Just off Dream. Boarding...

[shelleyr25]

We were on 4/3-4/7 as well. Had a check in time of 12-12:30 and arrived at 12:20. They were boarding groups 1-4 when we arrived. We got #23 and didn't get called to board until 2:15!!! It was agonizingly slow. Others next to us in line said they chose later boarding times online but showed up earlier and also received boarding #23. So no, the online time you pick is very much not currently enforced.

Also at 12:30 the line to register your kids for kids clubs was wound around to the end of the ropes and all the way back through the port to the front doors. We spent about an hour in line.

Lesson learned: this was absolutely the wrong time to arrive.

Ugghh...this will be about the time we will arrive for Sunday's cruise.

 

[Doinitwell]

As I posted earlier, I arrived at the port around 9:30a and ended up with a #3 boarding pass. What I did not mention is I got the boarding pass from the check-in woman at the counter. Apparently we were supposed to be given one when we filled out the health form or entered the line. She said that was OK and than gave us a card with the boarding number hand written on it.

 

[Zandy595]

I think the only real solution is to make the terminal bigger and hire more CM's to check people in. Of course that's not going to happen.

 

[Cmbar]

Just off yesterday and I feel the boarding situation is a mess.

We had earliest arrival time of 10:30 for both my cabin and Dsis cabin.

We dropped Dsis and BIL off at around 10am to the front line (didn't know anything about a third floor!!). They were taken care of by porter right away with all our luggage and got in a very short line to show Id and then enter terminal. They moved to check in right away in the Castaway line. They picked up a card from a man standing near the lines. When they checked in my Dsis asked what is up with getting this card (boarding #8) I thought it was linked to our checkin time online and WE did arrive at our time. The CMe said they are still trying to work this out as people are coming early and messing things up (her words). Anyways she looked in the system somehow and saw that they had Boarding #4. Took her boarding number 8 crossed it out, wrote 4 and then initialed it.

So my DH and I drop off car and return to terminal about 10:45 and get in line. Goes pretty smoothly. We get to the guy with the cards and get 18 My BIL comes up to us and says they got 4. So when we checked in the CM checking us in gave us all our cards and stuff and said "do you have a boarding number yet". We said yes # 18, but also asked and said, hey we are here in our time slot why should we board at 18? He said what number does your family have? We said 4, he took a small card out and gave us #4. He didn't even look at our ressie and was happy to do it.

SO I have NO IDEA how they assign numbers. They are doing it randomly and are trying to be accomodating to people and quite honestly doing it as they go.

BUT THE BIG ISSUE..... Getting into the ship when your number is called.

That was a complete and total mess. Not a good way to start your cruise. I can't believe Disney who is known around the world for the best way of Cueing people in a line, can't have a STINKING LINE FOR BOARDING (yes I am yelling). People were pushing and irritable and didn't know what number was called. IF the local deli can have a "now serving number" sign I gotta believe Disney can do this

I will be writing the customer service address about this. It was horrible. Make a line like Southwest and have boarding number lines so people can start getting in line. Ridiculous. My DH just about went nuts on a man pushing me and his wife yelling about getting through (they were two numbers earlier). It was ugly.

Sorry, getting off my soap box!

 

[Mmketeer]

Just off yesterday and I feel the boarding situation is a mess.

We had earliest arrival time of 10:30 for both my cabin and Dsis cabin.

We dropped Dsis and BIL off at around 10am to the front line (didn't know anything about a third floor!!). They were taken care of by porter right away with all our luggage and got in a very short line to show Id and then enter terminal. They moved to check in right away in the Castaway line. They picked up a card from a man standing near the lines. When they checked in my Dsis asked what is up with getting this card (boarding #8) I thought it was linked to our checkin time online and WE did arrive at our time. The CMe said they are still trying to work this out as people are coming early and messing things up (her words). Anyways she looked in the system somehow and saw that they had Boarding #4. Took her boarding number 8 crossed it out, wrote 4 and then initialed it.

So my DH and I drop off car and return to terminal about 10:45 and get in line. Goes pretty smoothly. We get to the guy with the cards and get 18 My BIL comes up to us and says they got 4. So when we checked in the CM checking us in gave us all our cards and stuff and said "do you have a boarding number yet". We said yes # 18, but also asked and said, hey we are here in our time slot why should we board at 18? He said what number does your family have? We said 4, he took a small card out and gave us #4. He didn't even look at our ressie and was happy to do it.

SO I have NO IDEA how they assign numbers. They are doing it randomly and are trying to be accomodating to people and quite honestly doing it as they go.

BUT THE BIG ISSUE..... Getting into the ship when your number is called.

That was a complete and total mess. Not a good way to start your cruise. I can't believe Disney who is known around the world for the best way of Cueing people in a line, can't have a STINKING LINE FOR BOARDING (yes I am yelling). People were pushing and irritable and didn't know what number was called. IF the local deli can have a "now serving number" sign I gotta believe Disney can do this

I will be writing the customer service address about this. It was horrible. Make a line like Southwest and have boarding number lines so people can start getting in line. Ridiculous. My DH just about went nuts on a man pushing me and his wife yelling about getting through (they were two numbers earlier). It was ugly.

Sorry, getting off my soap box!

OMG! This is rediculous...I am so looking forward to joining the mayhem of getting on the ship- NOT! I have to agree with this poster...Disney should know how to work a que at this point. I think upper management should "shop" RCCL's Oasis/Allure's terminal to figure out how better to do their own boarding process. Of course, we all know expanding the terminal for guests would have helped and what do you want to bet that the CM's at the terminal told upper management just that before the Dream started sailing.

 

[anniet]

Sailing on Sunday and it's our first cruise. We have 5 cabins total that I booked because I'm a CM but I put my cousin's wife in charge of the 3 cabins they have for their side of the family and I'm in charge of mine and my parents. She chose a 1:00 arrival time but when I went to do online checkin after I gathered my parents passport numbers and all their info the earliest check in time left was 2:30.

I had to call DCL on another matter so I mentioned this and said we'd like to board together and they told me to choose what was available and show up whenever I want.

 

[shelleyr25]

Sailing on Sunday and it's our first cruise. We have 5 cabins total that I booked because I'm a CM but I put my cousin's wife in charge of the 3 cabins they have for their side of the family and I'm in charge of mine and my parents. She chose a 1:00 arrival time but when I went to do online checkin after I gathered my parents passport numbers and all their info the earliest check in time left was 2:30.

I had to call DCL on another matter so I mentioned this and said we'd like to board together and they told me to choose what was available and show up whenever I want.

We will be there on Sunday as well...bracing ourselves for a crazy morning!! UGGHH.... We had no choice to pick the 1:30 board time but should be there around 12:30..

 

[anniet]

We will be there on Sunday as well...bracing ourselves for a crazy morning!! UGGHH.... We had no choice to pick the 1:30 board time but should be there around 12:30..

See you there!

 

[TLSnell1981]

However, I have long given up on disney actually standing by any of their pseudo rules...he who barks the loudest typically winsand I realistically can't see DCL chancing a 'scene' at the terminal wherein non-legit early birds are turned away.

I think, Disney needs to send over a few "fast pass" CMs. They could whip things into shape.

 

[smb6]

I will taking my first cruise next month; and I'm definately a little stressed about the boarding... We are sailing on the Wonder and the bulk of the horror stories seem to be in reference to the Dream; but I'm still concerned since all ships have adapted this new procedure.... We have a 11-11:30am check in time and should be there just before 11am with our booked cruise shuttle... I really want to board quickly.... Standing around for hours seems like a crappy way to start the vacation...

 

[Jade_C]

I had to call DCL on another matter so I mentioned this and said we'd like to board together and they told me to choose what was available and show up whenever I want.

I called DCL as well and I was told basically the same thing. I did my online check-in and the earliest time available was 12:30. We live local and intended to arrive at 10.
When I spoke to the CM I was told that the "Port Arrival Time" has absolutely nothing to do with the number you will get at the port. It's just for DCL to gauge crowds and to arrive whenever I wanted. The CM told me that he had just got back himself and he had picked 1pm as his arrival time but arrived first thing in the morning and got number 2.

DCL needs to pick a policy and stick with it because this is insane. I don't want to get there with two kids and sit half the day because they can't get their stories straight.

 

[keishashadow]

I think, Disney needs to send over a few "fast pass" CMs. They could whip things into shape.

I nominate the ones from Soarin', they don't mess around!

OT Just paid off cruise & getting serious re planning, have dumb Q re the parking garage walkover hint...once you cross into the terminal, how is it faster that way?

 

[anniet]

Okay, now I'm wondering - since we live so close to the Port (Cocoa = 25 minutes away) I'm wondering if it would be better to get there LATER and let all the craziness subside. Would we be better off spending the morning at home and then getting on the ship just before it sets sail?

 

[NAB]

I think they need to go back to the way they used to do check in and get into that line up , first come first serve that way. You can still get a number so people don't line up head of you while their party checking in. I guess it is like Southwest were you get between the right numbers to go on.

Because even when we were getting on the Magic in Feb. We had a heck of a time trying to get on the boat with the right number because people wouldn't move to to let us go though....

 

[jk8]

We were also on the 4/3 sailing. We had an arrival of 11:00 - 11:30. We used the escalator outside to enter on the 3rd floor. I think we got in there around 11:10 and got boarding number 16. A man at the beginning of the Castaway Club line handed it out.

There was no question as to what time you were signed up to check-in. I concur that at this time it does not seem to matter and you should come when you want.

It was 1:30 before our number was called. In the meantime we found a place to sit and read while the kids played video games. When our number was called it was crowded but we had no trouble getting to board without a line or people who were not willing to respond to "excuse me please".

This was the first time we have arrived before 1:30 and just walked right on (on the Magic). Anyway, since it was our first Dream cruise it was worth it getting there early to me.

Next time I would arrive later. But, it was all fine, I was prepared and we had a great start to our cruise.