Port Arrival Time

[JolllyHoliday]

Going on a 3 night cruise on the Dream in October. First time for our grandchildren. We have a arrival time of 10:30/10:45 am. If we arrive at this time, how long until we actually board the ship? We are Castaway Cay members, but it has been about 6 years since we last cruised and it was more like first come, first on the ship. I know that we didn't have to pick a particular arrival time. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Going on a 3 night cruise on the Dream in October. First time for our grandchildren. We have a arrival time of 10:30/10:45 am. If we arrive at this time, how long until we actually board the ship? We are Castaway Cay members, but it has been about 6 years since we last cruised and it was more like first come, first on the ship. I know that we didn't have to pick a particular arrival time. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

The port opens for check in at 10:30. Actual boarding doesn't begin until around 11:30.

When you check in at the port, you receive a boarding number (and that number is tied to the Port Arrival Time you selected during your online check in). Around 11:30 The Family of the Day is announced and boarded, followed by Concierge guests, then Platinum Castaway Club members. Then boarding numbers are announced, typically 1 every 5-10 minutes, depending on how quickly the line is moving.

 

[Pkltm]

I was just wondering this same question, so if my POT time is 10:45 and we are coming from the airport, should we plan on being there by 9 to catch the bus?

We are actually flying in the day before staying close to the airport over night.

 

[Dug720]

I would plan on being there by 8:30 or 8:45. The first bus starts loading at 9 and there is usually a good crowd well before that. Both times I've done it the second bus was almost fulfilled by the time the first bus pulled out and still people waiting to load additional ones.

 

[hcox31]

We had the same PAT in January. Boarded the DCL bus at MCO around 9:30. Got to port and was in the check in line at 10:45. Boarded at 11:30 or so. We were boarding group 6.

 

[JolllyHoliday]

Thank you for the help !

 

[Amandine]

I have a port arrival time question as well. I have multiple extended family members all traveling in linked staterooms but under just one reservation. If one family part ends up with a later PAT than the others, do we all get moved to the later time because we're linked? Or am I doing online check in for ALL of us since there's only one reservation?

 

[Dug720]

I have a port arrival time question as well. I have multiple extended family members all traveling in linked staterooms but under just one reservation. If one family part ends up with a later PAT than the others, do we all get moved to the later time because we're linked? Or am I doing online check in for ALL of us since there's only one reservation?

If you all want to board together then you need to go with the highest Boarding Group. It theoretically is possible to have back to back PATs and be in the same boarding group though. And likewise you can have the same PAT and get different boarding groups if you were right on say the 3-4 cusp.

 

[Amandine]

I don't think it will matter tremendously if we don't all board together. We're a big group and if some want to be later that's fine. I just didn't want to get up early to get an early PAT and then have it automatically changed to match the later arrivals Thanks for the info!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I have a port arrival time question as well. I have multiple extended family members all traveling in linked staterooms but under just one reservation. If one family part ends up with a later PAT than the others, do we all get moved to the later time because we're linked? Or am I doing online check in for ALL of us since there's only one reservation?

While your reservations may be linked, they are all separate reservations. Each room has it's own reservation number. Each reservation must do their own online check in. Now, you can do them all, if you have the information needed to get into each reservation (one of the names on that reservation and the birthdate of that person).

You might be able to get the same Port Arrival Time for all reservations. Or not. If you wind up with different port arrival times, each reservation will have a different boarding number. DCL requests parties traveling together who have different boarding numbers, who wish to board together wait for the highest number to be called.

Linked reservations each have their own PAT.

 

[Amandine]

Thank you! Yes, I know all of the names and birthdates. I had assumed I needed more than that, but I guess not. One set of grandparents in particular would be thrilled to not need to do their own online check in, so this is very helpful info -- thanks so much.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thank you! Yes, I know all of the names and birthdates. I had assumed I needed more than that, but I guess not. One set of grandparents in particular would be thrilled to not need to do their own online check in, so this is very helpful info -- thanks so much.

Well, you'll need more info to DO the online check in, but to access the reservation to start the process, you only need a name and birthdate of one of the people on it.

 

[over50visits]

If you all want to board together then you need to go with the highest Boarding Group. It theoretically is possible to have back to back PATs and be in the same boarding group though. And likewise you can have the same PAT and get different boarding groups if you were right on say the 3-4 cusp.

Agreed. If the OP only has one reservation, then all is solved...there will be one PAT and everyone gets on then. Sounds like they said that's the case. They said "linked staterooms" but perhaps they meant "connecting" because they also said all under one reservation.

 

[Amandine]

I'm a newbie and probably was not using the correct terminology. I made reservations for all of our rooms at once, they all showed up all at once on one page for payment, and I paid them all working from a single login that the travel agent provided, using what I would have called a reservation number. I did see that each stateroom does have its own identifying 'confirmation number,' however, which I was thinking of as reservation numbers, even though they're not the same as what I used to identify and access the initial reservation to pay for it. Any way you slice it, though, PrincessSchmoo's explanation made sense and I have all of the info necessary, I expect -- emergency contact name and number is the same for all of us, and I have everyone's names and birthdates and even copies of passports, and I'll put us all down for onboard charges payment in cash and then let each family change that later if desired -- so I imagine I'll muddle through ok

There are connecting rooms involved also but I know the physical location of the rooms is irrelevant to the rest.

 

[GBBTomorrow]

Joining the port arrival time conversation to report a planning fail. I had always considered myself a rather skilled Disney planner, but the last time I cruised, port arrival time was not a thing. You just showed up. I was clicking around on the DCL website today and decided to take a look at the online check-in, and I was so sad to discover that this is tied to the port arrival time. I had NO IDEA, and now all the early times are taken. A major blow to my Disney planning ego! Do they tell you this somewhere ahead of time? Did I miss an email? It came as an unpleasant surprise to me. (I know...first world problems.)

If my port arrival time is noon, what time would I likely be boarding the ship? I have always been in the first group after the priority groups in the past, and I'm sad that I'll be sitting there watching everyone else board.

Can you arrive at the port before your time, or will they send you away? I know it wouldn't get me on the ship sooner, but I would honestly sleep on the pier if they'd let me, so I'm looking to get there as soon as humanly possible, even if only to sit in the terminal.

 

[Dug720]

I've always gotten an email reminding me about online check-in for the cruise - and that's where the PAT selection is. Of course, I also put the date in my phone's calendar, countdown app, and in my paper calendar so I remember when it is. (You can find it on the "My Reservations" page - it says the date that online check-in opens (as well as the "pay in full to begin booking activities" which is generally the same date).

It really depends on what boarding group you're assigned, when they actually start boarding, and how long it takes for either the number they are handing out to catch up with the number they've called - which sends them into open boarding (anyone may board) - or for them to get to your number.

If the terminal is at or close to capacity they may require you to wait either until your PAT or until the terminal has opened up a little.

 

[nh3223]

I'm sure it depends on the particular cruise, but as a point of reference, we had a PAT of 12:45 last month. We arrived at the terminal at about 12:15 and were boarding by 12:30. Our boarding group was 19 and they were boarding group 16 when we arrived. With a PAT of noon, I'd probably wait until after 11:30 to arrive to let the first boarders clear out of the terminal and if you wait until noon or a bit later to arrive, you might not even have to wait at all to board (other than the boarding line).

 

[CM Dad]

I don't think it will matter tremendously if we don't all board together. We're a big group and if some want to be later that's fine. I just didn't want to get up early to get an early PAT and then have it automatically changed to match the later arrivals Thanks for the info!

If you are like my wife, she likes to get the embarkation photo, so when we travel with a large group (only a few of our cruises) we always board together.

 

[go oilers go]

I've always gotten an email reminding me about online check-in for the cruise - and that's where the PAT selection is. Of course, I also put the date in my phone's calendar, countdown app, and in my paper calendar so I remember when it is. (You can find it on the "My Reservations" page - it says the date that online check-in opens (as well as the "pay in full to begin booking activities" which is generally the same date).

It really depends on what boarding group you're assigned, when they actually start boarding, and how long it takes for either the number they are handing out to catch up with the number they've called - which sends them into open boarding (anyone may board) - or for them to get to your number.

If the terminal is at or close to capacity they may require you to wait either until your PAT or until the terminal has opened up a little.

What time can I start online checking? I've forgotten since my last cruise

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What time can I start online checking? I've forgotten since my last cruise

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