Arriving at DCL around midday??

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi - I've asked this on the cruise board as well, but thought I would ask your opinion as well.

I had always planned to get to the ship for 10am and get as early a pass onto the ship as I could - (I liked the idea of eating at Topsiders buffet and letting DS4 swim in the pool before the crowds arrive)

But I am trying to fit in a Spiderman Breakfast for DS, and it looks like the best morning might be the day we transfer to the cruise. (Although there are other possibilities - maybe a late breakfast on the day we return to Port - I think we would be able to get to UO by 10am?? )

In your experience, how busy is the port and ship at midday?? Is there alot of queueing to get on board?? Will there already be alot of people in the pool and at the buffet??

thanks for your help!!

 

[psharrock]

I'm not going to be able to answer your question properly, so hopefully someone else will give you a better idea.

We got to the terminal at about 12, and was given boarding number 10, whilst we were checking in we heard them call boarding number 3. We were actually staying in conceirge so we bypassed the queue, but there were a lot of people waiting around.

As you need to be up before 6am on the last day to go through imigration, it will be very easy for you to be at UO before 10am, I think we got back to Kissimmee around 9:20am

Paul

 

[wayneg]

Hi - I've asked this on the cruise board as well, but thought I would ask your opinion as well.

I had always planned to get to the ship for 10am and get as early a pass onto the ship as I could - (I liked the idea of eating at Topsiders buffet and letting DS4 swim in the pool before the crowds arrive)

But I am trying to fit in a Spiderman Breakfast for DS, and it looks like the best morning might be the day we transfer to the cruise. (Although there are other possibilities - maybe a late breakfast on the day we return to Port - I think we would be able to get to UO by 10am?? )

In your experience, how busy is the port and ship at midday?? Is there alot of queueing to get on board?? Will there already be alot of people in the pool and at the buffet??

thanks for your help!!

Last weekend we arrived just before 11am. No line to get in, straight to front to check in. Boarding started at 11:45am we had a #7 ticket, called 7's to board just after 12 Noon. There were still no lines when we boarded (except for photo's with Mickey and Minnie), Since they started the Number system there never seems to be the same lines there were before, its much better now.

As you need to be up before 6am on the last day to go through imigration, it will be very easy for you to be at UO before 10am, I think we got back to Kissimmee around 9:20am

Paul

We were expecting usual early start last Thurs but they let us keep passports when we checked in last Sunday. No need to get up until 7am just had to be out of room for 8am. Only line we had was to show passports and hand in Customs form as we left the terminal, took about 10 mins to get out. We were passing Universal at 9:30am.

Edit to add we had a DISmeet at 3pm at Goofy pool bar, it was very noisy and busy.

 

[psharrock]

We were expecting usual early start last Thurs but they let us keep passports when we checked in last Sunday. No need to get up until 7am just had to be out of room for 8am. Only line we had was to show passports and hand in Customs form as we left the terminal, took about 10 mins to get out. We were passing Universal at 9:30am.

That will be excellent if they have changed the system as we're going on our 2nd cruise over christmas this year.

Paul

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Agree with above but for my Panama cruise this year we still have to hand in our passports,

 

[wayneg]

Agree with above but for my Panama cruise this year we still have to hand in our passports,

Maybe its just the 3 & 4 night cruises you get to keep them, I don't know but it was nice not having to get up at a silly time on our last morning.

 

[psharrock]

Maybe its just the 3 & 4 night cruises you get to keep them, I don't know but it was nice not having to get up at a silly time on our last morning.

On the 4 night cruise in Dec 2006, we had to give up our passports, and we had to report to immigration at 6AM on the last morning

 

[amystevekai&bump]

thanks everyone - I think I will get to the port for 10am - If I did the Character breakfast that morning, I'd have one eye watching the clock and waiting for DS4 to finish talking to Spidey, so that we could drive on down to the ship!!!

We are also only doing a 3 nighter, so if we get to keep our passports that will be a bonus as we will lie in and just wait for breakfast at Universal upon our return!!

thanks alot!!

 

[wayneg]

On the 4 night cruise in Dec 2006, we had to give up our passports, and we had to report to immigration at 6AM on the last morning

Yes thats how its been on our 2 x 7 nighters and our last 4 nighter, such a pain to pick up passports early morning.
Last August on RCCL we picked up passports evening before we got off, then last week kept them all cruise on Wonder, both options are much better than the 6am collection.
Back on RCCL this August so hope it hasn't changed on there.