Boarding question
May 14, 2013, 2:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SPG/Marriott PLT
Posts: 275
Boarding question
A total of 6 of us will be boarding a celebrity alaska cruise this Friday at Seattle. Three of us flying from LA, including myself, three others driving down from Canada.
My flight will be arriving SEA around 9:30am. My question is,
1) We booked 3 rooms total, will it make a difference whether checking in together, or separate ?
1) what time can we, and should we, show up at the dock for check in ?
2) will we be allowed to exit the ship after checkin and do it a little shopping around town, buying booze and water and snacks all that ? If not,
3) Is there a place where we can keep our luggage for a few hours while we explore Seattle in the morning, until we go back to check in, say around 2pm ?
4) are there any limits on luggage you can bring ?
Sorry for the ignorant questions. I'm a super frequent flyer, 300K miles / year, but this is my first time cruising.
My flight will be arriving SEA around 9:30am. My question is,
1) We booked 3 rooms total, will it make a difference whether checking in together, or separate ?
1) what time can we, and should we, show up at the dock for check in ?
2) will we be allowed to exit the ship after checkin and do it a little shopping around town, buying booze and water and snacks all that ? If not,
3) Is there a place where we can keep our luggage for a few hours while we explore Seattle in the morning, until we go back to check in, say around 2pm ?
4) are there any limits on luggage you can bring ?
Sorry for the ignorant questions. I'm a super frequent flyer, 300K miles / year, but this is my first time cruising.
May 14, 2013, 3:30 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Redondo Beach, CA USA
Programs: UA 1KMM, Bonvoy LTE+A, HH D, Nat'l EE, Hertz Plat, Avis PC
Posts: 3,713
Well, first I'm going to recommend reading all the info on your cruise line's website or to call them directly. Advice you get here may help, but will not be definitive. I guarantee that every question you asked here can be answered by browsing their website.
In my experience, here are my answers to your questions:
1) Do you mean 6 people from 1 family in 3 cabins? One credit card to pay for all? If so, you should check in together. Check-in time varies by cruise line and embarkation port, but your boarding documents should already have this information for you.
2) Any cruise I've taken, you are allowed to disembark after initial embarkation and then re-board without waiting in the long check-in lines. But again, this is one to check with the cruise line.
3) You can always go to the port, check in your luggage, and then see more of the city before you personally board. That's the safest thing, but maybe not the most convenient depending on where you're staying in relation to the cruise terminal.
4) There have not been limits on any cruises I've been on, but I tend to cruise in the highest suite cabins so the rules may be different. In general there's not a lot of storage space in cruise ship staterooms, so people don't want to take a lot of stuff. There's not a lot of room for clothes, nor is there a place to put lots of empty suitcases!
In my experience, here are my answers to your questions:
1) Do you mean 6 people from 1 family in 3 cabins? One credit card to pay for all? If so, you should check in together. Check-in time varies by cruise line and embarkation port, but your boarding documents should already have this information for you.
2) Any cruise I've taken, you are allowed to disembark after initial embarkation and then re-board without waiting in the long check-in lines. But again, this is one to check with the cruise line.
3) You can always go to the port, check in your luggage, and then see more of the city before you personally board. That's the safest thing, but maybe not the most convenient depending on where you're staying in relation to the cruise terminal.
4) There have not been limits on any cruises I've been on, but I tend to cruise in the highest suite cabins so the rules may be different. In general there's not a lot of storage space in cruise ship staterooms, so people don't want to take a lot of stuff. There's not a lot of room for clothes, nor is there a place to put lots of empty suitcases!
May 14, 2013, 3:56 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,738
1) If you each have a separate set-sail passes (on-line check-in document) you can all check-in at different times.
2) It depends on the previous cruise, but if everything went fine with disembarkation for the previous cruise, they will usually start boarding between 11:00am and noon. Yes you can check-in, board the ship, and get back off the ship again to go exploring. Remember though that you must be back onboard the ship by at least 1 hour before scheduled departure. Also, you mention booze. Celebrity limits you to two bottles of wine per person and does not allow beer or hard liquor, so make sure you stay within those limits.
3) They will start accepting luggage for the cruise middle of the morning. You can check your luggage without completing check-in for the cruise. If you received luggage tags in advance, make sure you have them attached to the handles of your luggage before you hand them over to the porters. If you didn't receive tags in advance, you'll get your luggage tags from the porters. After you've turned over your luggage you can leave and go explore or proceed to check-in.
4) It depends on the line but most have very, very generous limits if at all. As said above, your biggest limitation will be storage (I tend to store my suitcases under the beds). Also, remember there are certain things that aren't allowed on cruiseships like irons, candles, etc.
Note: There are two cruise terminals in Seattle. If you are getting a taxi to the port, make sure you let them know you need to go to Terminal 91 (if the taxi tries to drop you off at the pier across from Pike Place Market you are at the wrong terminal). This pier is a little bit of way from things, so if you plan on exploring you'll need to grab a taxi to and from the pier - make sure to leave plenty of time for traffic on your way back to the pier because that 60 minutes prior to departure is a hard cutoff.
2) It depends on the previous cruise, but if everything went fine with disembarkation for the previous cruise, they will usually start boarding between 11:00am and noon. Yes you can check-in, board the ship, and get back off the ship again to go exploring. Remember though that you must be back onboard the ship by at least 1 hour before scheduled departure. Also, you mention booze. Celebrity limits you to two bottles of wine per person and does not allow beer or hard liquor, so make sure you stay within those limits.
3) They will start accepting luggage for the cruise middle of the morning. You can check your luggage without completing check-in for the cruise. If you received luggage tags in advance, make sure you have them attached to the handles of your luggage before you hand them over to the porters. If you didn't receive tags in advance, you'll get your luggage tags from the porters. After you've turned over your luggage you can leave and go explore or proceed to check-in.
4) It depends on the line but most have very, very generous limits if at all. As said above, your biggest limitation will be storage (I tend to store my suitcases under the beds). Also, remember there are certain things that aren't allowed on cruiseships like irons, candles, etc.
Note: There are two cruise terminals in Seattle. If you are getting a taxi to the port, make sure you let them know you need to go to Terminal 91 (if the taxi tries to drop you off at the pier across from Pike Place Market you are at the wrong terminal). This pier is a little bit of way from things, so if you plan on exploring you'll need to grab a taxi to and from the pier - make sure to leave plenty of time for traffic on your way back to the pier because that 60 minutes prior to departure is a hard cutoff.
May 14, 2013, 10:06 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,154
If it is Terminal 91 (I can't remember for Celebrity), I'd probably say go straight there from the airport, you're likely to be arriving at the pier pretty close to when they'd start allowing boarding (taking into account a 9:30 arrival and waiting for luggage).
However, while it may be possible to leave the ship after checking in, I'm not sure that the time frames you have will make it all that reasonable of an idea. I've done a 10:30 arrival with only a carry-on (which I think wouldn't be much later than a 9:30 with checked luggage), and while I didn't take the fastest route to the ship, there's no way I would have felt comfortable (or felt it was worth it) to leave the ship and go into town. (That day I took light rail into town, then a cab from downtown to the pier, saving me about $30-$40 on the cost of the trip from airport to pier, although it does take a little longer). But that terminal is far enough from downtown that the time involved getting there and back isn't negligible.
However, while it may be possible to leave the ship after checking in, I'm not sure that the time frames you have will make it all that reasonable of an idea. I've done a 10:30 arrival with only a carry-on (which I think wouldn't be much later than a 9:30 with checked luggage), and while I didn't take the fastest route to the ship, there's no way I would have felt comfortable (or felt it was worth it) to leave the ship and go into town. (That day I took light rail into town, then a cab from downtown to the pier, saving me about $30-$40 on the cost of the trip from airport to pier, although it does take a little longer). But that terminal is far enough from downtown that the time involved getting there and back isn't negligible.
May 16, 2013, 7:56 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: SMF
Posts: 180
Please note that on Celebrity you can board (when initially checking in) with 2 bottles of wine per cabin (if over the age of 21), but NO hard liquor or beer. If you try to bring hard liquor or beer on they will confiscate it and not return it until the last night of the cruise. They will do this with any alcohol that is brought on at any of the ports of call. Many people try to sneak it on, but that is a whole other thread!
May 16, 2013, 8:25 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: AA Platinum, Delta Gold
Posts: 184
You can bring on snacks. You can usually bring on soda in cans and soda and water in factory sealed bottles - although there have been some isolated reports where this wasn't allowed. Like the airport, expect to go through a metal detector and your bags through x-ray machines each time you board. And you might want to check your cruise documents for the cut-off time to check in. It is usually 90 minutes before departure. If for any reason you are delayed and the cut-off time is approaching, call them. Have a great cruise.
May 17, 2013, 4:33 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Tenerife, Canary Islands/Hannover, Germany
Programs: Celebrity Elite Plus, RCCL Diamond, Princess Platinum, Carlson Gold, IHG Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 669
Obviously too late for the OP, but he/she - and others - should know that they will probably have to drag all their hand luggage around the ship with them until their cabins are available for them (generally between 1:30 - 2 PM). There is nowhere onboard to safely leave your carry-on "stuff" until you can put it in your cabin. Of course, if it's a party of 6 (as in this case), one person could be assigned to watch all the luggage while the others go into town.
And, as one person (Goldiemom) correctly mentioned, on Celebrity cruises it's "officially" two bottles of wine per cabin, not per person.
And, as one person (Goldiemom) correctly mentioned, on Celebrity cruises it's "officially" two bottles of wine per cabin, not per person.
