When is the best time to embark / board ship if you don't have an assigned room?

[rickrone]

is it better to go early or late if you don't have an assigned room?

my thinking is that if i go later, they will give all the less desirable rooms to the early birds so they can get rid of them, and then give everyone else an upgrade or better rooms.

 

what do you think?

[LMaxwell]

1. It is your first day of vacation; I would want to be onboard as early as practical.

 

2. Your logic makes no sense to me. What is your reasoning for thinking they save the best rooms for last?

[garycarla]

I am guessing the poster has a GTY room, and at this point no assignment. And, another guess... they are full, so they can not assign yet.

 

They are waiting to find cancellations to put the last few people in. Maybe 20 GTY cabins, maybe just one.

 

My common sense says they are not going to put anyone in the higher suites if they think they have a chance at putting the GTY people in lower category rooms.

 

So, later people MIGHT get better cabins. Or, they get the very last cabin that they really did not want to use do to issues.

 

Gambling.

[rickrone]

I am guessing the poster has a GTY room, and at this point no assignment. And, another guess... they are full, so they can not assign yet.

 

They are waiting to find cancellations to put the last few people in. Maybe 20 GTY cabins, maybe just one.

 

My common sense says they are not going to put anyone in the higher suites if they think they have a chance at putting the GTY people in lower category rooms.

 

So, later people MIGHT get better cabins. Or, they get the very last cabin that they really did not want to use do to issues.

 

Gambling.

 

yes, i have a gty room. I really don't care what room i have sense i will only be sleeping there, but it would be great to be upgraded.

[rickrone]

1. It is your first day of vacation; I would want to be onboard as early as practical.

 

2. Your logic makes no sense to me. What is your reasoning for thinking they save the best rooms for last?

 

That is my thinking, but i don't know, i am not an expert. That is why i am asking of you experienced cruisers for advice and tips. I won't get assigned a room until i check in, so i am trying to figure out when is the best time to embark.

[Single Cruiser]

I seriously doubt it will be assigned at the pier. I'd expect an assignment in the next few days before you sail!

[sdmike]

I seriously doubt it will be assigned at the pier. I'd expect an assignment in the next few days before you sail!

 

Agree. They should have them assigned before you get there, whether they get notice or not. I'd show up early so I can start my vacation

Edited February 3, 2014 by sdmike

[rickrone]

good point, thanks for the help everyone. i will show up early, i am a local anyway :D

[RJ2002]

good point, thanks for the help everyone. i will show up early, i am a local anyway :D

 

Good choice.

 

I agree with the others that you'll probably get a cabin assignment before you arrive at the pier. You can keep checking the NCL website to see it has been assigned, right up to leaving for the pier if necessary.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[em-sk]

I seriously doubt it will be assigned at the pier. I'd expect an assignment in the next few days before you sail!

 

If it were a hotel room I would agree it makes sense to wait. Since hotels deliberately over book and only assign rooms at checkin.

 

If it were an airline then they would upgrade their frequent travelers to make room in economy for the not-so-frequent clients.

 

Being a cruise ship I don't know. I have found that when I booked into one of those guaranteed categories that by the time I printed out my cruse documents a few days before the cruise my cabin had already been assigned. I also don't think the people manning the check-in computers in port have much discretion in decision making they simply hand you the key the computer says to hand you.

[Chuck2810]

I think they are assigned before then - how would you luggage get there?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Studebaker59]

Some porters at the curb have the manifest which shows passengers' names & cabin assignments. You can then put the cabin numbers on the baggage tags.

 

Once when I was on a guarantee, I was given a cabin assignment ahead of time. I wrote that number on my tags. I gave my luggage to the porters.

 

Upon check-in, I was told the computer showed we were upgraded from a balcony to a minisuite. This was fine, of course, but the Jewel Class minis have the shower in a bathtub. I managed, but prefer a walk-in shower. The cabin was fine!

 

We told the cabin steward the number of the original cabin where our luggage would be delivered. It was on a different deck. He retrieved the luggage, and brought it to us.

 

So....even a guaranteed cabin assignment can be changed upon check-in.

[Demonyte]

I think they are assigned before then - how would you luggage get there?

 

There was a long thread about last minute guarantee booking just last week and as the passengers didn't know about their cabin nor did the porters have the info either when passengers arrived, so their bags were just tagged as GTY and then the crew onboard did eventually find out what cabin was assigned and deliver the luggage. This is so rare occurrence that the few bags without exact room number are easily identified (as long as they also have passenger info on them).

[rvsullivan]

Good choice.

 

I agree with the others that you'll probably get a cabin assignment before you arrive at the pier. You can keep checking the NCL website to see it has been assigned, right up to leaving for the pier if necessary.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Looks like this OP is not cruising on NCL.

[Starry Eyes]

Looks like this OP is not cruising on NCL.

Hos signature includes a Royal Caribbean cruise....But the answer's the same. Odds are high that the OP will get an assignment before sailing.

[rickrone]

Looks like this OP is not cruising on NCL.

 

Hos signature includes a Royal Caribbean cruise....But the answer's the same. Odds are high that the OP will get an assignment before sailing.

 

lol, whoops. i need to change that now. i was originally going to go with royal caribbean, but the price was $269. When i was about to purchase, i double checked Norwegian and it went down to $169. So i am going to cruise with norwegian this time and am very excited. i will post my experience and comparison to royal Caribbean when i get back.

 

Thanks for your help everyone.

[rickrone]

what time should i be at port?

 

what are some good things to do when i embark the ship?

Edited February 3, 2014 by rickrone

[Demonyte]

what time should i be at port?

 

what are some good things to do when i embark the ship?

 

With NCL the boarding usually starts between 11am and noon regardless of ship and/or port. If you want to get onboard as soon as possible, I'd suggest getting in to the port around 10am to 10:30am and while you need to wait a bit until you get onboard, you are surely amongst the first ones.

 

Many here think that the best thing to start the cruise is to have leisured lunch in MDR (opens usually at noon), cabins are usually ready after that and then drink or two while waiting for the muster drill to begin (usually 30 mins before departure) and right after the drill the sailaway party starts on the pool deck.

[rickrone]

With NCL the boarding usually starts between 11am and noon regardless of ship and/or port. If you want to get onboard as soon as possible, I'd suggest getting in to the port around 10am to 10:30am and while you need to wait a bit until you get onboard, you are surely amongst the first ones.

 

Many here think that the best thing to start the cruise is to have leisured lunch in MDR (opens usually at noon), cabins are usually ready after that and then drink or two while waiting for the muster drill to begin (usually 30 mins before departure) and right after the drill the sailaway party starts on the pool deck.

 

sweet, thanks for the tip. i am so excited, i feel like a little kid again. :D

[DISNEY1975]

is it better to go early or late if you don't have an assigned room?

my thinking is that if i go later, they will give all the less desirable rooms to the early birds so they can get rid of them, and then give everyone else an upgrade or better rooms.

 

what do you think?

 

Your room will be assigned well before you get there. All porters have a spreadsheet for all assigned rooms so when you get there with your luggage, they can tag it. You may not know the room number before you get there, but they do. They don't assign them as people are checking in.

 

I suggest getting there earlier rather than later to enjoy lunch and get familiar with the ship! Enjoy your cruise!:)