what time do you board the ship? any boarding tips?

[cathicool]

we are taking the 10 night southern carribean cruise sept 7 and trying to decide on taking a flight which lands in orlando at 9:40am or 12:30pm. we are a family of 5 with 3 little kids (under age of 6), so we don't want to hang around in the port chasing them for hours if we don't board the ship til 4pm, for example.

any other boarding tips?


thanks!

 

[WDWLVR]

Boarding usually starts about Noon. The port is an hour away from the airport. If you arrive at 9:40 you will most likely get to the airport about 11. There are tv's playing cartoons in the terminal as well as characters that come out about that time to take pictures with the kids.


If you land at 12:30 you would be getting to the ship closer to 2 and would miss lunch and walking around time.

I'd go for the earlier flight.

 

[flexsmom]

If the flight that arrives at 12:30pm runs 2 hours late, you're really going to be pushing it to make it without being really worried about it - especially with the logistics involved with 3 small children! So, if you're absolultely set with flying in the day of the cruise, I'd go with the earlier arrival. That said, flying down in September - peak hurricane season - I'd arrive even earlier and come in the night before, just to hedge your bets! (But that's just me!) We're arriving the evening before and staying at the Hyatt. Kids get a good night sleep, and we end up not stressing out about weather or logistics or bag-dragging.

 

[Amlee]

It all depends on how organized you are AND if your using Disney transportation. They know you are coming and will be watching your flights.

If you can get off the plane and get to the Disney counter with out having to make a dozen stops then your fine with the later flight. If you can't do that then book the earlier flight as the Orlando airport has dozens of place little kids want to run too.

I'm the type that can get off the plane and go. I traveled with my whole family (16 total) and I found that they could NOT do this. Drove me nuts. Everyone had to go to the bathroom right out of the plane. They wanted to stop and make pictures, the kids wanted to run into the stores. I finally told them where they needed to be and I'd see them at the ship. That I hoped they made it! It didn't take them long to figure out I was serious and joined me in line a few minutes later to get on the bus to the ship.

So you really have to go on how your family handles things. I think you will have plenty of walking around time while your on the ship. We got aboard the ship around 2pm had plenty of time to eat lunch, get to our cabins and find a spot to watch the sail away party.

 

[daipp]

we are taking the 10 night southern carribean cruise sept 7 and trying to decide on taking a flight which lands in orlando at 9:40am or 12:30pm. we are a family of 5 with 3 little kids (under age of 6), so we don't want to hang around in the port chasing them for hours if we don't board the ship til 4pm, for example.

Just in case you didn't know, there's a dedicated thread for this cruise over on Cruise Meets 10 Day Caribbean Cruise Dis Meet

Speak to you there - they're a friendly bunch, honestly.

David

 

[disneygatorfan]

take the earlier flight... 3 screaming kids for two hours at port is a lot better then 3 screaming kids who missed their cruise...

 

[smola09's mom]

I, too, would go with the earlier flight. There is plenty at the port to keep the kids entertained until you board. It just seems to start the magic a little earlier.

 

[MagicMe]

I would not take the chance on a later flight. If you fly in the same day as the start of your cruise, I would get the earliest flight possible. If either of those flights get delayed for weather or whatever, you could miss the cruise. As noted, they have an area for kids to keep busy and they'll have other kids there too. Just me, but I'd rather be at the port and wait a little than chance missing it all together!

I'm leaving in 2 weeks for a 4-day on the Wonder (meeting up with family that is already going to be in WDW) and I debated for a long time about coming down in the AM (looking for the earliest flight possible). I probably would have been okay but then started to stress about weather (with hurricanes and tropical storms) causing even a minor delay and decided to head down the day before. I was going to stay offsite to keep the cost down and then realized I would still have to get to the hotel and then be stuck at the hotel with nothing to do so I decided to stay one night at POP. Now I have ME and can use the Disney transportation to hit DD and meet up with the family for dinner at O'hanas (without depending on someone to come and transport me)!!! At least if there is any delay on Saturday, I've got plenty of time to get to the terminal on Sunday!!!!

 

[woody73]

take the earlier flight... 3 screaming kids for two hours at port is a lot better then 3 screaming kids who missed their cruise...

Good advice.

Woody

 

[cathicool]

alright! alright!
so now i just need southwest to do another ding fare so i can get the earlier flight (7am) for the same price i paid for the later one (10am).


thanks to everyone for setting me straight. i knew i shouldn't have listened to my husband!!!!!!!(again!)


cathicool

 

[AshburnMom]

When we sailed on the Magic on 7/29, we got there a little after 10. Goofy came out to pose for pix at 11, then Minnie came out at 11:30. They started boarding at 11:45 and it went pretty quickly. So if you took an earlier flight, you may not be hanging out in the terminal for very long.

Also, if you are doing Disney transportation, you might be interested to know that we didn't leave until about 5:20 or so because the ship was waiting for a bus.

 

[jotop]

take the earlier flight... 3 screaming kids for two hours at port is a lot better then 3 screaming kids who missed their cruise...

AMEN!!! I totally agree!! EARLY!!

 

[Aisling]

I've read about some people driving to the port, and arriving before it actually opens. Can you park in the lot that early? Also, where do you wait if the lots are open but the actual terminal is closed? What do you do with your luggage? I've only taken the DCL bus, but am considering driving next time.

Thanks!

 

[andychris14]

If we get there at 10, we will be waiting until noon to board? What is the advantage of getting there earlier? Is there a longer line to board. We are coming from the vistana villages and do not know what time to head to the pier???
We want to make the most of our short 3 night cruise.
Thanks everyone

 

[AshburnMom]

If you get there before the terminal opens, they send you to park for the moment in an employee lot across from the terminal. When they do let cars in, those cars go first, then the ones in line starting at 10. I think luggage can be dropped off at an outer curb (there were porters there), then the car had to get in line. We didn't do that and just waited to drive in at 10.

The advantage to being there early was that we couldn't get Palo reservations online and we could go in and get what we wanted when we wanted it. We could also enjoy our lunch and start exporing the ship. It made the afternoon more relaxing before the ship sailed. It felt like we got an extra 1/2 day or so to the trip.

 

[Whisker]

If we get there at 10, we will be waiting until noon to board? What is the advantage of getting there earlier? Is there a longer line to board. We are coming from the vistana villages and do not know what time to head to the pier???
We want to make the most of our short 3 night cruise.
Thanks everyone

They give out numbers for boarding on first come first serve basis. So those people who get there when it opens will get the earliest numbers and be some of the first on the ship when they start boarding.

Have Fun!!

 

[andychris14]

thank you