Boarding Groups

[dizneefreak29]

We will be able to check in for our October cruise is the next couple of weeks. We will be on our honeymoon! How do they assign boarding groups? It’s been awhile since I’ve cruise with Disney, but with other cruise lines, the earlier you arrive the earlier you board. From what I’ve been reading, it seems like Disney assigns the group.

 

[ahain]

I don't know the exact logic, but I believe it is tied (at least loosely) to your PAT (Port Arrival Time) unless you are Concierge (boards first); Platinum (Boarding Group #1) or arrive on Disney Transportation. So if you selected a late PAT, you're not likely to get boarding group #2 or #3 no matter how early you arrive.

 

[Mango7100]

Last week we had a port arrival time from 1045-1115 at Port Canaveral—we were assigned boarding group 5 and given a card with that number to show when getting on the boat. It was very fast—the difference between boarding group times was 5 min to 10 tops. We were on the boat at 1145.

 

[Bonnie1222]

I don't know the exact logic, but I believe it is tied (at least loosely) to your PAT (Port Arrival Time) unless you are Concierge (boards first); Platinum (Boarding Group #1) or arrive on Disney Transportation. So if you selected a late PAT, you're not likely to get boarding group #2 or #3 no matter how early you arrive.

Yes This...

On a cruise early last year, even though we were gold at the time we weren't 100% we were going to be able to go so we waited until the last day to pay in full. When we got our PAT it was noon. We are local and always arrive early to avoid traffic issues and arrived at the port by 10. We had boarding #13. Boarding for the entire ship was delayed until noon, but we were still heading on to the ship by 12:30/12:45. On this same cruise we were talking to a family who were on their first cruise and the TA never told them about picking a time so they just showed up. They arrived at the port at 9:30 and they had boarding #36 (or something high like that) I was actually surprised how high the numbers went. Just shows how important picking a time can be.

When we book an early PAT we are usually a lower number, I think the next cruise we had a PAT of 10:15 or 10:30 and we were #5 and we were on the ship by 11:30.

Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that any more.

 

[dizneefreak29]

Thanks everyone! I guess I don’t understand how we book the PAT?

 

[Bonnie1222]

When you are paid in full and go through your online check in one of the steps is to pick you time. A chart will come up and you pick an open time. Super easy.

 

[Dug720]

The way it seems to work is there are X number of slots in each PAT and X number of slots in each Boarding Group. They would start with Boarding Group 2 (because Platinum is 1 automatically) and divide the Boarding Groups into the PATs. The earliest PAT has 2 and at least part of Boarding Group 3 (I have had both with the first PAT). It seems like they fill in as people check-in online, so that the first person to get the earliest PAT would get Group 2, and the last person to get the earliest PAT would get Group 3 (I am guessing based on anecdotal stuff here that there are 2 Boarding Groups per PAT). And so forth.

With there being some slots held in each Boarding Group for people coming on DCL transportation from MCO or WDW who booked transportation before checking in online and therefore did not select a PAT.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Not to hijack, but we will have 2 first time cruisers in our 5 person cabin, but the other three of us are platinum. Will our whole party be able to board with platinum? And if not, any suggestions on how I can politely tell my friends they are on their own as we are going on without them?

 

[serenitynow]

Not to hijack, but we will have 2 first time cruisers in our 5 person cabin, but the other three of us are platinum. Will our whole party be able to board with platinum? And if not, any suggestions on how I can politely tell my friends they are on their own as we are going on without them?

Officially, for the party to board together, the entire party needs to be Platinum. Or else wait to board with the Silver passengers boarding time.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Officially, for the party to board together, the entire party needs to be Platinum. Or else wait to board with the Silver passengers boarding time.

Uh, no. I'll go on ahead and get my friends a spot at Cabanas....

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Officially, for the party to board together, the entire party needs to be Platinum. Or else wait to board with the Silver passengers boarding time.

So I just checked my reservation, and it didn't even let me pick a PAT because I am Platinum (I checked in for our whole party as the ressie is in my name). So my friends will arrive with us, but can't board with us and will be given their own boarding time? Just seems weird.

 

[Starwind]

With there being some slots held in each Boarding Group for people coming on DCL transportation from MCO or WDW who booked transportation before checking in online and therefore did not select a PAT.

I'm not sure how much of this there is. Or perhaps which set of boarding group they start with for that purpose.

For our December 2017 cruise on the Fantasy we booked transportation before checkin so could not choose a PAT. We were on the first DCL bus from MCO. We got boarding group 15.

SW

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

So I just checked my reservation, and it didn't even let me pick a PAT because I am Platinum (I checked in for our whole party as the ressie is in my name). So my friends will arrive with us, but can't board with us and will be given their own boarding time? Just seems weird.

If everyone is in one stateroom, I think everyone gets the same boarding number, so they should be able to board with you. If they were in their own stateroom, then they'd have a different number.

 

[Dug720]

I'm not sure how much of this there is. Or perhaps which set of boarding group they start with for that purpose.

For our December 2017 cruise on the Fantasy we booked transportation before checkin so could not choose a PAT. We were on the first DCL bus from MCO. We got boarding group 15.

SW

Like I said, it was only a guess. That is the wild card considering some have reported being on the first bus without a PAT and getting 2 or other numbers. They may only have a few per group since most people probably add the transfers after selecting their PAT - and party size may make a difference. It’s possible they did not have enough for your size party until 15.

So transfers without PAT seem to be the wildcard.

 

[Dug720]

If everyone is in one stateroom, I think everyone gets the same boarding number, so they should be able to board with you. If they were in their own stateroom, then they'd have a different number.

This. If they are in your Stateroom they will get Boarding Group 1 with you. That is only for Platinum cruisers.

If they are not in your Stateroom and are not Platinum, they will automatically have a higher boarding number. If you wish to board with them, you would have to wait until their number is called (or Open Boarding, whichever comes first).

 

[daisyx3]

So transfers without PAT seem to be the wildcard.

Here are my two examples. In July of 2018 for our 3 night Fantasy we had a PAT of 1045; we were in boarding group 7. Last month for the 4 night Dream I picked a PAT of 1030; I was in boarding group 2 (and boy was I stoked). It's true there is not much difference, but with folks hovering around waiting for their own numbers, I was glad to get out of the scrum. We were called at 1128 and at Cabanas by 1138 (and that is with a picture--hint; head for the aft elevators for a quicker trip if Cabanas is your goal).

 

[Mommb]

If everyone is in one stateroom, I think everyone gets the same boarding number, so they should be able to board with you. If they were in their own stateroom, then they'd have a different number.

This is correct. The boarding number is assigned to the entire room. The "status" of a room matches the status of the person in the room with the highest status, so everyone in the room with a Platinum member will be able to board at the same time as the Platinum member. Also, everyone 18 or older in the room with a Platinum member can get a free meal at Palo along with the member. Other benefits, such as discounts at the shops and Platinum lanyards, are given only to the Platinum members.

 

[Dug720]

Here are my two examples. In July of 2018 for our 3 night Fantasy we had a PAT of 1045; we were in boarding group 7. Last month for the 4 night Dream I picked a PAT of 1030; I was in boarding group 2 (and boy was I stoked). It's true there is not much difference, but with folks hovering around waiting for their own numbers, I was glad to get out of the scrum. We were called at 1128 and at Cabanas by 1138 (and that is with a picture--hint; head for the aft elevators for a quicker trip if Cabanas is your goal).

That would match with 2 Boarding Groups per PAT... Earliest has 2 and 3, next (10:45) has 4 and 5...

 

[GatorMomInNC]

This is correct. The boarding number is assigned to the entire room. The "status" of a room matches the status of the person in the room with the highest status, so everyone in the room with a Platinum member will be able to board at the same time as the Platinum member. Also, everyone 18 or older in the room with a Platinum member can get a free meal at Palo along with the member. Other benefits, such as discounts at the shops and Platinum lanyards, are given only to the Platinum members.

Yeah, great, that is what I thought. I booked a Palo brunch for myself and my friend. I just hope that will be okay in place of the dinner.

There is another thread on here (well, multiple) about PAT and boarding groups. I wish I had kept track of all of my PAT and boarding group configurations and then compared to when I booked, PIF, etc. so we could figure out this mystery. Maybe someone should start a thread on that like people do with GTY assignments and we can try and solve this.

 

[BHCruise]

This thread has me thoroughly confused.

I am about to go on my first Disney cruise in a week and I have a port arrival time of 10:45. It’s possible that I might not get to actually board the ship for several hours after that? Should I not bother showing up at my port arrival time since I got to check in so much later than all the silver/gold/platinum/Concierage cruisers?

Hanging around a cruise terminal instead of a hotel seems like a bad use of time. How long does each boarding group take?