Arriving at the Port

[SWB]

Hello Y'all!

I just did the online registration and got to the end and had to select a time we would arrive at the port. The earliest time I could select was 2:30. We are staying the night before at the Radison and have scheduled a shuttle to take us over at 10:30. Is this a problem? I don't want to sit around the terminal for four hours!!

Thanks for guidance on this!
Steve

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hello Y'all!

I just did the online registration and got to the end and had to select a time we would arrive at the port. The earliest time I could select was 2:30. We are staying the night before at the Radison and have scheduled a shuttle to take us over at 10:30. Is this a problem? I don't want to sit around the terminal for four hours!!

Thanks for guidance on this!
Steve

When you arrive at the port, if it is prior to your assigned port arrival time, if the terminal is busy, you may be asked to wait in a separate area until the terminal is less busy, and they can accomdate you.

If you arrive early, and the terminal is not too busy, you may be allowed to enter anyway.

Both scenarios have been reported as happening.

 

[kcashner]

You don't tell us which ship or when you are sailing.

They are supposed to start not allowing commercial vehicles to drop off passengers till 11. This may result in the shuttles having to re-schedule things; Radisson shuttle used to start at 10.

OK, the point of the terminal arrival times is crowd control and keeping the number of people in the terminal within the fire regulations. If you arrive before your time, you may be asked to wait a while till the crowds go down OR you may be allowed in immediately. On the Magic, you tend to get in as crowds are not as big an issue.

You will not have to wait until 2:30. As soon as the ship starts boarding at 11:45, large numbers of people are suddenly moving from the terminal to the ship, freeing up space in the terminal for the next bunch of people.

It is really up to the CM in charge--there are always people with 11:00 times who have a delayed flight or whatever and arrive late. There are always people who arrive early. The call it based on the number of warm bodies actually present and the number they can allow in.

 

[SWB]

Sorry for the lack of detail - I assumed everyone could read my mind!

Port Canaveral, the Dream, next Sunday.

I made the shuttle reservation last January and had no idea they had started a boarding reservation system.

Thanks for any advice!

Steve

 

[kcashner]

Would you rather wait at the hotel or at the terminal?

My guess (and this is only a guess) is that you won't wait 4 hours at the terminal, but you might wait 1-2. Boarding will start about 11:45, but with a 2:30 time, you might wait an hour beyond that before you are allowed on the ship (you'll have a higher boarding number, even if you are able to enter the terminal and check in).

If the hotel can change your shuttle time to 12:00, I'd take that. If not, I'd keep what I had knowing that I might be "hanging out" for awhile.

 

[SWB]

I wanted to give anyone interested the outcome of our shuttle to the port - I was able to call the Radisson and get them to change our shuttle time from 10:30am to 1:00pm with no problems. We boarded the shuttle at 1:00pm and were putting our carry on bags in our stateroom at 2:00pm. Everything went very smooth with very little waiting anywhere in the process.
Steve

 

[kcashner]

Thanks for posting follow up! Glad it went smoothly for you.