Cruise boarding times: How early should you arrive for a cruise

Table Of Content

• Convenient Port Canaveral “Park & Cruise” Hotels
• of Carnival’s Cruise Lines Changing How Prices Are Advertised
• Can I show up earlier than my check-in time?
• What is The Latest You Can Board a Cruise Ship?
• Early Boarding for Special Needs Passengers
• What happens if I get sick while onboard?
• Boarding Times for Cruise Lines

First, if you miss The Key check-in window, you have to fall back to whatever time you had before. If someone cancels their cruise, their check-in time goes back into the system for someone else to grab. Online check-in is a very simple process, and requires just a few bits of information to complete.

Convenient Port Canaveral “Park & Cruise” Hotels

How boarding day goes for your cruise vacation can make or break the entire experience, so it’s essential to be as prepared for boarding as possible. Once settled in, or if your cabin isn’t ready, it’s time to explore the ship and check out everything there will be to do throughout your trip. A variety of snack and lunch options should be available so you can grab some food before your cruise begins. If you have large checked luggage, porters may be available at the cruise ship terminal to carry it onto the ship so that you don’t have to lug it around before you get to your cabin. The first thing that you have to do before boarding your cruise ship is check in.

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of Carnival’s Cruise Lines Changing How Prices Are Advertised

If you've come from a cold-weather place, pack shorts, flip-flops and your bathing suit so you don't have to wait for your suitcases to arrive before you hit the pool. You might be ready to cruise, but the ship's crew still is getting the ship ready, having just disembarked last week's passengers. If you are at the terminal early you may be given a ‘boarding card’ which might be a number or letter.

Can I show up earlier than my check-in time?

Get driving directions and arrange for transfers from your airport or hotel ahead of time. And if you are flying in, don’t forget to claim your luggage at the airline’s baggage claim area. If you're catching a plane, when to fly in for your cruise depends on several factors.

What is The Latest You Can Board a Cruise Ship?

I always advise flying in at least one day before you're scheduled to embark, just in case you encounter any delays or cancellations. That way, you have time to rebook yourself on a different flight if something goes wrong. Safety instructions will be posted on the back of your cabin door. Look there for the number of your assigned muster station in the event of a shipboard emergency. You'll find life jackets in your closet or elsewhere in the cabin. If you are traveling with kids, now is the time to make sure there is an appropriate infant or child life jacket in addition to a life jacket for each adult.

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Depending on your disembarkation time and port, the time needed to arrive at the airport will vary. At check-in, guests must present their boarding pass, picture ID and citizenship documents (including any necessary visas). Due to security protocol, last minute bookings made within 24 hours of sailing will require guests to undergo a secondary screening.

Country Selection

Here are some dos and don'ts to help make embarkation day as hassle-free as possible. You must go through the ship's pier-side check-in process, which can take time. Remember, you are one of thousands of people entering a floating city at basically the same time. As with any other secured structure, you can't walk right onto a ship. Many cruise lines now offer schemes which allow you to embark faster.

What happens if I get sick while onboard?

A number of cruise lines also have loyalty schemes which allow you to take part in ‘priority embarkation’. Carnival seems to be the strictest about boarding within boarding times. You will be allocated an arrival time for embarkation on your boarding pass.

The worst check- in experience I ever had, without a doubt, was with the more luxury cruise line Azamara. Generally speaking, the latest you can embark is usually around 3/4 pm. There is little point in arriving before the check-in desks open as you will just be sitting around waiting.

However, it's your responsibility to arrive at the pier with the proper documentation. I like to print out and bring paper copies of documents as a backup to electronic documents. This is usually 90 minutes so I would always assume 2 hours to be on the safe side. Guests may be able to check in earlier but will usually not be able to embark until this time.

But in our experience, it’s generally accepted that you don’t need to follow your assigned embarkation time. Most cruise lines encourage passengers to check in well before the scheduled departure to avoid missing the boat (pun intended). If you’re the type of cruiser who prefers to drop off everything in your room and unwind before the ship sets sail, you may prefer a later boarding. Princess Cruises may also provide early boarding for groups that include a member with a special need.

These intimate, for-a-fee restaurants can be hard to get into (reservations are required) but are usually not as crowded on the first night of the sailing. Plus, some lines will thank you with a complimentary or discounted bottle of wine. Once you've got the lay of the land, you probably want to unpack and get ready for your first evening on board.

Some cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean and Holland America Line, provide check-in windows and ask that guests abide by their assigned time. That said, if a family member or a friend is running late, you can notify the cruise line at the check-in desk. If the late passenger checked in online before embarkation day, the cruise may delay sending the passenger manifest for a few minutes. If you’re looking to avoid lineups at the terminal,  boarding around 1 or 2 pm tends to have the shortest lineups.

Don't put your luggage directly on your bed's duvet; use the luggage mat provided. Find a spot for everything because cruise cabins can quickly become cluttered. You'll have time to see a lot during your cruise, but at this point I like to get the lay of the land. You might find a ship deck plan (map) in your cabin, or one might be available at the purser's desk or in the cruise line's app. It's fun to find not only the main spaces but also the hidden pools, hot tubs and other treasures you'll want to return to throughout your sailing. You are required to watch a video on your cabin TV or cruise line app that tells you what to do in the event of a fire or other shipboard emergency.

First before you even enter the terminal, you’ll drop any bags that you want delivered to your room. They should have tags on them (the cruise line will send you tags to print at home). Cruise lines have the procedures down to a science that typically don’t take that long between the time you arrive and the time you board… if you show up when you should.