Late embarkation advice on cruise overnighting at dock needed

[TylerRose]

We are booked on the Veendam for a cruise "embarking" on 9/28 with an overnight dockside in the departure port of Quebec. Workload is making our flight to Quebec the day before this cruise begins nearly impossible.

(I AM VERY FRUSTRATED :mad:)... but still hoping to somehow tweek it.

(May be able to do overnight flights to arrive by early afternoon :confused: )

If we gamble & fly in on the same day of our cruise we cannot get to port before 7:30PM.

Do they allow evening boarding on a cruise starting out with an overnight in port? & what of lifeboat drill, etc.

Any insight would be most appreciated. I am debating canceling our trip and do not want it to come to that... If we fly to Montreal same day & drive to Quebec, we still arrive after 6PM...

[sppunk]

You can board that evening and the next day up until a set time (prior to muster). We have done this a few times for various reasons.

[kazu]

We are booked on the Veendam for a cruise "embarking" on 9/28 with an overnight dockside in the departure port of Quebec. Workload is making our flight to Quebec the day before this cruise begins nearly impossible.

(I AM VERY FRUSTRATED :mad:)... but still hoping to somehow tweek it.

(May be able to do overnight flights to arrive by early afternoon :confused: )

If we gamble & fly in on the same day of our cruise we cannot get to port before 7:30PM.

Do they allow evening boarding on a cruise starting out with an overnight in port? & what of lifeboat drill, etc.

Any insight would be most appreciated. I am debating canceling our trip and do not want it to come to that... If we fly to Montreal same day & drive to Quebec, we still arrive after 6PM...

 

Just to make sure I have this right - your ship is overnight in port and you are going to board the night before she leaves later (like 7:30 pm). and will be on board for the next day when she leaves.

 

Assuming that is correct - you are fine. You can board in the evening (you might have to go through security) but you can certainly board. On all of my overnight embarkations, the life boat drill was not until the next day so again, you will be fine.

[Typhoon1]

Arriving on the day of departure is very risky. Keep your fingers crossed and hope everything happens on schedule.

[sail7seas]

Obviously you will confirm with HAL but what you propose should be fine.

Hope you can tweek and get to the port sooner but if not, you should still be able to board and sail.

 

[sapper1]

When I overnighted on the Eurodam in Quebec City there were people checking in at the front desk later in the evening. The ship was not scheduled to sail until supper time the next evening.

We had a nice day touring before we sailed.

[NMLady]

We are booked on the Veendam for a cruise "embarking" on 9/28 with an overnight dockside in the departure port of Quebec. Workload is making our flight to Quebec the day before this cruise begins nearly impossible.

(I AM VERY FRUSTRATED :mad:)... but still hoping to somehow tweek it.

(May be able to do overnight flights to arrive by early afternoon :confused: )

If we gamble & fly in on the same day of our cruise we cannot get to port before 7:30PM.

Do they allow evening boarding on a cruise starting out with an overnight in port? & what of lifeboat drill, etc.

Any insight would be most appreciated. I am debating canceling our trip and do not want it to come to that... If we fly to Montreal same day & drive to Quebec, we still arrive after 6PM...

 

Lifeboat drill isn't until 45 minutes before departure. Since you'd be checking in the previous evening, you'd be fine.

[NMLady]

Arriving on the day of departure is very risky. Keep your fingers crossed and hope everything happens on schedule.

 

The OP is not arriving the day of departure. The cruise begins the previous day since it is overnighting in departure port. So the OP's 'day of the cruise' is actually the evening of the day before departure.

[TylerRose]

TY everybody. Your advice was exactly what I needed.

Since my DH must work day BEFORE cruise begins, we have decided to fly part way that evening after work... & Overnight at hotel in airport...

First flight out next morning will allow us to get to Quebec by 4PM... so I am much happier. Decided to make a late reservation at Pinnacle so I don't have to worry about our scheduled early seating. :)

[scluvsrain]

I am in the same situation for my October cruise out of Quebec City. I won't arrive until after 9pm on the 12th, and we sail after an overnight the next day.

 

My TA said arriving that late at night is fine, but I will have to walk my luggage onboard myself, as the luggage service closes at 7pm.

[TylerRose]

I am in the same situation for my October cruise out of Quebec City. I won't arrive until after 9pm on the 12th, and we sail after an overnight the next day.

 

My TA said arriving that late at night is fine, but I will have to walk my luggage onboard myself, as the luggage service closes at 7pm.

 

I will post when I return how it all worked out... I hate missing the first day on board ship... The excitement exploring (even on a ship you have traveled on before), catching up with cast and crew from previous voyages, meeting dinner companions, etc... but it is what it is... and I know it will all work out.