Early Arrival Time- Port Liberty

[chrisd596]

When you do online check in at the 90 day point, is there a way to make sure you can get an early time, so u can get on the ship early and also park at the Port early?

Thanks

Chris

 

[msjprincess]

I'm pretty sure you can show up as early as you want. I've never heard of people having to check in at a specific time for US departures. I know they sometimes give people a window of when they are supposed to check in. However, I've never heard of it actually being enforced. Unless this is something new. I always show up somewhere around 10:30 or 11.

 

[bumbershoot]

They don't have PAT like dcl.

They will likely send a last minute email asking people to board in a certain order. But no one pays attention to it.

They asked us to board at 2 out of San Juan last Saturday and we ignored it and it was just fine.

 

[karmacats]

most royal ships don't have a time assigned, which is why everyone else is saying there is none. right now anthem and harmony are the only ships in the u.s. that pre-assign a time, i think. from your previous post i know you're on anthem, so you *will* be assigned a time.

rcl check-in isn't staggered by status like disney, so if you check in on the first day you can, you stand a good chance of getting the earliest boarding time - the people with higher statuses won't have checked in before you and taken all the early times like on disney. i think the earliest is something like 11 or 11:30, i don't remember exactly.

fwiw, when we went on quantum and anthem out of port liberty, even though we were all assigned times, the port didn't follow them. it was basically a free-for-all at 11:30 or so when they opened the gates. they let on disabled and suite guests, and then everyone else. i believe i've read they are now trying to follow the times, though.

port liberty is not as restrictive as port canaveral about entering the garage. you can park at the port pretty much whenever. we usually try to get to port around 10 or 10:30 to avoid the long line of traffic heading in, hang out in the terminal for a bit, and then board as soon as we can.

 

[chrisd596]

most royal ships don't have a time assigned, which is why everyone else is saying there is none. right now anthem and harmony are the only ships in the u.s. that pre-assign a time, i think. from your previous post i know you're on anthem, so you *will* be assigned a time.

rcl check-in isn't staggered by status like disney, so if you check in on the first day you can, you stand a good chance of getting the earliest boarding time - the people with higher statuses won't have checked in before you and taken all the early times like on disney. i think the earliest is something like 11 or 11:30, i don't remember exactly.

fwiw, when we went on quantum and anthem out of port liberty, even though we were all assigned times, the port didn't follow them. it was basically a free-for-all at 11:30 or so when they opened the gates. they let on disabled and suite guests, and then everyone else. i believe i've read they are now trying to follow the times, though.

port liberty is not as restrictive as port canaveral about entering the garage. you can park at the port pretty much whenever. we usually try to get to port around 10 or 10:30 to avoid the long line of traffic heading in, hang out in the terminal for a bit, and then board as soon as we can.

 

[chrisd596]

Port Liberty: Someone suggested paying your parking by cash, before you drive out of the parking lot, cause if u don't pay first, they will stop you and turn you around.
So, would it be a good idea to take the parking pass with u on the ship and then pay in the garage before u even go to the car??

 

[karmacats]

i'm honestly not sure. when we went on quantum we had to part in an outside lot, and on anthem and liberty (when it was in NJ) my husband dropped us at the terminal and then went to park in the garage, and afterward he got the car and brought it around to the curb for us (we had my mom with us, who couldn't walk to the garage). i just asked him if he remembered paying before or after, and he can't recall. but he said he hasn't heard of anything like you were describing. either they will ask for the money on the way in and then you can just leave when you get back, or you'll have to pay at a booth on your way out of the garage. he doesn't recall any of the cruise terminal garages having a pre-pay machine, and definitely has never had to pay cash (we use a credit card, and the port liberty website says you can pay for parking with cash or credit card). it's about a year since we were on anthem, so they could have added pre-pay machines, in which case you'd need to have your ticket with you to put in the machine.