How long before Embark time do we arrive at terminal?

[Tarra1]

This has probably been answered many times, but we are already in our accommodation in Amsterdam and need to plan for travel time to Rotterdam this Saturday. Our boarding pas shows Embark time as 1pm and the ship sails at 4pm. How long before embarkation time should we arrive at the terminal? Thank you for this last minute help.

[Spinner2]

I haven't embarked in Rotterdam (just debarked there) but our usual arrival time at any HAL terminal is about 11 am to 11:30. Some will say that's too early; the lines will be long but I'd still rather be there than hanging around the hotel. Usually they'll start boarding sooner than the 1 pm they've told you and if the ship is sailing at 4 the safety drill (required) will be earlier than that; equally likely, you've been told 4 pm because the drill will be at the usual 4:15 pm.

 

There isn't, in my experience, much value in arriving sooner than 11 or so; they will still be clearing the ship from the previous cruise.

 

Hope this helps, and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful cruise. Are you traveling from Amsterdam to Rotterdam via the train? We did that trip in reverse (taking the train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam) and found it convenient and fast; you can get a taxi from the train station in Rotterdam to the cruise terminal. Meanwhile, you have a little more time in wonderful Amsterdam!

[Krazy Kruizers]

We usually arrive around 11 AM, drop off our luggage and check in. Around 11:30, Embarkation will start. The mjority of the time you can go directly to your cabin to drop off your carry-ons. Then either go to lunch or roam around the ship.

[erewhon]

Holland America Line aim to have the staterooms ready by 1130 for embarking passengers.

 

Wishing you a fabulous cruise.

[Tarra1]

Are you traveling from Amsterdam to Rotterdam via the train?

 

Thank you for the replies. We are fortunate to have been offered a lift from Amsterdam to the cruise terminal in Rotterdam and now we can let our friends know that 11 to 11.30 would be a good time to arrive.

 

Thanks again (from cold and rainy, but fabulous, Amsterdam).

[innlady1]

Have a wonderful cruise!

[PathfinderEss]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Hope you have a wonderful cruise and the weather improves.

[delily]

I don't like to arrive until at least an hour or two after they've started embarkation. By then the line is gone and I can walk right onto the ship and my room is ready. (I hate standing in lines and I hate waiting around to get into my room) but to each his own! Have a good time!

[musicismylife]

Have a great trip! (and don't worry, it's cold and rainy here in Ontario as well!)

[TheChiefNL]

I got an email from HAL today with embark information for our cruise to Norway on the Nieuw Statendam.

 

It say's (translated with google (Dutch to English)):
**********************
To ensure that the start of your journey will go smoothly, there is one

check-in schedule made. If you require an overnight stay or airport transfer

booked through Holland America Line, you will receive your check in time in it

hotel or at the airport. We would like to draw your attention to all guests

must be on board at least one hour before departure.
The following layout has been made:
1:00 PM - Deck 8 - Navigation Deck
1:30 PM - Deck 6 - Mozart Deck
2:00 PM - Deck 1 & 11 - Main Deck & Sun Deck
2:30 PM - Deck 7 & 10 - Schubert Deck & Panorama Deck
3:00 PM - Deck 5 - Gershwin Deck
3:30 PM - Deck 4 - Beethoven Deck
We would like to invite our 4 and 5 Star Mariners and Pinnacle and Neptune Suite
guests to arrive between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM. We look forward to it
to welcome you on board.

*********************

 

At first we were planning to get to Amsterdam on time as we are traveling by train. The plan was to be in Amsterdam at 11:30 am and around 12:00 at the cruise terminal (PTA). If I read this email now from HAL, I see that check-in fore us starts no earlier than 02:30 PM (deck 7)? Does it make sense to be there already at 11:30 / 12:00?

[MAVIP]

2 hours ago, TheChiefNL said:

I got an email from HAL today with embark information for our cruise to Norway on the Nieuw Statendam.

It say's (translated with google (Dutch to English)):
**********************
To ensure that the start of your journey will go smoothly, there is one

check-in schedule made. If you require an overnight stay or airport transfer

booked through Holland America Line, you will receive your check in time in it

hotel or at the airport. We would like to draw your attention to all guests

 

At first we were planning to get to Amsterdam on time as we are traveling by train. The plan was to be in Amsterdam at 11:30 am and around 12:00 at the cruise terminal (PTA). If I read this email now from HAL, I see that check-in fore us starts no earlier than 02:30 PM (deck 7)? Does it make sense to be there already at 11:30 / 12:00?

If I remember right, HAL introduced this method shortly and only for the big ships. I did not receive something alike for departures of the ms Rotterdam next Sunday and September 7th from Amsterdam. Number of passengers embarking must be the reason.  Whether it makes sense to go earlier: depends upon how eager you are to unpack and get settled, but I can imagine that maybe the suitcases will be loaded according to a certain schedule too. 

Wish you a happy voyage to the Norwegian fjords

[sevenseasnomad]

Unless there are unforeseen circumstances, such as Noro outbreak on the previous cruise or ship's late arrival, boarding usually occurs at 11:30 a.m.  If you wish to avoid the line, plan to arrive at the pier about an hour later.  Suite passengers, Club Orange, 4 & 5* star Mariners receive priority check-in/embarkation.  If you belong to any of these groups, arriving early may make sense.

 

As of this post, I don't believe anyone pays attention to the suggested boarding times on the email.  I'm sure I speak for most HAL passengers when I say that I hope HAL doesn't enforce these times at any point.  What a nightmare for those of us who like arriving early and sitting down to lunch in the MDR.  According to some boarding times, we would always miss lunch, as our time would be 2 p.m. or later.

[TheChiefNL]

Bedankt/Thanks @MAVIP !

If we be there lets says 11:45, could we drop off our luggage and go in to Amsterdam? If they really don't let us earlier onboard then 02:30 PM that would be an option to spent some time.

[MAVIP]

To be absolutely sure, you could call HAL Rotterdam, but I myself would just do it (maybe even a little bit earlier) and spend some time in town before boarding at 2.30 PM. If the proper luggage tags are attached to all luggage it will be fine, I am sure.  And maybe you will have to show your boarding pass(es). 

[catl331]

4 hours ago, MAVIP said:

but I can imagine that maybe the suitcases will be loaded according to a certain schedule too.

I doubt that.  I think most likely the bags are stacked on carts as they are turned in, and the carts are loaded onto the ship as they are filled. The stevedores have no knowledge of what anyone's "scheduled" time is. I believe that the last carts put onto the ship are the first ones unloaded and distributed to the rooms, since they are at the front of the staging area.

[MAVIP]

14 minutes ago, catl331 said:

I doubt that.  I think most likely the bags are stacked on carts as they are turned in, and the carts are loaded onto the ship as they are filled. The stevedores have no knowledge of what anyone's "scheduled" time is. I believe that the last carts put onto the ship are the first ones unloaded and distributed to the rooms, since they are at the front of the staging area.

Sorting them in order of the deck numbers in the same luggage hall as used for disembarkation would be more efficient do not you think so? And the stevedores do not have to know the time because of the luggage tags. 

The question of TheChiefNL and your answer make me very curious and I will try to find out what the system is. If I do not have the answer earlier I will check next Sunday when I board in Amsterdam (however, no separate boarding times.) 

[catl331]

30 minutes ago, MAVIP said:

Sorting them in order of the deck numbers in the same luggage hall as used for disembarkation would be more efficient do not you think so?

Maybe that would be more efficient, but I'm pretty sure it's not done. The bag tags have either an A or F indicating whether they will be sent to the Aft or Forward elevators, but I doubt that the  stevedores do any more sorting than that. It might be done differently in different ports.

Edited July 29, 2019 by catl331

[MAVIP]

2 hours ago, MAVIP said:

To be absolutely sure, you could call HAL Rotterdam, but I myself would just do it (maybe even a little bit earlier) and spend some time in town before boarding at 2.30 PM. If the proper luggage tags are attached to all luggage it will be fine, I am sure.  And maybe you will have to show your boarding pass(es). 

I repeat my 1st answer to your question. Just do it. And, by the way, I repeated your question in a facebook group in The Netherlands. I expect reactions. But, as I said: plan as you did. You could always leave your luggage in a locker at the Amsterdam Central Station 🙂

[MAVIP]

3 minutes ago, MAVIP said:

I repeated your question in a facebook group in The Netherlands. I expect reactions. But, as I said: plan as you did. You could always leave your luggage in a locker at the Amsterdam Central Station 🙂

Quite a few reactions already. Passengers of one of the big HAL ships did it already but warn you to be in time for embarkation procedures.  

[MAVIP]

2 hours ago, MAVIP said:

Quite a few reactions already. Passengers of one of the big HAL ships did it already but warn you to be in time for embarkation procedures.  

Another 2 reactions: always take care to be in time back for the roll call (and you sure will be) and from a lady who cruises a lot with HAL: she always brings her luggage in around 10.30 AM. 

[4_canucks]

12 hours ago, TheChiefNL said:

I got an email from HAL today with embark information for our cruise to Norway on the Nieuw Statendam.

 

It say's (translated with google (Dutch to English)):
**********************
To ensure that the start of your journey will go smoothly, there is one

check-in schedule made. If you require an overnight stay or airport transfer

booked through Holland America Line, you will receive your check in time in it

hotel or at the airport. We would like to draw your attention to all guests

must be on board at least one hour before departure.
The following layout has been made:
1:00 PM - Deck 8 - Navigation Deck
1:30 PM - Deck 6 - Mozart Deck
2:00 PM - Deck 1 & 11 - Main Deck & Sun Deck
2:30 PM - Deck 7 & 10 - Schubert Deck & Panorama Deck
3:00 PM - Deck 5 - Gershwin Deck
3:30 PM - Deck 4 - Beethoven Deck
We would like to invite our 4 and 5 Star Mariners and Pinnacle and Neptune Suite
guests to arrive between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM. We look forward to it
to welcome you on board.

*********************

 

At first we were planning to get to Amsterdam on time as we are traveling by train. The plan was to be in Amsterdam at 11:30 am and around 12:00 at the cruise terminal (PTA). If I read this email now from HAL, I see that check-in fore us starts no earlier than 02:30 PM (deck 7)? Does it make sense to be there already at 11:30 / 12:00?

 

We got our notification too (in English   ).   We've only cruised a half dozen times on various lines but we KNOW enough to always be at the terminal by 11am on embarkation day haha.   Now HAL wants us to check-in a good 2.5 hours later.   🤔  What will happen if we get there at our usual 11am.      🤔😛

 

There's only one way to find out, i guess.  😬   In our case we only have the 1 star mariner status, and we're not in any suites, so our mileage will most likely vary 😂

Edited July 29, 2019 by 4_canucks
clarity

[catl331]

9 minutes ago, 4_canucks said:

A key diff here for us would be that we only have the 1 star mariner status,

That makes no difference except for 4/5 stars

Edited July 29, 2019 by catl331

[TheChiefNL]

15 hours ago, MAVIP said:

I repeat my 1st answer to your question. Just do it. And, by the way, I repeated your question in a facebook group in The Netherlands. I expect reactions. But, as I said: plan as you did. You could always leave your luggage in a locker at the Amsterdam Central Station 🙂

Can't send you a PM but can you send me the Dutch Facebook group where you posted the questions? 

[MAVIP]

10 minutes ago, TheChiefNL said:

Can't send you a PM but can you send me the Dutch Facebook group where you posted the questions? 

https://www.*****/1077776192254059/    

[MAVIP]

11 hours ago, 4_canucks said:

 

We got our notification too (in English   ).   We've only cruised a half dozen times on various lines but we KNOW enough to always be at the terminal by 11am on embarkation day haha.   Now HAL wants us to check-in a good 2.5 hours later.   🤔  What will happen if we get there at our usual 11am.      🤔😛

 

There's only one way to find out, i guess.  😬   In our case we only have the 1 star mariner status, and we're not in any suites, so our mileage will most likely vary 😂

Please notice that the question of TheChiefNL was about delivering the luggage hours earlier and come back for the "procedures" at the time advised in the HAL e-mail. And what will happen when you arrive at you usual 11.00 AM? That is hidden in the future 😉 but in my experience HAL personnel is very "client friendly" and will do their utmost to accommodate (right word?) you. (I do not have experience with this method of embarkation myself!).