This whole port arrival time situation smells funny....and it's not Da Baby's diaper.
We know they booked this cruise "last minute" but they've talked about going on this cruise since before Christmas. You check into a cruise 30 days out. Everyone. At midnight, you get your ass out of bed and you check in. For those unfamiliar with PAT, people who take Disney Cruise Transportation get the earliest times. From there, Pearl and then Platinum get the next earliest times. A Platinum Castaway Club member (looking at you Tim) would get offered most likely a 12-12:30 PAT. No later than 1pm. That is, provided you check in when check in starts. It's a perk of being Platinum.
I'm going to guess they had a 2pm PAT because they did not check in to the cruise in a timely manner. So they got to the parking garage at 2:46pm. Usually the All Aboard time is around 3:45pm. Cutting it close in an understatement.
And yes, there are a lot of things to do between when you board the ship and dinner that night. They start programming right away, lots of Trivia, drink seminars, the kid's clubs have open houses to explore with your family, the pools, the slides, the movies start up, there's always a movie on the big screen near the pool.
For us, we are always in one of the first PAT and the first 5-8 boarding groups. Because we're Platinum. We get on the ship, go right to lunch, the kids head to the slides while they are still empty, then when rooms open around 1:30 we head there and unpack. The we usually hit the first trivia, because unlike Tim, I'm a winner. The Trackers got on the ship at what I would assume to be 3:15pm...went to the room, safety drill, lunch (approx 4:45? sail away show is 4:45pm) and had dinner, first seating, so 5:45pm (ish)
And they really, really suck because that first night show on the Wish is phenomenal. It's a variety type show where there are 3-5 minute skits from different movies, so it moves fast and it just amazing. J$ and Da Baby both would have absolutely loved it.
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On Jenn asking for an upgrade. 9126 is a Category 4 stateroom.
Just to be clear, if you are unfamiliar, the rooms go from Category 10 (Inside room) to Category 1 (the ginormous suites) and are bigger/better the lower the number. THEY WERE IN A 4!!!! Upgrades are for people in the higher categories like inside, window/no balcony rooms to get into a balcony room. Upgrades are not for people already in a top of the line room. They are certainly not for people who arrive at the port 45 minutes before they shut the doors. Entitled much?
