Boarding groups/times

[sherryf]

We are sailing on the Nieuw Statendam one week from today with a family group for my son's wedding.  All of our bookings are linked, so I was hoping we would all get the same boarding times.  Unfortunately, they seem to be assigning boarding times based on when check-in was completed.  I did my check in as soon as I could, and I'm in group B at 12:20, but others are just finishing their check in now (I told them to do it sooner!) and are getting much later groups, like H at 2:20.  Since we are traveling together and bookings are linked, if we all show up together, will they really make the folks in the later groups wait, or will they likely let just board together? 

 

Also, do they need to see the credit card listed on the check-in when you board?  A few of the younger people in the group are on dad's credit card, but they have totally different boarding times from him.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Please don't stress about this.  Just enjoy the nuptials,  As long as everyone passes their Covid test, shows up with their negative test results and vaccination card, and has the correct traveling ID - then all will be good.  Just take a breath... all will be good.  ;  )

[Sea42]

Your boarding times very well may change before the cruise.

Check 3 days out. Our boarding times on the NA in November were changed at 7 and 3 days out. The final times were by deck, with suite and 4 &5 star passengers allowed to board at any time.

[AFNavigator]

2 hours ago, sherryf said:

We are sailing on the Nieuw Statendam one week from today with a family group for my son's wedding.  All of our bookings are linked, so I was hoping we would all get the same boarding times.  Unfortunately, they seem to be assigning boarding times based on when check-in was completed.  I did my check in as soon as I could, and I'm in group B at 12:20, but others are just finishing their check in now (I told them to do it sooner!) and are getting much later groups, like H at 2:20.  Since we are traveling together and bookings are linked, if we all show up together, will they really make the folks in the later groups wait, or will they likely let just board together? 

 

Also, do they need to see the credit card listed on the check-in when you board?  A few of the younger people in the group are on dad's credit card, but they have totally different boarding times from him.

Try calling HAL customer service to see if they would be willing to move one of the boarding times.  Our son is traveling with us in an adjacent cabin (on a separate, but linked reservation) and they bumped up our time to match his.  It was only a 20 minute change though.   Changing by two hours might take more convincing.

[sherryf]

41 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

Your boarding times very well may change before the cruise.

Check 3 days out. Our boarding times on the NA in November were changed at 7 and 3 days out. The final times were by deck, with suite and 4 &5 star passengers allowed to board at any time.

We are all on the same deck, so that might help... but I will be ticked if I miss my early boarding time because they change it to be by deck and I can't get on in time for lunch in the MDR.

[Florida_gal_50]

8 hours ago, Sea42 said:

Your boarding times very well may change before the cruise.

Check 3 days out. Our boarding times on the NA in November were changed at 7 and 3 days out. The final times were by deck, with suite and 4 &5 star passengers allowed to board at any time.

I’m a 5 star and I couldn’t board whenever I wanted.  That was the case pre pandemic but not now.  Hal is trying to space people out to keep everyone healthy.

[Florida_gal_50]

7 hours ago, sherryf said:

We are all on the same deck, so that might help... but I will be ticked if I miss my early boarding time because they change it to be by deck and I can't get on in time for lunch in the MDR.

There may not be a lunch in the mdr.  There wasn’t on the koningsdam on the 14th of November.  Hal is trying to distance people to keep everyone safe.  I love a mdr lunch but my safety means more to me.

Edited December 13, 2021 by Florida_gal_50

[Sea42]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I’m a 5 star and I couldn’t board whenever I wanted.  That was the case pre pandemic but not now.  Hal is trying to space people out to keep everyone healthy.

In the last email we received with our boarding times, it was stated that 4 & 5 * and suite guest were invited to board at anytime once boarding began (I think it was noon) until 4:30.

[MeandtheSea]

I also got a later boarding time.  I’m in a Neptune Suite, and my boarding time got changed from 12:40 to 1:00 pm.  I’m sailing Nieuw Statendam Dec. 26.   

[Ferry_Watcher]

14 hours ago, sherryf said:

Also, do they need to see the credit card listed on the check-in when you board?  A few of the younger people in the group are on dad's credit card, but they have totally different boarding times from him.

If there is a credit card already on file for on-board purchases, it is considered 'complete' and the check-in process moves on.  It won't matter that some of the younger family members won't be checking in with the credit card holder.

 

As someone who has check-in passengers, I can't stress enough having the correct travel documents.  I don't know if your cruise requires passports, or if US birth certificates are acceptable (as well as the various other types of citizenship  documentation).  I would make sure that everyone has what they need to travel.  If birth certificates are acceptable, make sure it is gov't issued, and not the hospital footprint certificate. 

 

The last thing you want is to have a family member or friend denied boarding because of a documentation issue.  Also, if someone is denied boarding due to a documentation issue, the cruise line is under no obligation to issue a refund - so it can be an expensive mistake. 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I second what Ferry_Watcher posted in #10. Also, have your boarding documents easily accessible and know where they are. It never ceases to amaze me at check that passengers are searching thru all their hand carries, looking for boarding pass, passport, etc. Have noticed this before and after "the pause."

[jhsocal]

The boarding times seem to change and the boarding experience differs from cruise to cruise. 

[MisterBill99]

On the 12/1 Rotterdam sailing, they never looked at the times on the boarding pass. We had 1:40 and got there at 12:20 and walked right in  (well, there was a short line outside the terminal, but it moved pretty fast, as did all the stations in the terminal). I had already visited my cabin and was waiting for my lunch at Dive-In by 1pm. I spoke to someone who showed up at 11:30 and also got right in.

 

And as for the excuse of trying to keep people healthy by spacing out people and avoid lines, you're going to have lines any time you do it. And HAL did not seem real concerned about the lines of people waiting to disembark or to go through immigration at the end of the cruise. For some reason, there were only two booths open, and we were not in one of the terminals with facial recognition machines.

Edited December 13, 2021 by MisterBill99

[Florida_gal_50]

5 hours ago, Sea42 said:

In the last email we received with our boarding times, it was stated that 4 & 5 * and suite guest were invited to board at anytime once boarding began (I think it was noon) until 4:30.

 

5 hours ago, MeandtheSea said:

I also got a later boarding time.  I’m in a Neptune Suite, and my boarding time got changed from 12:40 to 1:00 pm.  I’m sailing Nieuw Statendam Dec. 26.   

It would be lovely if Hal was consistent.  It doesn't seem to be in HAL's book. I haven't heard anyone else mention this so I'm wondering if only one ship is doing this.

[Florida_gal_50]

3 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

If there is a credit card already on file for on-board purchases, it is considered 'complete' and the check-in process moves on.  It won't matter that some of the younger family members won't be checking in with the credit card holder.

 

As someone who has check-in passengers, I can't stress enough having the correct travel documents.  I don't know if your cruise requires passports, or if US birth certificates are acceptable (as well as the various other types of citizenship  documentation).  I would make sure that everyone has what they need to travel.  If birth certificates are acceptable, make sure it is gov't issued, and not the hospital footprint certificate. 

 

The last thing you want is to have a family member or friend denied boarding because of a documentation issue.  Also, if someone is denied boarding due to a documentation issue, the cruise line is under no obligation to issue a refund - so it can be an expensive mistake. 

I always find it amusing when people book a trip then 2 days before check the passport expiry date.  Maybe do that before booking.

[Sea42]

3 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

 

It would be lovely if Hal was consistent.  It doesn't seem to be in HAL's book. I haven't heard anyone else mention this so I'm wondering if only one ship is doing this.

Our cruise was unusual in that sail away wasn't until 9 PM. Originally schedule for 11 PM. Maybe that's why there was a difference in boarding procedures?

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, Sea42 said:

Our cruise was unusual in that sail away wasn't until 9 PM. Originally schedule for 11 PM. Maybe that's why there was a difference in boarding procedures?

Thanks for that information.  I was hoping from a selfish point of view they would be doing that for other ships 🙂.

[zounds]

Our 12/4 New Amsterdam boarding time changed 3 times and ended up at 1:20.  We arrived at the port about 12:30, were on board at 12:40 and having lunch in the MDR before 1:00.  HAving 1250 passengers obviously expedited our experience.

[xmasteach]

We are also in a Neptune Suite…got three charges to boarding times….1:00, to 12:40, back to 1:00. So much for priority boarding?..

[sherryf]

Thanks for all the replies!  As of today, my boarding time is still 12:20 but the youngsters are all now 12:40.  If it stays that way, we will all head over from the hotel together around noon and hopefully board together without issues. 🤞

[NengEuis]

Our boarding time is 12 on Sunday , but our own kids (18,11 - cabin next door, 2nd booking) are at 12:40 - and I checked us in all at the same sitting. Who knows. We're all going to the port together around "noonish" of course.

 

Whenever I'm in a group situation like that, we always say we board together when the last people in our group board (if that is the goal, then it is no issue, right?) but we have never had an issue on any cruise line getting gathered at the terminal and boarding together in some sort of fun compromise of time - and no one really remembers what time we got on anyway. Viva la vacation! 

[MisterBill99]

18 hours ago, NengEuis said:

Our boarding time is 12 on Sunday , but our own kids (18,11 - cabin next door, 2nd booking) are at 12:40 - and I checked us in all at the same sitting. Who knows. We're all going to the port together around "noonish" of course.

 

Whenever I'm in a group situation like that, we always say we board together when the last people in our group board (if that is the goal, then it is no issue, right?) but we have never had an issue on any cruise line getting gathered at the terminal and boarding together in some sort of fun compromise of time - and no one really remembers what time we got on anyway. Viva la vacation! 

 

I don't think that anyone has figured out how they are assigning times. The good news is that the folks at the ports do not seem to be enforcing them, so get there whenever you want. They won't even check the times, based on my experience and that of others.

Edited December 16, 2021 by MisterBill99

[cruisin'mama]

On Dec 5th, we were originally assigned group B with a boarding time of 1:20. We were then changed to group C boarding at 1:40. Our hotel in San Diego had a shuttle for cruise passengers that left at 12:00, getting us to the pier about 12:10. We were able to board upon our arrival without any waiting, and we definitely were not the first ones there! I don’t think they checked the time on our boarding pass before we headed to be checked for our proof of vaccination and negative test results.

[DiveMaster]

We are 4 star and our boarding time keeps dropping back, now from 2:00 to 2:20.  We completed our paperwork long ago, except for the health questions and ArriveCan/Verifly app for Zaandam (Fort Lauderdale to Montreal) which have to wait until next week.  The order to board does not make sense unless perhaps HAL is reordering based on cabin price and higher priced cabins are still being sold?  However, boarding time was not strictly enforced on our last RCI and HAL cruises this year.

Edited May 7, 2022 by DiveMaster
Added more content.

[rj59]

On most of my HAL cruises I rushed to get on board as early as possible, sitting and waiting with large groups of people, but it's no longer worth the stress or risk, especially in places like Canada Place where they make you sit in a particular spot, shoulder to shoulder (at least they did pre-Covid). I found that going at noon or so is the sweet spot, since they usually start boarding at 11:30, so by the time you get through the check-in process, there's usually a minimal wait. I'm sailing out of San Diego, so if I show up and it's too crowded, I can simply walk along the harbor for a bit, especially since I'll be stuck on the ship until it gets to Victoria. I might also try to avoid the embarkation day buffet madness by getting a Dive-In burger instead, with maybe other things I've missed for a couple of years, like their salads in the big glass bowls and the ice cream and cookies.