Port Check-In ~ Does Entire Party Have to Be Together?

[itutorfortravel]

Good morning!

My family is taking a cruise in the next couple months. DD and I will be driving and DH will be flying. DD and I would be able to get to the ship first thing in the morning, while DH will likely not get there until lunchtime.

My question is whether DD and I can check in and board the ship earlier than DH?

If so, would I do his check-in for him or would he do that on his own when he arrives?

Thanks!

 

[memowse9]

I believe your entire party needs to be there when you check in. I tried to check in my family last time and they had me call everyone over so they could take the picture and check passports.

 

[MPS516]

Good morning!

My family is taking a cruise in the next couple months. DD and I will be driving and DH will be flying. DD and I would be able to get to the ship first thing in the morning, while DH will likely not get there until lunchtime.

My question is whether DD and I can check in and board the ship earlier than DH?

If so, would I do his check-in for him or would he do that on his own when he arrives?

Thanks!

If you are in the same cabin need to be together. The picture is the group, facial recognition is then used to identify each getting on and off ship. If you have sailed before they have the picture on record.

 

[Reto]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I have a somewhat similar question:

Where to check in, if a U.S. and a non-U.S. citizen share the same stateroom? Can both guests use the less crowded non-U.S. check-in or do we have to split up?

 

[EDelashmit]

I thought I could check in everyone...do they just all have to be there for boarding? I just asked this the other day in regards to upgrading and was under the impression they didn't all have to be there just for the checking in portion, now I'm confused...

 

[itutorfortravel]

We just cruised in April so they have recent photos. Does this change anything?

 

[AnotherPrincess]

So now I'm confused. We are sailing next year with my sister's family. She has 4 kids and since there are no rooms besides suites that sleep 6, one of her kids (4 yrs old) is staying in our room. They are first timers and can't select a port arrival time until 75 days so I'm sure our arrival time will be before hers. I called DCL and was told his parents could check him in at the terminal and he could board with them. Was I given wrong information?

 

[mmouse37]

I thought I could check in everyone...do they just all have to be there for boarding? I just asked this the other day in regards to upgrading and was under the impression they didn't all have to be there just for the checking in portion, now I'm confused...

In the recent past (like June) I was able to completely check in my husband (I had his passport and his picture was already in the system) and even got his KTTW card issued.

When he got back from returning the rental car he just met me in the terminal and we boarded. He did need govt issued photo id (his driver's license) to get into the port area though.

Our travelling group did the same thing as their husband and my husband both went together to return the rental car after dropping the rest of us off and she was able to check in her husband and her without him being there....only difference was he was a first time cruiser and did have to go up to the CM and get his security pic taken.

MJ

 

[itutorfortravel]

Thanks MJ! So if I understand your post and those of PP's, it sounds like I can check in my DH at the counter without his being there, but I would need to wait for him to board the ship. Boy, is that going to be torture!!!

 

[mmouse37]

Thanks MJ! So if I understand your post and those of PP's, it sounds like I can check in my DH at the counter without his being there, but I would need to wait for him to board the ship. Boy, is that going to be torture!!!

We could have boarded but wanted to wait for him. I don't think there is a rule that you have to board together. We often opt to skip the embarkation photo so unless you want that you could just board if you don't want to wait. He would have to pick up his KTTW card at the check in counter because if they give it to you and you board without him he won't have his. Actually you could take the embarkation photo with him if you want.

Just to be on the safe side I would make a copy of the online check in pages and let him keep a set...probably won't need it but if you board before him he will have something in case something gets messed up along the way.

Of course policy can change all the time but that was out experience back in June and on previous cruises.

MJ

 

[Fire14]

I checked DH in with just his passport on our last cruise. He just had to get his KTTW card from me and go have his pic taken. We all boarded as one group. In our case he was just returning rental car

 

[kcashner]

I think part of the confusion is that there are 2 different photos involved. The Security photo is an individual photo that each person has taken at the check in counter; the embarkation photo is a Shutters photo that you can skip if you wish. There is no facial recognition applied to the security photo; this comes into play later with Shutters photo packages.

Provided there is an adult who is in the cabin with each minor, there is no problem checking an and boarding without your whole party being present. If DW and kid 1 are arriving at 10 and DH and kid 2 fly in at 1pm. each group can check in separately and board when their number is called.

They also allow the entire group except driver to check in while driver returns a rental car. When driver returns, he needs only to have his security photo done if needed and pick up his KTTW card. Security photos are kept on file and do not need to be retaken for each cruise if the CM feels thaty are still an accurate representation.

Now a real odd duck--say mom and kid 1 are booked in one cabin and dad and kid 2 are booked in a second cabin...but mom arrives at the terminal with kid 2 (dad and kid 1 coming later). I don't know how they will handle that one because they supposedly require an adult IN THE CABIN to be there for the kid to check in. I suspect they would make an exception and work around this, but no personal experience to verify it.

 

[zstyles]

Okay so I am editing this..I just re-read some posts on here..so embarkation port...anyway here is information for the rest of the ports!..We went to three and they only asked for our room cards to pass us thru to the ship, where they than asked to see them again...never once were we asked for a photo ID when getting back into the ship...

 

[mmouse37]

Okay so I am editing this..I just re-read some posts on here..so embarkation port...anyway here is information for the rest of the ports!..We went to three and they only asked for our room cards to pass us thru to the ship, where they than asked to see them again...never once were we asked for a photo ID when getting back into the ship...

Which ports? 99% of the ports we have visited on DCL (28 cruises worth) we were asked for both KTTW and a photo ID to get back on the ship). Many times is the local port security that asks to see the photo ID to let you back in the ship area...sometimes is is DCL CM that ask for it before you actually re-board the ship.

MJ

 

[zstyles]

Which ports? 99% of the ports we have visited on DCL (28 cruises worth) we were asked for both KTTW and a photo ID to get back on the ship). Many times is the local port security that asks to see the photo ID to let you back in the ship area...sometimes is is DCL CM that ask for it before you actually re-board the ship.

MJ

All of them- Costa Maya, Cozumel, Grand Caymon...they just asked us for our ship card on the dock..and than scanned our cards which had a photo of us on the computer screen as they checked us in...never once asked for a photo ID after coming back from port...

 

[kcashner]

All of them- Costa Maya, Cozumel, Grand Caymon...they just asked us for our ship card on the dock..and than scanned our cards which had a photo of us on the computer screen as they checked us in...never once asked for a photo ID after coming back from port...

True--we have also noted that since DCL has your photo on their screen, they are not asking for our photo ID nearly so often. However, the local port authority people asked for both our photo ID and our KTTW cards to allow us into the port area (maybe since they don't have DCL's screen!)

 

[zealandsmom]

In the recent past (like June) I was able to completely check in my husband (I had his passport and his picture was already in the system) and even got his KTTW card issued.

When he got back from returning the rental car he just met me in the terminal and we boarded. He did need govt issued photo id (his driver's license) to get into the port area though.

Our travelling group did the same thing as their husband and my husband both went together to return the rental car after dropping the rest of us off and she was able to check in her husband and her without him being there....only difference was he was a first time cruiser and did have to go up to the CM and get his security pic taken.

MJ

MJ...now would
This work if your hubby did not have 2 picture IDs? I assume it would not since you need a valid ID to get into gate at drop off....right?

 

[kcashner]

MJ...now would
This work if your hubby did not have 2 picture IDs? I assume it would not since you need a valid ID to get into gate at drop off....right?

Yes, it can. He needs his DL to return the rental car and get back into the port and DW needs his stuff to check him in. If he is cruising on a birth certificate rather than passport, DW can still check him in, but he'll show his photo ID to the CM when he arrives to have security photo taken and pick up KTTW card.

 

[zealandsmom]

Yes, it can. He needs his DL to return the rental car and get back into the port and DW needs his stuff to check him in. If he is cruising on a birth certificate rather than passport, DW can still check him in, but he'll show his photo ID to the CM when he arrives to have security photo taken and pick up KTTW card.

Why thank you!!!