Personal favorite time to get to the terminal

[justKim]

I have seen various threads that talk about getting to the terminal, but I'd like to get really specific, if that's okay!

We are staying at Cocoa Beach with several family members (old and young!) who don't do well with waiting in line. Is there an optimal time to get to the terminal and get onboard quickly without being too late for lunch? (don't want to show up at 3 o'clock with hungry children) Am I just dreaming?

I would love to get to the port as early as possible, but most of my party can not well handle lines and waiting. Any suggestions on a good compromise time period?

Thanks

 

[jwann]

As far as lines go, a few from your party can wait in line while the others sit on the couches and watch TV or wander the terminal looking st the ship or meet the characters. The party can reassemble when they open the doors. We've done this twice and have been the first few on the boat.

 

[justKim]

Thanks Jennifer! So, what time do you usually get there?

 

[TJHutch]

We got to the terminal about 10:30, and got checked in pretty quickly,but then you will have to wait in line till they board the ship which was 11:55 on our Sept 12-04 cruise. They do have couches to sit on while you wait.Enjoy your cruise. TJHUTCH

 

[justKim]

Originally posted by TJHutch
We got to the terminal about 10:30, and got checked in pretty quickly TJHUTCH

Thanks for the info. Were you parking a car or did you get dropped off at the terminal?

 

[Otimon]

I would hope not too many wait on the sofas in the terminal while one or two stay in line. It can be upsetting for those folks behind you also waiting in the line with youngsters and oldsters alike!

At the parks we remind folks one or two may leave the line for the bathroom, etc. but the majority of the party should stay in line and those one or two catch up. To have several people file into a line while only one or two are waiting is not being considerate to those behind you.

If several of your party are unable to stand in line, please everyone wait until the line is short enough for you and all go in together.

Have a wonderrful cruise.

 

[justKim]

Originally posted by Otimon
I would hope not too many wait on the sofas in the terminal while one or two stay in line. It can be upsetting for those folks behind you also waiting in the line with youngsters and oldsters alike!

At the parks we remind folks one or two may leave the line for the bathroom, etc. but the majority of the party should stay in line and those one or two catch up. To have several people file into a line while only one or two are waiting is not being considerate to those behind you.

If several of your party are unable to stand in line, please everyone wait until the line is short enough for you and all go in together.

Have a wonderrful cruise.

Not trying to be rude, just truly ignorant. What is being done at check-in that requires the kids to be there? I was hoping that one adult would be able to wait outside the line with the two small children for our benefit and the benefit of those immediately near us in line. I can see how this makes a difference in line to a ride, since the kids will be taking up space on the ride, but do they have to be present and doing stuff at check-in? It's one thing to keep my kids in line when they are anticipating riding a ride, but they have much less internal motivation for standing in a line to fill out paperwork!

I sure wouldn't plan on having a group of adults wait it out on the sofa while one person holds a place in line - rather psychologically wearying to think that there's only one person in front of you and then to discover that there are ten people in front of you.

I've never been on a cruise and I don't know what checking-in entails for the cruise. Can anyone fill me in?

Thanks for the head up, Otimon!

 

[DIScruisers4]

I don't think it is inconsiderate for a few adults to wait in line while the youngsters explore the terminal (with another adult, of course). Then, when the boarding starts, everyone can join together and board the ship. I think this is better than having all the youngsters stand in line, possibly for a long time, especially if they are very young. If everyone is there and checked it, then I don't see this as cutting in line. Rather, it just makes the waiting on line process a lot more pleasant for everyone. On the other hand, I do think it is inconsiderate if a family tries to save a spot in line for others who have not even arrived or checked in at the port.

 

[PoohJen]

I agree. I don't think waiting to board at the terminal is the same thing as waiting in line to enter an attraction at Epcot. At the terminal, each family all goes in together. You are going after the family in front of you no matter how many are in their party.

Now for my ignorance. I don't know if the line we are referring to is the same as going thru security (i.e., all bags need to be cleared, etc), but in the end, I don't think that makes a difference either. Yes, I'd be frustrated if the party in front of me just went from 2 people to 6, but really, what difference would it make if all 6 were there the whole time? No doubt the kids would be getting antsy and probably whiney, so best to let them go be entertained!

 

[TJHutch]

I was dropped off at the terminal and my husband parked the vehicle. Most of the time one person can do the check in while the others are in line. TJHUTCH.

 

[dzneprincess]

I like to get there as soon as they will let me in.

 

[justKim]

I want to thank everyone for their feedback. Looks like an overwhelming majority like to hit the port as early as possible. That's how I feel too, but I've never actually been there.

So, there is a line inside the terminal to check in and a line to go through security to board the ship. Does the entire party need to go to the desk to check-in? Will the kids need to present i.d. in this line or do they do that in the security line?

I feel so nit-picky asking this, but I would like to be super prepared with the excited/bored children/grandparents!

Thanks

 

[jrabbit]

Security is outside the terminal - so you will have to have your bags x-rayed before entering the terminal. THat makes the boarding process nicer - once they start boarding the line inside the building moves pretty quickly.

I believe that once you are in the terminal that all adults must go to the check in line so that they can check your photo id with you and your ticketed names.

Many have said that if you arrive at the terminal around noon that checkin goes quickly and that the first "mad rush" of guests are on board. This puts you in line before the busses from WDW start arriving.

Gotta add that there is enough to keep most people busy/interested while waiting for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Theres the terminal itself - it is beautiful. The floor is a huge map of the Bahamas. There's a model of the ship inside the terminal and the real deal outside. There are comfy couches and lots of TV's showing Mickey cartoons.

We try to be at the port by 11am and don't mind the wait at all. The cruise is short enough, we want those extra couple of hours on board!!

 

[mmouse37]

Actually it is the other way around....there is a security check for your carryons downstairs at the terminal and then a line to check-in which can be short or long at the time you arrive...then there is the boarding line.

We have sailed DCL 11 times and have always left a few people on the boarding line and had a few wonder around....we always inform the folks in line behind us what the actual number is in our group and we have never, ever had a problem with people thinking we were "cutting the line" when the whole group came together.

You will find most people in groups are doing the same thing....and if you are courteous about it is not rude at alltepping on people you will find that people are fine with this arrangement.

We usually get there at 10:15-10:30 and and are usually in the first 50 on the boarding line. Boarding begins about noonish.

MJ

 

[crisi]

We arrived, and I will continue to arrive around 11:30. Before the doors to the ship open, long enough to enjoy the terminal, not long enough to get bored silly in the terminal.

We don't (and won't) stand in line waiting to board the ship. No reason to be the first 200 on - unless you want a certain Palo time or spa ressie - and I'm just not picky enough to want to do that!

We spend ten minutes checking in. Half an hour or 45 minutes wandering around the terminal, getting character autographs, checking out the ship model, watching cartoons. And five minutes in line boarding the ship.

We were one of the first 30 people in Parrot Cay for lunch - most of the early boarders had hit the reservation lines.

 

[goofyforlife]

The way security was when we were there last month....,

I don't even think its possible anymore for a person to check everyone in while a spouse returns the rental car......

I mean the person checking in would have to show all ID's. (I guess this would only be possible if you had both a passport and state DL.

If you had only state DL as ID the spouse wouldn't be able to get back inside the building without it.

(thinking of getting a lanyard for the million times we had to whip our id's out to get on the ship.)

 

[NYGiantsRule!]

I always check my family in while DH returns the rental car. The CM issues our KTTW cards and holds his until he arrives. When he gets to the terminal he goes up to the CM and shows his ID and they give him his card. We usually like to arrive at the terminal around 11:30, enough time to get everything done and not too long to get antsy.

 

[justKim]

So, do kids have to be at the check-in desk, or just all of the adults in the party? Do you show i.d. here to get the KTTW for everyone?

Thanks

 

[mamalle]

thanks for all the input. I was trying to figure out also, what would be a good time to get there. it will take us around 2 1/2 hour to drive up to the port so we are going to leave by 9am. I dont want to be hanging out at the terminal for 2 hours waiting to board with two kiddos going crazy or standing in line with them either asking how much longer..

 

[pittypat]

Well, here's a different answer than almost everyone. We got to the terminal about 1:00-1:30 and it was perfect! There were (maybe) twenty other people in the whole building and there was no standing in line at all. Our room was ready when we boarded and there was still plenty of food at Topsiders. Very painless!