First Time Cruiser-times arriving at Port

My family and I will be travelling on the Norwegian Escape from Miami in March 2018. In looking at shore excursions, when the itinerary says St Thomas 7 am; does that mean we can disembark at 7 am? Or we arrive at 7 am and then have to wait an hour or 2? Just looking at planning shore excursions and trying to confirm times.

Thanks Lisa

My family and I will be travelling on the Norwegian Escape from Miami in March 2018. In looking at shore excursions, when the itinerary says St Thomas 7 am; does that mean we can disembark at 7 am? Or we arrive at 7 am and then have to wait an hour or 2? Just looking at planning shore excursions and trying to confirm times.

 

Thanks Lisa

That is your arrival time, sometimes earlier. You can disembark as soon as authorities check ship's paperwork and announcement is made. Doesn't usually take very long, maybe 15 minutes.

Thanks! Appreciate it!

Welcome to Cruise Critic, Lisacord! Don't worry so much about excursion times and port arrival time of the ship. If the excursion is a ship sponsored one, you will not miss it unless you fail to meet at the appointed place. They try to disembark everyone on an excursion together. If you are doing an excursion you booked with a private company, they too will be there waiting for you when you get off (unless you sleep late, have a leisurely breakfast, amble around the ship and don't get off until everyone else is long gone!). :eek:

I prefer not to have a private excursion planned to start for 45-60 min after that arrival time. Short delays are common, and long delays happen occasionally. Now, if you book a ship shore excursion it will begin after you are able to disembark, regardless of any delay. But it's reasonable to be able to walk off the ship at 7 for a 7 am arrival time.

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Welcome to Cruise Critic, Lisacord! Don't worry so much about excursion times and port arrival time of the ship. If the excursion is a ship sponsored one, you will not miss it unless you fail to meet at the appointed place. They try to disembark everyone on an excursion together. If you are doing an excursion you booked with a private company, they too will be there waiting for you when you get off (unless you sleep late, have a leisurely breakfast, amble around the ship and don't get off until everyone else is long gone!). :eek:

Thanks so much!:)

Welcome to Cruise Critic, Lisacord! Don't worry so much about excursion times and port arrival time of the ship. If the excursion is a ship sponsored one, you will not miss it unless you fail to meet at the appointed place. They try to disembark everyone on an excursion together. If you are doing an excursion you booked with a private company, they too will be there waiting for you when you get off (unless you sleep late, have a leisurely breakfast, amble around the ship and don't get off until everyone else is long gone!). :eek:

So am I right in thinking that we can take our time getting off if we only want to explore the port and not do any excursions?

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So am I right in thinking that we can take our time getting off if we only want to explore the port and not do any excursions?

 

 

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Indeed, if you do not want to get off right away, or even if you don't want to get off at all, it's up to you. We have done the Eastern and Western itineraries so many times now, we just stay on the ship most of the time now :D

Once the ship has cleared customs at the ports of call, which generally only takes 20 - 30 minutes, you can come and go as often and whenever you want from the ship as long as you are back on board 30 minutes before port departure.