Speed up the Embarkation Process

Do you like waiting in lines to embark the ship to start enjoying your vacation?

Me neither. Keep reading for your top tips on how to minimize the stress of

cruise port terminals and get to relaxing sooner.

cruise ships at Nassau, Bahamas

Become A Loyal Cruiser

Cruise lines offer tier status. Depending on how many nights at sea you have

spent during your overall time with the cruise line, generally, qualifies you for

certain levels. The higher up in tier status you are, the more perks you receive.

Priority access lines, waiting lounges, and more are offered.

Purchase Priority Access

Carnival's Faster to the Fun and Royal Caribbean's The Key are a few programs

that offer priority boarding. Not only do you receive priority boarding, you also

have offers such as special lunch, priority luggage drop off, priority tender

times for ports and other. Ask today about adding this bonus perk to your

upcoming sailing.

Suite Accommodations

Celebrity suites at The Retreat offer amenities such as private restaurante,

lounge, private sundeck, dedicated pre cruise concierge, and priority check in.

Ask about upgrading to a Retreat category room to experience the next level of

cruising.

Online Check In

Online check in for Royal Caribbean and Carnival about 14 days prior to sailing.

This process takes about 10 minutes and will save you precious time during

embarkation. This also allows you to select your arrival appointment so that

hopefully, you can avoid a long line at the port if not utilizing the above

mentioned options.

Avoid Peak Times

The first hour of boarding and the last hour of boarding are your best options

for getting through security the quickest. If flying in the day before, most

everyone has to be checked out of hotels by 11:00 am, which makes 11:30 to

12:30 pm a very hectic hour. Try to grab a 10:30 boarding slot or a 1:30 slot for

best chance of speeding things up.

Organization

Staying organized is key for everyone. Be sure to have boarding documents

easly accessible. Trying to dig through bags at check in is stressful, and lets not

even get started on if you accidently leave passports in your checked luggage

that you gave to the porters. A small carry on, such as a purse or backpack is

ideal as you will most likely not have access to your checked bag until hours

after you board.