boarding before staterooms are available

[disney_dreamin]

Does anyone know what the earliest time I'm able to get into my stateroom on the first day is? And what do I do with my carry-on luggage if I board the ship before I'm able to get into my stateroom?

 

[atinkerbellmom]

First off, to the DIS.

DCL says boarding starts at 1pm but it always starts between 11:30 & 11:45. You are stuck with your bags until the rooms are ready, so keep this in mind when packing your day bag. The rooms they do not promise you until 2PM but are usually ready about 1PM. They rope off the halls, so you are stuck with carrying them. People just bring them with pool side or take them to lunch with them. Now see since it is not our 1st cruise, we usually get to port around 11:30 on the ship by 12:15. By the time we go get lunch, the rooms are ready, so we really never have more than what we carried on the plane in a carry on. Some here so believe being the first ones on the ship and headed to the pools, but not us. So it does not effect us much. I do not want to have to be bothered with showering and washing hair and dressing before the first nights show and dinner. So we hop on, go to lunch, go to the drill and dance away at the sail away party. Now it is time to go unpack (while the family walks around the ship) then we ALL get ready for dinner and the show. So there is a way you do not have to worry about bags.

 

[JNorris]

If we choose to eat outside, we usually grab one of the round tables around the edges of the pool (under shade), and one of us sits with the luggage while the others go grab food.

Sometimes we choose to eat at Parrot Cay, if it's really hot outside; then you can leave you luggage inside the door of the restaurant.

Usually by the time we've finished lunch, it's not long before the staterooms are available.

 

[nenner1]

Both times we cruised we were given a card at check-and carry aroundin that said "Your stateroom # ____ will be ready at 1:30 PM.

Both times they dropped the rope right at 1:30. (They keep a rope across the hallway entrance preventing you from even entering the hallways).

You have to bring aboard your carryon luggage. I would advise carrying on as little as possible. I have seen whole families toting around full size bags each...while it is only 2 hours at the most, all the baggage sitting around makes navigating the elevators, tables by the buffets, and the pool deck difficult.

 

[inkkognito]

DCL says boarding starts at 1pm but it always starts between 11:30 & 11:45

I would amend that to "virtually always." Anything from a Coast Guard inspection to a press event can cause a delay and put you closer to 1 p.m. Chances are excellent that it will be early, but be prepared in case it's not (embark delays have only happened to us maybe 3 or 4 times out of 62 cruises).

 

[disneycruising]

I always board with as little stuff as possible. I have four children so I always pack swimsuits, goggles, sunscreen, camera, computer, travel docs/ passports and any medications we need for the day. I usually carry one lady's over sized purse or beach bag and my husband carriers a small bag with the camera, computer and travel docs.

We always fly in the night before...we are from CA. When we fly each child is allowed to bring one 'small bag' of entertainment items. Before we go to bed I reorganize the suitcases and put all of our 'carry ons' items from the plane into our suitcases. I then move the 'carry on items' for the cruise to my 'day' bag.

You do not want to pack to much stuff ... you will have to carry it around the ship with you!

 

[mommasita]

Agreeing with everyone. We bring a rolling cooler/bag for this day, so it is REALLY simple to tote along until the rooms are ready. We often do not even go up or down until the last moment. We have all we need, and are swimsuits on under our clothing.

 

[gummyvites]

I always board with as little stuff as possible. I have four children so I always pack swimsuits, goggles, sunscreen, camera, computer, travel docs/ passports and any medications we need for the day. I usually carry one lady's over sized purse or beach bag and my husband carriers a small bag with the camera, computer and travel docs.

We always fly in the night before...we are from CA. When we fly each child is allowed to bring one 'small bag' of entertainment items. Before we go to bed I reorganize the suitcases and put all of our 'carry ons' items from the plane into our suitcases. I then move the 'carry on items' for the cruise to my 'day' bag.

You do not want to pack to much stuff ... you will have to carry it around the ship with you!

I've heard others recommend that you bring dinner clothes for the first night because sometimes your luggage can be late getting to you. All but one of our suitcases showed up almost immediately, so this wasn't a problem for us. But, I'd hate to go to dinner in my swimsuit or the clothes I flew overnight in.

Karen

 

[JNorris]

I've heard others recommend that you bring dinner clothes for the first night because sometimes your luggage can be late getting to you. All but one of our suitcases showed up almost immediately, so this wasn't a problem for us. But, I'd hate to go to dinner in my swimsuit or the clothes I flew overnight in.

Karen

I've always taken a set of nice clothes in my carry-on, along with all my toiletry items, because I'd worry that I wouldn't get all my luggage in time for dinner. But in 5 cruises, that has never happened.

So this time (cruising in 2 weeks), I'm going to carry less on-board. If the clothes don't make it, I'll deal with it.

 

[atinkerbellmom]

I've always taken a set of nice clothes in my carry-on, along with all my toiletry items, because I'd worry that I wouldn't get all my luggage in time for dinner. But in 5 cruises, that has never happened.

So this time (cruising in 2 weeks), I'm going to carry less on-board. If the clothes don't make it, I'll deal with it.

Exactly what I tell my F&F that are traveling with me. We have never had a problem, so we do not carry clothes either. Hey look at it this way, for the people who feel they do not have to obey the dress request at dinner, this is perfect. Then the swim suit in the dining room will be DCL's fault.

 

[patsal]

So what if your room is right where the rope drop is? Could I for example slide my carry on in front of the door under the rope?

 

[atinkerbellmom]

No rooms is right where the rope is. To do this means you would have to move the rope and come in contact with the crew members. It would be better to just leave it at poolside or on deck 10 if you are okay with walking off leaving it unattended. Usually the stuff people carry on is stuff they do not want to leave unattended. So why would you want to place something free in the hall?

 

[patsal]

7518 is and I wouldn't have to move the rope to push luggage there. Since DCL leaves all my luggage outside the door anyway (or at least this is how I found it on my last cruise after the muster drill) why would I be any more worried about a carry on filled with wine than I would be with all my other luggage? Don't really care either way, just wondered if it was ok so long as the rope was not disturbed.

 

[cmash95]

the ropes are put across the enterances to the hallways as you get off the elevators. we got into our room at exactly 1:30 in may. btw dinner the first night is casual and really the only thing you might need is a pair of pants if you are wearing shorts. on another note, we got the the terminal at 12:30 and since everyone else was in a hurry to get onboard, there was hardly anyone in the terminal. I think we waited about 5 minutes to check in. It took us awhile to check in because they had to redo a couple of our forms because the expiration date had changed on my credit card. When we finished checking in, they announced open boarding, so we were able to go right onboard. We even got to follow goofy onboard. We were onboard by 1:15. with no lines.