Princess meet timing

[Ravenne]

How much of a stickler are they for the times on the Princess meet tickets? Do you have to be right on time, or does it work similar to FPs where you go within a time window and they'll take you even if you're running a bit late?

 

[Dug720]

The tickets are timed out for a certain number of people in a given time. There is no "stand by" line, so the number of tickets matches the formula they use for how many people can be seen with decent interaction. If you're intentionally late, you're throwing that off.

Will they deny you? Probably not because they don't want fits being thrown - by kids OR parents - but IMHO it's pretty rude to intentionally be late.

 

[Ravenne]

Thank you!
I don't plan on being late, but I got an email from DCL that they changed my princess meet times around, and they're now on totally different days, with one of them being on a day that I already have other plans for. I really wish DCL would allow you to modify the time, or at least look at available times without having to cancel the existing reservation first...that just seems like a risky move for high demand things like princess meets. Or is there a way to do that and I'm just not seeing it?

 

[Maggie'sMom]

On one of our cruises, we were 15 minutes late to our Frozen meet and greet time. Not intentionally. We just lost track of time. We were turned away.

 

[Weedy]

Thank you!
I don't plan on being late, but I got an email from DCL that they changed my princess meet times around, and they're now on totally different days, with one of them being on a day that I already have other plans for. I really wish DCL would allow you to modify the time, or at least look at available times without having to cancel the existing reservation first...that just seems like a risky move for high demand things like princess meets. Or is there a way to do that and I'm just not seeing it?

Try going to the Port Adventures Desk as soon as you board and tell them what happened. Hopefully they can give you a time that fits your schedule.
I know bummer they changed it and double bummer you have to take time out of your day to fix this.
Good luck

 

[Sytrace]

Thank you!
I don't plan on being late, but I got an email from DCL that they changed my princess meet times around, and they're now on totally different days, with one of them being on a day that I already have other plans for. I really wish DCL would allow you to modify the time, or at least look at available times without having to cancel the existing reservation first...that just seems like a risky move for high demand things like princess meets. Or is there a way to do that and I'm just not seeing it?

To clarify: You had Princess meet and greet tickets and DCL changed them (which they do sometimes based on port changes or adjustments) and now it conflicts with something you already had that you want to change to allow time for the meet and greet?

There is a 15 minute window of time for meet and greets so you might still be able to make the Princess meet and greet and something else that you have planned.

 

[Ravenne]

To clarify: You had Princess meet and greet tickets and DCL changed them (which they do sometimes based on port changes or adjustments) and now it conflicts with something you already had that you want to change to allow time for the meet and greet?

There is a 15 minute window of time for meet and greets so you might still be able to make the Princess meet and greet and something else that you have planned.

Correct.

I could take the risk of canceling the princess meet tickets I have now and browse for a different time that would be more ideal, but it's a risk of losing that opportunity all together if someone snags it and I can't find another time that would work better.

 

[Sytrace]

Correct.

I could take the risk of canceling the princess meet tickets I have now and browse for a different time that would be more ideal, but it's a risk of losing that opportunity all together if someone snags it and I can't find another time that would work better.

If you risk it you could always check on board at GS upon arrival as other folks would be doing, they tend to keep a limited number aside. But personally, if Princess is that important, then I would keep what they gave you and try to adjust the other plans if at all possible.

 

[HuskyGal]

May I piggyback onto this question, can you reserve more than one session? Or is max one princess session per person? I have no idea how this works.

 

[Ravenne]

May I piggyback onto this question, can you reserve more than one session? Or is max one princess session per person? I have no idea how this works.

Of course you may piggyback!
No, you may not book more than one of the same meet & greet. DCL's system won't even let you look at other date & time options if you have one booked, which makes rescheduling a risky annoyance. (You have to cancel one first before you can even look at options.) You can book the Princess Meet AND the Frozen Gathering as they are 2 separate events, but you can't do 2 Princess Meets or 2 Frozen Gathering.

 

[HuskyGal]

Of course you may piggyback!
No, you may not book more than one of the same meet & greet. DCL's system won't even let you look at other date & time options if you have one booked, which makes rescheduling a risky annoyance. (You have to cancel one first before you can even look at options.) You can book the Princess Meet AND the Frozen Gathering as they are 2 separate events, but you can't do 2 Princess Meets or 2 Frozen Gathering.

Of course. Sigh. Thank you.

 

[TestingH2O]

Until the last update you could see other availability. I miss that.

 

[HuskyGal]

So do these events get all booked up? Will a newbie be able to reserve anything 75 days out? Or will the available sessions be at undesirable times and I’ll have to wake my kids to go meet Cinderella at midnight?

 

[Maggie'sMom]

So do these events get all booked up? Will a newbie be able to reserve anything 75 days out? Or will the available sessions be at undesirable times and I’ll have to wake my kids to go meet Cinderella at midnight?

The Princess Gatherings and Frozen Meet and Greets tend to be in the morning or early afternoon so you don't have to worry about dragging your kids out of bed at midnight. But the events do get booked up online. That doesn't mean you won't be able to get tickets as a new cruiser. Many people stay up and book the activities at midnight on the day their booking window opens. If the meet and greets are already all booked, keep checking for more times. Some posters here have found tons of available times pop up a week or two before the cruise. You can also go to the Port Adventures desk when you board to see about tickets.

 

[HuskyGal]

The Princess Gatherings and Frozen Meet and Greets tend to be in the morning or early afternoon so you don't have to worry about dragging your kids out of bed at midnight. But the events do get booked up online. That doesn't mean you won't be able to get tickets as a new cruiser. Many people stay up and book the activities at midnight on the day their booking window opens. If the meet and greets are already all booked, keep checking for more times. Some posters here have found tons of available times pop up a week or two before the cruise. You can also go to the Port Adventures desk when you board to see about tickets.

Thank you.
That just sunk in and I’m officially stressed out over a cruise that’s in a year.

 

[MSPeeler]

Thank you.
That just sunk in and I’m officially stressed out over a cruise that’s in a year.

Been there. Done that. Don’t stress!!

I didn’t get tickets to the Princess meet and Greet we just *HAD* to have... and we ended up having the best cruise vacation of our lives anyway

 

[HuskyGal]

Been there. Done that. Don’t stress!!

I didn’t get tickets to the Princess meet and Greet we just *HAD* to have... and we ended up having the best cruise vacation of our lives anyway

Ok. Will try to chill out. But likely won’t. Thank you.

 

[Chipmunkmaniac]

It all depends what time your slot was, when you do arrive and until when the characters are there.. If you had the last slot you are more likely to be turned away when you're late vs having the earliest slot.
On my Fantasy cruise last week I was 12 min late for my Junior breakfast cause I was in a regular line fro Goofy and Max that did not move! I was there well before that line started, had 7 families in front of me but they took 20 min to see those 7 families for some strange reason. By the time I got to Animators I was 12 min late and denied. After some lobbying with the manager who checked with the person in charge of the characters, they let me sit at an empty table so the characters still visited but they didn't give me any food and drinks. This worked for me though.
I didn't see that one coming cause my November and October cruise on the Fantasy I had earlier timeslots and it took well over an hour to see all 4 characters (the October one I even had finished all my food before the first character made it to the table)

But yeah even though they most likely won't turn you away for a character meet if you are 5-10min late, don't count on them not doing it.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

Thank you.
That just sunk in and I’m officially stressed out over a cruise that’s in a year.

The princesses (other than the Frozen girls) tend to have other meet and greets alone during a cruise. The Gathering is nice because the wait is short and you can visit with all of them at once. Note also that the Frozen girls meet in Animator's Palate so everyone in your group will need a ticket to go in. The Princess Gathering is in the atrium, so only those who want to meet the princesses (and one adult if they're kids) need a ticket; others in your party will be able to see the meet without needing a ticket.

 

[cadien]

So do these events get all booked up? Will a newbie be able to reserve anything 75 days out? Or will the available sessions be at undesirable times and I’ll have to wake my kids to go meet Cinderella at midnight?

We're newbies on our April cruise. We're now about 45 days out and the Frozen meets and the Princess meets STILL have openings. Pirate Night in the BBB was sold out before 75 days though.