Port Arrival Time and Boarding number

[colbybug]

So it's been a few years since we have cruised thanks to Covid. I was surprised by how lengthy online check in has become. It took an hour and a half to do two staterooms. (probably because I am not that savvy with uploading stuff). Anyway, in the past we have always had a boarding number 3 or 4. I was looking forward to not having to worry about a PAT because we are finally Platinum but apparently that perk is on hold. I logged on at midnight EST and I was able to pick the earliest arrival time but the boarding number is for one stateroom was 9 and the other 11. I'm confused . How do I have such a late boarding number but an early PAT time? Thanks to anyone that has cruised recently that can shed some light on this for me.

 

[starry_solo]

So it's been a few years since we have cruised thanks to Covid. I was surprised by how lengthy online check in has become. It took an hour and a half to do two staterooms. (probably because I am not that savvy with uploading stuff). Anyway, in the past we have always had a boarding number 3 or 4. I was looking forward to not having to worry about a PAT because we are finally Platinum but apparently that perk is on hold. I logged on at midnight EST and I was able to pick the earliest arrival time but the boarding number is for one stateroom was 9 and the other 11. I'm confused . How do I have such a late boarding number but an early PAT time? Thanks to anyone that has cruised recently that can shed some light on this for me.

You arrive at port, drop off your luggage with DCL. Then you are directed across the street to a location where you have to test for COVID (nasal test, you insert it yourself into your nasal cavity), then you're directed to a tent where you sit for 60+ minutes, waiting the results and the "clear to board" notice on the computer screen. You exit the tent, walk across the street back to the terminal and are let inside the building. Then you wait for your boarding group # to be called.

 

[closetmickey]

My GUESS is because Disney resort busses are arriving earlier and they are given the earliest boarding numbers.

 

[FLPrincessMom]

What is the boarding time you got? It may not be the earliest one that was available, just the earliest one that was left.

 

[donnaV]

What is your port of arrival time? On the Fantasy 3-night on Nov.11, our PAT was 11:15-11:30 Boarding group 5. Arrived at 11:15. By the time we got through waiting for our covid results(ten minutes to do the test/paperwork, 40 minutes for results), then a quick check-in they were already calling for boarding groups 12-14 when we arrived inside terminal. at 1pm. Stopping for photos and the Mickey and Minnie show in the atrium, then they direct you to your muster station and take a photo of the QR code, we finally got to Cabanas about 1:30 So unless they change protocols by then, add about 1.5-2 hours to your PAT for an estimate of when you may be on the ship.

 

[SnowWhite2]

Checked in last night and got PAT 10:45-11:00 with boarding group 8. It has been forever since we've had to pick a PAT and I was surprised that we got group 8. When I checked in my daughters, they got 11:00 - 11:15 and boarding group 9.

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

11:15 PAT here & also BG9

 

[LisaRN97]

Is this for Port Canaveral only? When we sailed out of Miami in October we only had a PAT, no boarding group. Once you were cleared to sail, you were allowed to check in and board.

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

Is this for Port Canaveral only? When we sailed out of Miami in October we only had a PAT, no boarding group. Once you were cleared to sail, you were allowed to check in and board.

I'm port miami and I have a PAT and boarding group.

 

[LisaRN97]

I'm port miami and I have a PAT and boarding group.

Interesting! I guess it has changed then, we were the first guest sailing since they started again. It was a mad rush watching people be cleared to board.

 

[KMack]

We just did our check in for a Miami departure yesterday. We received PATs but no BGs.

 

[ari_lebron1203]

Sailing out from miami in 10 days and we got a PAT (10:30) and a BG number (#2) Were planning on arriving a bit early to allow time to park and shuttle over

 

[n2mm]

I’m platinum and cruised on both the Dream and the Fantasy in September. Both times I got pat @11:00, both times I was boarding group 3. It wasn’t a big deal because no one was in the terminal either time.

 

[aboveH20]

As I type my question I can't help but think it's too bad I can't call DCL to get the answer -- make that correct answer! -- from the horse's mouth without being on hold for an hour and a half.

This is the first time in a while that we're staying at a resort first and then taking Disney transportation to the Port of Canaveral. I was surprised after doing online check in that we got a 10:30 PAT and boarding group 3. For some reason I thought with Disney transportation they didn't assign a PAT. I just want to make sure that Disney knows they're transporting us to the part. Needless to say I don't want to wait until the day before the cruise to determine that Mickey's big white right hand wasn't talking to his big white left hand.

Bottom line. When you use Disney transport from hotel to terminal do they assign a PAT?

THANKS

 

[colbybug]

What is the boarding time you got? It may not be the earliest one that was available, just the earliest one that was left.

That is what is confusing to me. Our PAT is 11:00 am but our boarding group is 11. In the past, we've arrived between 10:00 and 11:00 am and never had a boarding number higher than a five. The bummer is that we are finally Platinum and the boarding perk isn't available now I'm not complaining - just don't understand - but oh so grateful to be on the ship again.

 

[serrem]

Just sailed out of Miami on Thursday. Had a port arrival time (11:00-11:15) and Boarding Group (#6). They did seem to be enforcing the port arrival time and not letting people who got there early enter the building until their PAT. Once we took the COVID test and waited approximately 45 minutes, we were cleared to sail. They seem to be using a favorable test result as permission to board, not boarding group. I did not hear a single announcement mentioning boarding groups.