Is there any reason to check-in well before the cruise starts?

[Nars_Glinley]

My cruise isn't for a couple of weeks but it seems that HAL wants me to go ahead and check in.  Is there any reason to do it this early?  I hate to be cynical but ISTM that if I caught COVID or had to cancel my trip for some other reason, HAL could not honor my insurance because I had already checked in.

 

(I don't really hate to by cynical.  It's just the way I am.)

[CruiserBruce]

At 50 days prior to sailing, things start to happen with boarding passes and others, so you NEED to be checked in by then.

 

I don't see how if you are checked in and you cancel, why your insurance won't pay if you are checked in. Don't see any logic to that.

[Nars_Glinley]

1 minute ago, CruiserBruce said:

At 50 days prior to sailing, things start to happen with boarding passes and others, so you NEED to be checked in by then.

 

I don't see how if you are checked in and you cancel, why your insurance won't pay if you are checked in. Don't see any logic to that.

It's not logical.  It's paranoia.  My thinking was that the cancellation insurance says that it's only good until "travel begins" but it doesn't define it.  The little voice cynic in me said "Maybe check-in constitutes the beginning of travel."

[Mtn2Sea]

I usually check in about a week prior to boarding and have never had a problem other than receiving emails from HAL reminding me to check in.

[Caribbean Chris]

 

The main reason is that info in the online check-in such as passport numbers is required for assorted governments’ requirements. The HAL website says you have until 72 hours prior to departure and if you don’t do online checkin in advance, you may be denied boarding. Getting to the ship after that would be at your own expense. 
 

I am sympathetic to HAL because I worked for cruise lines for years. They may not need to supply a manifest until departure day but they have to draw a line in the sand somewhere so 2000 people don’t wait until a few hours before sailing to produce info. Now there are even more complications such as vaccinations and Covid tests to submit. Some destinations have visa requirements. So, yes, they do want us all to check in, but I doubt they have nefarious reasons. 

 

Human fallibility is involved. More than one person has posted on these forums that they couldn’t find their passport when they started checking in online. Or suddenly realized it was about to expire. Power goes out, computers die. Once my spouse lost his passport. Once we had to scramble and leave home earlier than planned to escape a blizzard. 
 

Stuff happens. 

[rodndonna]

28 minutes ago, Caribbean Chris said:

 

The main reason is that info in the online check-in such as passport numbers is required for assorted governments’ requirements. The HAL website says you have until 72 hours prior to departure and if you don’t do online checkin in advance, you may be denied boarding. Getting to the ship after that would be at your own expense. 
 

I am sympathetic to HAL because I worked for cruise lines for years. They may not need to supply a manifest until departure day but they have to draw a line in the sand somewhere so 2000 people don’t wait until a few hours before sailing to produce info. Now there are even more complications such as vaccinations and Covid tests to submit. Some destinations have visa requirements. So, yes, they do want us all to check in, but I doubt they have nefarious reasons. 

 

Human fallibility is involved. More than one person has posted on these forums that they couldn’t find their passport when they started checking in online. Or suddenly realized it was about to expire. Power goes out, computers die. Once my spouse lost his passport. Once we had to scramble and leave home earlier than planned to escape a blizzard. 
 

Stuff happens. 

 

I agree - A coupe of weeks ago I starting getting the "check in now" from Holland - I think a month before the cruise and was wondering the same thing. As I went though the check in process last week (I couldn't take the hounding anymore - haha) , I realized they probably really just want a larger window of time for certainty that you understand everything about cruising at this time. 

[Nars_Glinley]

Another reason that I haven't checked in is that I keep getting upgrade offers and I'm actually considering it.  I assume (without the burden of any actual knowledge) that once checked in, I can't change cabins.

[Crazy For Cats]

5 minutes ago, Nars_Glinley said:

Another reason that I haven't checked in is that I keep getting upgrade offers and I'm actually considering it.  I assume (without the burden of any actual knowledge) that once checked in, I can't change cabins.

If you change cabins you do not need to re-enter your details.  I have reprinted the first page of the boarding pass to reflect the new cabin number.  Now the boarding pass is the Navigator app.

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, Nars_Glinley said:

Another reason that I haven't checked in is that I keep getting upgrade offers and I'm actually considering it.  I assume (without the burden of any actual knowledge) that once checked in, I can't change cabins.

Totally false.

[highland cruiser]

2 hours ago, Nars_Glinley said:

Another reason that I haven't checked in is that I keep getting upgrade offers and I'm actually considering it.  I assume (without the burden of any actual knowledge) that once checked in, I can't change cabins.

We are totally checked in on our next cruise.  Only thing haven't done is health survey which happens before we sail.  Hadn't printed our boarding passes or luggage tags.  We received and took an upsell yesterday.  Now I am glad I didn't waste paper on tags and boarding passes.🤣

[DaveOKC]

17 hours ago, Nars_Glinley said:

Another reason that I haven't checked in is that I keep getting upgrade offers and I'm actually considering it.  I assume (without the burden of any actual knowledge) that once checked in, I can't change cabins.

Not true.  I have done last minute upsells many times and each was after I had completed the checkin process.  I generally do not print off my boarding pass and luggage tags until I am past the upsell/upgrade window, but not the last minute (in case of a printer problem).

[Mary229]

It is my habit to immediately checkin once I book a cruise.  It is just one less loose end.  There is no reason not to checkin,  of course you don’t have to be as OCD as me but there is no voodoo surrounding checkin