PAT and early arrivals

[Krugar]

The family is about to go on our first Disney cruise (7 day Wonder - Nov 6th), and I was wondering about the PAT time, and arriving early. I am a bit of anxious traveler and always prefer to arrive much earlier when traveling. However, for this trip we have a 1:30pm PAT time and I was wonder if there is any value in arriving early? Is there a chance on getting on the boat ahead of our schedule PAT time, or will we just be enjoying sitting around and waiting?

 

[wilkeliza]

The family is about to go on our first Disney cruise (7 day Wonder - Nov 6th), and I was wondering about the PAT time, and arriving early. I am a bit of anxious traveler and always prefer to arrive much earlier when traveling. However, for this trip we have a 1:30pm PAT time and I was wonder if there is any value in arriving early? Is there a chance on getting on the boat ahead of our schedule PAT time, or will we just be enjoying sitting around and waiting?

You can possibly get in ahead of your assigned port arrival time. They reserve the right to refuse you entry until your PAT but I've never experience people being turned away. This is for Port Canaveral though as I have not done Miami or other ports yet. They may enforce times at the smaller cruise terminals. From my understanding your boarding number will be reflective of your PAT time so showing up early will probably not get you an earlier boarding number.

 

[Trera]

at 1:30, once you check in.............you will probably walk right onto the boat with little or not wait.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The family is about to go on our first Disney cruise (7 day Wonder - Nov 6th), and I was wondering about the PAT time, and arriving early. I am a bit of anxious traveler and always prefer to arrive much earlier when traveling. However, for this trip we have a 1:30pm PAT time and I was wonder if there is any value in arriving early? Is there a chance on getting on the boat ahead of our schedule PAT time, or will we just be enjoying sitting around and waiting?

Depending on what you consider "much earlier" you may or may not be required to wait to enter the terminal.

The terminal opens at 10:30. Since actual boarding doesn't begin until 11:15-11:30 the terminal does fill up. If you arrive earlier than, say, 11:45-12:00 you may have to wait to even get in the terminal.

All that said - your PAT is tied to your actual boarding number you will get. Earlier PAT = lower boarding number. You will receive the same boarding number regardless if you actually check in at 1:30 or 10:30. So, if you are allowed into the terminal at 10:30, you will be waiting until they get to your boarding number to board.

Once the boarding number being issued at check in catches up with the number being announced for boarding, Open Boarding is announced. Anyone holding any boarding number may board. This typically occurs around 12:30-12:45.

Now, that's how it's handled at Port Canaveral. My experience boarding in other ports - it's fairly similar.