If my board time is 11:30 am I still better off boarding at 12:30?

[sahara910]

I saw a few references to the "sweet spot" for crowds. Kids will want to do Aqua Duck pretty quickly and we want to eat lunch and explore... Are we better off shooting for 12:00/12:30 or 11:00/ 11:30 ?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I saw a few references to the "sweet spot" for crowds. Kids will want to do Aqua Duck pretty quickly and we want to eat lunch and explore... Are we better off shooting for 12:00/12:30 or 11:00/ 11:30 ?

You don't have a boarding time. You have a Port Arrival Time. Your PAT is tied to your actual boarding number, which you will receive when you checkin at the port.

Boarding generally begins around 11:45 (sometimes earlier). At that time they will start calling the boarding numbers (#1 Concierge, #2 Platinum CC members, and so on). They space out the numbers about every 5-10 minutes.

Once the boarding number being announced catches up with the number being issued at checkin, Open Boarding is announced. Generally this happens around 12:30-12:45. At that time anyone holding any boarding number can board.

I don't know if you have an 11:00-11:30 window or a 11:30-12:00 window, but I'd probably aim for arriving around 12:00-12:30. That way you have the probability of your boarding number already having been called, and not particularly long lines for boarding.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I would still take the 11:30 arrival. Aqua Duck opens at noon. Most people don't board the ship in a bathing suit but if they really want to ride with no line, I'd be ready to get to it asap. The line only grows through the afternoon.
We learned this doing a b2b and lounging by an empty pool most of the morning & watching new arrivals board, carrying day bags, looking slightly dazed. Ds, then 11, was right in line at noon and it was empty.

Unless the kids are starving, I'd enjoy the non-existant/short line, then eat lunch.

 

[sahara910]

Thanks for the clarification... We have no concierge or anything like that, and I cannot figure out how to see whether it was 11:30-12 or 11-11:30 I just remember it saying 11:30 when I did online check in. So I guess we should just come dressed in swim suits (the kids) and arrive around noon

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks for the clarification... We have no concierge or anything like that, and I cannot figure out how to see whether it was 11:30-12 or 11-11:30 I just remember it saying 11:30 when I did online check in. So I guess we should just come dressed in swim suits (the kids) and arrive around noon

When you go to your reservation online, you should still be able to access your online checkin. Just go to the page where you selected your PAT.

 

[gatorfreud]

I like to get on the ship at the first possible opportunity! We got the earliest PAT, were dressed in swim suits, went straight to the pool for swimming and AquaDuck and ate by the pool. Had it to ourselves for awhile!

Kim

 

[MND]

I saw a few references to the "sweet spot" for crowds. Kids will want to do Aqua Duck pretty quickly and we want to eat lunch and explore... Are we better off shooting for 12:00/12:30 or 11:00/ 11:30 ?

We had a Fantasy cruise last month and we had an 11:00 port arrival time. We arrived a bit before that and quickly went through the check-in process. We were assigned to the #4 boarding group. I believe boarding began at 11:30 and we were on the ship around 11:45.

My opinion is that you should try to get on the ship as early as you can.

Mike

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

It sounds all nice now but real life can sometimes not be as fine tuned as we planned. I say get some sleep that morning (so you can have a great night) and get to the port to get aboard any time from 11:30-2:30.

**My usual tip for car drivers going to PC is to have quarters on hand for toll booths and enough gas to get you by since there is only 1 between Orlando and PC.**

 

[tweis]

I saw a few references to the "sweet spot" for crowds. Kids will want to do Aqua Duck pretty quickly and we want to eat lunch and explore... Are we better off shooting for 12:00/12:30 or 11:00/ 11:30 ?

Take Princess Shmoo's advice and go online and check your PAT. If it is 11-11:30 then I would arrive around 11:00 with swimsuits on and you should be onboard by 11:45-12:00. I personally wouldn't wait for open boarding if I have an early PAT, but that's just me.

On our last cruise we had the 11:30-12:00 PAT. We arrived around 11:40(ish) and our boarding # was called before we made it out of the line. Definitely onboard by 12:00.