When to board ship???

[mjvans]

Ok, I'm sure this has been asked and answered hundreds of times, and I'm sure I have read this answer numerous times too , but for the life of me, I can not remember the earliest one can board the Wonder. We are on the 8-29 Wonder cruise and flying down to Florida on Thursday. I have been reading these boards now for months, but right now, I simply can not remember anything. Worse than the SAT's years ago! YikeS!
One more question, can we park our rental car at a lot by the ship?? Don't yet know if Ron jon's has parking or a shuttle to the ship. Thanks in advance!
Michelle

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

The port opens at 10:00am, they start signing you in around 10:30am and boarding starts around 11:30-12:00. We will be there at 10. Yes you can park your rental car at the port. They have a secured lot and charge $10 per day.

 

[aeryncrichton]

Get there early, your probably start boarding around noon (the offical time is 1pm, but usually they start around noon)

We always get on early, you get everything taken care of, and have time to 'explore' the ship, find out where everything is, look at the activities, go by dinning room, look at the menu (most ships, the menu is posted outside everyday for dinner)

 

[Aisling]

Just wondrng...would it be better to get there a little later, say arrive at 12, to avoid the early bird lines? Are the lines longer early or later? Do most people get there early, is what I'm asking LOL

 

[crisi]

We got to the terminal about 11:00 am. Absolutely no line to check in, but the line to board had already filled the "ropes." We elected to sit with the kids and watch cartoons, have photos with Mickey and Snow White, have a snack out of the daybag - and avoid standing in line.

By 11:30 the line wrapped around the terminal.

At 11:45 they opened the doors to the ship.

We got in line at 12:00 when it was back to just the ropes and were through the line by 12:05. There were several hundred people on board before us, and it may be worth standing in line if you need something specific in spa or Palo ressies (or if 20 minutes on the ship is important to you) - but it wasn't for us. People who got in line at 11:40 got on the ship maybe five minutes before we did.

One thing first timers may want to know is that they stop you for "boarding photos" as you board the ship. If you are in a hurry to get ressies, just skip the line and move on - but you'll miss the chance for that photo (on a seven day there are lots of photo opportunities - on a three day fewer).

 

[wintermom]

So if you don't need reservations for anything and would like
to see some of AK the morning of the cruise departure when
should try to board? Would 1:00 to 2:00pm be too late?
Could we still get lunch? We will have our own rental car so
we don't have to depend on the disney transportation from
the parks.

Wintermom

 

[jrabbit]

We try to arrive at the port by 11am. Get checked in and then we look around the terminal (its beautiful), go out look at the awesome ship, look at the model of the ship, get pic's with the characters and watch some Mickey cartoons. We usually split up. Someone saves our place in line while the others explore. Then we switch.

Our theory for the cruise is the same as at the parks. We would rather wait in line "outside" than wait in lines inside. Granted, there are NOT the types of lines you get at WDW, but to make Palo and spa ressies, there are lines. And we would rather get the kids checked into the clubs earlier in the day when the lines are shorter. The process to check your kids into the clubs is not difficult, but it takes several minutes (5-10 minutes) per family to fill out the paper work and get your pager

mjvans - are you flying out of seattle or spokane? Either way it's going to be a long day for you. Are you going to spend any time at WDW before your cruise? Have a great trip.

 

[crisi]

Wintermom,

I would think you'd be fine. You might get hungry if you postpone lunch until 2:00 (and eventually the buffet lines close - and for the safety drill even Pluto's and Pinocchio's close), but food is pretty plentiful - you may end up with pizza or a burger instead of the buffet.

 

[jrabbit]

Originally posted by wintermom
So if you don't need reservations for anything and would like
to see some of AK the morning of the cruise departure when
should try to board? Would 1:00 to 2:00pm be too late?
Could we still get lunch? We will have our own rental car so
we don't have to depend on the disney transportation from
the parks.

If you leave at two (that means in the care AND on the road) you will just arrive at the port in time to get onboard. I believe that "all aboard" time is 3:45pm and it takes about 1:15 from AK to the port (assuming no traffic problems). Our first cruise years ago we left around 1pm and made it to the ship ok. And we had lunch too.

BUT and remember it's a BIG BUT we were "scatterbrained" for the rest of the day. This was our first cruise. We didn't have time to look around the ship. We didn't have time to unpack and get organized. Eating lunch (ok it was a second lunch - didn't know that we would get lunch upon boarding the ship since in 1999 boarding didn't start until 1pm at the earliest) that late, and then we had early dinner, we didn't have the appetite for all of that wonderful food.

The first day on the ship goes something like this...
noon: Start the embarkation process
12-3: lunch in parrot cay or topsiders/beach blanket buffet
12-3: able to make spa and palo ressies and check the kids into the clubs
3:45: all aboard
3:30 - 4:30: EVERYTHING that is guest services related (food drinks, pools, internet, etc) shuts down for the manditory safety drill
4:30-5:30: Sail away party
6: Early Dinner Seating
6:30: First show in the Walt Disney Theater (for late seating guests)
7:45: cabarette show/family game show
8:30: Late Dinner Seating and the late show in the WDT (for early dinner seating guests)
9:30 on: "adult" shows/dancing in the nightclubs and family shows/dancing in the family nightclub.

and all of the kids clubs and teen club have their own set of activities.

That's why we try to arrive at the port by 11 am. We wait in line off of the ship. We board, take care of any ressies that we want to make, check the kids into the clubs, go to lunch. By then we can usually get to our room to drop off our carryon bags and then we can go our different ways (if we want to). Theres swimming, exploring the ship, meeting new friends, etc. We (the adults)usually end up in our room by 3:15 and we start unpacking. Then its up to the safety drill, back down to the room and unpack a few more items then off to the sail away party, back to the room to finish unpacking before going to the first show in the WDT (we've been taking late seating every time after our first cruise).

So you see that it's a full day of fun and getting ready for the cruise. That's why we try and arrive early at the port.

 

[wintermom]

Thanks so much!

Your right, I get pretty scatterbrain and nervous myself.
I think we will leave the park by 11:30 to 12:00. That hopefully
will give us enough time to drop the rental car off at cocoa beach
and still be on board by 2:00pm

Wintermom

 

[gshoemate]

And don't forget to pack you bathing suits in your carry on. Most people pack them in their suitcase and they are not delivered to the room until later. By packing them in you carry on you can use the pool on that first day and not have many people there.

 

[gshoemate]

And don't forget to pack you bathing suits in your carry on. Most people pack them in their suitcase and they are not delivered to the room until later. By packing them in you carry on you can use the pool on that first day and not have many people there.

 

[LuvindisCruiser]

So, if we get on at 12:00 and go straight to lunch, then we should still have time after lunch to get ressies for Palo's, right? Because they don't start ressies till one o'clock. Am I correct ? And then we can register the kids in the club. Then possibly swim or just check out the ship. Does that sound possible?

We'll get there at 11:00
Possible board at 12:00
Lunch
In line for Palo Ressies
Sign up the kids
Check out room
Explore ship or swim

What do you experts think?...............

 

[aeryncrichton]

We drove to PC once, and didn't get there in time to board 'early' we got there in time, to 'ear quickly' and go to the cabin to 'grab the life jackets' I wouldn't do THAT again for sure...

it was too much rushing...

I perfer to be on the ship, and relax... take it easy, eat slowly, 'tidy' the room (tolities etc... in medicine cabinet, and all) and 'unpack' my clothes, what i have by then. Then it's off to 'explore' the ship, figure out where everything is, and all....


relaxing, like I said, 'no rushing' I HATE rushing my-self... but if you perfer to get on later, go ahead..... just be prepared to eat fast, and run to get your stuff for the drill.