Cruise Check In Question

[mershell]

What time exactly does online check-in open up? Is it midnight eastern time/9p west?

Is there anything I need to know...hints?

Thanks

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

What time exactly does online check-in open up? Is it midnight eastern time/9p west?

Is there anything I need to know...hints?

Thanks

You're times are correct. Have the best internet connection you can, the DCL servers seem to go real slow at that time. It took me 3 attempts to check in to get my PAT a couple months ago, so have lots of patience. Also, I hope you enjoy your cruise.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What time exactly does online check-in open up? Is it midnight eastern time/9p west?

Is there anything I need to know...hints?

Thanks

Unless it's changed, you have to log in to your reservation after midnight (eastern time). Being logged in to your reservation prior to midnight and just hitting "refresh" doesn't do it.

I believe you can be logged into the DCL site prior, but, if you go into your reservation prior to midnight, the online checkin stuff won't be available.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Well for my recent cruises I logged in before midnight say 11.55, log in via castaway club portal, not the reservation, then go to my list of booked cruises, wait until midnight internet time at exactly 00.00 and straight into my reservation, works every time, last time for my cruise last month.

 

[mershell]

Awesome....thanks guys!!!

 

[anricat]

Yes, if you're a Castaway member, the log in through that portal seems to work wayyyyyy better.

 

[mershell]

Can anyone tell me what to expect upon check-in? My priority is to secure an early port arrival time. I don't think I'll be booking anything else. Will I need to fill out my forms at this time and if so, will this hamper my attempt at choosing my port arrival time? Pardon the "newbie" questions, but that last time I sailed there was no online check in. Much has changed in 10 years. Thanks so much.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Can anyone tell me what to expect upon check-in? My priority is to secure an early port arrival time. I don't think I'll be booking anything else. Will I need to fill out my forms at this time and if so, will this hamper my attempt at choosing my port arrival time? Pardon the "newbie" questions, but that last time I sailed there was no online check in. Much has changed in 10 years. Thanks so much.

In order to "unlock" the PAT page, you must complete all blanks on the preceding pages. Now, that information can be the default answer, or gibberish. The system only recognizes that you've enter something, it can't tell if it's good info. Once you have your PAT, you can go back and correct any errors.

Generally, it's quicker to say you're driving to the port, not arriving by plane. And that you're using cash to back your account, not a credit card.

 

[Tink431]

If I booked through a travel agent will I be able to take care of online check-in myself?

 

[orion2185]

If I booked through a travel agent will I be able to take care of online check-in myself?

yes, we just did our online check in's last night

and we booked with travel agent (Dreams Unlimited Travel)

you can also book your excursions, dining, spa etc

tip: you have to be paid in full to book things
however, you DON'T have to complete online check in first. You can check in online after you had a look/or book some of your activities

great tip if your trying to get one of those "popular" items. As things book/sell out quickly

 

[mershell]

I understand there's a place where you need to put passport information. Our passports expired and I've not yet got them updated. Can I skip this section and still fully check in and get my PAT?

Thanks

 

[Weedy]

I understand there's a place where you need to put passport information. Our passports expired and I've not yet got them updated. Can I skip this section and still fully check in and get my PAT?

Thanks

As long as it's a closed loop cruise, beginning and ending in the same U.S. city a passport is not required (but a very good idea to have). So you can just put in that you are traveling with birth certificates.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I understand there's a place where you need to put passport information. Our passports expired and I've not yet got them updated. Can I skip this section and still fully check in and get my PAT?

Thanks

No, you must put in something. Just say you're using birth certificates, and then go back and change it later.

 

[mershell]

Cool, thanks

 

[mhconley]

I got the earliest PAT for my upcoming full cruise on the Fantasy logging in about 12:18 AM Eastern. (My alarm did not sound; luckily my wife woke me up.)

Martin

 

[mershell]

I want to thank everyone here for all your suggestions. They worked like a charm. Check in went very smoothly. No hiccups , no frustrations. I got the earliest PAT and was even able to score a Palo brunch. The only sellouts I saw were the cabanas. Everything else was wide open. I was surprised how easy the entire process was. The only thing I note is that while my reservation clearly shows I am using DCL bus transfers, for some reason it would not allow me to choose that as a mode of transportation. It was greyed out. No big deal, I have to go back and enter my passport information when I get that done anyway. I will keep checking to see if that was just a glitch and if not I will call DCL. Otherwise, I couldn't be more pleased with the process and how it all went down. Thanks again everybody.

 

[Rob1872]

OK, first timer here. Why are people worried about what time zone they are in for online check-in? (And I'll assume that whatever you are trying to get will be all gone by the time a first time cruiser is checking in, but I'm still confused as to what is the downside of checking in later. I seem to remember seeing something that for my March 31 Magic cruise I can check in as early as somewhere in January.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

OK, first timer here. Why are people worried about what time zone they are in for online check-in? (And I'll assume that whatever you are trying to get will be all gone by the time a first time cruiser is checking in, but I'm still confused as to what is the downside of checking in later. I seem to remember seeing something that for my March 31 Magic cruise I can check in as early as somewhere in January.

Generally, there's not much difference if you wait until a more civilized time of the morning to do your online checkin/excursion bookings. But, there's the perceived "first in line" feeling, if you do it as soon as your window opens (at midnight eastern time).

 

[Rob1872]

Thanks. Other than signing up for your Port Arrival Time, what other things are you signing up for? Dining rotation would already be set; I'm assuming that most shore excursions are plentiful.

 

[bumbershoot]

I want to thank everyone here for all your suggestions. They worked like a charm. Check in went very smoothly. No hiccups , no frustrations. I got the earliest PAT and was even able to score a Palo brunch. The only sellouts I saw were the cabanas. Everything else was wide open. I was surprised how easy the entire process was. The only thing I note is that while my reservation clearly shows I am using DCL bus transfers, for some reason it would not allow me to choose that as a mode of transportation. It was greyed out. No big deal, I have to go back and enter my passport information when I get that done anyway. I will keep checking to see if that was just a glitch and if not I will call DCL. Otherwise, I couldn't be more pleased with the process and how it all went down. Thanks again everybody.

Don't worry about the transfer thing. I've never gotten it to do anything even when transfers were booked.