Check In at 21 days

[Laszlo]

Our cruise leaves January 8th. 21 days prior is December 19th. Does this mean you can check in at 12:01 am on the 19th? or would it be 3pm when the ship is supposed to leave? I don't intend on checking in at 12:01, just wondering

Edited October 18, 2022 by Laszlo

[Karaboudjan]

12 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

Our cruise leaves January 8th. 21 days prior is December 19th. Does this mean you can check in at 12:01 am on the 19th? or would it be 3pm when the ship is supposed to leave? I don't intend on checking in at 12:01, just wondering

 

From comments that I have seen regarding boarding time selection it is 12:01AM, not based on the departure time.

Edited October 18, 2022 by Karaboudjan

[BoopTennis]

Hi. I am new to NCL. What all do you do for check in? Reservations?

[dcipjr]

I don't have an exact time, but our "It's time to check in!" emails come through at around 10 AM Eastern, three weeks before sailing, so it's not tied to departure time, all-aboard time, etc.

 

I'd guess that it's a date-based check, and check-in opens at midnight—though I'm not sure if that's UTC midnight, or Miami midnight (assuming the NCL mainframes / backend systems are in Miami HQ).

 

Airline check-in is based on 24 hours before departure, as opposed to the same-day, which makes sense, because flights depart around the clock.

 

NCL's departures are reliably in the afternoon, and the check-in period is a much more generous 3 weeks, so it would make the most sense to design the system around a simple date-based check. 

[Laszlo]

Thanks

[destar]

59 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

Does this mean you can check in at 12:01 am on the 19th?

Yes, you can check in at 12:00 am, the earliest you do it, the better embarkation time slot you can select. Remember you'll have to take a photo to complete the check in process. 

[j603]

42 minutes ago, BoopTennis said:

Hi. I am new to NCL. What all do you do for check in? Reservations?

Check in is pretty much filling out all your paperwork online that you used to fill out at the port. It helps speed up the process when you embark.

[BoopTennis]

Thank you

[Laszlo]

7 minutes ago, j603 said:

Check in is pretty much filling out all your paperwork online that you used to fill out at the port. It helps speed up the process when you embark.

Besides checking a few boxes on the health sheet what other paperwork were people doing?

[debenson0723]

It's 12:01AM Miami time.  You input your passport information, verify personal information (email address and cell phone number), health information, pick a check-in at the port time (which is not a boarding time) and add a photo.  Takes about 10 minutes maximum if you have all the information handy.

[cruiseny4life]

1 minute ago, debenson0723 said:

Takes about 10 minutes maximum if you have all the information handy.

Takes me a good 30 minutes as I try to force the system to accept the most ridiculous photo of me possible. After a lot of denials, I did finally get my dog in one photo even. 

 

Yep...I lead a very boring life.

[dcipjr]

6 minutes ago, debenson0723 said:

 Takes about 10 minutes maximum if you have all the information handy.

 

Don't forget having to watch the safety video for every person you check in.

[debenson0723]

6 minutes ago, dcipjr said:

 

Don't forget having to watch the safety video for every person you check in.

Thanks. I knew I was forgetting something.

[DwayneG]

Yes, the safety video is a real annoyance since we can't all watch together...you must watch it once in its entireity for each guest  Photo size is also tricky, but I find if I take pictures like my passport (same ratio of background to face) it usually works.  Last time I took everyone's pictures the day before and when I checked us all in at 12:01 Eastern time and re-watched the video for each of us my picture didn't work, so I re-did a quick selfie.  So my pfficial cruise photo os me with no shave and uncombed hair in my pajamas. One more tip: it auto-fills info about contact, e-mail and phone, but don't believe it!  Type each in again manually because it often doesn't like what it auto-fills.

[PATRLR]

1 hour ago, j603 said:

Check in is pretty much filling out all your paperwork online that you used to fill out at the port. It helps speed up the process when you embark.

To complete check-in enough to get my boarding time, do I need to take photos of both passengers on the reservation (i.e. complete the check-in process for both passengers)?

And, is really take photo at that time, or, is it upload a photo?

[cruiseny4life]

11 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

To complete check-in enough to get my boarding time, do I need to take photos of both passengers on the reservation (i.e. complete the check-in process for both passengers)?

And, is really take photo at that time, or, is it upload a photo?

You can take a photo or upload a photo.

 

All passengers need to complete check-in, but I think the check-in time is based on the primary passenger's boarding time selection. In August I was not the primary passenger and completed check-in first. We were not assigned a boarding time. Once my husband (the primary) completed check-in we were given the check-in time....but there was a glitch in our process, so who knows if that's how it is supposed to work. 

[Laszlo]

1 hour ago, debenson0723 said:

It's 12:01AM Miami time.  You input your passport information, verify personal information (email address and cell phone number), health information, pick a check-in at the port time (which is not a boarding time) and add a photo.  Takes about 10 minutes maximum if you have all the information handy.

All passport and personal info is done, actually did that when we booked the cruise a year ago. Check in showing 50%. Done the drill before, I guess health info and photo are new online now

 

Can this be done from one account? Or do both my wife and I have to do it separate?

[Mike C]

2 hours ago, Laszlo said:

All passport and personal info is done, actually did that when we booked the cruise a year ago. Check in showing 50%. Done the drill before, I guess health info and photo are new online now

 

Can this be done from one account? Or do both my wife and I have to do it separate?

One person is fine.

 

When NCL allows you to begin check-in process around 12:01 AM, skip ahead to select your check-in time at the pier first, and then go back and enter all the information.

 

If you're logged in prior to midnight, you might need to refresh the page for the check in tab to become available.

 

Mike

[Maleficent's Dad]

1 minute ago, Mike C said:

One person is fine.

 

When NCL allows you to begin check-in process around 12:01 AM, skip ahead to select your check-in time at the pier first, and then go back and enter all the information.

 

If you're logged in prior to midnight, you might need to refresh the page for the check in tab to become available.

 

Mike

Mike - thanks for the advice about skipping ahead to check-in time!  Good to know.

[j603]

12 minutes ago, Mike C said:

One person is fine.

 

When NCL allows you to begin check-in process around 12:01 AM, skip ahead to select your check-in time at the pier first, and then go back and enter all the information.

 

If you're logged in prior to midnight, you might need to refresh the page for the check in tab to become available.

 

Mike

This makes me want to try this. Hahaha

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, Laszlo said:

Our cruise leaves January 8th. 21 days prior is December 19th. Does this mean you can check in at 12:01 am on the 19th? or would it be 3pm when the ship is supposed to leave? I don't intend on checking in at 12:01, just wondering

It is 12:00 am NCL time (Miami - Eastern time US). 
 

7 hours ago, BoopTennis said:

Hi. I am new to NCL. What all do you do for check in? Reservations?

The importance is that you select your time to arrive at the port upon check-in. Early times “sell out” quickly, so if you want an early time, 12:01 is when you need to check in. Same is true on Royal. 
 

For non-priority passengers, dining [and show] reservations open 12:00 midnight ET US 120 days prior to departure. Prime time reservations will sell out quickly. Same advice, 12:01 is the best time to be on and reserving. 
 

I bracketed show reservations because at the moment, due to COVID, they are not allowing pre booking shows. 

Edited October 18, 2022 by BirdTravels

[BoopTennis]

Th

4 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

It is 12:00 am NCL time (Miami - Eastern time US). 
 

The importance is that you select your time to arrive at the port upon check-in. Early times “sell out” quickly, so if you want an early time, 12:01 is when you need to check in. Same is true on Royal. 
 

For non-priority passengers, dining [and show] reservations open 12:00 midnight ET US 120 days prior to departure. Prime time reservations will sell out quickly. Same advice, 12:01 is the best time to be on and reserving. 
 

I bracketed show reservations because at the moment, due to COVID, they are not allowing pre booking shows. 

That’s helpful info thank you

[hrmkr]

We are sailing on the Getaway in 21 days.  Last night went to check in at 12:00 AM and it was not active.  Finally, at 1:00 AM I was able to go in and do the check in.  Must have been on a different time zone

[BarnCat1]

Do you have to reserve dining in the MDR's as well on the Prima or just the Specialty Dining restaurants?  On embarkation day, is there one MDR open like there used to be on other ships and does that have to be reserved if it is open on the first day?  

[Lakesregion]

How is check in handled if you are not near a computer and do not have a smart phone during the 21 day check in period? I will be on an Amtrak bucket list voyage for the 21 days prior to sailing in January.

 

I personally would leave it all to the embarkation at the pier but one seems to need some sort of form to get into the pier shed and to be able to hand off luggage.

 

Also remember no glasses in the photo.