? About boarding in NOLA

[cruisinmeme]

Does NOLA have a line for platinum and above to board the ship. Last cruise out of NOLA we ask 4 different people and all said no. Then I look up and see a group line forming and ask the employee what it is for…..platinum guest.  Talk about having their crap together. 

[rnfulk]

They called guests with priority boarding before general boarding, but there was not a specific line. 

[ggTexasGal]

55 minutes ago, cruisinmeme said:

Does NOLA have a line for platinum and above to board the ship. Last cruise out of NOLA we ask 4 different people and all said no. Then I look up and see a group line forming and ask the employee what it is for…..platinum guest.  Talk about having their crap together. 

In New Orleans, very little seems to goes smoothly at the cruise port.  Even people who have booked the Haven might receive incorrect answers, and a lot of detached/indifferent attitudes.

If your boarding time is early, you "might" enter the terminal early enough to find seats near the entrance to the ship.  Then keep watch of movement, and listen carefully for announcements for the  "boarding group ....."

[wolft927]

1 hour ago, ggTexasGal said:

In New Orleans, very little seems to goes smoothly at the cruise port.  Even people who have booked the Haven might receive incorrect answers, and a lot of detached/indifferent attitudes.

If your boarding time is early, you "might" enter the terminal early enough to find seats near the entrance to the ship.  Then keep watch of movement, and listen carefully for announcements for the  "boarding group ....."

So there are no separate lines for anyone until you make it through the security checkpoint. Then there will be general check in which is everyone, and another line for haven check in. When boarding starts, Haven guests are called first then I believe the higher tier latitudes. 

[cruisinmeme]

1 hour ago, ggTexasGal said:

In New Orleans, very little seems to goes smoothly at the cruise port.  Even people who have booked the Haven might receive incorrect answers, and a lot of detached/indifferent attitudes.

If your boarding time is early, you "might" enter the terminal early enough to find seats near the entrance to the ship.  Then keep watch of movement, and listen carefully for announcements for the  "boarding group ....."

You sorta took the words out of my mouth. So many many cruises from NOLA and every time different and usually a screw up.

[wolft927]

8 minutes ago, cruisinmeme said:

You sorta took the words out of my mouth. So many many cruises from NOLA and every time different and usually a screw up.

I must agree! New Orleans was convenient for wife and I for many years, but we just sailed out of Miami and let me tell you, line never stopped and was onboard in less then 30 minutes 

[ggTexasGal]

31 minutes ago, wolft927 said:

So there are no separate lines for anyone until you make it through the security checkpoint. Then there will be general check in which is everyone, and another line for haven check in. When boarding starts, Haven guests are called first then I believe the higher tier latitudes. 

It's been 3 years since we last sailed from NOLA.

However, from the more current posts that I have been reading, in general, you have the general idea!

 

Haven/Suites are first, then those with disabilities, then Latitudes and C.A.S. members and so forth.

However, there is usually MAYHEM when "Latitudes" are called (we have NEVER heard Latitudes called by higher status ahead of lower status - - simply, Latitudes...)! 

[ggTexasGal]

30 minutes ago, wolft927 said:

I must agree! New Orleans was convenient for wife and I for many years, but we just sailed out of Miami and let me tell you, line never stopped and was onboard in less then 30 minutes 

Even in Miami they are NOT particularly good at managing the whole concept of "Status"!

If they can't/don't manage it "in their own backyard," it does not seem to hold much value.

[nolatravelgirl]

We went out of NOLA for Spring Break it was a sea of people to get through security which was crazy backed up. Once you made it through security there was literally 25 agents waiting to check people in with nobody in line so while there was technically a line for Haven, tier members, etc. it really didn't matter as the security line was the problem.

[RocketMan275]

I've been following the embarkation process at NOLA.   IBased upon multiple reports, it takes a minimum of two hours to board.   Most posters have reported taking almost an hour and a half to clear security, one line , blocks long, with only one or two agents checking paperwork.  You can avoid this long security line by arriving at the port around 9AM.  But, then you'll sit in the plastic chairs, if you can find one, for a couple of hours until they clear the ship and begin boarding around 11 or a bit after.  As reported above,, once you clear the security line, boarding goes smoothly.  Mutliple places to checkin, no lines at any of them.  

 

Based upon our expereince last March and mutliple reports we intend to arrive at the port between 1130 and 1200.  We will drop bags with the porters. If the security line is short, we will check in.  If not, we're going upstairs and surf the mall for an hour or so.   

 

Last March, the city of NOLA was full-bore COVID.  While in the security line, we had to show our COVID test results, proof of vaccination, boarding passes, and Identification at three different points.  In addition, there were multiple ports personnel policing the wearing of masks.  These personnel were walking the line correcting any failures to properly wear the masks.  Of course, as soon as they moved on, people would revert to how they were wearing their masks.  Once you checked in, no masks were required.

Edited January 4, 2023 by RocketMan275

[cruisinmeme]

2 hours ago, wolft927 said:

I must agree! New Orleans was convenient for wife and I for many years, but we just sailed out of Miami and let me tell you, line never stopped and was onboard in less then 30 minutes 

We sailed out of Miami and I still talk about how organized it was. OMG you never even stoped it was smooth as glass.

[ziggyuk]

We did NOLA 3 weeks ago, we were directed to the priority check in after security and not given a boarding number as we were priority, Haven have a special room (really funny watching an elderly man raid the room for food then leave), we were called as "Platinum and above" it mostly worked smoothly.

[RocketMan275]

18 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

We did NOLA 3 weeks ago, we were directed to the priority check in after security and not given a boarding number as we were priority, Haven have a special room (really funny watching an elderly man raid the room for food then leave), we were called as "Platinum and above" it mostly worked smoothly.

How long were you waiting in line for security?

[ziggyuk]

17 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

How long were you waiting in line for security?

We got there at about 9.30 which was our boarding time, probably only about 30 minutes in security but ages in the waiting room until boarding started.

The ship was full too.

Edited January 5, 2023 by ziggyuk

[mtrancher]

We did NOLA in March of 2020. There was an enormous line to go through security. I asked a port employee where the Haven line was and he directed us up to the front and left of the line. This also served as a handicap or special needs line. We had our own security line which was very short, then to check in where we received front of line status, then a room where the concierge greeted us. Since it was about 12:30pm we were directly escorted onto the ship and to the Haven lounge.
I think NOLA can be very confusing and agree information can vary. My suggestion is ask employees, and if you don't get an answer that makes sense, ask someone else. I think the port security is handled by port employees, and then you get to NCL employees to check in, so that can add to the confusion prior to getting through security.

[KansasTexan]

As someone who has spent a lot of time in New Orleans over the last 20 years, here's my best advice. New Orleans has it's own pace and style. If you can embrace that things *might* take a little longer and there is seldom urgency about anything, you *might* enjoy your time there more. This applies across the board: restaurants, hotels, bars, cruise ports, shopping. It's simply not a hurry-up kind of place. 

 

[paf910]

We’ve boarded ships out of NOLA for our last 16 or so cruises. We get there early, go through security and directly to latitudes check in. Usually just a few in line ahead of us, and they have multiple reps checking people in. We check in, then find a seat and wait. When they start calling boarding for Haven and special assistance passengers, we get up and move closer to the boarding area as we are higher tier latitudes. We are usually on the ship by 11:15-11:30. Pretty simple really. We usually choose earliest boarding time 9-9:30.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by paf910

[RocketMan275]

11 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

We got there at about 9.30 which was our boarding time, probably only about 30 minutes in security but ages in the waiting room until boarding started.

The ship was full too.

Thank you.

Last March we arrived at 945 and were in the security line until after 1100.  After clearing secuirty, we were through checkin in less than 20 minutes (four of us).  We boarded about ten minutes later.