When can you get into your cabin?

[phabric]

First time on HAL.

 

On Princess, they let you on the ship when the cabins are ready. You can go directly to your cabin and put your hand luggage in.

 

Other cruise lines, you can get on the ship but the cabins are not ready until a certain time. You have to hold onto your hand luggage.

 

What does HAL do?

Edited October 19, 2015 by phabric

[Fouremco]

The cabins are generally ready when you board, so you can drop your carry on baggage and go for lunch or explore. Much more civilized and one of the many things I like about HAL.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Another plus on HAL vs Princess is that HAL lets you stay in your cabin until you are ready to leave the ship....no need to vacate by 8am....plus full room service is available on the final morning.

[CowPrincess]

The cabins are generally ready when you board, so you can drop your carry on baggage and go for lunch or explore. Much more civilized and one of the many things I like about HAL.

 

That has been our experience since they started the "cabins are ready when boarding begins". Every cruise except one, we've been able to go directly to our cabin.

[take us away]

Have boarded at shortly after 11:00 and been able to get into our cabin as soon as we boarded.

[Typhoon1]

Cabins are ready 95% of the time. We have experienced late arriving ships and staffing shortages and had to wait it out in the Lido or elsewhere until the cabins were ready.

[SilvertoGold]

HAL started the "Stateroom Direct" in 2011 and we have been really happy with this great program. 11:30 am and the staterooms are waiting for you to board, every cruise.

 

We have noticed, unfortunately, that several of our cruises over the past year have not had the staterooms ready on boarding until noon - 1 pm. Since none of these cruises had any issues like late arrival, HAL may have dropped this program or the ships have stopped using it. A pity because this has enhanced our embarkation greatly.

[catl331]

If the ship has been on a voyage or is coming back from a summer in Europe etc., entering the cabins may be delayed. I think they really like to have the cabins ready early. If the staff is being replaced by a new group, I would think that would slow cleaning also.

[OCruisers]

In recent years we have been able to get directly to our HAL cabin directly after boarding.

[BlackBEAR77]

So let me get this straight. On HAL When you arrive back in port you can stay in your room until you are ready to leave (Within the given disembarkation time)? Having only done CCL , we have to be out by 8am and wait over an hour to be called to disembark. Just looking for clarification.

[durangoscots]

You can stay in your cabin until ready to disembark.... but your stewards will probably be hustling around making the beds, etc. I usually get out by 8:30 and find a place to sit out of the way and HAL does try to get everyone off quickly although sometimes that does not work for various reasons.

 

Susan

[BlackBEAR77]

Thanks Susan. Does HAL make certain areas off limits to stay in during disembarkation?

[POA1]

So let me get this straight. On HAL When you arrive back in port you can stay in your room until you are ready to leave (Within the given disembarkation time)? Having only done CCL , we have to be out by 8am and wait over an hour to be called to disembark. Just looking for clarification.

Yes. And you can order a room service breakfast. This is regardless of the type of cabin you're in. It's really nice.

[POA1]

Thanks Susan. Does HAL make certain areas off limits to stay in during disembarkation?

Stairs, hallways, and any place that would be in the way of other people.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

So let me get this straight. On HAL When you arrive back in port you can stay in your room until you are ready to leave (Within the given disembarkation time)? Having only done CCL , we have to be out by 8am and wait over an hour to be called to disembark. Just looking for clarification.

 

 

I always stay in my room till my color is called....sometimes as late as 9:30. The stewards remain busy cleaning rooms for people already gone. Zero pressure to leave before your time......enjoy a leisurely room service breakfast till your color is called.....no wandering around public areas necessary

 

 

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[lvz2cruz]

We have always been able to get into our cabin when we get onboard, usually arriving 11:30 on Carribbean and Bermuda runs.

In Alaska, you cannot board until later and the hotel we stayed at the night before was not allowed to bring luggage to the ship until midafternoon. Their shuttle brought people, but they kept our luggage til later.

In Rome (Civitavecchia), we were all kept in the big hall where you check in. They served sandwiches, cookies, and water but we did not get on the ship till mid to late afternoon. Our cabins were ready when we got on.

 

We stay in our cabin till we leave and usually have an early color. We put all our carry ons in one closet before going to breakfast and tell the steward he can do whatever he needs. Usually they are cleaning cabins on those who did self debarkation.

I'm sure you will love your first HAL cruise OP.

[avian777]

The cabins are generally ready when you board, so you can drop your carry on baggage and go for lunch or explore...

 

And this has been our experience over the last 5 or so years as well.

[SilvertoGold]

[quote name=lvz2cruz;48064040

 

 

In Alaska' date=' you cannot board until later and the hotel we stayed at the night before was not allowed to bring luggage to the ship until midafternoon. Their shuttle brought people, but they kept our luggage til later.

 

.[/quote]

 

We've been on board for Alaska cruises out of Vancouver at 11:30 am almost every time in the past 4 years. Ships vary, reasons vary.

[ellieanne]

Stairs, hallways, and any place that would be in the way of other people.

 

HAL asks people to stay out of the stairwells and halls, and not to crowd the gangway, but my experience has been this is rarely successful. Several times disembarkation has been stopped completely because of crowding at the stairwells, elevator bays, and gangway.

 

It would be lovely if everyone followed the suggestions, but not everyone does.

[dakrewser]

It would be lovely if everyone followed the suggestions, but not everyone does.

 

And not only on debarkation ;)

[Lizzie68]

We've been on board for Alaska cruises out of Vancouver at 11:30 am almost every time in the past 4 years. Ships vary, reasons vary.

 

I read the post as embarking IN Alaska, after the land portion of the package. Usually embarkation is later there. I could be wrong but that's how what I understood the poster to mean.

[SilvertoGold]

I read the post as embarking IN Alaska, after the land portion of the package. Usually embarkation is later there. I could be wrong but that's how what I understood the poster to mean.

 

Hi, Lizzie

 

Good point!

 

I have seen, however, pax boarding in Seward at 11;30 am to noon. I suppose they might not have been on a land package, but they were boarding, with carry-ons and bags of purchases, so not in transit pax.