Dawn Disembarkation question

[poppycat]

We are being picked up at the pier and would like an estimation of what time I should have my husband pick us up. If the ship arrives on time and embarkation starts 2 hours later, is l o'clock okay to get our bags or will we be waiting around awhile? I am in a BA cabin on the 5/30 sailing. I need to give my husband several hours to get to the pier. Any previous cruisers thoughts?

Thanks, Pat

[Denise58]

We arrived home on Easter Sunday and I would say we got off the ship at approx. 11:30 a.m.

Monarch of the Seas 6/94
Majesty of the Seas 6/96
Galaxy 8/02
Norwegian Dawn 4/04

[smeyer418]

One O'clock is very late and a lot of the people who are getting on will be there by then. Absent some big problem with someone reporting to INS who has been called the ship is normally pretty empty by 11 Am. I do note that on some days, the Dawn shows as arriving at 10 AM from my experience its almost always there by 8 and cleared by 9:30 or so. If you have a cell phone it will work on the ship and when you get in you can call and tell your husband to arrive in a couple of hours. He can then drive to the pier.

[poppycat]

Thanks for your input. I think it will take him about three hours to get here or maybe he can judge it by how long it takes to get us to the pier.

[Tomct]

Last Sunday I think we docked at 8 AM, and were on the street heading home at 10:30 am. We were among the 1st group to leave. On our departure day, it seems they began disembarking around 11 AM.

We passed the Statue of Liberty at 7 AM, so it you were able to make a cell phone call at that time, 3 hrs. would seem to work for you. Note our return was running about an hours ahead of time, but it seems there was a bit of a delay when we were ready to disembark where we lost some of that time. Also, I'm sure your cell phone would have a signal before I noted it on mine, so your plans should work out.

As smeyer pointed out, you want to be picked up before most of the embarkers arrive. In our case, we got there at 11 AM and drove right up to the terminal, non stop. Last Sunday, with the two Queen ships in town, traffic was backed up for a couple of miles at 10:30 AM, and those ships did not leave until evening.

Tom/Connecticut

[jp2001]

If you don't have TOO MUCH luggage, another option is to phone him when you know at what time you will disembark and ask him to pick you up accross the street, you will both skip the waiting at the pier madness.

NCL Dawn, December 2003

[Tomct]

poppycat: I did find my Debarkation instructions, and here's the overview:

Everyone will receive color coded luggage tags on Friday evening. You must put your bags outside your cabin door by 2:00 AM. Upon arrival at port it will take approx. 2 hours for the ship to be cleared, and the first color to be called is scheduled to be approx. 10:30 am.

The first colors called were: 1.) RED - VIP's, those with NCL Air/Sea packages, post cruise hotel packages, and NCL airport transfers to LGA & JFK; 2.) Yellow - NCL bus routes 1 - 5; 3.) Aqua Blue - GUESTS WITH TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS NOT BOOKED THROUGH NCL; 4.) Other colors by deck, and at least in our case it was in order by Deck 11, 4, 10, 9, 5/6, & 8.

On the gangway, they arranged the baggage by color, and to begin with, the red was closest to the road, then yellow, etc.

Tom/Connecticut

[poppycat]

Thanks for the embarkation instructions. It looks like it could be after ll:00 or ll:30 since I am on deck l0. Also, what do you think is a good time for boarding - 12:30 or should I arrive earlier and get in line. I am a previous NCL cruiser (Sun) and have a latitudes number if that will help, but I bet so do a lot of other people.

Thanks again for your input.

Pat

[uneamie]

Are you allowed to walk off the ship if you carry all your own luggage off. We did that on Carnival and it was great!


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Countdown - Dawn 11 day cruise

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[smeyer418]

yes you can walk off once the ship is cleared.

[Kuppykat]

On 3/28 we arrived at the pier 11:30-11:45 and there was one line for everyone. There were no separate line for suite or latitude passangers. Although the line was long we were in our cabin within 45min. We were in The Venetian restaurant by 1pm having lunch....Enjoy

Oceanic 8/69
Olympia 9/71
NCL Dawn 3/04

"Happiness is a choice"

[Tomct]

poppycat: We arrived at 11:00 am, and were in a group of about 100, but the ship was just beginning to unload passengers, so it got pretty crowded by the time we started to embark. That started about 12:15, and after passing through security, we flashed our latitudes card, and proceded past the first group of windows, to a bank of empty ones, and were almost immediately cleared for boarding. My guess is they vary the number of windows open for latitudes, depending on the demand. In other words, the more latitude members, the more windows available. It looked like at that time, with few latitude members there, they would send some of the others there until more latutuders showed up. The same observations were made on our prior cruise. Also, on our first cruise in Hawaii, we didn't know what Latitudes was, but saw that line was empty, and we were in a line of about 500.

I still recommend 11:00 am, no traffic, and early embarkation. Once onboard, a quick look at the cabin, maybe a quick look around the ship, and then off to Venetian or whatever restaurant is open, like Aqua in our case, for a great lunch.

Tom/Connecticut

[poppycat]

Tomct

Sounds good to me. The sooner I can get on the ship the vacation begins and I can start exploring.

Thanks,

Pat