I'm sailing in June and also had my time changed to 11AM which is when we arrive. My original booking was for the evening. but it's my understanding that they are good for the entire time, not reserved times.
Thanks for the info on the juice bar. This wasn’t the only reason but would factor into the math to see if it would be worth it with all the other things.
They also could have left it at some random place when they realized it wasn’t their bag or threw it in the trash. Not all people care enough about a stranger to put forth effort.
There might be last minute cancellations or no shows, so no harm in checking. But I agree, if it is sold out online, there will not be any that they held back just to sell onboard.
A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.
I suggest contacting NCL to make sure you have a zero balance owed immediately. I wouldn't want to risk the reservation being cancelled because of that.
The first night does usually involve some sort of introductory exercise, wear a name tag and go around and introduce yourself. I'm happy to have an involved solo host as some are MIA on any given night or not engaged with the group in any way. I had one who was able to dine with us a couple of times (I think he was most excited about us sliding him a drink or 2)