Getting to the Ship Early?

[mmouse37]

That was a poorly worded question on my part. If we arrive at 11:00, will we be mired in security for so long that we will have a wait a long time to get on the ship?

We have arrived that time for a few cruises and security lines have always moved fairly quickly. It is just like an airport security scanner...some people can get through quicker than others depending on how many carry ons bags you have, strollers, etc.

Dcl newbie too... so when u do online check in are u assigned a time to arrive??? We will be driving so no transfer times. I wanna get there early to enjoy the ship but not so early we r just waiting in line with 2 kids

Yes, you pick a PAT (port arrival time) from the times available when you do your online check in. If you get an early PAT then you will only have about an hour or so to wait to board (boarding starts about 11:15 or so). You won't be waiting in a line per se. There are seating areas, Mickey and Minnie and Goofy come out for photo ops, the ship model is cool to examine. Make sure you check out the really neat floor inlays in the PC terminal. We have always found terminal time to go quickly with all the hustle and bustle.

We are driving and parking so will be bringing our luggage, how early can that be dropped off? We will be arriving as soon as the ship ports from previous cruise as we have a princess onboard that we have not laid our eyes on since January!

Bet you miss her lots!!! How exciting. But, the ship usually docks around 5 am or earlier. You won't will be able to get into the port area to park until about 10:00 ish. Porters need to finish up with the previous cruise passengers before they start taking luggage from arriving guests.

MJ

 

[Donna3271]

We get there early when we come right from the airport, but we always use Disney transfers from the resort.

I don't stress… my kids use the resort pools in the AM, and we relax. But, as a PP mentioned, if it is your first cruise, or a 3 night you may want to get to the port asap.

HAVE FUN!

 

[totalfunk]

Oh wow, guess we have some figuring out to do then. Thanks!

 

[TestingH2O]

Thank you so much PrincessShmoo and mmouse37. I'm sure you have had many ::headdesk:: moments on these boards. I really appreciate that, so far, everyone has been very willing to share their experiences and advice.

 

[robin19871]

Thank you so much for helping a newbie. A couple more questions.

OK, so we are concierge. Will we still get on early(ish) if we arrive at 11:00? That is the earliest you can arrive, right?

Being that you are staying concierge, the concierge hosts in the lounge will take your carryons and deliver them to your room so you do not have to lug them around till your room is ready. I love that perk of concierge..

 

[anricat]

Just for an example of our timing, we didn't select a PAT (as we were using DCL transfers staying at the Hyatt MCO the night before - booked through DCL). We got the second DCL bus of the morning around 9:40, arrived at port around 10:30, we through security (the line was short and moved quickly), waited in line to check in (we had our paperwork ready). We were done with that around 11 at which point we waited in line to meet the character greeting in the terminal, used the restrooms and boarded with our group (boarding group 2) around 11:30 (they began boarding group one around 11:25).

 

[debces]

We were concierge in May on the Fantasy. We had a car service pick us up at the Hyatt at 9:15, stopped at Publix, and arrived at the port at 10:30. We dropped off our luggage with the porter, and proceeded to the first check point. We then preceded to the security line. FYI, there are two lines. Take the escalator up to the second story line, it was much shorter. We were in the terminal just before 11:00. We were directed to the concierge check in at the far right corner of the terminal. After the paperwork was completed, we were escorted into the Concierge Lounge. We were informed we would be the first group on. At approximately11:35, the doors opened and we were on the ship. After pictures, we headed to the Concierge Lounge, deck 12. The concierge hosts took care of everything, and in fact, we never went to Guest Services. Our room was ready at about 1:15, and luggage arrived about 1:45. The boarding process was perfect!

 

[Hej2222]

I am wondering how the boarding process would work in our situation: we have earliest PAT at 10:30 (sailing on Dream this Sunday). We are silver CC. We may not be able to get to the port until 11 AM (we have Star Wars breakfast reservation for that morning). Does that mean we will be boarding with later group since we arrive later than our PAT or can we still board early as long as we go through security checks?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am wondering how the boarding process would work in our situation: we have earliest PAT at 10:30 (sailing on Dream this Sunday). We are silver CC. We may not be able to get to the port until 11 AM (we have Star Wars breakfast reservation for that morning). Does that mean we will be boarding with later group since we arrive later than our PAT or can we still board early as long as we go through security checks?

Your boarding number is tied to your Port Arrival Time. Regardless of when you actually arrive at the port, you will get the same number. So, if you arrive at 10:30 and get, say, boarding number 3, you will get the same boarding number (3) if you arrive at 11:00 (or 12:30, or whenever).

Boarding begins generally around 11:15-11:30 with Concierge and Platinum Castaway Club guests, followed by boarding numbers. The numbers are announced roughly every 5-10 minutes (depending on how quickly the people boarding are allowed to fight their way through the throngs of later PAT people jamming the entrance to the boarding door).

 

[totalfunk]

If we have not finished online checkin and therefore have no PAT 3 weeks before we sail can we expect to get one of the latest PAT's?
Thank you for all the help, this is our first cruise.

 

[lanejudy]

If we have not finished online checkin and therefore have no PAT 3 weeks before we sail can we expect to get one of the latest PAT's?
Thank you for all the help, this is our first cruise.

Yes, if you check-in without a PAT you will get a boarding number at the end (whatever that might be). However, open boarding is typically called around 12:30pm or so and the actual boarding number becomes irrelevant after that.

However, why not complete your online check-in and select a PAT now? There's really no reason not to do so. If you are waiting on passport numbers or something, that information can be changed online at any point up until 3 days prior to sail date (when the cruise is taken offline). And even at the port on embarkation day if necessary.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If we have not finished online checkin and therefore have no PAT 3 weeks before we sail can we expect to get one of the latest PAT's?
Thank you for all the help, this is our first cruise.

There's really no way of knowing what Port Arrival Times will be available when/if you complete your online check in. There are people to complete there check in a week out from their cruise who are able to select the earliest time, while there are cruises that people completing their online check in 2 months out can't get anything earlier than 12:00.

If you don't select at PAT at all, and just arrive whenever, your boarding number will be among the highest issued that day.

For the sake of explanation - Each PAT window has 2 or 3 boarding numbers assigned to it. I believe whether you get the lowest number or highest number within your window is based on when you did your online check in, but I may be wrong.

Anyway, so, (in this example) 10:30-10:45 will have numbers 2-4; 10:45-11:00 will have numbers 5-7; 11:00-11:15 will have numbers 8-10; and so on. The last window will have something like 44-46 for the boarding numbers. Anyone arriving with no PAT would be assigned a boarding number higher than 46.

Of course, if you arrive after Open Boarding has been called (typically after 12:30-12:45, it doesn't matter what your boarding number is, as you will board as soon as you've completed the check in at the terminal.

 

[Beermam42]

We are driving and parking so will be bringing our luggage, how early can that be dropped off? We will be arriving as soon as the ship ports from previous cruise as we have a princess onboard that we have not laid our eyes on since January!

Would not take luggage at drop off. We parked on level 3 and they started picking up lugage around 10:10, did not start into terminal and carry on laggage security check until 10:25. It was 11:15 or later before they started letting people board.

 

[tinkerone]

here's a question for the people in the know.
we have taken dcl transportation before however this will be the first time since the beginning of pat's that we will be arriving from the airport directly. I thought I read that if your taking dcl transportation you don't need to pick a pat, how then do they decide what number to give you?
on our last cruise we picked a time but then booked dcl transfers from a resort after we had registered. It really was not necessary as we walked on to the ship, by that time the crowds were gone.
but back to my question.....do we need a pat if arriving by dcl transfer from the airport?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

here's a question for the people in the know.
we have taken dcl transportation before however this will be the first time since the beginning of pat's that we will be arriving from the airport directly. I thought I read that if your taking dcl transportation you don't need to pick a pat, how then do they decide what number to give you?
on our last cruise we picked a time but then booked dcl transfers from a resort after we had registered. It really was not necessary as we walked on to the ship, by that time the crowds were gone.
but back to my question.....do we need a pat if arriving by dcl transfer from the airport?

I'm not sure how that works. I've read that if you stayed at MCO Hyatt (booked through DCL) the night before and take the DCL transfers you don't have to select a PAT. Possibly DCL has "set aside" a certain number of boarding numbers based on the number of people they know will be arriving by DCL transfers within a certain time frame?

I was allowed to select at PAT for our next cruise and we are traveling by DCL transfers from MCO (not staying at the MCO Hyatt). Our transfers were already on the reservation before I did the online check in.

I know that we will be able to enter the terminal and check in when we arrive by DCL transfers, but I don't know if we will get a boarding number based our PAT, or something else. I guess we'll find out.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

here's a question for the people in the know.
we have taken dcl transportation before however this will be the first time since the beginning of pat's that we will be arriving from the airport directly. I thought I read that if your taking dcl transportation you don't need to pick a pat, how then do they decide what number to give you?
on our last cruise we picked a time but then booked dcl transfers from a resort after we had registered. It really was not necessary as we walked on to the ship, by that time the crowds were gone.
but back to my question.....do we need a pat if arriving by dcl transfer from the airport?

Quick answer.

You do not need a PAT if arriving by DCL transport.

 

[lanejudy]

Quick answer.

You do not need a PAT if arriving by DCL transport.

Correct...you will be allowed into the terminal when you arrive by DCL transfers.

BUT... The question is not asking about that, the question specifically asks about the boarding number.

PP, since boarding number is directly tied to your PAT, if online check in has you select a PAT I suggest you do so. Unless you wish to be the guinea pig to find out what happens. I would hate for you to skip the PAT selection and then end up sitting around the terminal an extra hour or so waiting for open boarding because you ended up with a high boarding number due to no PAT.

If DCL doesn't want/need you to have a PAT, the online checkin wont alliw you to do so and DCL is taking that into account. If a passenger simply chooses not to select a PAT, he/she may spend more time in the terminal waiting to board. I wouldn't skip the PAT selection simply because you think it's unnecessary with DCL transfers. PAT and boarding numbers are usually moot points when arriving after 12:30 regardless of transportation mode, but on the off-chance boarding has been delayed it could make a difference.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Correct...you will be allowed into the terminal when you arrive by DCL transfers.

BUT... The question is not asking about that, the question specifically asks about the boarding number.

PP, since boarding number is directly tied to your PAT, if online check in has you select a PAT I suggest you do so. Unless you wish to be the guinea pig to find out what happens. I would hate for you to skip the PAT selection and then end up sitting around the terminal an extra hour or so waiting for open boarding because you ended up with a high boarding number due to no PAT.

If DCL doesn't want/need you to have a PAT, the online checkin wont alliw you to do so and DCL is taking that into account. If a passenger simply chooses not to select a PAT, he/she may spend more time in the terminal waiting to board. I wouldn't skip the PAT selection simply because you think it's unnecessary with DCL transfers.

Enjoy your cruise!

Yes but for DCL transfers a PAT isn't required, so you will get the first available brooding card and no be penalised for a later PAT.

If a person has a Pat 12.00 and arrives on another form of transport and gets there say 20.30 they will get a higher number, i.e. be penalised for bring early and may not be allowed in the terminal.

If arriving by DCL transfer you do not need a PAT and will be given the next available boarding card number at that time.

It's same as Concierge and same as Platinum they do not need a PAT in in fact the DCL site tells you that and blocks you in the process, there not penalised in the port.

The situation here is after completing online check in with a PAT they added transfers, so the online system didn't block it.

 

[lanejudy]

Yes but for DCL transfers a PAT isn't required, so you will get the first available brooding card and no be penalised for a later PAT. ...

Hmmm...Is this assumption, or fact? The only passengers I've heard recently who did not have to select a PAT are concierge, CC platinum, and those with pre-cruise plans booked directly through DCL.

This poster has indicated she has DCL transfers booked, prior to online checkin, and still had to select a PAT:

... I was allowed to select at PAT for our next cruise and we are traveling by DCL transfers from MCO (not staying at the MCO Hyatt). Our transfers were already on the reservation before I did the online check in. ...

I know DCL has tweaked their PAT system and boarding number system a few times in the past couple of years. At various points, different passengers were blocked from selecting a PAT during online check-in. But since going to the system of "boarding number is directly tied to the PAT" the only ones who I've heard could not select a PAT are those I mentioned above - concierge, CC platinum and passengers with pre-cruise plans booked through DCL -- there does seem to be some question lately about those booked at MCO Hyatt, but it was my understanding those who did not select a PAT were booked there directly by DCL. So maybe DCL is currently tweaking the process more. But I don't believe that all passengers arriving by DCL transfer can disregard selecting a PAT. That could change, but I don't believe it's the current process.

I stand by my suggestion that as long as the online check-in allowed one to select a PAT, passengers should do so regardless of transportation to port.

 

[Beermam42]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpQprjb4ijg&feature=youtube_gdata_player