Boarding Number Clarification

[nick.turpchinoff]

I have read on here that you can get your boarding number the airport (MCO) and at the terminal. I called DCL today with a few questions and asked about this one. The cast member told me that I would not get a boarding number at the airport check-in but rather at the terminal.

I hope that we can get a boarding number at the airport! I really hope that the cast member was wrong about this. She seemed like she defiantly knew the answer as she said "No" right away.

Can someone please clarify this for me?

 

[kcashner]

First, it is not unusual for the people on the phone to not have a clue as to how things really work. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it has happened to me several times and has been reported here a lot.

What I can tell you is that the last time I boarded a cruise from Florida, I checked in at MCO and had my security photo taken there. I got a character sticker to indicate which bus I was on AND A BOARDING CARD. I even tried to discuss with the CM that since I was platinum (see the necklace?) I should have card number 1. She insisted that I take what she wished to give me.

When I got to the terminal I went to the supervisor's desk and got a number 1 card.

I cannot say whether this the current procedure, but this is what happened in 2010.

 

[nick.turpchinoff]

First, it is not unusual for the people on the phone to not have a clue as to how things really work. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it has happened to me several times and has been reported here a lot.

What I can tell you is that the last time I boarded a cruise from Florida, I checked in at MCO and had my security photo taken there. I got a character sticker to indicate which bus I was on AND A BOARDING CARD. I even tried to discuss with the CM that since I was platinum (see the necklace?) I should have card number 1. She insisted that I take what she wished to give me.

When I got to the terminal I went to the supervisor's desk and got a number 1 card.

I cannot say whether this the current procedure, but this is what happened in 2010.

Thank you, kcashner! When my DW and I went on our Honeymoon this past November 14th on the Wonder, we got our color character card (green tink) for the bus there, but no boarding card. After we got to the terminal, we went through the screening process and walked right onto the ship. No boarding number needed at all, which I thought was weird.

 

[cseca]

When we went on Magic they said that they do all check in and boarding # cards at the port.

But for this past MV, they did check in at the airport desk (except for non US citizens) and gave us boarding #s on the bus (the CM did say he forgot to give them out before we got on the bus). It was #5. Not sure why the first bus got #5 tho, that was just weird.

 

[nick.turpchinoff]

I cannot say whether this the current procedure, but this is what happened in 2010.

What month was this, kcashner? Early 2010 or Late 2010?
I didn't get a boarding pass in November 2010.

 

[farah]

I wonder with the new registration procedure (where we are now chosing an assigned time to arrive at port) if there will still be boarding card numbers? Its all so confusing now

 

[Deb T.]

I received my boarding card when I checked in at the airport for my cruise last April (2010).

I am not surprised at all that there are conflicting reports as to where cruisers were able to get their boarding cards. As we know, Disney always reserves the right to change anything at anytime. On top of that, all kinds of hitches could occur, such as the airport running out of boarding cards during the morning and having the rest of the cruisers get theirs at the port. It would be nice if they were consistently issued at the airport, though.

Thank you, kcashner! When my DW and I went on our Honeymoon this past November 14th on the Wonder, we got our color character card (green tink) for the bus there, but no boarding card. After we got to the terminal, we went through the screening process and walked right onto the ship. No boarding number needed at all, which I thought was weird.

I am guessing that you arrived at the port well after boarding had begun, thus no line to get on the ship, so no boarding card was needed.

 

[degrapevine]

Hey, all!

Sorry if I'm asking a question that's a bit off track, but from one of kcashner's earlier posts, she seemed to say that as a Platinum CC member, she received Boarding Pass #1. I know that my family and I (as first time Platinums) will share the Concierge waiting area in the port, but I didn't realize that we would get a #1 pass, too.

We usually arrive around 11:30 or so and wait until about 12:30 to board. If we arrived before boarding starts, would we receive #1 and get to board first? Or, if we arrived after boarding starts, would we still get #1 and be able to board with the next group called? This might be a good way to get my sleepy kids out of bed and in the car to get to the port early if there won't be any waiting.

After 10 cruises, the port isn't so interesting any more and they just don't want to have to wait around, so we usually just show up later. But if it's true that Platinum CC members get #1 passes no matter when we arrive, we would definitely get there earlier to start exploring the Dream ASAP!

TIA ...

Rose

 

[kcashner]

Platinum gets number 1 no matter what time you arrive.

The boarding has varied a little...sometimes it is "family of the day" then concierge, then platinum. Other times, concierge and platinum are all together. When we arrived after boarding had started, we were escorted by a CM to the front of the "then boarding" line and were the next family on--he unhooked a section of the "ropes" and took us thru.

So...if you arrive before boarding starts, you get card number 1 (or we did each time). If you arrive after boarding starts, you'll board as soon as you have checked in. YUP, no more reason to arrive early unless you are looking for an upgrade to purchase.

The cruise when we got boarding passes at MCO was April 2010.

 

[KrisannB]

on our January 3, 2011 cruise we checked in at the airport (but was told when I called in that they were no longer doing that)

We did not get a boarding card we were told because they were finished with the numbers (it was like 12 when we got there) and we walked right on. BUT I saw them handing them out to the bus in front of us when they were lining up in the airport to board the bus.

 

[degrapevine]

kcashner - Thanks so much for the always prompt and helpful response! I didn't know about the boarding pass perk for Platinum CC members. It will be SO nice to start our vacation as soon as we arrive rather than having to wait around in the port. I was never able to get my family out of bed early enough to be there before boarding started to get an early number and we always ended up sitting around for about an hour. Now that they know they'll be able to get right on the ship, I really hope that we can leave by 8-ish (we are near Tampa) to get there and be one of the first ones on. Yeah!

Rose

 

[jaxjags]

When we went on Magic they said that they do all check in and boarding # cards at the port.

But for this past MV, they did check in at the airport desk (except for non US citizens) and gave us boarding #s on the bus (the CM did say he forgot to give them out before we got on the bus). It was #5. Not sure why the first bus got #5 tho, that was just weird.

We were on the MV and are Platinum cruisers. We were told that there were so many Platinum folks that they held boarding #s 1-4 for them. That must be why the busses were told to start with number 5. We ended up with #2 and we checked in around 11:00.

 

[mammacaryn]

We checked in at the airport but the entire process was not done there. We still had to get our photos taken at the port and got our lanyards and bording number at the port.

 

[mammacaryn]

We checked in at the airport but the entire process was not done there. We still had to get our photos taken at the port and got our lanyards and bording number at the port.

 

[JanDave]

What I can tell you is that the last time I boarded a cruise from Florida, I checked in at MCO and had my security photo taken there. I got a character sticker to indicate which bus I was on AND A BOARDING CARD. I even tried to discuss with the CM that since I was platinum (see the necklace?) I should have card number 1. She insisted that I take what she wished to give me.

I was on an October 2010 Magic cruise and November 2010 B2B Wonder cruises. Both times, we took DCL transportation. We checked in at the airport, got platinum lanyards, photos were taken, assigned to a bus character name, and given boarding pass #1 as we are platinum members. When checking in for the Magic cruise, the CM gave me a boarding pass that was not #1. I reminded her that we were platinum and she gave me a #1 boarding pass.

To the OP, boarding goes fast, so even if you have a higher number, you will get on board soon after boarding starts.

Jan

 

[JanDave]

We checked in at the airport but the entire process was not done there. We still had to get our photos taken at the port and got our lanyards and bording number at the port.

In October and November 2010 cruises, we had our photos taken at the airport. When we got to port, we did not have to do anything but wait until we boarded the ship.

Jan