Accomodating early flight guests on NCL?

[AGards]

First timer on NCL.  Can anyone tell me if NCL has a similar set up for early flight guests to what Carnival has?   If your flight is scheduled before noon and you have filled out your flight information in your profile on carnival.com you will automatically get a letter in your stateroom telling you be in the self debarkation meeting place (the one where the status and FTTF people meet) in order to help you be among the first group off.  Even if you did not get your profile filled out with your flight information you can go to guest services on the last day and show proof of your early flight and they will print you the letter.  You need to bring this letter to the meeting place otherwise they will turn you away (saw this happen).  They make great effort to ensure early flight guests are accommodated, which was awesome.  I am just wondering if: #1 NCL has a self debarkation meeting place for their status folks and #2 they have a similar set up for early flight guests? 

 

Also, I've been on RCCL and CCL and all cruises on these lines that I have been on have been in port before their scheduled time.  What I mean is the ship was supposed to be in port at 7am but was actually in earlier than that time every time I have gone.  I have zero experience with NCL in this regard.  Is NCL the same?  If the ship is scheduled to be in port at 8am are chances good that it may be in port earlier provided everything is running normally?

[FLAHAM]

You may elect to self-disembark., bringing your luggage yourself. This occurs before those whose luggage has been taken ashore disembark.  In my experience, about one-quarter to one-third of passengers elect to self-disembark.  All done in one mass movement.

[YVRBassElectric]

If you can carry off your own luggage, you don't need to prove your early flight with NCL - just carry off all your belongings when self-disembark is called (my experience - 15 cruises - SD starts before scheduled port times)

If you need luggage assistance, luggage tags  are colour coded for departure times, table is set up 3 or 4 days before disembarkation close to Guest services

[AGards]

Thanks for the replies.  RCCL and CCL both have self disembarkation as well.  I always self disembark.  It's just that carnival has a priority status self disembark program that allows those guest to self debark before the general call.  Early flight guests are allowed to leave with this group having you off the ship before they even call to start general self disembarkation.  It sounds as though from the replies that NCL does not do this and priority status self disembarkation folks go with the general call.

Edited April 12, 2019 by AGard

[Vyhanek]

NCL does a much better job with disembarking than Carnival.   If you have an early flight, 10:30 or 11 you will have no problem getting off, grabbing a taxi and to the airport on time with self disembark.

 

ON NCL people aren't sitting in common areas waiting to get called off the ship in groups like they are on Carnival.   You wait in your state room and leave when you want.  People who want to self disembark early (and it's a lot of people, more than Carnival) wait in the hallway and leave as soon as the door opens. Everyone else who's not in a hurry walks off when they're ready.  There is a line but it moves.   NCL opens the door to self disembarkers as soon as the port authority lets them.   NCL wants you off the ship asap.   

 

As far as if the ship gets into the port early, can you leave early.  No, the port authority dictates when disembarkation begins.   They are in charge of the process, they are the one's who have the immigration agents ready, etc.  The ship will get into the port often times in the middle of the night.  It could be 5am the ship arrives in port and that's before the port opens.   The ships wait for the port to open, for the port based employees to arrive to their jobs and start the disembarkation process for each ship.   These port agents aren't employees who work on the ship, they are employees who live in Miami or wherever and leave home and arrive to their job at whatever time 7am or whatever.   Disembakation starts when they get to work, open up their workstation and start processing people.   The ships arrive in port at 4am, 5am, 6am and wait until the port opens and processes people.    

 

 

[AGards]

Thanks for your reply!  I was debating doing a 11am flight again out of MCO from Port Canaveral.  I just did it in January 2019 from the Carnival Breeze and was at the airport by 8:05am so had tons of time.  I just was hesitant as I was not sure on the self disembarkation process with NCL and if it was as efficient as Carnival.  If they do a much better job than Carnival then I'm good!

Edited April 12, 2019 by AGard

[robin13]

I always do self embarkation as I tend to take an early flight home since it is cheaper.  Last year on the Escape I had a 10:45am flight from FLL on a Sunday.  I left my cabin at 6:45am to get in line which I discovered was VERY long.  I was beginning to worry as I had never seen such long lines for self assist but once they opened the door it went very fast.  I flew through customs and got a taxi and was at the airport at 7:50am. 

[don't-use-real-name]

If you are in a suite have your Butler or the Concierge give you an escort to the front of the disembarking area.

 

Disembarking with Walk-Off usually runs smoothly until reaching the ground transportation area - locating your

reserved Uber Lyft or hire shuttle bus - as for cabs there maybe a cab starter metering the congestion.

Clearing CBI at a port city before the end of the cruise really speeds the flow - otherwise the hang up is with

the CBI clearing guests before exiting to the transportation area.

 

Varies by port - some do it better than others !

 

Most folks have luggage with WHEELS - remember it is a long long way to Tipperary - wheeling that luggage

to the transportation area is much easier on limb and life - back packs help a lot too.  

[beerman2]

21 hours ago, Vyhanek said:

NCL does a much better job with disembarking than Carnival.   If you have an early flight, 10:30 or 11 you will have no problem getting off, grabbing a taxi and to the airport on time with self disembark.

 

ON NCL people aren't sitting in common areas waiting to get called off the ship in groups like they are on Carnival.   You wait in your state room and leave when you want.  People who want to self disembark early (and it's a lot of people, more than Carnival) wait in the hallway and leave as soon as the door opens. Everyone else who's not in a hurry walks off when they're ready.  There is a line but it moves.   NCL opens the door to self disembarkers as soon as the port authority lets them.   NCL wants you off the ship asap.   

 

As far as if the ship gets into the port early, can you leave early.  No, the port authority dictates when disembarkation begins.   They are in charge of the process, they are the one's who have the immigration agents ready, etc.  The ship will get into the port often times in the middle of the night.  It could be 5am the ship arrives in port and that's before the port opens.   The ships wait for the port to open, for the port based employees to arrive to their jobs and start the disembarkation process for each ship.   These port agents aren't employees who work on the ship, they are employees who live in Miami or wherever and leave home and arrive to their job at whatever time 7am or whatever.   Disembakation starts when they get to work, open up their workstation and start processing people.   The ships arrive in port at 4am, 5am, 6am and wait until the port opens and processes people.    

 

 

On NCL people are lined up in common areas. In Jan. on the Bliss the self debarkation line wrapped around and thru the Casino. Very organized and moved quickly once debarkation started.

 

Maybe that's not true for Haven ,Suite or Platinum but for general pax it is how it works.