Check-in information question

[brookie848]

Since we generally only cruise once a year, that means I only do check-in once a year and I can never remember what information I need.

 

We cruise with a third person in our cabin and I'm the person who will check all of us in.

 

I know I'll need her picture and emergency contact information. Do I need her passport number (I'm thinking no)? Anything else weird that I might not be thinking of? One reason this matters more this time is I'm pretty sure she'll be on another cruise during our check-in, so I won't be able to get in touch with her to ask for anything.

 

Thanks!

[jemz1949]

passport number and expiration date are required

 

[shof515]

you can put birth certificate to complete the check-in. then at the terminal they will change to passport and add the passport info to the system

[Sailing12Away]

Yes, you'll need the passport info. Have them take a photo of that page and email/text it to you for reference. I wrote a quick instruction sheet for my folks the last time they sailed with us so they would know what to do.

 

1. Their home address & phone number

2. Preferred emergency contact name & number

3. Their passport info (# & expiration date)

4. Vacation add-ons (optional, can just hit 'no thanks' and let them change their mind later on)

5. Payment - you can possibly just tie them to your credit card for now and sort it out later

6. Their email address so the final receipt can be sent to them at the end of the trip

7. Photo

8. Their cell phone number so the ship can contact them during emergencies while on-board

9. Estimated arrival time for check-in

10. All the check boxes for safety videos, terms & conditions, yada yada yada

[brookie848]

1 hour ago, Sailing12Away said:

Yes, you'll need the passport info. Have them take a photo of that page and email/text it to you for reference. I wrote a quick instruction sheet for my folks the last time they sailed with us so they would know what to do.

 

1. Their home address & phone number

2. Preferred emergency contact name & number

3. Their passport info (# & expiration date)

4. Vacation add-ons (optional, can just hit 'no thanks' and let them change their mind later on)

5. Payment - you can possibly just tie them to your credit card for now and sort it out later

6. Their email address so the final receipt can be sent to them at the end of the trip

7. Photo

8. Their cell phone number so the ship can contact them during emergencies while on-board

9. Estimated arrival time for check-in

10. All the check boxes for safety videos, terms & conditions, yada yada yada

This is perfect -- thank you!

 

She's just tied to our credit card since we always have a ton of OBC to go through before we even think about paying anything. Plus, it just keeps things simple.

[gizfish]

A lot of the time they retake the picture at the pier.  So you may not want to bother with that since you can complete on line check in without it.

[SoloAlaska]

On 1/10/2024 at 2:14 AM, gizfish said:

A lot of the time they retake the picture at the pier.  So you may not want to bother with that since you can complete on line check in without it.

Never had a photo retaken yet on 3 cruises. Spoke with several regular cruises and they hadn’t either. 
 

Straight on photo on a plain background works.

[UKstages]

they've INSISTED on retaking the photo for me at the pier more often than not and this disappoints me deeply, as I have a great headshot that I like to use and - invariably - when they take the photo at the pier, i wind up looking as if i just woke up in my cave in afghanistan.

 

there's nothing wrong with the photo... these folks have just been improperly trained. they believe -  incorrectly - that when you get to the part of the checkin process during which they confirm that a photo is on the account, that it is a requirement to take a photo.

[libtrek]

Also, photo must be WITHOUT glasses.

[cruiser2015]

8 minutes ago, UKstages said:

they've INSISTED on retaking the photo for me at the pier more often than not and this disappoints me deeply, as I have a great headshot that I like to use and - invariably - when they take the photo at the pier, i wind up looking as if i just woke up in my cave in afghanistan.

 

there's nothing wrong with the photo... these folks have just been improperly trained. they believe -  incorrectly - that when you get to the part of the checkin process during which they confirm that a photo is on the account, that it is a requirement to take a photo.

During home check in, 3 times I loaded photos and 3 times they rejected them with assorted reasons.

Then they said, basically forget it - just complete your check in.

 So, got to the pier last Friday, finishing up check in, and I say to the clerk "I know I need my picture taken".

He says no, we have it.

Go figure.

[UKstages]

i had the same experience recently... sort of. the system rejected my photo three times. (the same photo i've used countless times for other cruises.) told me that i could complete check-in and then have photo taken at the pier. i went in the next day to try again...and the photo was already in the account.

 

my cruise hasn't taken place yet, but i assume the photo is in there.

 

but every time they've asked to take a new photo at the pier, there was already an approved photo in the system.

[Sailing12Away]

I would honestly prefer a photo of me looking like I just woke up from a cave somewhere after hibernation than a pretty headshot. After returning from a long hot sweaty excursion that involved snorkeling and such, there is no way I'm coming back to the ship looking nice and pretty.

 

Would rather have the 'wow, you look so much prettier in person' than the 'um, where is the body of the person you stole this card from because that is not you, go back to your ugly cave'.

[cruisinfamily7609]

The last time I cruised recently was on Carnival, and if I remember right, I had to jump online as soon as we were allowed to check-in so that we could get a “decent” arrival/embarkation appointment time at the port. 

 

Is NCL the same way, in that once the check-in window opens prior to our cruise, and the faster I get online, the “better” arrival/embarkation appointment time at the port? Honestly, it doesn’t really matter to ME as long as we board before the ship leaves. 😄 

I’m just trying to understand what to expect so I can plan. This is a girls’ only trip with my 80 year old mom who uses a walker-thing, my sister, and my two daughters, and I just want to try and make the embarkation as smooth as I’m able. 

[UKstages]

yes, the earlier arrival times tend to "sell out" more quickly. check-in opens up at midnight miami time, 21 days before the day of the cruise. so that would be 9 pm, 22 days out on the west coast.

 

with regard to your mom... you should be able to go to a handicapped entrance or line, which should speed things up going through security and then there is generally pre-boarding for those in wheel chairs and using walkers and such. i'm not sure if all five in your party would be allowed to take advantage or just you and your mom.

 

to speed things up, you may wish to consider getting a wheel chair at the pier.

[RocketMan275]

5 hours ago, cruisinfamily7609 said:

The last time I cruised recently was on Carnival, and if I remember right, I had to jump online as soon as we were allowed to check-in so that we could get a “decent” arrival/embarkation appointment time at the port. 

 

Is NCL the same way, in that once the check-in window opens prior to our cruise, and the faster I get online, the “better” arrival/embarkation appointment time at the port? Honestly, it doesn’t really matter to ME as long as we board before the ship leaves. 😄 

I’m just trying to understand what to expect so I can plan. This is a girls’ only trip with my 80 year old mom who uses a walker-thing, my sister, and my two daughters, and I just want to try and make the embarkation as smooth as I’m able. 

Depends upon how you define a better arrival/embarkation time.

Some insist that the earliest possible arrival times are better.  

Others believe later times are better.

The earlier you arrive at the port, the longer you will wait to board.  In most cases, no one boards before  11AM so if you get one of the 'better' 'earlier' arrival times you'll be waiting at least two hours.

If you arrive later, say around 1200, it's entirely possible the terminal crowds will have cleared out and you can almost board immediately. 

Your Mom who uses a walker might find the later times smoother and more comfortable.

Since the earliest arrival times (arrival isn't the same as embarkation) are the most popular, if you do decide on a later arrival time, then early online checkins are not necessary.

Also, important is where you will be prior to arriving at the port.  If you're staying at a hotel, you certainly will find staying at the hotel is much more comfortable than sitting in plastic chairs for a couple of hours. 

 

[cruisinfamily7609]

7 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Depends upon how you define a better arrival/embarkation time.

Some insist that the earliest possible arrival times are better.  

Others believe later times are better.

The earlier you arrive at the port, the longer you will wait to board.  In most cases, no one boards before  11AM so if you get one of the 'better' 'earlier' arrival times you'll be waiting at least two hours.

If you arrive later, say around 1200, it's entirely possible the terminal crowds will have cleared out and you can almost board immediately. 

Your Mom who uses a walker might find the later times smoother and more comfortable.

Since the earliest arrival times (arrival isn't the same as embarkation) are the most popular, if you do decide on a later arrival time, then early online checkins are not necessary.

Also, important is where you will be prior to arriving at the port.  If you're staying at a hotel, you certainly will find staying at the hotel is much more comfortable than sitting in plastic chairs for a couple of hours. 

 

Okay…I understand that earlier doesn’t mean better, that makes sense. I don’t think I am being clear about what I’m asking, so let me try again. When checking in online for NCL, do they assign times for port arrival? 
 

I will be driving to the port from my daughters place, and had no intention on getting to the port so early we’d have to wait to embark. That’s a waste of time, but to be honest I also hadn’t quite figured out when is the best time for us in this situation. You make good points about my mom though, and really she is my primary concern on this trip. I think I’d rather just take our time and not feel rushed, if that’s even possible! 😂🤷‍♀️

[RocketMan275]

6 minutes ago, cruisinfamily7609 said:

Okay…I understand that earlier doesn’t mean better, that makes sense. I don’t think I am being clear about what I’m asking, so let me try again. When checking in online for NCL, do they assign times for port arrival? 
 

I will be driving to the port from my daughters place, and had no intention on getting to the port so early we’d have to wait to embark. That’s a waste of time, but to be honest I also hadn’t quite figured out when is the best time for us in this situation. You make good points about my mom though, and really she is my primary concern on this trip. I think I’d rather just take our time and not feel rushed, if that’s even possible! 😂🤷‍♀️

Ok, now i understand.  When you check in, ncl offers a selection of times to arrive at the port.  When I checked into my cruise on Prima leaving in three weeks, there were arrival times available from 1030 till much later IIRC 2PM or so.  You get to choose from those available, not NCL.

 

I suspect that if you were to contact NCL describing your mother's issues,  you can get about anytime you want. They usually do all they can to help those who have disabilities.

[Sailing12Away]

1 hour ago, cruisinfamily7609 said:

Okay…I understand that earlier doesn’t mean better, that makes sense. I don’t think I am being clear about what I’m asking, so let me try again. When checking in online for NCL, do they assign times for port arrival? 
 

I will be driving to the port from my daughters place, and had no intention on getting to the port so early we’d have to wait to embark. That’s a waste of time, but to be honest I also hadn’t quite figured out when is the best time for us in this situation. You make good points about my mom though, and really she is my primary concern on this trip. I think I’d rather just take our time and not feel rushed, if that’s even possible! 😂🤷‍♀️

Reach out to NCL and ask about wheelchair assistance at the port. We did it recently on Celebrity with my MIL and it was a breeze. The walk is too far for her to get onto the ship, so as soon as we got to the porters we asked about wheelchair help, they already had her name in their list and whisked us all away. 

 

I'm pretty sure NCL has a similar service available. Service was free, but there were a lot of handoffs of her between staff - one to get inside the terminal, one to get onto the ship, and they had another that then took her all the way to the safety check-in and her cabin where her rented wheelchair was waiting for her. So a lot of tipping along the way if one feels inclined, but she didn't have to struggle at all and started the vacation off on the right foot.

 

As for check-in - if you're not concerned about being "first" to get onboard, I would definitely agree with the folks saying later in the afternoon is 'better'. If the ship is scheduled to leave at 4pm for example, I would aim to get there around noon. Still gives you plenty of time to wander the ship before you leave, but avoids the crowds.

[brookie848]

On 1/14/2024 at 7:49 PM, libtrek said:

Also, photo must be WITHOUT glasses.

I knew that one.

 

When we were doing this last year, the one photo my husband makes him look exactly like a cartoon villain. One eyebrow up, the other eyebrow down and a diabolical smile. I told him if we tried to use that one we would be banned forever.

[brookie848]

On 1/14/2024 at 8:11 PM, UKstages said:

i had the same experience recently... sort of. the system rejected my photo three times. (the same photo i've used countless times for other cruises.) told me that i could complete check-in and then have photo taken at the pier. i went in the next day to try again...and the photo was already in the account.

 

my cruise hasn't taken place yet, but i assume the photo is in there.

 

but every time they've asked to take a new photo at the pier, there was already an approved photo in the system.

Oh cripes...I hope they don't re-use my photo from last year. I had a couple "decent" ones ready to go, but it kept getting rejected. So I ended up re-taking it at midnight as I was checking in -- nothing done with my hair or makeup. I was really hoping to have it re-taken at the pier, but that didn't happen.

 

I was hoping for something better this year.