West Caribbean PAT

[lklgoodman]

I keep reading about PATs as early as 10:30. When I made our reservation for our cruise, I thought the CM told me that the ship isn't ready for boarding until 1pm. Is the ship usually ready for boarding before 1pm on the WC cruises? This is our 3rd cruise, so I feel like I should know this stuff, but we used a TA who handled all of this for our previous ones, and I'm doing it all myself this time. So glad I found this board!!! TIA!!!!

 

[Dug720]

Cabins are not ready until 1 or 1:30 as a rule. But boarding usually starts around 11:30.

 

[lklgoodman]

Ok, thanks for the quick response.

 

[lanejudy]

"Officially" DCL lists 1pm as the boarding time -- that will be on the website and documentation. However, they typically begin boarding around 11:15-11:30am. PAT (Port Arrrival Time) begins at 10:30am for the Dream/Fantasy (I think it's 11am for the classic ships) and your actual boarding number given at the check-in desk will be tied to the PAT -- so earlier PAT = lower boarding number, later PAT = higher boarding number. Open boarding, when anybody may board regardless of assigned boarding number, is often called around 12:30pm or so. That's about the point the terminal clears out of the initial crowds.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

And your boarding time is linked to your PAT, even if that isn't when you arrive. The earlier your PAT, the earlier your boarding number, no matter when you actually arrive. Of course, I try to arrive close to my PAT, but that isn't always possible.

 

[Dug720]

And your boarding time is linked to your PAT, even if that isn't when you arrive. The earlier your PAT, the earlier your boarding number, no matter when you actually arrive. Of course, I try to arrive close to my PAT, but that isn't always possible.

Agreed. You can be on the first bus from MCO, but if your PAT is 12:00, you are going to get the boarding group that coincides with the 12:00 PAT and not the one of the person possibly next to you from the same bus who had a PAT of 10:45. (Actually experienced that scenario when I was the 10:45 PAT and the family checking in next to me was the 12:00 PAT, so I've seen it first-hand. I had Group 3 (there were a lot of Platinum and Gold members on that cruise) and they had something like group 24 or later.)

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Thanks Beth! Curious, do you know if group 24 kept them from boarding before 12:00? I think when I was there they were calling group 30 something before noon. Thus, even if you have a later PAT time, getting there early might get you on the ship sooner than if you go closer to your time. Of course, I know that sometimes people with later PATs can't even get into the building if it is too crowded. So I'm not suggesting everyone should show up at 10:45, just that they might want to beat their PAT times by 15 minutes or so.

Also, on the subject of arrival process, I found it quite convenient (as some here on this board suggested) to drop my family and all the baggage off at the port, and then go back and drop off my rental car. This way, it was a lot easier for me to catch a shuttle back from the rental place (one person, no bags, instead of my whole family) and in the mean time, they dealt with the checked bags, and went through security. They did wait for me to do the check-in process, but I'm not sure if they would have had to wait. Still, it made it go faster for us. It made it less crowded for others at the rental place too. So my thanks to those who suggested it! Several families at the rental place told me they wish they had thought of that, so I mentioned where I heard of the idea! Right here, on the DIS boards.

 

[Dug720]

Thanks Beth! Curious, do you know if group 24 kept them from boarding before 12:00? I think when I was there they were calling group 30 something before noon. Thus, even if you have a later PAT time, getting there early might get you on the ship sooner than if you go closer to your time. Of course, I know that sometimes people with later PATs can't even get into the building if it is too crowded. So I'm not suggesting everyone should show up at 10:45, just that they might want to beat their PAT times by 15 minutes or so.

That I don't know. Like I said, I'd gotten Group 3, so I was already on board. They did seem to move pretty quickly from Group 1 to Group 2 to Group 3... I think we were slightly delayed in a boarding start that morning (like maybe 11:45 or so? I don't remember for sure, but it seems like there was a little bit of a delay - just nothing major), so noon I don't know would have happened. But maybe 12:30? It's only a guess though.

 

[lanejudy]

I can't say what time they are likely to be calling any given number to board. However "open boarding" is called once the numbers being handed out at check-in have caught up with the number called for boarding. That typically happens around 12:30, give or take. Arriving early really won't get you on any quicker unless you have a PAT that is after 12:30.

Enjoy your cruise!