Completing Check-in for NCL Cruises

[BirdTravels]

12:01 am EDT (NCL Miami time) 21 days prior to departure, MyNCL allows you to complete the last part of your check-in and select a check-in time (which are first-come-first-serve). There are no requests for vaccine cards or any other information other than selection of your check-in time and acknowledgement that you have now attended Muster. 

 

 

 

 

 

[sicness4x4]

7 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

acknowledgement that you have now attended Muster. 

To me it is not an acknowledgment of attending Muster,  just confirming you  "have watched the Health & Safety Video and understand and accept all of the conditions for safe sailing in the video". I believe some form of a digital muster will be on board.

[BirdTravels]

Yup. A health video call "Pre-Boarding Boat Drill for the Encore"

[Laszlo]

I'm sorry if this has been addressed, what happens if you test positive? Do you loose your cruise, refunded?

[coastcat]

5 hours ago, Laszlo said:

I'm sorry if this has been addressed, what happens if you test positive? Do you loose your cruise, refunded?

From NCL's Sail Safe page:

 

If one person in our party tests positive, will we all be denied boarding? Will the Company assist with travel arrangements?

If one person in the party tests positive for COVID-19, immediate family members, those traveling in the same cabin as the guest who tested positive and those identified as a close contact will be denied boarding.

If you are denied boarding due to a positive COVID-19 test at embarkation, the cruise line will coordinate and cover costs for travel arrangements, for you and those traveling with you if they are also denied boarding. The cruise line will not be able to assist with travel arrangements if a guest is denied boarding as a result of a violating the cruise line’s health and safety protocols.

Will I receive a refund if I test positive for COVID-19 prior to boarding? What about other members in my party that are denied boarding?

Guests and members of their party who are denied boarding due to a positive COVID-19 test result, within 2 weeks of their sail date, will be permitted to apply the full value of all amounts paid to a future cruise credit or, at the guest’s discretion, be provided a cash refund. Guests who are denied boarding due to a violation of protocols, for example not testing in advance, will not receive a refund.

[NW Pacific]

Birdtravels: did you have any problem getting photos accepted?  We are away out, Oct. 24, but can only get one photo accepted, thats why I am asking. Were you able to print out edocs yet?  Did your online registration show 100% completed after acknowledging muster drill and choosing embarkation time? Thanks for your time responding, have been having major stress about making  final payment and not being able to complete online requirements.

[BirdTravels]

22 minutes ago, NW Pacific said:

Birdtravels: did you have any problem getting photos accepted?  We are away out, Oct. 24, but can only get one photo accepted, thats why I am asking. Were you able to print out edocs yet?  Did your online registration show 100% completed after acknowledging muster drill and choosing embarkation time? Thanks for your time responding, have been having major stress about making  final payment and not being able to complete online requirements.

We had no problems with getting our photos accepted. NCL really doesn't specify any "rules" like Royal. But we use our Royal photos to complete our NCL check in (e.g., forward facing picture, solid light background, etc.). 

 

We completed check in at 12:01 am last night  and as of this time, our edocs have not been posted yet. 

[nyc2pdx]

I wonder if Haven guests will also need to pick an arrival time?

[BirdTravels]

5 hours ago, nyc2pdx said:

I wonder if Haven guests will also need to pick an arrival time?

Probably. I am a Platinum Plus and I am normally exempt from having to select an arrival time, but for this cruise, we were forced to pick one. 

[travelingfools]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Probably. I am a Platinum Plus and I am normally exempt from having to select an arrival time, but for this cruise, we were forced to pick one. 

Wondering if Platinum Plus are given earlier arrival times than those cruising for the first time, or they're all the same.

[BirdTravels]

12 hours ago, NW Pacific said:

Birdtravels: did you have any problem getting photos accepted?  We are away out, Oct. 24, but can only get one photo accepted, thats why I am asking. Were you able to print out edocs yet?  Did your online registration show 100% completed after acknowledging muster drill and choosing embarkation time? Thanks for your time responding, have been having major stress about making  final payment and not being able to complete online requirements.

So,,, with our check-in complete by watching the video, we got our edocs today. That is technically "next day" they were posted. 

 

It is interesting that each person has their own "boarding pass" with a unique bar code (vs. prior cruises where there was just one "boarding pass" for the entire reservation). 

Edited July 18, 2021 by BirdTravels

[coastcat]

1 hour ago, travelingfools said:

Wondering if Platinum Plus are given earlier arrival times than those cruising for the first time, or they're all the same.

 

My status is still in the less expensive metals but nevertheless I was offered the same arrival times as shown in that screenshot. Yes, of course I selected the 9:30-10am slot...

[ChiefMateJRK]

It says you will only be allowed to enter the terminal at your selected time.  I wonder what happens if a person chooses 9:30 - 10:00 and shows up at 10:15?  Are they reassigned to a later slot that has openings?   

[Cruiseaholic07]

We went for the 10-1030. Our e-docs showed up same day. I also noted the barcode. So I am assuming we can just present our boarding pass barcode and not show them the physical documents?

 

@BirdTravels from our e-docs, it makes it seem like we still won't be able to board the ship until 12pm. Did you read them the same way it? Or did they just not update that language? I was hoping after the tests come back we could board.

[BirdTravels]

22 minutes ago, jcu1210 said:

We went for the 10-1030. Our e-docs showed up same day. I also noted the barcode. So I am assuming we can just present our boarding pass barcode and not show them the physical documents?

 

@BirdTravels from our e-docs, it makes it seem like we still won't be able to board the ship until 12pm. Did you read them the same way it? Or did they just not update that language? I was hoping after the tests come back we could board.

In the past, the check-in agent was only really interested in getting your reservation number so that they could scan your passport and credit card. Supposedly, there will be a lot less handling to do, so maybe individual bar codes are needed to load documents (passports, vaccine cards, IDs) for each person individually. No idea. 

 

NCL's boarding passes have always said boarding starting at noon. Pre-pandemic, as soon as they get to a zero count on the prior cruise and turned over the ship to the next cruise, they are ready to board. Pre-pandemic, Haven boarding would start around 11:00 am, Priority boarding around 11:15, and general boarding around 11:30. In our case, the cruise before us is a Media/PR and VIP cruise, so they should be able get those people off quickly. 

 

I don't know anything about now NCL will run check-in for this cruise. I can tell you that Royal Caribbean had you (1) check in for your COVID test getting personal information, email addresses into testing system (run by a vendor) and getting a bar code printed for your sample tube; (2) getting your COVID test; (3) go and do your cruise check-in while your COVID test is cooking; (4) wait in holding pen until you test negative - sent via email to you; (5) check-out with another desk to have your account updated to show that everyone in your group passed their test. The whole process took about an hour... with a short, socially distanced line at each stop. 

 

So,,, if you show up at 10:30, boarding should have already started by the time you get out of the process

 

Interesting note: Although our cruise never leaves the United States, all of the links still ask for a passport or birth certificate at check-in. Maybe because we are doing a virtual "technical call" to Canada. Who knows. We are brining our passports. 

[lizygirl3]

Got everything finished but it never gave me an option to choose a check in time. Edocs are ready to print but does not have a check in time leaving august 14…..???

[saltsandknit]

21 minutes ago, lizygirl3 said:

Got everything finished but it never gave me an option to choose a check in time. Edocs are ready to print but does not have a check in time leaving august 14…..???

Are you using NCL air and/or transfers? I have no idea how it is being done now but in the past if you are on a transfer provided by NCL you won't have a check in time since they know when you will be arriving. They keep a very detailed list.

[BamaCruiser39]

25 minutes ago, saltsandknit said:

Are you using NCL air and/or transfers? I have no idea how it is being done now but in the past if you are on a transfer provided by NCL you won't have a check in time since they know when you will be arriving. They keep a very detailed list.

We're using NCL air and transfers on the 8/15 Gem. We still had to select a check-in time when finishing online check-in.

[SSFun]

49 minutes ago, lizygirl3 said:

Got everything finished but it never gave me an option to choose a check in time. Edocs are ready to print but does not have a check in time leaving august 14…..???

Go back in to your check in. Click to edit the Health and Safety portion. There will be a place right above the video for you to select a check in time. For some reason, NCL sis not send an email that you could now get a check in time by editing. Hopefully that will work for you - it did for us. 

[saltsandknit]

36 minutes ago, BamaCruiser39 said:

We're using NCL air and transfers on the 8/15 Gem. We still had to select a check-in time when finishing online check-in.

Thanks for letting me know I am curious how this will work as well.

[lizygirl3]

1 hour ago, SSFun said:

Go back in to your check in. Click to edit the Health and Safety portion. There will be a place right above the video for you to select a check in time. For some reason, NCL sis not send an email that you could now get a check in time by editing. Hopefully that will work for you - it did for us. 

Thanks it worked 

[SSFun]

36 minutes ago, lizygirl3 said:

Thanks it worked 

Yay! So now we are all ready to sail! 🛳

[roxette]

Thanks for the information! I just booked the Epic on september 5th. Will keep an eye or two open three weeks before sailaway.