New Boarding Procedures?

[MrsMork]

I do not mind being the person stationed in line for our group. We have several carryons (2 per person usually) including a heavy camera bag and a cpap machine for DH. I have to stand somewhere as I need to set this stuff down. We can't walk away and leave it, so one of us has to be "stationed" somewhere. Might as well be in line. We actually have switched off the "stationed" person so we both get to look around the terminal.

 

[mbaker]

I don't like the sounds of this. When I get to the ship I expect to get on, not tour a terminal. At that point you're on my dime after I check in.

 

[disneybride96]

...we are a family who likes getting first dibs on stuff so we are willilng to get up early and wait.

I was that way on my first two DCL cruises. With the new on line bookings, I have everything booked ahead of time.
I honestly can't think of a reason I need to fight the crowds. I won't miss doing the "ressie rush".

 

[winotracy]

Hmmmmm Sounds like you get a boarding number based on when you arrive so you dont have to wait IN LINE, you can wait and walk around the terminal until your group is called.... And apparently there is a bottle neck of folks in later groups hoping to be the first in their group to board, making it harder for thr early arrivals to actually board.

I am not appose to grabbing a card and hanging out.... we will arrive early and hang out, board towards the end of our group... no worries...

Hmmm Now I wonder... can one person grab a number very early, and then head out of the termial for breakfast somewhere then head back in..... Oooh isnt that a can of worms???

This is the procedure we used in California on the repo back. I thought it worked well except for the space around the area that they let us in to screen before going on the ship (not the situation in Florida). It was a little narrow so there were a lot of people around. It was nice though that we could sit down, roam around, or whatever, without needing someone to hold a place in line. It still is basically first come, first served. They only gave out I believe around 15 of each number which was good for 4 people. In California also we could have one person get a number and we could leave the terminal, get breakfast, whatever. Don't know about Florida though. For the people that are saying they waited a long time, I'm wondering if they waited all that long once they started boarding anyone. My guess is that it takes about the same amount of time, just no waiting in line.

 

[crisi]

People waited a long time because the ship wasn't ready. They'd have waited a long time with numbers or without numbers. There are occations with the prior system where people arrived when the terminal first opens (10:00?) and the ears open at 11:45 (which is the "target" time last I heard) and people who arrive at 10:00 and the ears open at 1:00 because the ship didn't clear customs on time or some other issue.

I doubt if you arrive at the terminal at 1:00 and they've been boarding since before noon, you'd get a number. I suspect this is just to keep the line from snaking around the terminal twenty minutes before boarding. Particularly when there are delays, most people don't like standing in line for two hours. And now, with a need to get pagers signed out for the kids clubs in the terminal, not everyone can stand in line.

Give it some time and see how it works. To me, sounds pretty much like what we do anyway - get to the terminal, check in, and then enjoy the terminal - looking at the model, watching TV, getting character autographs, until the line disappears to a reasonable size.

 

[DCL Repeaters]

You have to remember that suwoogie was on the first cruise after the Magic was in dry dock, could have been the reason for the later boarding time. The last two cruises we took on the Magic we were boarding by 11:45am.

Verandah Man, You are 100% correct! We were on the repo that arrived in Pt. Canaveral on 9/3. We had late seating for breakfast (8:15) and finished by 9am. The lines to disembark were all the way to Parrot Cay. It was at least 10am by the time we left the ship and there were lots of people behind us. I'm sure embarking for the 9/3 folks was delayed because of the late departure of the repo folks.

 

[Helene]

It was my understanding that that is what they did—hand the numbers out in order of who came up the escalator first. I don't think anyone said that the number allocation was arbitrary. If it was I wasn't aware of that.

We got to the port very early. In fact we had to wait outside for quite a while before the port was opened. So, when we came up the escalator we were given Group 2. And I believe people after me, up to 150 people, were also in group 2. Then when those were handed out, Group 3 were given out. At least that's how a CM explained it to me.

We arrived early as well (10/15), about 10:30. The terminal was not too full at this point. We were given group # 7. Several hundred passengers had arrived after us and many boarded before us. So, in my experience, the numbers seemed to have been given out randomly.

Needless to say, I was very frustrated but I would not allow it to ruin the start of what turned out to be a wonderful cruise.

Helene

 

[DrCavin]

I think this will work out pretty well. IMO everyone standing in line was annoying, people had to keep cutting through the line to move around, asking people if you could get through, etc. This should keep the line to a minimum.

The advantage of arriving early to get reservations is now pretty much gone due to being able to book online.

 

[dan and scott]

This is the procedure we used in California on the repo back. I thought it worked well except for the space around the area that they let us in to screen before going on the ship (not the situation in Florida). It was a little narrow so there were a lot of people around. It was nice though that we could sit down, roam around, or whatever, without needing someone to hold a place in line. It still is basically first come, first served. They only gave out I believe around 15 of each number which was good for 4 people. In California also we could have one person get a number and we could leave the terminal, get breakfast, whatever. Don't know about Florida though. For the people that are saying they waited a long time, I'm wondering if they waited all that long once they started boarding anyone. My guess is that it takes about the same amount of time, just no waiting in line.

I agree 100% here with Tracy! It was so nice to receive this number and relax and look around the terminal! I think people get used to this system and realize it is the same system without line everyone will appreciate it.

Dan

 

[WiscMomof2]

We were on the 10/23 Wonder and were at the terminal by 11. We didn't board by group number. We got in line and boarded just before noon.

 

[lbgraves]

The main problem I have with this is that we have paid to stay at the port to arrive early & get in line early to board early & go right to dining to get our seating changed to early. Now, we could arrive early etc but be stuck in a later group & miss out on having our seating switched because of the fact that we were stuck in that later group.

 

[Keith Ward]

We were on Oct 15th Eastern.When we entered the terminal we were given a card with a No.5 board but when we chcked in this was changed to a 1 as we had booked a Ct3 suite.We were also walked personally to the front of the line albeit outside of the ropes.We were actually the second family to board after a family who had the Disney suite.

 

[PearlandPaige]

We arrived early as well (10/15), about 10:30. The terminal was not too full at this point. We were given group # 7. Several hundred passengers had arrived after us and many boarded before us. So, in my experience, the numbers seemed to have been given out randomly.

Needless to say, I was very frustrated but I would not allow it to ruin the start of what turned out to be a wonderful cruise.

Helene

I'm curious if this is because there are a number of groups that arrive separately (e.g., DW gets dropped off at the terminal while DH returns the rental car). The crowd wouldn't look big that way, and people who arrived after you might board before you because someone in their group got an earlier boarding number. Just a thought... Although I can understand the perception that numbers may have been given out randomly, I can't imagine why that would make sense from DCL's perspective, unless, perhaps, a CM dropped his or her stack of numbers and they got all shuffled up!

I'm curious to hear more from the 10/22 and 10/29 cruisers to see if they kept this up. It seems like a lot of 10/22 folks are saying they weren't given numbers.

 

[markey]

I have been reading these posts and have to admit I always thought if it's not broken don't fix it. We have cruised DCL 6 times and never had a problem getting on or off the ship. We cruised RCI in May and all I did during embarkment was think, gee wish I was on the Magic and did not have to wait for our stupid number to be called, same when getting off-took us 2 1/2 hours to get off. My son, who had only cruised Carnival before, went with us this year and could not believe the difference between the process DCL had vs Carnival. Why change now?

 

[BuzzBoyMom]

I keep hearing the numbers are distributed random and later arrivals might board before earlier arrivals....can anyone confirm.

 

[lillygator]

I keep hearing the numbers are distributed random and later arrivals might board before earlier arrivals....can anyone confirm.

that would be horrible!

 

[pdarrah]

We were on the Oct22 Magic. The boarding was like it has always been in the past - arrive early and stand in line if you want to board first. I hadn't been planning on worrying about it since I had everything booked online - THEN Wilma happened. DCL waited to change our itinerary until Friday, so we could not do anything about changing Palo times or setting up new short excursions until we were on board. (I tried calling DCL on Friday and they said that it was past the "cut off" and could only be handled on board.)

I was all set for Palo on Tuesday - Grand Cayman day - for dinner and then when we got changed to the Eastern I realized this was Pirate night! Since I have a DS6 and we all brought costumes there wasn't any way I could have an 8:30pm at Palo that night.

We decided we better get there early to handle this stuff. It turned out that they did not open the shore excursion desk until 12:30pm. That was a major mistake on their part - by 12:30 the line was all the way back to Sessions. Since EVERYONE who had excursions (except for Castaway Cay stuff) now had to start over, they should have realized what would happen.

Anyway - back to the topic - if your itinerary gets changed, you still have to deal with the ressie rush even if you thought you had handled it all months ago! I would have been VERY unhappy if after getting to the terminal at 10:30am in order to be among the first to board we had been put into a "group" that boarded later. Fortunately, they didn't annoy us with that!

pdarrah

 

[*love*2*shop]

We boarded the magic on sat the 29th and upon arrival were given a card with a # on it...At 12noon they started calling #s..the sooner you arrive the sooner you will be able to board the ship.

 

[Disneynut4ever]

We boarded the magic on sat the 29th and upon arrival were given a card with a # on it...At 12noon they started calling #s..the sooner you arrive the sooner you will be able to board the ship.

So even if we get there before noon, the earliest we can board is 12:30?

 

[BigBahamaDada]

Regarding the fear of random distribution issue, I think it is unfounded. We sailed on 10/15 Magic, arrived to the port at 10:30 and received card for group 2. Subsequently, while at the desk to show docs and receive the KTTW, CM who had distributed the boarding card came up from behind to double check that we had, in fact, received a Group 2 card. As we had, she went on her merry way to ask the same question of the next family over. That family, however, had something other than Group 2 card, and CM exchanged whatever it was for a 2.

So, regarding the early arrivers who received later boarding cards, it may have been that -- GASP -- CMs simply messed up initial distribution of the cards (new procedure and all), and were then unsuccessful in correcting the error for all those who may have received a later-than-appropriate card. But based on the CMs effort to make sure we had the early card, I have no doubt the group cards were intended to be distributed based upon order of arrival.