by Cindy Bertram
One of the natural highs of taking a group on a cruise is the sigh of relief
arriving at the port of embarkation and accounting for everyone.But then the
wait begins - waiting to check in and board the ship. The same occurs on the
reverse. And if you and your group are taking a flight back, there might be
another wait at the airport. It's not the most fun part of taking a cruise but
can some of it be avoided? Are there ways to get around the lines?If you use
a little strategic planning and focus on knowing the key components involved,
you can find ways. It's imperative to know key things about the cruise line
you're sailing on - how they handle embarkation and disembarkation procedures,
pre-cruise information requirements, how their past passenger club memberships
work and what's included, as well as pre- or post-cruise city tours offered.Another
component that might be of value with certain cruise itineraries involves flight
schedules. Are charter flights involved, or do scheduled return flights usually
depart later in the afternoon? Finally, know the realities -we all like to think
our groups are important, but trying to wangle priority for special embarkation
or disembarkation is not always feasible.
Past Passenger Programs and Memberships
As cruise lines have upgraded their past passenger clubs, adding different membership levels according to the number of cruises guests have taken, they have included some perks beyond the traditional private cocktail party. A few cruise lines have even gone the route of including priority embarkation areas for their past passengers who have achieved a higher status.Royal Caribbean Cruises, for instance, has four tiered membership levels, and one of the perks included with their Platinum, Diamond and Diamond Plus memberships involve a private departure lounge onboard. In addition, priority checkin at certain departure ports is also available. Other cruise lines usually have a separate check-in line for their past passengers.NCL's tiered past passenger club, "Latitudes," has their Latitudes check-in line; in addition, NCL has a priority area calendar this year, Princess Cruises has Manaus, Brazil and Acapulco.
Disembarkation
When Norwegian Cruise Lines introduced their revolutionary "Freestyle Cruising" concept back in 2000, one of the areas they addressed was shipboard disembarkation. "Freestyle Disembarkation" was the end result, a way to avoid the "hurry up and wait" scenario most cruise guests encounter that last morning before disembarking after the ship has been cleared by Customs. "Freestyle Disembarkation" is a streamlined process where guests do not have to immediately vacate their stateroom that last morning, but can instead enjoy a leisurely breakfast, before disembarkation. Although other cruise lines haven't gone that route completely, most offer more than one option for breakfast that last morning - usually casual outdoor café or one of the formal dining rooms.
City Tour Options - Late Afternoon Departures
When sailing on certain cruise itineraries outside the U.S. and by nature of
the scheduled flight departures from those cities,you might want to look at
a last day city tour through that cruise line or a local ground operator. Norwegian
Cruise Line, for instance, found that returning flights from Seattle as well
as Honolulu are usually late afternoon departures.
Embarkation - Ways to Minimize the Waiting Time and Lines
Even with post-Panamax ships (those too large to go through the Panama Canal) becoming the standard among new builds, it's amazing how fast cruise guests actually get processed and boarded. However, when you and your group are waiting in line to check in, first thoughts are, "How long is this going to take?" What might speed the process up is your past passenger status with that particular cruise line or even the stateroom category booked.
Get more information on Cruise Lines at Leisuregrouptravel.com
For more information on Group Travel Visit Grouptraveldirectory.com
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