This question was answered on our Q & A Wednesday show on July 5, 2017.
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In recent years, there has been stricter guidance and enforcement to port arrival times. Some cruise lines such as Carnival and Disney have pre-selected times to stagger guest’s arrival at the embarkation port. If you receive a specific arrival window from either of these two lines, then you need to adhere to it and avoid going earlier as you may not be allowed inside the terminal until your time is reached. The preferred arrival window is between 10am – Noon are the first slots to get selected and will be taken by guests that either book earlier know that they need to select a time during the online check-in process. With other cruise lines, if you arrive at the port earlier, you will likely be included in an earlier boarding group. Guests booked in suites, wedding parties and those with special past guest status will always be the first to board regardless of the time they arrive.