Ground transfers and boarding number

[Divslp]

Newbie DCLer here. If you take a DCL bus, do you get a boarding number based on when your bus arrives, or is your boarding Number tied to the original PAT that was chosen online during check-in?

 

[mmouse37]

Newbie DCLer here. If you take a DCL bus, do you get a boarding number based on when your bus arrives, or is your boarding Number tied to the original PAT that was chosen online during check-in?

Welcome to the Cruise Board!!!!

Your PAT would be based on your original PAT that was chosen during online check in.

MJ

 

[tajz90]

The last time we used DCL transfers we didn't have the option to choose PAT. When we arrived at the port, we were able to board the ship. Is there a different policy for international sailing vs US departures?

 

[cwdefouw]

The last time we used DCL transfers we didn't have the option to choose PAT. When we arrived at the port, we were able to board the ship. Is there a different policy for international sailing vs US departures?

Never seen this before. You should always have the ability to pick a PAT when checking in online, unless you are a Platinum CC Member. When taking the DCL Transfers, if you are going to take an early bus from the airport, you should still pick an early PAT, as your Boarding Group will be tied to that early PAT. However, if the only PAT available are later than when you expect to take the bus to the port, you will still be admitted when arriving at the port, you just may get a later Boarding Group.

Example: You are taking the first Bus from the Airport at around 9:30 AM, however, you have picked a PAT of 12:30-1:30. You will be admitted to the terminal upon arrival but you will likely be assigned a Boarding Group in the range of 10-20 as opposed to if you had been able to pick the earliest PAT of 10:30-11:30, you would have likely received a Boarding Group in the range of 2-5.

 

[tajz90]

Never seen this before. You should always have the ability to pick a PAT when checking in online, unless you are a Platinum CC Member. When taking the DCL Transfers, if you are going to take an early bus from the airport, you should still pick an early PAT, as your Boarding Group will be tied to that early PAT. However, if the only PAT available are later than when you expect to take the bus to the port, you will still be admitted when arriving at the port, you just may get a later Boarding Group.

Example: You are taking the first Bus from the Airport at around 9:30 AM, however, you have picked a PAT of 12:30-1:30. You will be admitted to the terminal upon arrival but you will likely be assigned a Boarding Group in the range of 10-20 as opposed to if you had been able to pick the earliest PAT of 10:30-11:30, you would have likely received a Boarding Group in the range of 2-5.

It's true. I had to call and ask why we didn't have the ability and was told we didn't need one. It was a cruise out of Barcelona and we used Disney transfers from the hotel.

 

[lanejudy]

There do seem to be some instances lately when passengers do NOT choose a PAT during online check-in. It might be related to whether you purchased your airfare, and/or pre-cruise hotel, directly through DCL or on your own.

Best rule of thumb -- if given the opportunity to choose a PAT during online check-in, do not skip this step. If it's not an availables screen, DCL will accommodate your arrival. But the last thing you want to do is assume PAT doesn't apply to you and then end up sitting in the terminal watching lots of others board while waiting for a high boarding number.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[robhawk]

Last two cruises it didn't matter what our PAT was. I still chose one to be safe. We were on the first bus from MCO at 930ish. We received boarding pass 2 & 3.

 

[kiford]

It's true. I had to call and ask why we didn't have the ability and was told we didn't need one. It was a cruise out of Barcelona and we used Disney transfers from the hotel.

When we did the Med cruise last year, we had DCL transfers from the hotel. I was able to pick a PAT so it for 1 pm which I normally do when we sail out of PC as that's about the time we get there. I assumed it would be the same in Barcelona. They picked us up about 11-ish, we had to wait 15 minutes for someone who was late and got to the port in only a few minutes. Waited in line a bit outside to get in and got checked in immediately (no lineups inside). We were all checked in probably by noon and there were lots of people already checked in still waiting to board. I figured that we'd have to wait since we were well before our PAT and others were still waiting so it wasn't open boarding but we got a boarding number (11 I think it was) and they were boarding that number right then so we walked right on.

I suspect that, in Barcelona at least, if you take DCL transfers, you get preferential treatment for boarding regardless of time. My guess is that they gave us whatever boarding number was boarding at that time rather than looking at our PAT.

 

[tajz90]

When we did the Med cruise last year, we had DCL transfers from the hotel. I was able to pick a PAT so it for 1 pm which I normally do when we sail out of PC as that's about the time we get there. I assumed it would be the same in Barcelona. They picked us up about 11-ish, we had to wait 15 minutes for someone who was late and got to the port in only a few minutes. Waited in line a bit outside to get in and got checked in immediately (no lineups inside). We were all checked in probably by noon and there were lots of people already checked in still waiting to board. I figured that we'd have to wait since we were well before our PAT and others were still waiting so it wasn't open boarding but we got a boarding number (11 I think it was) and they were boarding that number right then so we walked right on. I suspect that, in Barcelona at least, if you take DCL transfers, you get preferential treatment for boarding regardless of time. My guess is that they gave us whatever boarding number was boarding at that time rather than looking at our PAT.

Maybe so. We didn't pick a time and walked right on board, past people waiting, as soon as we checked in. Although I don't remember having a check in time for the Baltics but that was a few years ago.

 

[cisobe]

When we cruised out of Galveston last year, we used Disney transfers and stayed at the Hotel Galvez booked through Disney. When we did our online check in, when we tried to pick a PAT it said on the PAT selection page that since used DCL transfers and booked our hotel before the cruise through DCL that we didn't need to pick a PAT and that option wasn't even available to us. We were on the first shuttle from the hotel to the port, and we just walked right in, and checked in. I believe we were in the first boarding group too.

This was our first cruise, so we weren't sure if this was typical. It was nice being one of the first 40 or so families onboard.

 

[adamtoonarmy]

I'm on my very first Disney Cruise (well first any cruise really) next week and am sailing on the 3 night Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral. I booked Hyatt and ground transport through Disney UK and was definitely not given the option to choose a PAT when I did online check in. When I called DCL to enquire they said that I did not need one as I had booked their ground transfers. I asked how early I could arrive at the port and they told me as early as the first bus would get me there.