Hi all! I am a first time cruiser and I have been hearing mixed answers. My itinerary states we are departing at 5:30pm from San Diego. I have been told to be there by 2pm, 2:30pm, 4pm. I'm confused and DO NOT want to run into problems! PLEASE HELP!

Thank you guys so much!!

You should arrive at the terminal no later than 4 PM. Theoretically you can get there as late as 4:30 and still make it, but why take chances?

Your question is the oppostie most people ask, as you can get food and drinks as soon as you board. Most people want as much time on the ship as possible and thus board as early as possible (noon or so).

We're sailing on the Elation in 7 days and a wake-up!

~ MattInSoCal

JayLo:

Hi all! I am a first time cruiser and I have been hearing mixed answers. My itinerary states we are departing at 5:30pm from San Diego. I have been told to be there by 2pm, 2:30pm, 4pm. I'm confused and DO NOT want to run into problems! PLEASE HELP!

Thank you guys so much!!

You have to be onboard for the muster drill before your Fun Ship can sail, so arriving at the cruise terminal at 4:00 P.M. would be cutting it close. 2:00 P.M. is the latest you should plan on arriving at the airport if you are flying into San Diego. Should you have a connecting flight that is delayed, etc, you might not have time to get your luggage, catch your shuttle, and make it to your Fun Ship before it sails. Personally, I prefer being onboard as soon as possible to book important things at the Excursion Desk (the highly sought after and in short supply cabanas at HMC, for instance), and to enjoy a burger or two and a Bucket of Bud Light on the Lido Deck by 1:00 P.M. I like watching the other guests rushing to get onboard from my spot by the rail on the Lido Deck.

We also enjoy sitdown breakfast in the dining room on debarkation day and then do self assist debarkation at our leisure, so as to stretch every great moment out of each cruise that we possibly can. Five or six extra hours spent on a Fun Ship (some on embarkation day, the rest on debarkation day) are better than five or six hours anywhere else on Earth, but then I'm just a Carnival Cruise Addict. We often spend days in ports that we have been to a few times already onboard our Fun Ship playing trivia and then lounging in the sun by the pool. I wish Carnival had a few 7 day Cruises to Nowhere instead of just 2 day ones. Have a great cruise!

if your ship leaves at 5:30 we were told we can get on as early as 12:30 so we can mix and mingle and have lunch but had to be on there by 4:30

I read that you must be on the ship 90 minutes prior to your depature time so they ship could give the port authorities a completed passenger manifest as well as do the "fun" lifeboat drill before leaving port.  I will be going on my first cruise in March 2010 on the Spirit out of San Diego.  According to the Carnival webite it says you can start embarktation at 12:30.  If we arrive at 11:00-11:30 will we have to stand in line and wait and is it better to get to the terminal early? 

AKSnowbunny:

If we arrive at 11:00-11:30 will we have to stand in line and wait

Pretty danged likely. You could be standing around for over an hour.

and is it better to get to the terminal early?

If by early you mean 11-11:30, not particularly. Relax and swing by about noon or so. You should get on pretty quickly then.

~ MattInSoCal

Thanks, I appreciate the help.  Hopefully it will make things flow smoothly.  Many thanks.