Check in time

[WITraveler37]

It's been a very long day so if my questions have already been asked I apologize but I just don't have it in me right now to search. We're supposed to leave on our cruise tomorrow. After a long day of cancellations and delays our flight won't be getting in until about 4:00am. And our hotel cancelled on us when I called to find out if it would be a problem arriving that late. So. We have no where to go once we arrive. We aren't scheduled to check in for the cruise until 11:00. Will they allow us to check in earlier? How early can we arrive for check in? TIA

[cruiservictor]

11 minutes ago, WITraveler37 said:

It's been a very long day so if my questions have already been asked I apologize but I just don't have it in me right now to search. We're supposed to leave on our cruise tomorrow. After a long day of cancellations and delays our flight won't be getting in until about 4:00am. And our hotel cancelled on us when I called to find out if it would be a problem arriving that late. So. We have no where to go once we arrive. We aren't scheduled to check in for the cruise until 11:00. Will they allow us to check in earlier? How early can we arrive for check in? TIA

What port?

[WITraveler37]

Miami 

[cruiservictor]

So sorry to hear how your vacation has started. I am not familiar with the Miami port and how early you can arrive. Perhaps someone else can address that. I will say that no port seems to be checking checkin times any more. So don’t worry about that. Good luck. 

[hallux]

When I sailed from Miami in January there was no check of my check-in time compared to when I arrived, though I had the first check-in time anyway...

[WITraveler37]

2 minutes ago, hallux said:

When I sailed from Miami in January there was no check of my check-in time compared to when I arrived, though I had the first check-in time anyway...

What was the first check in time?

[European_CruiseGirl]

First check in times at NCL Miami port are usually around 9:30AM. Based on my experience from yesterday nobody will check what check in time you have when you enter the port. 
 

However please notice that check in time does not equal to boarding time which does not equal to when you get to your cabin. Yesterday the Haven folks started to board at 11AM followed by 1) special assistance, 2) ambassador, sapphire and priority access 3) gold and platinum. We are platinum and boarded around 11:30AM. No idea how long it took after that for others to board. Most likely not very long. 
 

The cabins for Haven pax I assume were ready very quickly after 12PM. However for the rest of us it took long. Around 2:30PM they announced decks 8 and 14 to be ready followed by decks 13 and 15 just before 3PM. A bit after 3PM they announced that all cabins were ready.

 

 

Edited March 24 by European_CruiseGirl

[cwn]

When we were in Miami, you could not enter the port terminal building until after the disembarking passengers had left. That was some before 10. They had the door locked for a few minutes after we arrived at about 9:30…we sat on a cement bench waiting. They opened the main doors before check in started. We then waited in the entrance hall until they  started letting people go though the actual check in process. Bottom line is you need a place to wait from arrival ant 4am until probably 9:30 because the port terminal will not be open to boarding passenagers.

 

Would suggest two things…1. you get something to eat at the airport and wait there for a while before taking a taxi to the port. The airport was about 45 minutes away as I remember.

 

Or 2. Taxi to a nice hotel near the port area…there are several. Wait in their lobby, have nice breakfast then taxi to the port.

[BirdTravels]

We have been sitting, waiting in the Miami terminal many times while the prior cruise is still disembarking (In photo, lines of people coming off the ship and heading to immigration on the other side of the glass partition). 

[hallux]

1 hour ago, cwn said:

you could not enter the port terminal building until after the disembarking passengers had left.

My experience, twice, differs from this explanation.  As pictured by @BirdTravels there's a glass wall separating the debarking passengers from the post check-in waiting area.  Twice now I've been allowed inside the terminal while the previous cruise was still parading off the ship.

[cruiser2015]

1 hour ago, cwn said:

When we were in Miami, you could not enter the port terminal building until after the disembarking passengers had left. That was some before 10. They had the door locked for a few minutes after we arrived at about 9:30…we sat on a cement bench waiting. They opened the main doors before check in started. We then waited in the entrance hall until they  started letting people go though the actual check in process. Bottom line is you need a place to wait from arrival ant 4am until probably 9:30 because the port terminal will not be open to boarding passenagers.

 

Would suggest two things…1. you get something to eat at the airport and wait there for a while before taking a taxi to the port. The airport was about 45 minutes away as I remember.

 

Or 2. Taxi to a nice hotel near the port area…there are several. Wait in their lobby, have nice breakfast then taxi to the port.

Make that travel time about 20 minutes without heavy traffic.

[cwn]

Yes. once inside of the terminal building there is a glass door separating the area for disembarking passengers and the embarking passengers.
But the entrance doors were still locked when we arrived.around 9:30 and terminal staff kept us out side. Once we were let inside it was still a little wait to start the actual check in. I don’t think you will be let in the terminal door as early as before 5am…..if you go straight to the dock.
YMMV

 

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

We have been sitting, waiting in the Miami terminal many times while the prior cruise is still disembarking (In photo, lines of people coming off the ship and heading to immigration on the other side of the glass partition). 

 

1 hour ago, hallux said:

My experience, twice, differs from this explanation.  As pictured by @BirdTravels there's a glass wall separating the debarking passengers from the post check-in waiting area.  Twice now I've been allowed inside the terminal while the previous cruise was still parading off the ship.