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Home / CRUISES / Onboard! How early to appear for a cruise and what you need to know about cruise boarding times

Onboard! How early to appear for a cruise and what you need to know about cruise boarding times

2023-04-05  Sophia Zackary

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The big day is drawing near, and you are now in the final stages of getting ready to check in at the cruise terminal and set sail on your ship. How can you make sure that you have everything you need to get your vacation off to a good start? You will need to have a strategy for getting to the port, as well as some information regarding the embarkation procedure, including the time that you will be boarding the cruise ship.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, cruise companies frequently gave passengers the option of showing up at the terminal on the day of embarkation whenever it was most convenient for them within a window of half a day.

As a result of the pandemic's aftermath, lines started giving passengers boarding times or, more frequently, asking them to choose the window of time that they'd prefer to space out the crowds. This was done to better manage the flow of people. Because the new strategy yielded such positive results, the vast majority of cruise companies have chosen to keep using it.

But when exactly do voyages begin, and is there a particular time of day that is ideal for boarding a ship? Continue reading to learn the solutions, as well as the approximate time that you ought to plan on arriving in the city from which you will depart before you set sail.

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When you should board a ship for a vacation

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Inquire, "At what time should I report for my cruise?" And it's probable that you mean one of these two things: when should you arrive in the city that your ship will be departing from before your trip, or when should you arrive at the cruise terminal on the day that you are scheduled to embark?

The distance you have to travel to get to the cruise location will determine how you should respond to the first question. If you reside within driving distance of your ship's departure port, it is acceptable for you to make your way there on the same day that your ship departs. The only exception to this rule is if you are looking at a journey of more than an hour and don't want to get there too close to boarding time.

When you should fly in for your cruise if you are catching a plane depends on several different variables. I always recommend flying in at least one day before your scheduled departure, just in case you end up experiencing any delays or cancellations along the route. If something goes wrong with your journey, you will have enough time to rebook yourself onto another flight.

Should I purchase my flights through my cruise line? read more.

However, it is not always possible for every traveler, particularly those on a limited budget, to add the expense of an overnight stay in a hotel before embarking on a cruise to the overall bill. If this is the case and you can book an extremely early flight that will get you to your port city with some wiggle room, flying in on the same day that you depart might be an option for you.

In either case, I strongly advise that you purchase travel insurance (from an independent provider rather than directly from your cruise line), as this will safeguard your financial investment if something unexpected causes you to miss your ship.

When is the boarding hour for cruise ships?

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The answer to the question of what time you should appear at the cruise terminal on the day of embarkation depends on what time you are scheduled to board the ship.

Typically, boarding for cruise ships doesn't start until an hour or two after all of the passengers from the previous journey have disembarked from the vessel. Disembarkation is typically finished by 10 a.m. at the latest, and some additional time is provided for the crew to start on tasks such as provisioning (restocking of supplies and food), bunkering (refueling), and cleaning of the vessel's cabins and public areas to get them ready for the next group of passengers to arrive.

Related: 27 things you should and shouldn't do on the day you depart on a cruise ship

Depending on the itinerary of the ship and how long it takes for everyone from the previous voyage to disembark, boarding typically starts somewhere between 10 and 11 in the morning. The majority of cruise ships have a mandatory check-in time between one and two hours before the designated departure time, which is almost always in the late afternoon or evening.

When to join a cruise ship at its best

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When there are few people in line and not too long of a wait, obviously that is the ideal time to board a cruise ship. The difficult part is predicting when that will happen.

Even though it varies from port to port and ship to ship, the early afternoon is the time of day that I find most convenient for arriving, and I typically arrive between 1 and 2 in the afternoon.

By that time, the morning rush of "me first" passengers have typically died down, and it leaves enough time between your arrival at the port and "all aboard," the cutoff for when all passengers and crew must be on the vessel. "All aboard" is the cutoff for when all passengers and crew must be on the vessel. (If you are the type of person who enjoys spending as much time as possible on board, you have the option to select an earlier boarding time; however, you should be aware that there is a possibility of long lines and wait times.)

Alternately, if you have an upper-tier loyalty status, if you are booked in a high-end suite, or if you have purchased one of several perks packages (such as Carnival Cruise Line's Faster to the Fun, Royal Caribbean International's The Key, or Norwegian Cruise Line's Priority Access), you can arrive at any time to take advantage of priority boarding or special embarkation lounge access to make your wait more comfortable. The latter option typically consists of a separate seating space that is stocked with refreshments and snacks.

You can shorten the time it takes to embark on your cruise by making use of several other time-saving strategies, such as checking in online or through the mobile app provided by your cruise company before you arrive at the port.

When you enter your cruise ship, here are some things you can anticipate:

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You should be prepared for the scene to be chaotic when you appear at the terminal facility in the port of embarkation that you have chosen. Keep an eye out for signs that point you in the direction of the appropriate arrival pathway, whether that be parking or drop-offs via taxis, Ubers, or shuttles.

Leave any large bags outside with the porters, and they will see to it that they are securely carried onto the ship before you go inside. (Although it's not necessary, it's always appreciated when customers leave a gratuity of one or two dollars per bag.) When they queue up on the curb outside of the terminal with their luggage carts, the porters are impossible to miss.

You are required to present your identification along with your boarding pass and go through a security checkpoint before entering the terminal building. A scanner will examine your carry-on bags, and you will be required to travel through a metal detector. You won't be required to take off your shoes or remove laptops or liquids from your bags, even though the process is very identical to the one at airport security. (unless they find contraband alcohol or something else that looks suspicious).

After that, you will make your way to the check-in counter, where a representative will assist you in finishing the process. It will speed up the procedure significantly if you have already checked in online. There are some ports and cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, that are more technologically advanced than others, and they are among the few that will let you bypass the check-in desk if you have already completed everything (check-in, onboard account setup, and security picture) in advance using the app.

If you do not receive a keycard when you check-in, it will be waiting for you either at the entrance of your cabin or within your room.

After you have checked in, you will proceed up the gangway and onto the ship, where the security personnel will scan your card to record the fact that you have entered the vessel. (You will be required to flash your card each time you disembark or re-board the ship in a port of call, so make sure to keep it on you at all times.)

When boarding a cruise ship, how long does the process typically take?

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The amount of time it will take to get from the curb to the gangway will differ depending on several factors, including the following:

  • Whether or not you prefer to travel lightly. You can bypass the checkpoint and go directly into the terminal building if the only luggage you have is a carry-on. If you have bigger luggage than what can fit under your seat, you will need to leave it with a porter outside, which may take a few minutes.
  • The state-of-the-art nature of both the cruise terminal and the cruise company, in terms of technology. You will be able to board much more quickly at facilities that utilize facial recognition technology. This is also the case for cruise lines that enable check-in and the setting up of onboard accounts to be completed via mobile app before the day that you board. Through the use of technology, passengers can bypass the conventional check-in procedures, which typically require standing in line to have a conversation with an employee at the check-in desk.
  • whether or not you are eligible for expedited boarding. If you are in the upper echelons of the line's loyalty program, purchased a package that includes priority embarkation, or is staying in a high-end suite, you will have the privilege of boarding before most of your fellow cruisers, and the process will be streamlined with designated lines and lounges. If you are not in the upper echelons of the line's loyalty program, you can still purchase a package that includes priority embarkation
  • whether or not passengers enter the aircraft at the times that were allotted to them. To make things easier and more streamlined for everyone involved, the goal is to stagger the number of people who arrive at any given time. When passengers fail to keep track of the time, it can lead to bottlenecks, which in turn slows down the entrance process.
  • How many people are there when you get there? If there are lines for passenger parking, drop-off, or check-in, it will take you longer to make your way on board. If there are no lines, the boarding process should go relatively quickly.
  • How well everyone has been preparing. The flow of traffic at the terminal during check-in can be disrupted if passengers are disorganized and take unnecessary amounts of time searching through their luggage for their cruise tickets, passports, and any other items that are required for verification. This rule also applies to passengers who pack illegal items in their bags and thereby slow down the queue at security checkpoints.


Bottom line
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If you plan to fly into the port city where your cruise will depart, it is recommended that you arrive there the day before your voyage. The embarkation of ships typically begins between the hours of 10 and 11 in the morning, not long after the final passenger from the previous voyage disembarks from the vessel. Adhering to the time that has been allotted to you for embarkation will assist in maintaining a seamless flow throughout the boarding process. (When choosing a time, aim for something in the afternoon, after the morning rush has died down.)

Make sure that you check in and create an onboard account in advance by using the mobile app or the website of your cruise company. This will ensure that you have the shortest wait time possible. Keep your identification and any other departure documents close at hand, and avoid putting anything in your carry-on that might raise red flags at the airport security checkpoint.

Have more vacation questions? The TPG has the following responses:

  • More products that are prohibited: What not to bring on vacation and why
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  • Why does baked Alaska get so much attention on cruise ships, and what exactly is it?
  • What are the dimensions of the world's biggest cruise ships?
  • What does it mean for a cruise ship to have a courteous host?
  • What exactly is the Jones Act, and how does it pertain to cruise cruises in particular?
  • On a cruise ship, what exactly is referred to as a "lido deck"?
  • What exactly is a cruise cabin assurance, and does purchasing one help you save money?
  • What are the key distinctions between a cruise ship steward and a cruise ship concierge?

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2023-04-05  Sophia Zackary