Another Boarding Number question - Sorry.

[KSDisneyDad]

I've been away from this board for a while and am again researching for our upcoming cruise this June. It is my understanding that we now check-in 105 days in advance and select a check-in time which determines our boarding number.

My question is about my parents. They are not gold members and will check in 90 days in advance. If they have a different check-in time, can they still board with us or will we have to wait if we want to board together?

TIA

 

[kcashner]

Can they--probably. It isn't the way the system is intended to work, but reality is that the CMs are not very strict about enforcing "one boarding card per cabin." When a group of people hangs together and hands them a boarding card, they let the group pass.

Of course, you also have the option of waiting until their boarding number is called.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

I know it was in another port, but this is what happened when we boarded last April in San Pedro right after they implemented the online check-in times - It's like the Pirate Code - "Kind of a guideline" We chose a boarding time and arrived at that time . It was nice, because the drop off space and boarding line were uncrowded and unhurried. But it did not affect our boarding number at all.

After we passed a CM who looked at our boarding pass and passport, we met up with a TSA agent who did the same. We were then sent up to a check in line where a CM handed us a boarding number - long before we ever got to the actual check in desk.

I am sure you can all arrive together and check in together. If you are not castaway club members, I would go with your parents and have them tell the CM you are all together and want to enter together. At San Pedro, they had separate sides of the terminal for CC or non-CC and separate boarding/picture areas. Of course from what we saw, the CC line was much longer so I don't know what the benefit was Enjoy your cruise!

 

[lbgraves]

Since they are actually assigning boarding numbers according to your arrival time now, your parents will actually be assigned a boarding number when they check in. Whether or not they are able to select the same arrival time as you will depend on the cruise, and how early they log in to do this when their window opens. As kcashner said, it will depend on the CMs at the entrance of the ears as to if they are going to ask for a seperate boarding card from your parents or not. When the latest change started in August 2011 the information sent out by DCL said that if you wanted to enter the terminal with another party and they had a later arrival time, then you all needed to wait for the later time to enter the terminal. It hasn't been reported that this has ever happened YET, but it is a possibility since DCL actually addressed this issue in the email announcing the change.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Can they--probably. It isn't the way the system is intended to work, but reality is that the CMs are not very strict about enforcing "one boarding card per cabin." When a group of people hangs together and hands them a boarding card, they let the group pass.

Of course, you also have the option of waiting until their boarding number is called.

That's what I assumed, but wanted to check. Thanks!

 

[mmouse37]

I've been away from this board for a while and am again researching for our upcoming cruise this June. It is my understanding that we now check-in 105 days in advance and select a check-in time which determines our boarding number.

My question is about my parents. They are not gold members and will check in 90 days in advance. If they have a different check-in time, can they still board with us or will we have to wait if we want to board together?

TIA

Just to clarify.....when you do your online check in your choose a PORT ARRIVAL TIME, not a CHECK IN time. Boarding starts around 11:30 - 11:45 and depending on your boarding number you will board. If you choose an earlier port arrival time you will have an earlier boarding number.

MJ

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Just to clarify.....when you do your online check in your choose a PORT ARRIVAL TIME, not a CHECK IN time. Boarding starts around 11:30 - 11:45 and depending on your boarding number you will board. If you choose an earlier port arrival time you will have an earlier boarding number.

MJ

Yes. sorry I don't have the nomenclature down yet, but I do believe I understand it correctly.

We plan to do on-line check-in on first day we can and select the earliest port arrival time we can. We will also arrive that day to check-in as soon as the port opens.

KCashner indicates one boarding card per cabin. For the 7 of us we have three cabins. My wife and I have two cabins so I guess the 7 of us could just use our two boarding numbers which should be fairly low and give the third one if it's later to someone else for a bit of pixie dust.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Since they are actually assigning boarding numbers according to your arrival time now, your parents will actually be assigned a boarding number when they check in. Whether or not they are able to select the same arrival time as you will depend on the cruise, and how early they log in to do this when their window opens. As kcashner said, it will depend on the CMs at the entrance of the ears as to if they are going to ask for a seperate boarding card from your parents or not. When the latest change started in August 2011 the information sent out by DCL said that if you wanted to enter the terminal with another party and they had a later arrival time, then you all needed to wait for the later time to enter the terminal. It hasn't been reported that this has ever happened YET, but it is a possibility since DCL actually addressed this issue in the email announcing the change.

Thanks Lisa. For some reason I was assuming the OP was talking about one of the other ports, not PC. I didn't realize they were doing this at PC too. Of course they told us the same thing ahead of tine but that's not how it worked. SP was a mess - the computers went down and no one boarded for an hour and a half!

Just to clarify.....when you do your online check in your choose a PORT ARRIVAL TIME, not a CHECK IN time. Boarding starts around 11:30 - 11:45 and depending on your boarding number you will board. If you choose an earlier port arrival time you will have an earlier boarding number.

MJ

That's the part I left out!

Yes. sorry I don't have the nomenclature down yet, but I do believe I understand it correctly.

We plan to do on-line check-in on first day we can and select the earliest port arrival time we can. We will also arrive that day to check-in as soon as the port opens.

KCashner indicates one boarding card per cabin. For the 7 of us we have three cabins. My wife and I have two cabins so I guess the 7 of us could just use our two boarding numbers which should be fairly low and give the third one if it's later to someone else for a bit of pixie dust.

Sounds like it would work. What if you talked to your parents ahead of time and asked for the same arrival time? Then you would be there at the same time and your number would probably be the same or within 1 number. I guess some of the arrival times disappeared with the Gold members, but those were the very early ones.

Anyway, you'll have lots of fun no matter what time you board!