Another Embarkation Question...

[PrincessShmoo]

I get that but I still think they should be honest and say something like formal boarding time is one but generally boarding starts around 11:30. I have never been on a cruise where boarding started at 1. Is that really even theor official boarding time? I have never seen that anywhere.

Well, I don't know if it's on the website anywhere, but our cruise booklet we got for our EBTA says "Boarding usually starts around 1:00 pm and everyone has to be onboard by 4:00 pm".

Think that's pretty standard for Port Canaveral.

 

[missycourteau]

The dcl bus from your resort will get you there on the later side.

You can get yourself back to the airport and take the dcl bus from there. They start boarding at 9 and leave as they fill buses.

There are rental cars and agencies like fltours and happylimo as alternatives as well.

While we haven't had our cruise yet, we booked thru HappyLimo at a very reasonable rate.

 

[dcassetta]

I get that but I still think they should be honest and say something like formal boarding time is one but generally boarding starts around 11:30. I have never been on a cruise where boarding started at 1. Is that really even theor official boarding time? I have never seen that anywhere.

I think it's important to remember that the cast member that you're speaking to on the phone it DCL, is not in Port Canaveral. In fact, they may never have been to the cruise terminal or on a cruise themselves. They're only relaying the information that is available to them. And if their information says the boarding starts at one, that's what they will communicate to guests. That customer service CM is almost certainly not permitted to deviate from the approved inormation, even if they have outside knowledge.

 

[My2Kidzmom]

No, each room can check in independently. Have they completed their online check in yet?

IDK. I told them to when our window opened. They are not planners or Disneyaholics quite like I am. I asked again last night and haven't gotten a response. I'll keep trying.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

IDK. I told them to when our window opened. They are not planners or Disneyaholics quite like I am. I asked again last night and haven't gotten a response. I'll keep trying.

Well, if you have their information (reservation number and one person's birthdate) you can get into their reservation to check it.

 

[CesD]

I am also one of those eager to arrive at the port early however- on our last cruise out of Miami, i was so glad we arrived late. Our hotel provided shuttles to port and when we went down to breakfast, the shuttle was full and there was a huge crowd waiting for the shuttle after that. We ate our breakfast at a leisure, went up to the room, relaxed a bit. When it was our turn to go on the shuttle, (I'd say it was after 11 a.m.) it was just my family and another family. We get to the port and we find the terminal had not been opened yet since they had some sort of customs inspection or something like that. People had been in line for at least 2 hrs.
Being early isnt always great. Even when we arrived, we still had to wait a good 45 min. People in line were pissed and hungry. Once they did open the terminal, everything went quickly. In fact, boarding the ship went so fast we were still in a short line to get the kids mickeybands when our turn to board was called.
I am starting to think a leisurely morning at the hotel and arriving around 12:30 is the way to go instead of waking up early and rushing to port. As long as you are there by 2pm or so, id say no rush. and your room will be ready so you can drop off your day bag right away.

 

[lanejudy]

As someone else mentioned, the DCL phone CMs most often have absolutely no experience on a DCL cruise and may never have set foot in FL. They give out the standard information -- and DCL's "official" boarding time is listed at 1pm, at least it has been for every cruise we've taken. And your PAT is not a boarding time. PAT is the Port Arrival Time -- it's the time you expect to arrive at the terminal to do check-in; while rare, if you arrive earlier than your PAT you may be required to wait outside the building, and even if allowed to check-in your actual boarding number will be later than those who arrived at the appropriate time. Ultimately, boarding will begin when the staff and crew are ready to have passengers onboard. That often is as early as 11:15am but could be 1pm or later if the prior cruise returns late or there is any delay readying the ship.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am also one of those eager to arrive at the port early however- on our last cruise out of Miami, i was so glad we arrived late. Our hotel provided shuttles to port and when we went down to breakfast, the shuttle was full and there was a huge crowd waiting for the shuttle after that. We ate our breakfast at a leisure, went up to the room, relaxed a bit. When it was our turn to go on the shuttle, (I'd say it was after 11 a.m.) it was just my family and another family. We get to the port and we find the terminal had not been opened yet since they had some sort of customs inspection or something like that. People had been in line for at least 2 hrs.
Being early isnt always great. Even when we arrived, we still had to wait a good 45 min. People in line were pissed and hungry. Once they did open the terminal, everything went quickly. In fact, boarding the ship went so fast we were still in a short line to get the kids mickeybands when our turn to board was called.
I am starting to think a leisurely morning at the hotel and arriving around 12:30 is the way to go instead of waking up early and rushing to port. As long as you are there by 2pm or so, id say no rush. and your room will be ready so you can drop off your day bag right away.

That's why we like taking the DCL transfers. Gets you to PC around 12:30-1:30. No line for check in or boarding. And the madhouse at Cabanas is generally gone by then.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

As someone else mentioned, the DCL phone CMs most often have absolutely no experience on a DCL cruise and may never have set foot in FL. They give out the standard information -- and DCL's "official" boarding time is listed at 1pm, at least it has been for every cruise we've taken. And your PAT is not a boarding time. PAT is the Port Arrival Time -- it's the time you expect to arrive at the terminal to do check-in; while rare, if you arrive earlier than your PAT you may be required to wait outside the building, and even if allowed to check-in your actual boarding number will be later than those who arrived at the appropriate time. Ultimately, boarding will begin when the staff and crew are ready to have passengers onboard. That often is as early as 11:15am but could be 1pm or later if the prior cruise returns late or there is any delay readying the ship.

Enjoy your cruise!

Yep. I don't know what the delay was on the EBTA. Maybe they were still loading supplies for the cruise. Or alerting the CMs that it was going to be a rough cruise, and how to handle things when it was..... don't know. But they didn't start boarding until after noon on that one.

 

[tee11]

If you really want to get to the port early you can use the Magical Express to get to the airport for free and then take a Disney transfer. We did it and would again, but it could be a hassle for a family with checked luggage. We were awake early and would rather hang around the port than the resort, just too excited! We were the first in Cabanas.

Can I ask, how exactly did you (and others) book this? Did you pre-book the DCL transfer from the airport to the port before you started your vacation, and then tell the receptionist at your Disney resort that you needed a magical express to the airport that morning? When I booked rooms they were asking for flight numbers, etc. as part of the Magical Express reservations, what do you tell them?

Or can both (magical express and DCL transfer to port) be booked the day before you need them? Or even when you arrive at MCO from the resort?

Thanks!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Can I ask, how exactly did you (and others) book this? Did you pre-book the DCL transfer from the airport to the port before you started your vacation, and then tell the receptionist at your Disney resort that you needed a magical express to the airport that morning? When I booked rooms they were asking for flight numbers, etc. as part of the Magical Express reservations, what do you tell them?

Or can both (magical express and DCL transfer to port) be booked the day before you need them? Or even when you arrive at MCO from the resort?

Thanks!

When you make a WDW resort reservation, you are automatically eligible for (free) transfers between the resort & airport. In order to be back on the airport at a specific time you must supply the resort with a flight time. Generally, they will schedule the ME from the resort to airport about 3 hours before your "flight". The trip from resort to airport is about 30-45 minutes. Plus the trip from airport to port is about an hour. Not counting the time you will have to wait to check in for the bus (which could be up to an hour), that makes the whole trip at least 1 3/4 hours long. That's pretty early in the morning that you'd have to get up to get to the airport by 9:00. OR, if you opt for the DCL transfers from resort to port, it's about an hour trip.

Personally, I think that's too much running around, plus you must get your bags from the resort onto ME, from ME to the DCL transfer desk. Using DCL transfers, they pick up your checked bags in your resort room and next time you see them is onboard at your room.

You can pre-book DCL transfers (one way or both ways) by contacting DCL to add them. Or you can purchase DCL transfers at the transfer desk the morning you get there. You can also add DCL transfers onboard the ship (I think it must be done by the last full day).

 

[kiford]

Didn't see a spot to select a PAT, it's just whenever our bus shows up right?

Sometimes you don't have to select a PAT if you're taking DCL transfers and other times you do. It doesn't seem consistent - we've had both. If we do have to select a PAT, I always select 1 pm which is about the time we arrive normally. Open boarding is usually 12:30-ish so it doesn't affect my time of boarding in any way and doesn't take away someone else's opportunity to book an earlier time. Never had to wait in line to check in or wait to board with that strategy.