PAT question

[princemickey]

We have a PAT of 12:30. We are staying at Hyatt MCO the night before. If we are on one of the first busses in the morning and arrive by 10:30 or so is there a chance of boarding sooner or will I be waisting my time and end up sitting in the terminal waiting till our PAT. Just trying to get the max amount of ship time...just like everyone else. Lol . TIA for any help.

 

[Dug720]

Mileage on this seems to vary. Some people have reported that they were given a lower boarding number when being on an early shuttle. But I know in February I was on the first bus from MCO, and I had a PAT of 10:30 and got a boarding group of 3 (there were a lot of Platinum cruisers, and I guess Gold who had selected the PAT before me but didn't fill it up who got 2). BUT there was another family on the first bus along with me who checked in next to me. Their PAT was sometime much later, and their boarding group was somewhere in the 20s - they questioned it and the agent said that the group was tied to the scheduled port arrival time.

So it may depend on how full the ship is sailing or some other random thing. But I wouldn't count on getting there early getting you a low boarding number with a PAT of 12:30 - if it happens, consider it pixie dust.

 

[MouseMomx2]

Your boarding group number is tied to your port arrival time. Even if you get to the terminal early, you will likely be given a higher boarding number. They may choose to give you a lower number, but I would count on the higher one. That said, once boarding begins they go through the groups rather quickly. They usually begin around 11:30/11:45 and are at an "open boarding" situation within an hour.