NCL Transfers

[johnrich]

Although we’ve cruised with NCL many times, this is the first time we’ve used their transfers from the airport to the ship. When we give our checked luggage to the “bus porters” at the airport, is that the last we will see our luggage until it is delivered to our stateroom or will we need to collect it from the bus and then give it to the porters at the port? Just want to make sure we have the cruise luggage tags on it when it needs to be. TIA. 

[jdc987]

NCL greeter meets you at luggage carousel.   They will escort you to bus waiting area where you sit with luggage and attach your NCL room tags that you have prepared at home.  When informed to board bus, you roll your luggage to bus where the bus driver loads in bus.  Upon arrival at ship terminal you will wait in bus while the luggage is unloaded.  You claim your luggage and usually within a few feet the dock  porters will prompt you to utilize their services, which is generally required, tips expected.

[julig22]

That depends on the port but I think the majority of the time that I've used the NCL transfer I needed to collect my bags.  That might involve just moving it a few feet to where the porters are - or around the terminal building. By having you collect your luggage you (and they) know that it hasn't been left behind at the airport - or left on the bus.

[www3traveler]

The last time I did this, I put my cruise tags on while waiting to board the bus in the baggage claim area of the airport.  Once luggage is unloaded from the bus, you leave the bus, find your luggage and then give them to the port workers.

[BirdTravels]

41 minutes ago, johnrich said:

Although we’ve cruised with NCL many times, this is the first time we’ve used their transfers from the airport to the ship. When we give our checked luggage to the “bus porters” at the airport, is that the last we will see our luggage until it is delivered to our stateroom or will we need to collect it from the bus and then give it to the porters at the port? Just want to make sure we have the cruise luggage tags on it when it needs to be. TIA. 

After claiming your bags at the baggage claim, remove your airline tags and put on your cruise tags. The shore personnel will give you instructions for your cruise. For us, we have had the bags sent direct to our stateroom. 

[johnrich]

It seems that it may vary depending on the port. Our first is Manhattan Cruise Terminal. Later this year will be Port Miami. 

[complawyer]

it's been my experience, as follows (1) the driver takes your luggage and puts them  in the luggage compartment (2) the bus gets to the port and the driver unloads everyone's luggage(3) you get you luggage, call over a porter (4) he takes it from you (a tip now is in order) (5) assuming youve correctly put on the ncl luggage tags, your bags will be delivered to your cabin later on in the day.just did this end of january from panama airport, but hired a cab to take us from the ship to our hotel as we werent leaving until next morning

 

no muss, no fuss, no bother, easy peasy!

 

sometimes though, it may be cheaper to get a cab at the airport, or arrange private transportation (shuttle service) this works especially well, if youre flying in early and staying in a hotel.

 

last year we were going from london to copenhagen. we rented a cab from heathrow to our hotel, stayed for 3 days, and had made prior arrangements before we left the states, to have a shuttle pick us up at the hotel in london, and take us directly to the pier in southampton.

 

we did the same on a back to back. hired a cab from venice airport to our hotel, stayed a few days, arranged a shuttle to drive us to trieste. the hotel had an ncl desk. we put in our names and a bus arrived the next morning to take us to the pier. we have done it both ways. ncl bus is great and super convenient if youre flying in the day of departure 

[randomthought]

16 hours ago, complawyer said:

 

sometimes though, it may be cheaper to get a cab at the airport, or arrange private transportation (shuttle service) this works especially well, if youre flying in early and staying in a hotel.

 

 

I've been wondering about how this works so was wondering if you could explain a bit more.  I'm using NCL Air for the first time on a NYC Fall cruise and had to pay for their transportation. We'll be coming in a day early.  Do they not cover transportation to your hotel if you are arriving a day early?  We depart from Quebec City so I can understand just getting on one of the shuttle buses to the airport, but was unclear how it worked arriving the day before.  Thanks!

[julig22]

13 minutes ago, randomthought said:

 

I've been wondering about how this works so was wondering if you could explain a bit more.  I'm using NCL Air for the first time on a NYC Fall cruise and had to pay for their transportation. We'll be coming in a day early.  Do they not cover transportation to your hotel if you are arriving a day early?  We depart from Quebec City so I can understand just getting on one of the shuttle buses to the airport, but was unclear how it worked arriving the day before.  Thanks!

If you are using NCL air and requested a deviation, then they will refund the transfer fees and you will also get a $25 credit.  And you are on your own with respect to getting to the port the following day, unless you booked your hotel through NCL.

As to Quebec, they may fly you into Montreal due to the limited number of flights into Quebec, so that is an issue - and why I chose a cruise that ends in Quebec instead!  I have seen a few discussions on the Montreal-Quebec issue, you might want to look to your roll call for ideas.

In the past on other cruises, I have opted to keep the airport transfer, and just went back to the airport.  However, on my last cruise they cancelled my transfer reservation (something about security, which the airport denied was an issue).

 

[randomthought]

Thanks for the information! We are leaving out of NYC and ending in Quebec so looks like that is the better route to handle NCL air and transfers.

 

We want to arrive a day early so sounds like transfer fees will be refunded (is that only refunded for the NYC part of the trip?), but then we still want to use NCL transfer to the Quebec airport when our cruise finishes. 

[tartantiara]

Can you use the NCL transfer if you have booked your own flights ?

[julig22]

6 minutes ago, randomthought said:

Thanks for the information! We are leaving out of NYC and ending in Quebec so looks like that is the better route to handle NCL air and transfers.

 

We want to arrive a day early so sounds like transfer fees will be refunded (is that only refunded for the NYC part of the trip?), but then we still want to use NCL transfer to the Quebec airport when our cruise finishes. 

Sorry, I misunderstood, thought you meant your cruise initiates in Quebec.

Yes, they will take off the NYC transfers and leave the transfers for your return, as long as you don't request a deviation.  As I understand it, the bus will take you to whichever airport.  At least that's what I'm assuming, since I'm basically doing the same thing, but leaving out of Boston, not NY.

[julig22]

6 minutes ago, tartantiara said:

Can you use the NCL transfer if you have booked your own flights ?

Usually, assuming they have room.  I think you have to let them know a couple of weeks in advance and give them your flight information. However, they didn't let me go back to the airport on my last trip and I'm kinda thinking they ran out of room (vs the bogus excuse they gave me). And if they tell you to just show up - don't let it go - insist on a reservation anyway!

You can also usually book onboard for the transfer at the end of the cruise if you don't book in advance - but that can also sell out.

Edited March 17, 2023 by julig22

[Karaboudjan]

14 hours ago, tartantiara said:

Can you use the NCL transfer if you have booked your own flights ?

 

We did that in Port Canaveral.  We arrived a day early so they just instructed us on what time to get back to the airport for the transfer.  I believe our PCC did have to make up some flight information since their system may require that to complete the reservation.

Edited March 18, 2023 by Karaboudjan

[mamajean1113]

22 hours ago, julig22 said:

If you are using NCL air and requested a deviation, then they will refund the transfer fees and you will also get a $25 credit.  And you are on your own with respect to getting to the port the following day, unless you booked your hotel through NCL.

As to Quebec, they may fly you into Montreal due to the limited number of flights into Quebec, so that is an issue - and why I chose a cruise that ends in Quebec instead!  I have seen a few discussions on the Montreal-Quebec issue, you might want to look to your roll call for ideas.

In the past on other cruises, I have opted to keep the airport transfer, and just went back to the airport.  However, on my last cruise they cancelled my transfer reservation (something about security, which the airport denied was an issue).

 

I deviated our airline trip w/NCL to Seattle one day earlier for this coming August.  I did get the $25 credit and the transfer to the ship and from the ship to the airport remained on.  We will be staying at the Hilton at the airport. I was informed by my PCC to go back to the baggage area the next day and look for the NCL Shuttle Person we could board the shuttle to the ship. This was true for a trip we booked to Rome, we were going in 2 days earlier, got our own hotel and was told to go back to the airport the day of embarkation and we could take the shuttle to the ship.

[julig22]

17 minutes ago, mamajean1113 said:

I deviated our airline trip w/NCL to Seattle one day earlier for this coming August.  I did get the $25 credit and the transfer to the ship and from the ship to the airport remained on.  We will be staying at the Hilton at the airport. I was informed by my PCC to go back to the baggage area the next day and look for the NCL Shuttle Person we could board the shuttle to the ship. This was true for a trip we booked to Rome, we were going in 2 days earlier, got our own hotel and was told to go back to the airport the day of embarkation and we could take the shuttle to the ship.

Yes, I have done it many times - no problem if the NCL person making the arrangements understands that you do indeed want to keep your transfer - they actually have to do something to override the system (I had one PCC who, along with his supervisor, could never figure out how to do it!)

Always make sure that when you get your edocs that the transfer is correct.  My last cruise had the transfer from the airport to hotel/hotel to port, so they would have had no record of my reservation at the airport.  I got it corrected -and then they cancelled my reservation anyway just a few days before my cruise, no notice other than an updated statement that no longer showed the transfer.  I was not a happy camper, not sure how much to trust NCL with transfers going forward.

[mpk]

On 3/16/2023 at 8:47 PM, complawyer said:

we did the same on a back to back. hired a cab from venice airport to our hotel, stayed a few days, arranged a shuttle to drive us to trieste. the hotel had an ncl desk. we put in our names and a bus arrived the next morning to take us to the pier. we have done it both ways. ncl bus is great and super convenient if youre flying in the day of departure 

 

Were you able to find out ahead of time that the hotel had a NCL desk?

[complawyer]

no, but it was there, a major surprise, and we took advantage of the opportunity. it was convenient, but if it wasnt there, we would have just as easily hired a cab. we stayed at the hilton doubletree hotel, and it wasnt very far from the port