Boarding: Is this true?

[daffodiliaz]

NCL.com says "Due to security reasons, all guests must be on board 2 hours before sailing."

 

Is this only at embarkation? That can't be true for ports of call when the ship is only in a port for 6 hours, right? Sorry, it's been a few years since my last cruise.

[Stillfloatin']

Initial embarkation only. For the ports, you must board 30 minutes before sailing.

[johnql]

This is a question that comes up repeatedly on this forum because of misinformation that is inadvertently perpetuated by horrendously misleading wording on NCL's own web site. Under the itineraries for each ship, there is standard boilerplate language letting passengers know what their policies are:

 

"Disembarkation usually begins 2 hours after docking. Due to security reasons, all guests must be on board 2 hours before sailing."

 

Unfortunately, anybody reading this could easily be misled to believe that the disembarkation referred to is the disembarkation at each port of call. That is NOT the case. This statement is meant to apply to disembarkation at the end of the cruise.

 

The second statement is also badly misleading because it could be misread to mean, again, that passengers need to be onboard 2 hours before sailing in every port of call. That is NOT the case. The second statement refers to being onboard on embarkation day.

 

I really wish NCL would reword these statements and make it crystal clear what they are referring to.

[CruisnGram]

Actually, it's 1 hour now, not 2 hours (unless you haven't done online preregistration)

 

Fromt NCL website:

 

Guests who have completed their Online Check-In should arrive at the terminal no later than one (1) hour prior to the scheduled embarkation time printed on your cruise documents.

 

CG

[big green]

Actually, it's 1 hour now, not 2 hours (unless you haven't done online preregistration)

 

Fromt NCL website:

 

Guests who have completed their Online Check-In should arrive at the terminal no later than one (1) hour prior to the scheduled embarkation time printed on your cruise documents.

 

CG

 

I am not sure this is correct because of the new restrictions by the boarder partrol/ice people-- I have read that everyone must be cleared at least two hours before sailing from original departure port. This is a government requirement not NCLs.

I just checked my edocs from my last cruise in December and it states for embarkation:

 

"All Guests must be on bard the ship 2 hours prior to the departure time noted on these documents are they will not

be permitted to sail"

 

 

Big Green

[hawaiilvr]

When we were on the Sky on February 27th, a family next to us was checking in and the father was coming later. The agent told the family he had to be on the ship 90 minutes prior to embarkation. Just another figure to add to the mix.

[jla418]

Our edocs ticket for our April 19th cruise state that all guests must be on board 2 hours prior to departure. Just to confuse passengers, the "Welcome Aboard" booklet that they sent says 1 hour. I'll be on board well before the 2 hour cut off. No reason to push it til the last minute!

[*Wink*]

Our edocs ticket for our April 19th cruise state that all guests must be on board 2 hours prior to departure. Just to confuse passengers, the "Welcome Aboard" booklet that they sent says 1 hour. I'll be on board well before the 2 hour cut off. No reason to push it til the last minute!

Our docs say the same.

[smeyer418]

the rule is the cruise line needs to transmit the final manifest one hour before the ship sails. They need some time to do the final formatting and make sure its accepted. So they require you to check in 2 hours before and be on board 60 minutes before. If they are late transmitting they just stay at the dock longer(there is always some fudge time allocated to leave a little late and still be on time for the first port of call)...but if they have closed the manifest and transmitted it, you may find yourself at the dock waving to the ship(this is at embarkation only...they don't have to do it for the intermediate US ports unless something changes on the manifest)

[garycarla]

Yep, this same question comes up once a week. NCL should REALLY make the wording a bit clearer.

 

In reality, I have seen people board only minutes before they cast off in foreign ports. They pretty much hold to the scheduled time but if they see some idiot running down the pier,they will hold up a few minutes.

 

On one cruise the last few people were walking slow and those onboard were yelling for the Captain to pull out. They did not seem to care and slowly walked onboard.

[daffodiliaz]

Yep, this same question comes up once a week. NCL should REALLY make the wording a bit clearer.

 

Sorry. I've been reading these boards just about everyday since we chose our itinerary, and hadn't seen or looked for the answer. I'll start using the search option more.

[*Wink*]

Sorry. I've been reading these boards just about everyday since we chose our itinerary, and hadn't seen or looked for the answer. I'll start using the search option more.

I'm pretty sure Gary was saying it comes up because of the strange wording.. Not that you shouldn't have asked. :)

[garycarla]

Yes, NCL should make it more clear.

 

By the way, not sure if using the search would have helped too much for this questions.. maybe "boarding" would have been a good search term, but that would have brought forward about 5,849 postings about how EARLY can we board. lol

[melligene]

I'm surprised at those posting here and the many cruises they have been on have missed one of the real reasons for boarding in a particular time frame before sailing. "MUSTER". We only went on our very first cruise November 29th 2008 and were informed that this safety proceedure is manditory before sailing and usually happens within the last 30 minutes before the ship is allowed to move. Is it only the Dawn that conforms to this or am I missing something here? Geeeeez......It's not always about just YOU.....or is it? Just sayin.........:cool:

[Arwenmark]

I'm surprised at those posting here and the many cruises they have been on have missed one of the real reasons for boarding in a particular time frame before sailing. "MUSTER". We only went on our very first cruise November 29th 2008 and were informed that this safety proceedure is manditory before sailing and usually happens within the last 30 minutes before the ship is allowed to move. Is it only the Dawn that conforms to this or am I missing something here? Geeeeez......It's not always about just YOU.....or is it? Just sayin.........:cool:

 

Yes you are missing something, the Coast Guard requirement is that the Muster Drill must be held within 24 hours of sailing. Most ships do it the first day at some point, and usually just prior to or just after sail away.

The two hour limit to board is in fact Homeland Security rules.

 

Also anyone who misses Muster will be called upon by the crew to make it up.

[agogo]

Actually, it's 1 hour now, not 2 hours (unless you haven't done online preregistration)

 

Fromt NCL website:

 

Guests who have completed their Online Check-In should arrive at the terminal no later than one (1) hour prior to the scheduled embarkation time printed on your cruise documents.

 

CG

 

I feel so much better reading what you said Carla. We are booked for the Baltics on NCL Jewel in June 2009. the arrival time of our flight is 11am at Gatwick. we have NCL transfers booked. hope they wait if flight is delayed. after customs clearance and getting our luggage, i hope we will be in time to board at Dover. althought once on NCL transfer bus i will feel safe. anyone out there on the same cruise ?

[ohioNCLcruiser]

Cg ;)

[LOWTYD]

Hi James. I was reading your blog a day or two ago. Hows the night shift treating you. Are you loving it? Hope all is well.

 

Aloha.

Sandy