Barcelona Port Arrival Question

[ILovePixieDust]

Does anyone have experience booking Disney transfers from Barcelona hotels to the port and could share their experience? Specifically, if booking Disney transfer does it take away the need to book port arrival time and are you allowed straight into the port/check in area like they do in Port Canaveral? Trying to find out if there are the same benefits to booking Disney transfers in Barcelona as there is when using them from WDW hotels in Orlando to Port Canaveral.

Thanks!

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

Does anyone have experience booking Disney transfers from Barcelona hotels to the port and could share their experience? Specifically, if booking Disney transfer does it take away the need to book port arrival time and are you allowed straight into the port/check in area like they do in Port Canaveral? Trying to find out if there are the same benefits to booking Disney transfers in Barcelona as there is when using them from WDW hotels in Orlando to Port Canaveral.

Thanks!

We did the Med back in 2018, so my memory is a bit fuzzy We stayed at the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona.

If I remember right, we didn't have a port arrival time per say, but we did have a bus load on time at the hotel. So the morning of the cruise, Disney had a table setup in the lobby, that we had to go and check in and they would assign us a time to board the bus to take us to the port. Once we arrived at the port, I think we just went right into the check in area.

I do remember sitting around the hotel for our turn to board the bus.

Psy

 

[RedHead0186]

We did the Med back in 2018, so my memory is a bit fuzzy We stayed at the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona.

If I remember right, we didn't have a port arrival time per say, but we did have a bus load on time at the hotel. So the morning of the cruise, Disney had a table setup in the lobby, that we had to go and check in and they would assign us a time to board the bus to take us to the port. Once we arrived at the port, I think we just went right into the check in area.

I do remember sitting around the hotel for our turn to board the bus.

Psy

I don't think DCL did port arrival times at all pre-pandemic (did they?), so this might not be the most accurate reflection of what's done now.

 

[gatechfan99]

We did just that in Summer 2023. We stayed at the Hilton and had transfers with Disney. We checked in at the lobby table the day before and they told us the time for our bus. I think it was 10:30 which was one of the later ones. I'm not sure how they assigned it, maybe it was random? Regardless, when we got to the port, they had us skip the line outside and walk straight into the terminal. I remember very little waiting in the terminal before we got onboard.

I also remember we were able to leave our bags in our room at the hotel and Disney came in and transported them without us having to touch them again until they showed up at our cruise room (that was a little nervous to me but it worked fine....and we had an airtag in them showing they were moving).

We did transport to the Renaissance when we got off the cruise. No issues, the transportation people assigned us to one of the many buses when we came out with our luggage. We were probably to the hotel by 10-10:30. I would definitely use it again even though we could have probably done it cheaper another way. Just gave a good peace of mind with all the kids moving around in a foreign country. Also was reinforced when the car service we booked the next day to the airport never showed up at the hotel and we had to scramble for a cab!

 

[ILovePixieDust]

We did just that in Summer 2023. We stayed at the Hilton and had transfers with Disney. We checked in at the lobby table the day before and they told us the time for our bus. I think it was 10:30 which was one of the later ones. I'm not sure how they assigned it, maybe it was random? Regardless, when we got to the port, they had us skip the line outside and walk straight into the terminal. I remember very little waiting in the terminal before we got onboard.

I also remember we were able to leave our bags in our room at the hotel and Disney came in and transported them without us having to touch them again until they showed up at our cruise room (that was a little nervous to me but it worked fine....and we had an airtag in them showing they were moving).

We did transport to the Renaissance when we got off the cruise. No issues, the transportation people assigned us to one of the many buses when we came out with our luggage. We were probably to the hotel by 10-10:30. I would definitely use it again even though we could have probably done it cheaper another way. Just gave a good peace of mind with all the kids moving around in a foreign country. Also was reinforced when the car service we booked the next day to the airport never showed up at the hotel and we had to scramble for a cab!

Thank you for sharing your experience! That is super helpful.

Do you happen remember what boarding group number you received?

 

[gatechfan99]

Thank you for sharing your experience! That is super helpful.

Do you happen remember what boarding group number you received?

No, but it was definitely high. Having the late bus didn’t matter really because we barely stopped in the terminal. I remember wanting to slow down and take it in for a minute, but there was no time. Definitely eating lunch at Cabanas before 12

 

[lanejudy]

I don't think DCL did port arrival times at all pre-pandemic (did they?), so this might not be the most accurate reflection of what's done now.

Port arrival times started when the Dream launched — so back in 2010. That said, PAT was mainly important for the Dream and Fantasy at Port Canaveral and may not have been enforced for other ships.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We did DCL transfers to the port last year in Barcelona. I did not select a PAT at check in. We stayed at the Renaissance. Checked in the day before at a table they had set up in the lobby. They gave us a time to come down for the bus. It was a bit chaotic as they had buses arriving to drop off guests and those same buses took passengers back to the ship. I believe they went by castaway status to bring you to the port. We were on the first bus with platinum. Once at the port, there was a short line waiting to get in. Very easy check in there. No line. And a short wait at the terminal for our boarding group to be called. I don't remember what our group was exactly, but we were on the ship shortly after the family of the day and concierge.

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

So, it sounds like my fuzzy memory was mostly correct

Psy

 

[RedHead0186]

Port arrival times started when the Dream launched — so back in 2010. That said, PAT was mainly important for the Dream and Fantasy at Port Canaveral and may not have been enforced for other ships.

Ok, that must be what I'm thinking of. Thanks for the clarification!

 

[kiford]

Back in 2010 and 2013, we weren't given PATs for Barcelona; you booked a time with the buses in the hotel lobby/meeting room. There were boarding numbers, but we walked right on when we arrived, and I remember seeing people waiting to board. We arrived around 11-11:15 am. I remember having to sit in the Cove Cafe for a couple of hours waiting for our rooms to be ready.