A Couple of Newbie Questions

Hi, my husband and I are going on our first cruise. We've always opted, in the past, to take car or public transit based vacations, so this is very new and different for us. We'll be sailing with NCL this winter.

For the shore excursions where a Tender is necessary, are they boarded first come first serve or do you reserve tender times?

Do people really put their luggage outside of their rooms the night prior to disembarkation? I know there are cameras everywhere, but does luggage ever go missing? We are taking a shore excursion when we get back to the home port, and it says we can bring our luggage with us. Do we still put our suitcases outside the door? Where do you collect your luggage?

Do you take your passport with you at each port, or is your ship ID enough?

Thanks!

You’ll love NCL (we do anyway)!

Tenders have priority boarding for some and then for the rest they’ll need to get tender tickets.

We put our bags out the night before because for some, disembarking with them is a hassle (and a hassle to those walking behind them). We’ve never had our luggage go missing and we’ve been on over a dozen cruises. Although one time they got put into the wrong color section. NCL has it where you grab luggage tags for unloading your luggage. Each color represents the time at which your luggage will be available at the pier.

We always take our ID on shore with us because you’ll need it to get through security before getting back on the ship. The NCL ID card is not enough o go through security.

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Those on ship’s shore excursion usually has priority on tender ports.

Putting your luggage out the night before disembarkation is an option so you don’t carry it getting off the ship. You can also schlep it on embarkation day.

Unless needed in some ports by immigration, the cruise card and govt-issued ID is enough and we place our passport book inside the cabin safe.

You can also post on the NCL Cruise Forum for more response

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NOBODY wants your dirty laundry. The only thing that should be in your luggage outside your door is clothes. Valuables should be in your carry on which should stay with you at all times.

NOBODY wants your dirty laundry. The only thing that should be in your luggage outside your door is clothes. Valuables should be in your carry on which should stay with you at all times.

Ha! 🤣

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You should always have your bags LOCKED if they aren't in your possession, so invest in some decent luggage locks. They don't have to be TSA approved...any good lock will do.

Keep a bag to put the clothes you wear on your last evening in...along with all the toiletries you need that last night and in the morning! Remember to keep out the clothes you'll wear off the ship!

We do put out our luggage outside the room the night before the cruise ends.

With that said all valuable should go in your carry ons and that includes medicines, valuables, electronics and even gifts. I have known some people who had items removed and I am sure that was while it was on the pier. I also recommend locking the luggage. While someone can break the lock it is more likely that someone would be more prone to open someone's luggage without a lock on it.

Keith

NOBODY wants your dirty laundry. The only thing that should be in your luggage outside your door is clothes. Valuables should be in your carry on which should stay with you at all times.

In twenty-seven cruises, we have found the above to be correct.

I do remember that on our first cruise, the cruise director staff warned folks not to leave bags/boxes of liquor outside of their doors as the "liquor fairy" had been known to pick it up!;)

On longer cruises >30 days, if the final day is a sea day we have been known to pack lots of "stuff" the afternoon before and put it outside then. None of our suitcases have ever gone missing. By dinner time we usually are down to one bag or are finished. When we dress for dinner our last bag usually goes outside in the hall because what we are wearing is what we will leave the ship in the next day.

OP - relax and enjoy your upcoming cruise. You will have a great time!

PS IF you have any more questions this is the place to ask. The people on here are "experts"!

We have been on more than 100 cruises since our 1st in 1984. NEVER take your passport off the ship- we did only once when it was announced we had to. This was in, believe it or not, Key West. At that time we were docked at the Navy Pier. Thieves love passports and can sell them for a LOT! Our passports stay locked in our safe. To get back on the ship all you need is the sign 'n sail card and driver's license.

We don't put our bags out as we now walk off with them. We are the 1st to get off the ship, drive to all the ports now and want to head home right away. We used to put what we were wearing in the suitcases then put them out. don't forget to keep out what you'r wearing off the ship! We used to put our sleepwear in our carry-ons. If you put your bags out, you will get a numbered colored tag to put on them. You get off the ship to get them when your number is called. If you have an early flight, go to guest services and they'll give you a tag for 1st off. You will be amazed at all the bags in the hall!

Ships tours are 1st to get on tenders. Then they call numbers by tags you have gotten. We have seen tags in the 30's so get there as soon as it is announced to get them. They are just pasted on your shoulder so everyone knows what number you have when you get on the tender and that is the tender called for. If you're in no hurry you can wait until you no longer need a ticket to get on board.

Watch out, you are about to become in love with cruising and won't be able to wait to book your next one!

We just returned from a Hawaiian cruise r/t San Francisco on Princess. We put our 2 suitcases out the night before with the Pink 6 tags securely attached for one of the later disembarkation times. Got off of the ship and went to collect our bags; one was in the correct area, the other nowhere in sight and there weren't many left.

Several of the ladies that were directing people got involved in looking for the bag. Soon one of them came up with our bag, saying it was on someone else's cart. Fine but how did the tag change from Pink 6 to Light Aqua 3? No one knew.

Hi, my husband and I are going on our first cruise. We've always opted, in the past, to take car or public transit based vacations, so this is very new and different for us. We'll be sailing with NCL this winter.

 

 

 

For the shore excursions where a Tender is necessary, are they boarded first come first serve or do you reserve tender times?

 

 

 

Do people really put their luggage outside of their rooms the night prior to disembarkation? I know there are cameras everywhere, but does luggage ever go missing? We are taking a shore excursion when we get back to the home port, and it says we can bring our luggage with us. Do we still put our suitcases outside the door? Where do you collect your luggage?

 

 

 

Do you take your passport with you at each port, or is your ship ID enough?

 

 

 

Thanks!

It was a long time ago when I asked questions like yours (except for the passport one - NEVER take a passport ashore unless it is required by local authorities. Some not-so-savvy occasional travelers will disagree. But, if you remain unsure, ask any officer on your ship what they do.

In fact, if you decide you like cruising and eventually move up to the premium/luxury segment, you'll find that those ships often require that you surrender your passport to the purser at embarkation.

BTW, no one on the ship wants to (or will) rifle through the dirty laundry in your luggage sitting outside your cabin the night prior to disembarkation.

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57 cruises and never lost anything. This includes two Windjammer cruises where your cabin remains unlocked 24/7. There are no keys. Relax, have fun and don't worry about anything but someone breaking in line.