Port check in time???

[hopelea]

I just booked a 4 night on the dream sailing in 10 days!! Nothing like last minute . Since I booked so late, the port check in time is around 1:30. How strict is that? I will be driving all night to get there and will probably arrive around 11ish. Can we really not check in until that time?? TIA

 

[dcassetta]

I would guess that open boarding will begin around 12:30, so you should have no issues checking in when you arrive, even if it is before 1:30.

 

[MSPeeler]

From what I've gathered You can certainly arrival early, but depending on the crowds you may be asked to wait until you're boarding time.

 

[hopelea]

Thanks so much. I won't have a problem sitting in there waiting

 

[Quellman]

Thanks so much. I won't have a problem sitting in there waiting

There are usually characters in the terminal and an "outside observation deck" just past the Mickey funnel if you need to kill some time.

 

[DizneyNutz]

I just booked a 4 night on the dream sailing in 10 days!! Nothing like last minute . Since I booked so late, the port check in time is around 1:30. How strict is that? I will be driving all night to get there and will probably arrive around 11ish. Can we really not check in until that time?? TIA

They will generally start boarding around 11:15 with the Concierge and then Platinum Club Members. Then they start calling boarding numbers which are assigned when you check in at the port. Your boarding number is assigned based upon your scheduled Port Arrival Time not your actual arrival time. The numbers move along fairly quickly and usually by around 12:30-12:45 everyone is aboard and you will be let on also. So with a little luck you may be on an hour earlier than your scheduled arrival time. Have a Great Cruise!

 

[Prose]

Stop by the DIS Boards welcome center beforehand to grab a drink and say hi - by the time you're done you should be able to board, no problem.

 

[hopelea]

Stop by the DIS Boards welcome center beforehand to grab a drink and say hi - by the time you're done you should be able to board, no problem.

I didn't know there was one!! The last time we sailed was 2013!!!

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I didn't know there was one!! The last time we sailed was 2013!!!

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/welcome-center.htm

The address for the Welcome Center is 6550 North Atlantic Ave, Suite B, Cape Canaveral FL 32920.

 

[Weedy]

Your boarding # is tied to your PAT. So people arriving after you that have an earlier PAT will be assigned a lower boarding #.
As others have said boarding begins 11:15-11:30 and everyone is usually on board by 12:30-12:45. At the this point they go to open boarding and once you check in you will be able to walk right on.

If for some reason the ship is late and they don't start boarding on time there is a VERY small chance the terminal could get filled to its limit and you would be asked to wait outside until your PAT.

 

[lbus42]

My wife and I just returned from a Western Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy today. My wife is not able to stand in lines for very long. Because of that we took an 11:15 cruise line bus from the Orlando airport to the Port Canaveral terminal. We arrived at the terminal about 50 minutes later. It took us only about 15 minutes to go through security, customs, and check-in because there were almost no lines. They were already at open boarding and we walked onto the ship at about 12:30.