When to arrive at Port

[Disneyof3]

So I guess we are lucky and got a 11am time for port. So I heard they don't open until 11am. So because DH has to drop us off and then return the rental car. Should we arrive around 10:30am. I will have his luggage and his passport and stuff (thanks to the disboard for that answer) and he will only have his drivers license with him. Or should we arrive earlier than that. Don't know about the old system because this is our first cruise.

 

[kalc12345]

We were on the Dream in December. We got to port around 10:15 but they didn't let us in until 10:30. We stood outside and waited. After they let us in we checked in and got a boarding number 4. We were on the ship by 12.

 

[mmouse37]

I would not get there too much earlier than 10:40 or so....the port is not supposed to open until 11:00 for incoming traffic but there have been reports of people arriving a bit earlier and let in. No sense in getting there too early and having to wait.....that just causes traffic problems and one of the reasons they made the port arrival time 11:00 was to ease traffic flow.

MJ

 

[kcashner]

As above, some people arriving at 10:30 have not been allowed in; it makes more sense to arrive a few minutes later and not have to wait. If you arrive about 10:45 you will be allowed in and able to drop your luggage, enter, and proceed to check in. Your husband can be at the car return place by 11, which is the earliest they will allow a shuttle into the terminal area.

It makes no sense to arrive earlier and be directed to a waiting spot or McDonald's.

 

[dovbniak]

We finished a Dream cruise in January and we too rented a car and had an 11 am port arrival time.

We were also going to drop off my family at the port and then I was going to return the rental car (Budget).

Instead, we all went to the rental car agency with our luggage (arrived at 10:30). We were all taken to the port together and and arrived shortly before 11 am. The port was open and we got boarding number 3 and were on board by 11:45. It was sooooo easy

I think if you stick together and all take the car rental shuttle and plan to arrive at the port around 11 am you should be golden.

 

[CruznLexi]

We dropped the rental car at 1110 and had #6 and walked on!

 

[kcashner]

We've done the car drop both ways--kept the gang together to return car and shuttle to cruise terminal and dropped passengers and had driver return.

There are advantages both ways. If you drop passengers/luggage before returning the car, you only have to move the luggage once. If you prefer to keep the gang together, that is, in itself, reassuring. Whatever works for you--it isn't a huge difference either way. We found Budget to be easy and efficient.