Embarkation time question

[DanBoy]

Just printed my boarding pass for March 14, Nieuw Amsterdam.. It has "1pm"  for 'Embarkation time" My question is if this is a "suggested" time. Other cruise lines  have recently switched to staggered times, others just put a time on there but you can board earlier..  Thanks for any info

[DivotMaker]

There are some other threads here that generally say 11:30 seems to be a time that boarding begins.  Hope you have a great time on the cruise!

Edited January 27, 2020 by DivotMaker

[CruiserBruce]

There are MANY other threads that say this a suggested time...11:30 is the standard, fleet and world wide start for boarding.

[kazu]

That 1 pm boarding time has been on the HAL boarding passes for as long as I can remember.  It was never changed once the cabins were ready when you boarded.

 

You can usually board starting at 11:30 am.  You need to check in first of course and go according to the number you are assigned 😉 

 

The only exceptions are an inspection (usually after a ship has been out of the U.S. for an extended period of time and/ or standard inspections and deep cleaning (if there was a Noro outbreak).

 

Hope this helps 🙂 

[Tom O.]

If you want to have an easy embarkation, arrive after 2 pm. Lines are usually gone by then, and it only takes a few minutes to check in.

 

[DivotMaker]

52 minutes ago, Tom O. said:

If you want to have an easy embarkation, arrive after 2 pm. Lines are usually gone by then, and it only takes a few minutes to check in.

 

 

Curious about something since this will be our first cruise coming up with HAL.  How much easier is the embarkation process for someone in a Neptune Suite?   I believe I read about "priority embarkation" but does "priority" translate into a better process?  Thanks.

 

[Crew News]

25 minutes ago, DivotMaker said:

 

Curious about something since this will be our first cruise coming up with HAL.  How much easier is the embarkation process for someone in a Neptune Suite?   I believe I read about "priority embarkation" but does "priority" translate into a better process?  Thanks.

 

Neptune Suite guests have a separate check-in line after passing through Security screening as well as a separate waiting area in most cruise terminals while waiting to board.

 

Neptune Suite guests will be in the second boarding group after those with mobility issues at the usual 11:30 AM time.

Edited January 27, 2020 by Crew News

[DivotMaker]

3 minutes ago, Crew News said:

Neptune Suite guests have a separate check-in line after passing through Security screening as well as a separate waiting area in most cruise terminals while waiting to board.

 

Neptune Suite guests will be in the second boarding group after those with mobility issues at the usual 11:30 AM time.

 

Ahh, got it.  Thanks so much, I really appreciate this.

[510picker]

24 minutes ago, Crew News said:

Neptune Suite guests have a separate check-in line after passing through Security screening as well as a separate waiting area in most cruise terminals while waiting to board.

 

Neptune Suite guests will be in the second boarding group after those with mobility issues at the usual 11:30 AM time.

At Port Everglades, they are inconsistent with how they handle the boarding process for those with mobility issues. I am a full time wheelchair user and am always at the port very early due to direct flights from Indianapolis. There have been times they allowed us to go upstairs and board first. Other times we have boarded with those that have priority boarding. We have also been made to stay downstairs and board with everyone.

 

But as others have already said, ignore the assigned embarkation time and arrive when you want. 

[KroozNut]

23 hours ago, Tom O. said:

If you want to have an easy embarkation, arrive after 2 pm. Lines are usually gone by then, and it only takes a few minutes to check in.

 

 

It only took us a few minutes to check in at 10:30 am for our last sailing out of San Diego. The cruise terminal was nearly vacant, and we flew through check-in.

 

Boarding started promptly at 11:30 am, and we were in the first group to board. 😀

[DanBoy]

Thanks for the replies.. I know that Carnival is now strict with boarding times that are "staggered", unless you are VIP/suite etc.. Didn't know  if HAL was doing this so now I know I will get to the terminal and get signed in and take my place in line, then let the games begin..lol

[MikeD4134]

On 1/28/2020 at 4:53 PM, KroozNut said:

 

It only took us a few minutes to check in at 10:30 am for our last sailing out of San Diego. The cruise terminal was nearly vacant, and we flew through check-in.

 

Boarding started promptly at 11:30 am, and we were in the first group to board. 😀

So you breezed through check in, and then sat in terminal for one hour, brilliant. 

[Crew News]

13 hours ago, DanBoy said:

Thanks for the replies.. I know that Carnival is now strict with boarding times that are "staggered", unless you are VIP/suite etc.. Didn't know  if HAL was doing this so now I know I will get to the terminal and get signed in and take my place in line, then let the games begin..lol

 

The advantages of boarding at 11:30 AM instead of after 2:00 PM are the availability of both Lido Market and MDR lunch (inlcuded in your cruise fare) as well as having your luggage in your stateroom and unpacked long before the Passenger Safety Drill. 

 

In addition, ealy boarding at 11:30 AM will allow you to be near the head of the line to make Specialty Restaurant reservations, be at the top of the list for very limited Behind the Scenes tours, and making/changing excursion reservations before they close for the Passenger Safety Drill.

[KroozNut]

2 hours ago, MikeD4134 said:

So you breezed through check in, and then sat in terminal for one hour, brilliant. 

 

Yep, and that hour spent waiting went by very fast, which allowed us that much extra time on the ship getting our vacation started! 😉🙂

[RuthC]

12 hours ago, MikeD4134 said:

So you breezed through check in, and then sat in terminal for one hour, brilliant. 

I know I'm going to wait an hour somewhere---either sitting in my hotel room, or in the terminal. It might as well be in the terminal where I have already finished the preliminaries.