PORT ARRIVAL TIME WINDOWS ... ? enforced

[eva]

I was curious about this as well. Our flight comes in at 9:50am by the time we get to the shuttle check in and on our way to the terminal it will put us there about an hour earlier than our arrival time. I checked in online today(we cruise in 89 days) and the 11:00-11:30 and 11:30-12:00 slots were already grayed out. I have a 3 year old that will be anxious to get inside will we really have to wait outside for the hour?

If you have the 12:00 to 12:30 slot, you probably are going to be pretty close to that time anyway. By the time that you wait on the plane to get off, walk to the tram, ride the tram, use the potty, walk to the DCL transportation area, get checked in, ride the bus to port,... Get the picture? All that will most likely take close to 2 hours or so. So I wouldn't fret too much on that one. If by chance you get to the DCL tranportation area at the airport really early, they may have you just wait there at the airport for the appropriately timed bus. But I bet you aren't too far off time wise.

 

[DVC4US]

Okay, I got a follow-up call from the concierge manager today. Did not really learn a whole lot of new information but this is what she told me.

As of August 2nd DCL will monitor and enforce the port arrival times. She said that if someone shows up before their arrival time then they will be told about things in the area they can do or will be made to wait outside the terminal until their arrival time. She did say that priority will be given to those guests who check-in online and have a port arrival time. As several of us have stated on this thread it will be interesting to see if DCL actually enforces the port arrival times. I can just see all kinds of problems with this. It’s going to be great if DCL sticks to their guns but until word gets out it is going to be very interesting.

There will be no separate line outside the terminal for concierge/platinum guests. So again this presents a problem if DCL does not enforce the port arrival times and they allow people to get in line before their port arrival time.

According to documentation she had, your boarding number will now be tied to your port arrival time. I’m still not sure how this is going to work with the buses from MCO. Also, as most of us have read on the boards, the boarding numbers seem to be at the discretion of the CM’s in the terminal. I have seen plenty of reports of people getting a high boarding number when they enter the terminal but then having a CM change it to a lower one just because they wanted to spread some pixie dust.

kritter - did you get a call today too? If so, did you find out anything different?

I'll let everyone know if I hear anything more.

 

[kritter]

Okay, I got a follow-up call from the concierge manager today. Did not really learn a whole lot of new information but this is what she told me.

As of August 2nd DCL will monitor and enforce the port arrival times. She said that if someone shows up before their arrival time then they will be told about things in the area they can do or will be made to wait outside the terminal until their arrival time. She did say that priority will be given to those guests who check-in online and have a port arrival time. As several of us have stated on this thread it will be interesting to see if DCL actually enforces the port arrival times. I can just see all kinds of problems with this. It’s going to be great if DCL sticks to their guns but until word gets out it is going to be very interesting.

There will be no separate line outside the terminal for concierge/platinum guests. So again this presents a problem if DCL does not enforce the port arrival times and they allow people to get in line before their port arrival time.

According to documentation she had, your boarding number will now be tied to your port arrival time. I’m still not sure how this is going to work with the buses from MCO. Also, as most of us have read on the boards, the boarding numbers seem to be at the discretion of the CM’s in the terminal. I have seen plenty of reports of people getting a high boarding number when they enter the terminal but then having a CM change it to a lower one just because they wanted to spread some pixie dust.

kritter - did you get a call today too? If so, did you find out anything different?

I'll let everyone know if I hear anything more.

I got a call today, this is what she today too!! She did say that she will call me after the Aug. 2nd cruise!!

 

[lbgraves]

It would seem that the concierge & platinum guests would simply have the earliest arrival time by default since they can't get one when they check in online. This would mean that they would just get in the line being allowed in at the time they arrive. Of course that bottleneck of people waiting will cause problems if they don't enforce having people wait in the assigned areas...whereever those are going to end up being. I myself cannot picture space outside the gates available for the room that would be needed for them to effectively do this.

 

[RLccweems]

This is all new to me; I've got a lot to learn

 

[DVC4US]

It would seem that the concierge & platinum guests would simply have the earliest arrival time by default since they can't get one when they check in online. This would mean that they would just get in the line being allowed in at the time they arrive. Of course that bottleneck of people waiting will cause problems if they don't enforce having people wait in the assigned areas...whereever those are going to end up being. I myself cannot picture space outside the gates available for the room that would be needed for them to effectively do this.

You are correct that concierge/platinum would simply be able to join the group that is entering the terminal when they arrive. You hit the nail on the head though when you said that this could cause a huge problem if DCL does not enforce the port arrival times. This is what I have been trying to stress to concierge.

 

[lbgraves]

I am curious as to if the people you are communicating with in concierge have ever been to the terminal area. The only space where you can stand and wait is where people are dropped off with their luggage. Unless you have roped off areas/queues you will not be able to keep the 11-11:30 group together and seperate from the 11:30-12:00 group. Of course you will still have those who are getting to the port with a 2:00-2:30 time and who KNOW about the change but they don't care doggonit because they have paid to get on that ship and no one is going to keep them from getting on it ASAP when THEY want to who will be dropped off at the curb and proceed to try to merge with one of the earlier groups. They won't be allowed at the gate, so where do they go? Just like inside the terminal they will mill around causing a traffic jam. You need to tell concierge that unless DCL has a plan down on paper, this is going to blowup in their face -- an expression only, but the only thing I could think of that could be posted on this board.

 

[DVC4US]

I am curious as to if the people you are communicating with in concierge have ever been to the terminal area. The only space where you can stand and wait is where people are dropped off with their luggage. Unless you have roped off areas/queues you will not be able to keep the 11-11:30 group together and seperate from the 11:30-12:00 group. Of course you will still have those who are getting to the port with a 2:00-2:30 time and who KNOW about the change but they don't care doggonit because they have paid to get on that ship and no one is going to keep them from getting on it ASAP when THEY want to who will be dropped off at the curb and proceed to try to merge with one of the earlier groups. They won't be allowed at the gate, so where do they go? Just like inside the terminal they will mill around causing a traffic jam. You need to tell concierge that unless DCL has a plan down on paper, this is going to blowup in their face -- an expression only, but the only thing I could think of that could be posted on this board.

I totally agree with everything you said and I have voiced a lot of these concerns to DCL. The concierge manager I have been talking to has been on a cruise before so she has been to the port. She has told me several times that she mainly deals concierge so that is why she has reached out to her partner CM's who know more about the port and terminal. I did send an email to DCL guest communications with a copy going to concierge but I have only heard from concierge.

From what she told me yesterday it now sounds like if you show up before your port arrival time then you will be asked to leave and return later. Can you imagine what kind of nightmare this is going to cause. Especially since they did a poor job of notifying cruisers. I agree that this is going to be total chaos on August 2nd.

Here is an one example I gave her yesterday of a potential problem.

Our friends who are cruising with us are not on the DIS Boards and usually don't read their documents, like us. They were planning on taking a limo to the port with an arrival time of 9:30 - 10. If I had not told them of this change then they would have shown up at the port at 10am. Most car services have other runs after they drop you off so they can't really sit around for an hour waiting for the port to open. If this had happened then our friends would have been dropped at the curb with all of their luggage waiting for the port to open. Since we don't know what DCL is really doing to do, they have decided to rent a car instead. This gives us the option of showing up at 10 or 11.

Not only do I think DCL should have done a better job about notifying cruisers about the new opening time for the terminal, but I think they should have started enforcing port arrival times before August 2nd. At least this way, you would have had a 2 stage process to implement this change and work out some of the kinks.

 

[kritter]

Concierges has told me that anyone showing up earling will asked to wait and she told me yesterday that she has been in touch with the CM'S @ the port and that this is going to be enforced since this new port arrival time came from Port Authority since it is a safety concern with soo many at the terminal at one time.

I too expressed my concern that we will get to the port and others who have later times will be allowed onboard earlier...She did tell me that she will call me after the Aug. 2nd cruise!!

 

[lbgraves]

Our friends who are cruising with us are not on the DIS Boards and usually don't read their documents, like us. They were planning on taking a limo to the port with an arrival time of 9:30 - 10. If I had not told them of this change then they would have shown up at the port at 10am. Most car services have other runs after they drop you off so they can't really sit around for an hour waiting for the port to open. If this had happened then our friends would have been dropped at the curb with all of their luggage waiting for the port to open. Since we don't know what DCL is really doing to do, they have decided to rent a car instead. This gives us the option of showing up at 10 or 11.

Not only do I think DCL should have done a better job about notifying cruisers about the new opening time for the terminal, but I think they should have started enforcing port arrival times before August 2nd. At least this way, you would have had a 2 stage process to implement this change and work out some of the kinks.

That is exactly what I was thinking. People being dropped off by car services and shuttles will be dropped off. They will have CMs at the gates with the lists BUT I seriously doubt that they will have enough CMs for someone to stand at each parking spot at the curb with a list asking for everyone's name to see if they should be arriving then. It simply is not feasible to do that. Perhaps since it is coming from the port authority and not DCL, they have no choice but to enforce this. Everyone has said there is a fire code issue with that many people in the terminal since the Dream started cruising.

 

[papaof5boys]

Another reason I don't like the Dream Its to big, every thing has to asigned a time; the shows, the meals, and now when you can check in at the Port. May be they can just stick a fast pass kiosk up at the same time.

 

[mmouse37]

Another reason I don't like the Dream Its to big, every thing has to asigned a time; the shows, the meals, and now when you can check in at the Port. May be they can just stick a fast pass kiosk up at the same time.

Confused...the Magic/Wonder also have assigned show and meal times....no difference there. And I think the assigned port arrival times will be for all the ships, not just the Dream. Heck, my Wonder cruise in Alaska has port arrival times.

MJ

 

[m_kasch]

Confused...the Magic/Wonder also have assigned show and meal times....no difference there. And I think the assigned port arrival times will be for all the ships, not just the Dream. Heck, my Wonder cruise in Alaska has port arrival times.

MJ

I also had to pick an arrival time for the Transatlantic cruise that departs from Barcelona...so I do not think this is ship/port related -- it's just their new policy. I don't mind it as long as it helps with the lines -- the MV on the Dream was insane!!

 

[mmouse37]

I also had to pick an arrival time for the Transatlantic cruise that departs from Barcelona...so I do not think this is ship/port related -- it's just their new policy. I don't mind it as long as it helps with the lines -- the MV on the Dream was insane!!

It sure was!!! I remember getting very frustrated when we saw everyone being dropped off and just cutting into the line ahead of us instead of heading to the back of the line...did not help that it was raining while we were waiting outside!!

MJ

 

[mmouse37]

I am hopeful the new port opening change will help....as mentioned it has to be given a few weeks to work but something clearly needs to be done. here is the terminal for the MV of the Dream and from what I am hearing is pretty much this way for every Dream cruise.





MJ

 

[papaof5boys]

Confused...the Magic/Wonder also have assigned show and meal times....no difference there. And I think the assigned port arrival times will be for all the ships, not just the Dream. Heck, my Wonder cruise in Alaska has port arrival times.

MJ

Sorry I dont like the Dream I found it crowded, the port was so full people where fighting over seats for there kids, the line to have pic taken with Mickey was so long that half way through my 5 year old DS ( who loves mickey) asked to leave. All of the nightly grown-up stuff was full unless you got there 20 min. early at lest. Not to mention Castaway Cay , we lucked out some one had gave up there cabana resv. and we forked out more money just so we could enjoy the beach, ( next time we will just go to Atlantis and rent a room so we can use there beach it will be cheaper ). On the Wonder you could go to any show time you wanted you just did not go to dinner where you assigned. But not on the Dream, we tryed to go to the later show when we where assigned to the other and where truned away. Yes the new ship is pretty , and Disney did expand Castaway Cay some but now they being to regemental. If I want to be over crowded and get poor service, I would go on a Carnival Cruise.

 

[onecoolpilot]

I have a couple of panoramic pics that I took of the terminal crowd when we sailed back in May. I'll see if I can find them.

 

[klcason]

I am hopeful the new port opening change will help....as mentioned it has to be given a few weeks to work but something clearly needs to be done. here is the terminal for the MV of the Dream and from what I am hearing is pretty much this way for every Dream cruise.





MJ

WOW! Talk about a picture worth a thousand words! DANG that's a lot of folks!

We will be watching to see how things go to see if we should alter our plan. Glad we have some time yet to see how things go.

Kayla

 

[schwenksvillemouse]

I haven't been able to read the whole post, but will the Magic start with arrival times? It seems to me that you must log on and pick one. Is this based on your CC level? I've only cruised once before so will I get the bottom of the barrell selection? Thanks

 

[mmouse37]

Sorry I dont like the Dream I found it crowded, the port was so full people where fighting over seats for there kids, the line to have pic taken with Mickey was so long that half way through my 5 year old DS ( who loves mickey) asked to leave. All of the nightly grown-up stuff was full unless you got there 20 min. early at lest. Not to mention Castaway Cay , we lucked out some one had gave up there cabana resv. and we forked out more money just so we could enjoy the beach, ( next time we will just go to Atlantis and rent a room so we can use there beach it will be cheaper ). On the Wonder you could go to any show time you wanted you just did not go to dinner where you assigned. But not on the Dream, we tryed to go to the later show when we where assigned to the other and where truned away. Yes the new ship is pretty , and Disney did expand Castaway Cay some but now they being to regemental. If I want to be over crowded and get poor service, I would go on a Carnival Cruise.

Of course you have the right to like whichever ship you want....all I was saying is that on ALL the ships you have assigned times for shows and meals.... cruised the Dream 3 times and found with its size that there was no real difference than the Magic/Wonder in terms of crowded areas (other than the terminal). I have seen character meet and greet lines stretch all the way to animator's on the Magic so I saw no difference with the Dream.

Even on CC....there were plenty of chairs/umbrellas for everyone on our Dream sailings.

MJ