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Large cruise lines increase practice of staggered check-in

Posted on 11 February, 2016 by Spacejunkie2

Disney cruise check-in terminal at Port Canaveral Florida

Big cruise lines are increasingly requiring passengers to pick a boarding time in hopes of streamlining embarkation on large ships.

The idea is to offer a smoother, more tranquil first day onboard.

In the past year, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line have all rolled out staggered check-ins on some or all of their ships.

Norwegian is the furthest along. Last June, it began enabling guests on the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway to select their arrival time when they downloaded documents as part of the online check-in process. Guests select a half-hour window to board between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The line continued to expand the idea to its other ships; by November, almost anyone on a Norwegian ship departing from a U.S. port was able to take advantage of staggered check-in.

The only exceptions are Norwegian’s Hawaii-based Pride of America, due to later departure times, and its Anchorage/Seward itinerary because of cruise-tour complexities.

Carnival says it strictly enforces the staggered times and will ask guests to return to the terminal later if they show up early. Norwegian is less strict.

Carnival’s version started last year in Galveston, Texas. The line extended it to two of its New Orleans-based ships, the Carnival Elation and Carnival Dream, and is targeting Miami next, beginning March 4. The Carnival Triumph, also based in New Orleans, is scheduled to begin staggered check-in this April.

Royal Caribbean’s staggered check-in program is currently limited to the Anthem of the Seas. Royal assigns arrival times, rather than enabling guests to choose.

Andy Stuart, president of Norwegian, said staggered check-in helps break up the “big block” of passengers who tend to arrive around noon.

Stuart said that so far the idea has been a qualified success: “I won’t say it’s perfect; I think it’s improved it. It has started to spread people out a little more effectively.”

One important difference between Carnival and Norwegian is the policing of early arrivals. Carnival says it strictly enforces the staggered times and will ask guests to return to the terminal later if they show up early.

However, if guests show up later than their assigned times, “we allow them to come in and check in,” Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said.

Norwegian is less strict, Stuart said. “We don’t force anyone to sit and wait. People embark as quickly as we can get them on,” he said.

“There are people who are rule keepers,” Stuart continued. “They say ‘OK, I was told to arrive between 11 and 11:30, and that’s what I’m going to do.’ And then there are rule breakers who say, ‘I don’t care what you tell me; I’m going to get there for lunch.’ So we like the rule keepers, but we don’t penalize the rule breakers.”

Stuart said Norwegian is working on other ways to speed the process of embarkation.

“Nobody books the trip to be on the embarkation; they book the trip to be on the ship,” he said. “We think investments in technology and automation to accelerate the process will continue to improve that experience.”

Carnival limits bottled beverages at embarkation

Posted on 11 June, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Cruise Line said it will put new limits on the type and quantity of beverages that passengers can bring with them when boarding a cruise.

Effective with cruises departing July 9, passengers will no longer be able to bring beverages packaged in bottles, with the exception of a single bottle of fine wine or champagne.

Beverages packaged in cans or cartons, including sodas, waters and juices, will be permitted but limited to 12 or less brought aboard in carry-on luggage.

Carnival said it was making the change because bottled beverages have become a main method for smuggling unauthorized alcohol onto ships.

In recent years, some passengers have started bringing multiple cases of bottled water onboard. Inspecting the contents of the bottles is slowing down embarkation, Carnival said. Passengers who smuggle liquor are more difficult to monitor for excess consumption, Carnival said.

Incidents of bad behavior on cruises have often been traced back to smuggled alcohol, the cruise line said.

Concurrent with the policy change, Carnival said it will lower the price of bottled water on its ships to $2.99 per 12-pack if pre-ordered and $4.99 once the cruise begins. Current prices are around $12 per 12-pack, with higher per-bottle prices for individual bottles.

The pre-ordered 12-packs will be delivered to a customer’s stateroom, Carnival said.

Carnival will also restrict the size of coolers that can be brought aboard to 12x12x12 inches. It said screening and movement of large coolers through embarkation is an impediment to the boarding and security process.

Carnival said it doesn’t expect the changes to result in any net new revenue.

The policy change has been under consideration and review for many months, and Carnival said that it was confident it had arrived at a permanent solution.

“We sincerely apologize for any disappointment these changes may cause,” wrote senior director of solutions and special services Arlene Marichal in a letter that will go out to booked passengers explaining the change. “However, we firmly believe this will result in a safer environment while also improving the embarkation process and the overall guest experience. ”