Is boarding group based on arrival time at the terminal or Castaway Club status?

[MarkLT1]

We are going on our second DCL cruise in April (sailing on the Fantasy), so we are now silver CC members. We are chartering a van to take us from OKW at WDW to the cruise terminal, and planned on getting there early, to get on the ship as early as possible (we'd like to try and snag a brunch reservation at Palo, and I'm sure the kiddos would love to go swimming, etc..)

How early would you seasoned cruisers recommend getting to the terminal? If we were to be waiting in line as early as possible, would we end up with an early boarding group number? Or do they allow you on the ship in order of Castaway Club status? I have heard that the best way to get a Palo brunch reservation is to go down to Enchanted Garden at 12:30. Is this correct? Does it depend on the cruise? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are going on our second DCL cruise in April (sailing on the Fantasy), so we are now silver CC members. We are chartering a van to take us from OKW at WDW to the cruise terminal, and planned on getting there early, to get on the ship as early as possible (we'd like to try and snag a brunch reservation at Palo, and I'm sure the kiddos would love to go swimming, etc..)

How early would you seasoned cruisers recommend getting to the terminal? If we were to be waiting in line as early as possible, would we end up with an early boarding group number? Or do they allow you on the ship in order of Castaway Club status? I have heard that the best way to get a Palo brunch reservation is to go down to Enchanted Garden at 12:30. Is this correct? Does it depend on the cruise? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

When you do your online check in, you select a Port Arrival Time. The boarding number you get at the port when you check in is tied to your PAT.

Boarding typically begins around 11:15 or so, with the Family of the Day, followed by Concierge guests, then Platinum Castaway Club level members. Then they start announcing boarding numbers.

Usually, once the boarding number being announced for boarding catches up with the one being issued at check in, Open Boarding in announced. Anyone holding any boarding number may board at that time. This seems to occur around 12:30 or so.

The location and time open for Palo reservations/changes will be noted in the Navigator you get at check in. It can vary where this happens.

 

[Marc D]

Your boarding group is tied to your selected PAT. If you have a 10:30 PAT, you could get a boarding group starting at 2 and up. If your PAT is 11AM, you can not get issued a lower group than the minimum assigned to that PAT (maybe 10? Only DCL knows the groups assigned to specific PATs). Therefore, if you have a 11 PAT and show up at 10:30, you’ll still get at least boarding group 10 (again using the presumption). They do not consider CC level, unless you are Platinum. In that situation, you are always in group 1 since you do not pick a PAT.

Your actual boarding group will be the lowest group assigned to your PAT with space left on it for your group size.

If multiple staterooms traveling together show up at the same time but with multiple PATs, each one will be assigned a specific boarding group based on their own PAT.

 

[MarkLT1]

Thanks for the info! Just went online and checked in. Earliest available PAT is 12:30pm. I forgot you could "check in" that early, and had no idea it was tied to when we would arrive at the port. I'm guessing we wont be doing Palo brunch then. Not too concerned about it, as we were able to get everything else booked we wanted to do. I think we'll still plan on getting there a bit earlier than our PAT (maybe an hour early?) to get checked in, and have the earliest boarding group we can get.

 

[Kirsty_Lou]

It's my understanding now that you will get the same boarding group whether you turn up an hour early or all your allocated time. It is all based on the PAT you have. Turning up early won't give you a lower boarding number.

 

[MarkLT1]

I was going off this from Marc D:

Your actual boarding group will be the lowest group assigned to your PAT with space left on it for your group size.

It would seem to me that due to the size of the PATs, there might be multiple groups assigned to each PAT. It seems to me that getting there early would ensure that we are towards the front of our PATs boarding group numbers. Probably 12 one way, a dozen the other, but getting there early has other benefits (seeing Mickey, being a bit more relaxed if there is a delay on the way, etc..).

 

[lklgoodman]

It's my understanding now that you will get the same boarding group whether you turn up an hour early or all your allocated time. It is all based on the PAT you have. Turning up early won't give you a lower boarding number.

This is correct. No need to show up super early, I'd arrive around noon with the hope open boarding starts before 12:30. You could still get a spot at Palo if you get in line once you get onboard. We were able to get a mixology spot and we didn't board until after 2PM. Good luck

 

[Kirsty_Lou]

I'd have hoped by 12:30 that it will be general boarding anyway. That always seems to be the case when I've been. Although I haven't been from PC for a while

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm guessing we wont be doing Palo brunch then.

I'd suggest you keep an eye on the Palo reservations online all the way up to the day of your cruise. There are people who book, and then cancel and something opens up. That's how we go Palo dinner on our first cruise - about 3 weeks out from the trip.

And, you should still head out for the the Palo dining changes table, and, at least, get put on the wait list. You never know.

 

[MarkLT1]

Thanks for the tip on watching it online. I guess I gotta treat this like a Fastpass+.. We'll definitely put our names on the list if we dont snag one before.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

It's my understanding now that you will get the same boarding group whether you turn up an hour early or all your allocated time. It is all based on the PAT you have. Turning up early won't give you a lower boarding number.

this is 100% accurate

 

[SL6827]

Ok, first of all it has been a while and my mind has aged since 2011. On our last cruise we got a boarding group of #2, I guess because I chose the earliest PAT I could. So do Gold CC Club members get to check in and select their PAT before Silver members? And if so, do Silver members get that privilege over first time cruisers?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ok, first of all it has been a while and my mind has aged since 2011. On our last cruise we got a boarding group of #2, I guess because I chose the earliest PAT I could. So do Gold CC Club members get to check in and select their PAT before Silver members? And if so, do Silver members get that privilege over first time cruisers?

Platinum Castaway Club members (and Concierge) do online check in (select PAT) at 120 days out
Gold CC - 105 days out
Silver - 90 days out
First time DCL cruisers - 75 days out.

 

[SL6827]

Platinum Castaway Club members (and Concierge) do online check in (select PAT) at 120 days out
Gold CC - 105 days out
Silver - 90 days out
First time DCL cruisers - 75 days out.

Ok, gotcha. Was this in effect in 2011? Cause I was on my second cruise and a boarding group 2. Platinum do they really get a boarding group?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ok, gotcha. Was this in effect in 2011? Cause I was on my second cruise and a boarding group 2. Platinum do they really get a boarding group?

Boarding numbers are tied to the PAT you select. Even first time cruisers can get an early PAT, so that's not really a seniority perk.

Platinum gets boarding number 1, or 2 (we've gotten both in the past).

 

[mmouse37]

We are Platinum and booked 3 weeks before our cruise so we didn't have to pick a PAT. We were boarding group 1 and they started boarding at about 11:30 am (Saturday Feb 1st). We were not able to book Palo ahead of time since we booked so late. We were eating in Cabanas and I ran upstairs to Palo at about 12:15/12:30 (can't remember exactly) but there was someone at the Palo Podium and I was able to book Palo right there. There was one person in front of me.

Last time on Fantasy we waited behind 30 people outside Enchanted Garden so OP try right at Palo itself.

MJ

 

[Dug720]

It's my understanding now that you will get the same boarding group whether you turn up an hour early or all your allocated time. It is all based on the PAT you have. Turning up early won't give you a lower boarding number.

Exactly! Several years ago I was at the counter with a PAT of 10:30-10:45 and got Boarding Group 2. The dad of the family at the agent next to me saw my number and/or heard my agent say I was Boarding Group 2 and began questioning why they had a number in the 20s. Their agent explained that the groups were tied to the selected Port Arrival Time (not using acronyms when discussing it in person) and their selected time was much later than it actually was.

 

[lanejudy]

I think we'll still plan on getting there a bit earlier than our PAT (maybe an hour early?) to get checked in, and have the earliest boarding group we can get.

Actually 12:15 or 12:30 is the "sweet spot" for arriving. The crowds in the terminal have mostly boarded, you'll have minimal wait until "open boarding" is called, and the crowds from the resort buses usually haven't arrived yet. Arrival, check-in and boarding should be a fairly quick process at that time. I wouldn't plan to arrive much earlier because you'll only be stuck in the crowds and unlikely to board any earlier.

Ok, gotcha. Was this in effect in 2011?

Yes, the staggered online check-in dates and selecting PATs was in place in 2011. Our first cruise was 2011, and I managed to get an early PAT even though I forgot to do online check-in until later in the day. It really just depends on the demographics of your cruise -- how many CC members are booked, how many are interested in early PATs, etc.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[MarkLT1]

Actually 12:15 or 12:30 is the "sweet spot" for arriving. The crowds in the terminal have mostly boarded, you'll have minimal wait until "open boarding" is called, and the crowds from the resort buses usually haven't arrived yet. Arrival, check-in and boarding should be a fairly quick process at that time. I wouldn't plan to arrive much earlier because you'll only be stuck in the crowds and unlikely to board any earlier.

Thanks for the heads up there. We'll shoot for 12:15 (if I can convince my wife... she usually wants to get to the airport WAY early.. )

I'm now kicking myself in the butt for not checking in when we first could. At midnight on the day we could start picking port adventures, etc.. I logged in, selected what we wanted, etc.. I had no idea we could check in at that time, nor that checking in that early would be an advantage. Doh! Live and learn!

 

[MsSimone]

The check in process is so much lighter than checking in for a flight, for example. You drop off your big bags, go through a very light security scan with your carry-ons, fill out a form or two, get a picture taken, and then wait for your group to be called and slowly file onto the ship.

If you have a PAT of 1230 and you get there at 1130.... you're going to sit around for an hour. If you get there at 1215 for a 1230 PAT, you'll basically swan right through.

Also, if you get there at 1245 for a 1230 arrival time, that is also just fine. It's not at all the same thing as boarding a flight. We did see one family running up the gangway shortly before muster drill (don't know what the story was there!) and while I wouldn't recommend *that* there's just not much reason to get to the port ages before your PAT.