1 PM Embarkation on Boarding Pass?

[GoHoward]

Hi all - I am sailing on the Rotterdam on June 21, departing out of Rotterdam. Our boarding documents state that embarkation is at 1 PM - but my understanding was that HAL begins embarkation at 11 AM.

 

Does our cruise have an abnormally late time for boarding, or can people board as early as 11 even though boarding docs show a later time for embarkation?

 

Appreciate your help in figuring this out!

[Krazy Kruizers]

For as far back as I can remember, HAL has always listed embarkation time as 1 PM.

But no matter where our embarkation port is, we always get to the pier before 11 AM, check in and then wait until about 11:30 when boarding begins.

HAL started something a couple of years ago where they try to have all the cabins ready by 11:30 so that you can drop off your carry-ons and then go to lunch or do whatever you want.

[kazu]

Same experience as KK - our embarkation has always read 1:00 pm and check in starts around 11:00 or 11:30 a.m.. NORMALLY boarding will start around 11:30 am or so. There are exceptions though. Noro cleaning or CDC inspections to name just a couple of things will delay boarding.

[GoHoward]

Thanks! I know it is a minor thing, but glad to hear we will have 2 more hours on the ship!

[Krazy Kruizers]

You are welcome.

Have you sailed on HAL before?

Maybe you have sailed on Princess, Cunard, Costa, Seabourn or Carnival. If so you are considered a Mariner and can attend the embarkation lunch held in the main dining room from Noon - 1:30 unless there is a special event going on in there.

If you meet any of the above mentioned categories, you should be invited to the Mariner's Brunch held later in the cruise.

[KirkNC]

I think they do that to try and spread out arrivals.

[richwmn]

I think they do that to try and spread out arrivals.

I think it is more likely that no one has bothered to change it. In the early 2000's boarding didn't start until 2:00pm, so checking in at around 1:00pm would have been about right.

[DaveOKC]

As I recall, it has been 1 PM in the past, but my latest cruise in late April it was Noon. This was in Vancouver.

 

DaveOKC

[RuthC]

I think they do that to try and spread out arrivals.

 

I think it is more likely that no one has bothered to change it. In the early 2000's boarding didn't start until 2:00pm, so checking in at around 1:00pm would have been about right.

I agree with Rich. So often when there's a change in a procedure, changing the info everywhere it appears is neglected.

 

That sort of thing happened all the time in my work. A written policy was changed in one place, but a reference to it elsewhere stayed the same---contradictory.

[rafinmd]

My first HAL cruise was on the SS Rotterdam. It may have been an Alaska thing, but embarkation seems to have begun around 4PM.

 

http://halfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/program.2.pdf

 

I've often seen complaints that "They used to meet us at the gangway and escort us to our rooms". I suspect that the people who used to do that are now serving us lunch.

 

Roy

[Typhoon1]

Don't worry about the time given on the BP. Get there before 11 and get checked in. Boarding will begin around 11:30.