]

... The earlier your shuttle leaves the sooner you get in the ship when boarding starts...

This is no longer the case.

 

[tweis]

i've been wondering the same thing! My online registration is in May for our July 27 cruise. Some people have told me I can pick a port arrival time when I do online registration. Other people have told me that since I'm using the DCL transfer bus, a PAT will be assigned to me. So which is true?

Also, we're flying in the night before and staying at the airport hotel (Hyatt?) so we will be ready to get on the DCL transfer bus early. For that reason I'm really hoping to get an early PAT. Otherwise I'm stuck hanging out with 2 bored kids for hours!

You need to choose your PAT when you do your online checkin.


I have no experience with DCL transfers but I just read a trip report where the family did use DCL transfers but she had a late port arrival time and ended up with boarding #20. My understanding is, that she had to wait to board. Here is the report:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3094145

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

I can see where it would be very confusing for people who haven't done it before, here's my best shot at an explanation.

Your port arrival time is a designated time for you to arrive at the port. Even when you're doing transfers through DCL from the airport, you still have to select a PAT. You can catch a bus to Port Canaveral first thing that will get you there by 10:45/11:00 and since you've got the 11:00 PAT, that's what you want to do.

However, your PAT is not your boarding time. They are related to each other though. Disney doesn't really have a "boarding time", they board the ship by groups, once it's opened up for boarding, meaning it's been cleaned up, and cleared for boarding, this is usually about 11:45 to 12:00. Your boarding group number, that you will get on check in, depends on what your PAT is. Platinum cruisers and concierge cruisers get the #1 and #2 cards, so with a PAT of 11:00, you may get #3 or #4. When they open up boarding, they'll start calling group numbers, and when they call your number is when you'll be able to board.

Back before the Dream, they didn't do PAT, you could just get to the port as early as you liked and when you got to the port determined your boarding group, they handed out the cards as you came up the escalator into the check in area. With the Dream and Fantasy, they needed a way to try and spread out the cruiser arrivals, and started the PAT on check in.

Hope this helps you!

 

[TJDisneymama]

I am so confused on Port Arrival time and boarding time since I have seen may different things. This is our first time cruising so I have no clue what I am doing!

Our port arrival time is 11am. Is there any reason to get there any earlier than this? How long is it until we are able to board? We are just wanting to get the most out of our trip!

Also, I have been reading a lot about Shutters the last few days. Does anyone know typically what pics cost on a 3 night cruise?
:

having just got off the 3 night cruise......

No reason to get there any earlier than say 10:45 or so. You have to get in line to check in (there was not much of a line that early), then if you want to get your kids club bracelets, you do that, then they started calling for boarding about 11:15.

Re: the pics, I was not going to pay the outrageous prices for the actual photos ($20/pic) and I wasn't paying the $2xx for the whole package (add $50 if you wanted digital copies), so I went with the least expensive option which was the photo book of all our photos for $130. (still a rip off of course)

 

[Kendal]

Thanks or explaining this I had checked in at the airport whe the dream was new these things seem to change all the time!!! So thanks for the insight.... I still like to choose the PAT that's the earliest to me inky I think everyone will be different it's my experience that a early PAT means early boarding pass..... But I don't know about the shuttles any longer I see I'm sure there is enough people on here that you can et a correct awnser

 

[Kendal]

As far as the pictures go the last two cruise we have been on we spent alot of money on pictures that when we disembark and go through customs they ask what the most expensive thing was I bought out if the country and I always say pictures!!!!! But they are nice lol

 

[TJDisneymama]

If you're taking a shuttle from Disney then you don't have much choice in your boarding time....we booked a car instead because we wanted to get on the ship early and not at 1-2:00 when the buses would have brought us over.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

If you're taking a shuttle from Disney then you don't have much choice in your boarding time....we booked a car instead because we wanted to get on the ship early and not at 1-2:00 when the buses would have brought us over.

This is true if you're coming from the resorts, but not on the DCL busses that run from the airport, they run pretty frequently as they fill up.

 

[ajgardner]

Would there be an issue if we get an early PAT but don't arrive until later? We want to try for 12 but I'm unsure if we will make it...

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Don't know about the cost of pictures on a 3-day, and I was really confused about PA times, too. I just got back from a cruise on the Fantasy and regretted not getting there earlier. They started boarding at 11:20 (for concierge). They were already on boarding group #7 by 11:45 or so.

 

[Kendal]

Would there be an issue if we get an early PAT but don't arrive until later? We want to try for 12 but I'm unsure if we will make it...

I'm no expert but I don't think there would be a issue if u hav a pat for 12 and u don't get there till 2 my guess is they will have you go ahead and board but I have no idea

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Would there be an issue if we get an early PAT but don't arrive until later? We want to try for 12 but I'm unsure if we will make it...

If you arrive after your PAT, there's no problem. It's really a "not earlier than" time. And chances are your boarding number (which will be the same regardless of what time you arrive) will have already been called.

 

[lbgraves]

Would there be an issue if we get an early PAT but don't arrive until later? We want to try for 12 but I'm unsure if we will make it...

No that is not problem at all. If your number has already been called you just get in the line to board then.

 

[sarah_carter]

So if we have a PAT time of 2-2:30 what time should we drop off the car (off site parking) so we can get to the port to get in line. (First timers)

 

[lbgraves]

Open boarding is usually called around 1 or so. You could show up around then and probably not have much of a wait to board.