Quick question: after embarkation, when are rooms available?

[Cybercsp]

I tried a search, but was unsuccessful.  Specifically, we are sailing on Nieuw Amsterdam later this month and am deciding whether to bring my carry-on piece of luggage with me when I board or leave it with the stevedores.  I do not relish the thought of dragging it along for hours if rooms are not available until 3.  We have a balcony guarantee if that makes a difference in timing.  Thanks!

[nutensteve]

Your room should be ready when you board. This is one of the things I like about HAL.

[MAVIP]

7 minutes ago, nutensteve said:

Your room should be ready when you board. This is one of the things I like about HAL.

I agree, but once our cabin was not ready, we greeted the cabin stewards at work, left our carry-ons in the cabin, put valuables/handbag in the locker, and left for lunch. 

[DaveOKC]

Last 10 plus years they have been ready when we boarded!

 

[fsdj1097]

We sailed Koningsdam to Alaska R/T Vancouver on June 11th.  We were one of the first groups to board (almost exactly at 11am).  We were told that the cabins were not ready at that time, and were directed to the Lido.  At about 12:00, I checked with one of the Lido staff and was told that the rooms were ready.  This has been the first time in a while that the cabins were not ready upon embarkation.

[SilvertoGold]

This year Canada Place is beginning boarding by 11:30 am or even earlier as long as no problems with disembarking Covid cases or other hold-ups are encountered.  Straight to your cabin, then or by noon, where the key cards will be waiting for you in the mailbox.  Have a great time!

Edited July 18, 2022 by SilvertoGold

[vicd1969]

Rooms will be ready upon boarding. I am curious to know how HAL is able to provide the rooms and Celebrity and Princess don't always have them ready, when all three lines kick off previous passengers around the same time.  For passengers in groups, however, you may want to make sure the key card in your mailbox is not someone else's - we had that minor mix up in our 5-cabin group.

[Cybercsp]

Thanks so much for the prompt responses!

[Crew News]

As noted earlier, the HAL Room Stewards know the disembarkation time of all of their supported passengers and start on those rooms as soon as they are vacated.  Many passengers who have chosen later disembarkation times will allow the Room Stewards to strip bedding while they are still in the staterooms.

 

It is my experience that "not yet ready" means just a few finishing touches like brochures, notes, ballpoint pens by the phone, or a final inspection may yet to be done.  Even if your stateroom is not ready, you can drop off your carry-on luggage in the room and head to lunch.

[Mary229]

On a side note we leave our room as soon as we are dressed and put the sign out to clean up.  And even though we give an extra tip to our room stewards we consider our early exit the best gift we can give.   Those people work so hard and are under such a time constraint.  It is remarkable to get onto a ship at 11:30 (July cruise from Montreal) and my room is clean and my luggage waiting, I don’t know how they do it.