Boarding papers

[christopher]

After you check in on NCL, how long does it take NCL to send you the boarding papers?  

[cruiserbear55]

4 minutes ago, christopher said:

After you check in on NCL, how long does it take NCL to send you the boarding papers?  

    After you finish online check-in, you'll receive an e-mail within a short time telling you your e-docs are ready to print. You'll also be able to print out your luggage tags at the same time. ( Unless you're one of the chosen few who get their tags in the mail).

    NCL does not mail you any boarding papers. I assumed that is what you meant by "send you". Happy Cruising!!

[christopher]

When I finished check-in, I did receive an email saying they will send the documents to my email when they are ready.  I did receive my luggage tags in the mail. 

[UKstages]

in my experience, they don't actually send the edocs to your email.

 

they send you an email saying your edocs are ready in your online account.

 

also, you don't have to actually print them out... you can pull up your edocs on the NCL app... all you need is the QR code. if you want to print something, just print the one page with the QR code on it.

[Artcricket]

If you go to your reservation- top upper right - that’s where ours said eDocs ready to print. 

[cruiserbear55]

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

in my experience, they don't actually send the edocs to your email.

 

they send you an email saying your edocs are ready in your online account.

 

also, you don't have to actually print them out... you can pull up your edocs on the NCL app... all you need is the QR code. if you want to print something, just print the one page with the QR code on it.

    The reps at the cruise terminals LOVE you if you have paper copies of your e-docs, vaccination status, negative covid test,and perhaps your Bermuda Travel Authorization, amongst others I may not have thought of.

   Tales of folks holding up the check-in line while searching through their phones for these items are all too common. And then you have those who have little or no cell phone service from their carrier inside the terminal,  or those who "forgot " to charge their phones and now can't access the info. Print print,print!!

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, cruiserbear55 said:

Tales of folks holding up the check-in line while searching through their phones for these items are all too common. And then you have those who have little or no cell phone service from their carrier inside the terminal,  or those who "forgot " to charge their phones and now can't access the info. Print print,print!!

I agree 100%.  I always have a paper copy of the critical documents.  The CDC vaccination card is never out of my passport holder, so those are a no brainer.  Beyond that, I have paper of ArriveCAN (when needed), vaccination report and eDocs, but generally have them on my phone as well (as local copies, NOT something I need the internet for.)

[UKstages]

4 hours ago, cruiserbear55 said:

    The reps at the cruise terminals LOVE you if you have paper copies of your e-docs, vaccination status, negative covid test,and perhaps your Bermuda Travel Authorization, amongst others I may not have thought of.

   Tales of folks holding up the check-in line while searching through their phones for these items are all too common. And then you have those who have little or no cell phone service from their carrier inside the terminal,  or those who "forgot " to charge their phones and now can't access the info. Print print,print!!

 

once again, if you're inclined to print, all you need print is the QR code.

 

it's completely unnecessary to print out the multipage edocument. (the "e" before the "doc" means electronic!) if there's a sale on a ream of paper down at your local office superstore, sure, be my guest, print to your heart's delight... if it makes you feel better.

 

and that's what it boils down to... given the average age of the cruising population, many are uncomfortable with technology. they like to have things printed. i was the same way when the airlines switched to e-tickets. i did not trust them! over time, i came to see the benefits.

 

as for having paper copies of your vax status, negative covid test and your bermuda TA... absolutely, sure, why not... but those are much shorter/smaller more easily managed documents.

 

you make a very good point about cell phone service (or wifi) being inconsistently available at cruise port terminals... i have made the very same point in other posts in other threads when this topic comes up. but, again, you only need a printed copy of the QR code, you don't need the entire edoc... there is nothing relevant there to begin the checkin process.

 

as for people fumbling with their phone and holding up the line... sure... but, again, that's about the people, isn't it? i can't tell you how many times i've stood behind people who took twenty minutes to locate their printed documents. it's in their jacket pocket, no it's in the zippered compartment in their carry-on; no, the wife has it; no, the husband has it, no, it's in the bag they checked with a porter that is already headed to the ship ... then the two of them argue about who had it last and who's responsible for its safekeeping. (for the record, it's usually either in their hands or stuck to another document.)

 

as for what the reps at the terminal love... they love people who have their act together... it doesn't matter to them whether they use electronic devices or printed documents... it matters that you're ready when you approach the counter.

 

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by UKstages

[BirdTravels]

3 minutes ago, UKstages said:

it's completely unnecessary to print out the multipage edocument. (the "e" before the "doc" means electronic!) if there's a sale on a ream of paper down at your local office superstore, sure, be my guest, print to your heart's delight... if it makes you feel better.

It is much easier if your print all of the relevant information. In the case of the edoc, you should print  your boarding pass which is the first page(s). The entire document provides you valuable information for your cruise.

 

You should print your COVID test results.

 

You should print other relevant government documents (wither documentation for Bermuda or Canada). 

 

The silliest folks at check in is Dad family frantically trying to pull up individual COVID test results (which are password protected), pull up vaccination records, pull up boarding passes, pull up government documentation. All because it can be "e" = electronic. The rest of us flash our old fashion printed paper copies and are waved through in a a minute or two. Been on 6 post-restart cruises. Always the same with the "e"lectronic bunch. 

[cruiserbear55]

13 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

once again, if you're inclined to print, all you need print is the QR code.

 

it's completely unnecessary to print out the multipage edocument. (the "e" before the "doc" means electronic!) if there's a sale on a ream of paper down at your local office superstore, sure, be my guest, print to your heart's delight... if it makes you feel better.

 

and that's what it boils down to... given the average age of the cruising population, many are uncomfortable with technology. they like to have things printed. i was the same way when the airlines switched to e-tickets. i did not trust them! over time, i came to see the benefits.

 

as for having paper copies of your vax status, negative covid test and your bermuda TA... absolutely, sure, why not... but those are much shorter/smaller more easily managed documents.

 

you make a very good point about cell phone service (or wifi) being inconsistently available at cruise port terminals... i have made the very same point in other posts in other threads when this topic comes up. but, again, you only need a printed copy of the QR code, you don't need the entire edoc... there is nothing relevant there to begin the checkin process.

 

as for people fumbling with their phone and holding up the line... sure... but, again, that's about the people, isn't it? i can't tell you how many times i've stood behind people who took twenty minutes to locate their printed documents. it's in their jacket pocket, no it's in the zippered compartment in their carry-on; no, the wife has it; no, the husband has it, no, it's in the bag they checked with a porter that is already headed to the ship ... then the two of them argue about who had it last and who's responsible for its safekeeping. (for the record, it's usually either in their hands or stuck to another document.)

 

as for what the reps at the terminal love... they love people who have their act together... it doesn't matter to them whether they use electronic devices or printed documents... it matters that you're ready when you approach the counter.

 

 

     Didn't mean to offend.  And yes, i am one of the "average age of the cruising population". And loving every minute of it!!

[Cruising Lynne]

17 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

once again, if you're inclined to print, all you need print is the QR code.

 

it's completely unnecessary to print out the multipage edocument. (the "e" before the "doc" means electronic!) if there's a sale on a ream of paper down at your local office superstore, sure, be my guest, print to your heart's delight... if it makes you feel better.

 

and that's what it boils down to... given the average age of the cruising population, many are uncomfortable with technology. they like to have things printed. i was the same way when the airlines switched to e-tickets. i did not trust them! over time, i came to see the benefits.

 

as for having paper copies of your vax status, negative covid test and your bermuda TA... absolutely, sure, why not... but those are much shorter/smaller more easily managed documents.

 

you make a very good point about cell phone service (or wifi) being inconsistently available at cruise port terminals... i have made the very same point in other posts in other threads when this topic comes up. but, again, you only need a printed copy of the QR code, you don't need the entire edoc... there is nothing relevant there to begin the checkin process.

 

as for people fumbling with their phone and holding up the line... sure... but, again, that's about the people, isn't it? i can't tell you how many times i've stood behind people who took twenty minutes to locate their printed documents. it's in their jacket pocket, no it's in the zippered compartment in their carry-on; no, the wife has it; no, the husband has it, no, it's in the bag they checked with a porter that is already headed to the ship ... then the two of them argue about who had it last and who's responsible for its safekeeping. (for the record, it's usually either in their hands or stuck to another document.)

 

as for what the reps at the terminal love... they love people who have their act together... it doesn't matter to them whether they use electronic devices or printed documents... it matters that you're ready when you approach the counter.

 

 

I am one of the people who have their printed paperwork ready to go. This works for me. 

 

Using your phone is okay, and not too time consuming if the documents are saved in one place in your device. Still, In my opinion, it is easier to see what is on the print out than on the small phone screen. E document is how they send it to us. It doesn't necessarily mean that they don't appreciate it when you print them out. 

[disneyochem]

Using my phone for all cruise documentation, Covid test results, vaccination cards, etc does NOT take any longer than handing over paper copies.  Having items organized and readily available on my phone has worked great for the 10 cruises I’ve been on since October.  In fact, there have been times I’ve been motioned forward to bypass people searching their bags for paper copies.

 

I’ve stopped printing anything but luggage tags.  I save documents as pdfs or screenshots on my phone—I don’t need internet or WiFi to access this material.  
 

 

[haynesra]

46 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

It is much easier if your print all of the relevant information. In the case of the edoc, you should print  your boarding pass which is the first page(s). The entire document provides you valuable information for your cruise.

 

You should print your COVID test results.

 

You should print other relevant government documents (wither documentation for Bermuda or Canada). 

 

The silliest folks at check in is Dad family frantically trying to pull up individual COVID test results (which are password protected), pull up vaccination records, pull up boarding passes, pull up government documentation. All because it can be "e" = electronic. The rest of us flash our old fashion printed paper copies and are waved through in a a minute or two. Been on 6 post-restart cruises. Always the same with the "e"lectronic bunch. 

Agree 100%, I found it much faster to show piece of paper than e-documents.

[Paula_MacFan]

21 minutes ago, disneyochem said:

I’ve stopped printing anything but luggage tags.  I save documents as pdfs or screenshots on my phone—I don’t need internet or WiFi to access this material.  

This!  As I'm reading this thread I'm wondering why people are fumbling with wifi or whatever -- screenshots/PDFs people!  

[UKstages]

some people insist it's easier, but not everybody says whom it's easier for. it's clear that it's easier for you.

 

and for those who think and feel the same as you.

 

that's fine.

 

but clearly from the comments, there are big fans of printing as well as big fans of not printing.

 

i never said using electronic copies was easier... i said printing was unnecessary and acknowledged that if it makes you feel better, go right ahead and print. 

 

divergent opinions are always welcome, but we probably shouldn't  make universal declarations as to which is "easier" for all or what NCL contractors "love." those statements reflect an individual opinion and perspective.

 

[jkrislc]

I'd recommend taking screen pics of all the documents that you'll need so that you don't need to rely on the internet at the port. Also, that way you can quickly scroll through all of the documents that you'll need to show if you don't have them printed out.

 

I like backups, so I have printed and electronic copies of everything just in case.

[ChiefMateJRK]

31 minutes ago, jkrislc said:

I'd recommend taking screen pics of all the documents that you'll need so that you don't need to rely on the internet at the port. Also, that way you can quickly scroll through all of the documents that you'll need to show if you don't have them printed out.

Or download .pdf copies to your phone and store them all in one location.  For iPhone I use the Books app library.😎

[RGEDad]

I also keep the documents in multiple forms. I keep the original electronic emails if that is how the documents came (ie test result). PDFs of all stored in a OneNote document with all other Trip Information, and Photos of identification and Vaccination documents. Since DW worked for many years in contracts...Paper documents of all. 

More importantly - While embarking/checking in...I handle all the luggage/coats/handbags/stuff - She handles the processing / checking paperwork stuff. We have a "Security Bag" (cross my body/difficult to steal/open/pick-pocket) that the documents/valuables/phones are kept in so she can get to that easily. 

She focuses on doing the paperwork, I play mule and get the stuff there.

[jkrislc]

2 hours ago, RGEDad said:

PDFs of all stored in a OneNote document with all other Trip Information, and Photos of identification and Vaccination documents. Since DW worked for many years in contracts...Paper documents of all.

I use OneNote, along with OneDrive, too. I just make sure to select the option to make the document available offline so that data isn't required to bring it up. I also attach the documents to my calendar items. For example, for our boarding time, I have it in my calendar and have our boarding documents attached to that appointment as well as our proof of vaccination. When the tests are completed, I'll add those as well.

 

I haven't considered OneNote specifically, but that's a great idea as you can put all of the necessary information together in a collection.

[disneyochem]

I use Notability to organize and store all cruise documents.  I really enjoy being able to notate documents with my Apple Pencil in the app.

[RGEDad]

On 6/14/2022 at 9:07 PM, jkrislc said:

I just make sure to select the option to make the document available offline so that data isn't required to bring it up.

Where is this option to Make the document off-line.

I was recently at a foreign airport and when i went to the cruise travel page, it would not come up. Dealing with all the papers, and luggage, and stuff, I used an alternative to get the images needed by the flight check-in. Luckily I had the images still in my iPhone photos - But I was surprised when the page I wanted did not come up/resident on my phone. Would like to make sure that does not happen again. I think the images were placed on the pages on my Mac while in the hotel the day before (doing theCOVID tests), cannot recall if I had linked my phone to the hotel WiFi that night previous but that MIGHT have been the reason it was not loaded on my phone.

[jkrislc]

On 6/17/2022 at 9:21 AM, RGEDad said:

Where is this option to Make the document off-line.

I was recently at a foreign airport and when i went to the cruise travel page, it would not come up. Dealing with all the papers, and luggage, and stuff, I used an alternative to get the images needed by the flight check-in. Luckily I had the images still in my iPhone photos - But I was surprised when the page I wanted did not come up/resident on my phone. Would like to make sure that does not happen again. I think the images were placed on the pages on my Mac while in the hotel the day before (doing theCOVID tests), cannot recall if I had linked my phone to the hotel WiFi that night previous but that MIGHT have been the reason it was not loaded on my phone.

Sorry that I missed your reply. 

 

OneNote should auto sync so that the documents are available offline unless you've turned it off, but it's the default. For OneDrive, you need to click on the three dots next to the folder if you have Microsoft 365 and you'll have the option to make the entire folder available offline. If not, then you need to click on the three dots next to each document and select "make available offline."