Please tell me about embarkation day

[TLHB]

I have only been on one cruise so far, the Disney Cruise. I was able to buy a wonderful book and really prepare. I knew what was expected of me, the layout of the ship, what would happen when we boarded ship, etc. Our upcoming cruise is very much new for me. We have never been aboard HAL or been to Alaska. I am trying to prepare as much as possible for this. I haven't read anything yet about the day we board ship. How long will it take us to get our luggage? We leave June 4, Westerdam, but we still haven't received documents yet. We requested early seating, but we don't know if we have it. I am wondering what I should wear to board the ship. Will I get luggage in time for early dinner? What will we do for sail away time? Any tips will be appreciated!

[NorthernNeighbour]

You should contact your travel agent or HAL (if you made the booking directly with them) about not having received your travel documents yet.

 

Ours came to us more than one month before the start of the cruise. If you wish them now, just stick to your guns and ask they be sent.

 

After all, you cannot be expected to just remain at home all the time before 4 June waiting for travel documents. Tell them you want to be free to leave home anytime between now and 4 June without having to return home to collect them -- even if you have absolutely no intention of going anywhere before your 4 June departure.

 

The travel documents from HAL will have some information about embarkation times. Usually (but not always) you are able to check-in from 11h00 but may have to wait in one of the public lounges onboard if your cabin is not ready. The formal check-in time begins at 13h00 but the 11h00 or 11h30 time is usually possible for early arrivals. An exception, however, might be if the ship arrives late and is still dis-embarking passengers -- in that case, you will have to wait somewhere outside the ship's embarkation area but they usually makes arrangements in these cases and HAL representatives are available at the port to direct passengers.

[JeannyCT]

... the layout of the ship, ...

Go to HAL’s website, they have plans of the ships there.

 

How long will it take us to get our luggage?

That depends: if you carry it yourself you have it immediately, otherwise you may have to wait up to two hours (just to be on the safe side, I never checked but it was probably more like half an hour/one hour).

 

I am wondering what I should wear to board the ship.

Clothes ;)

Seriously, whatever you're comfortable with (jeans, pants, t-shirt, shirt, blouse, sweater, jacket etc.). Most people have to fly to the ports, some of them had a very long journey, nobody's dressed up.

 

Will I get luggage in time for early dinner?

Yes, you should, it usually doesn't take that long; unless you board at the very last minute, then there is a chance it won't arrive on time.

 

What will we do for sail away time?

What do you want to do? You can sleep in your cabin, read a book, eat, explore the ship, go outside and watch as the ship leaves the port, mingle with your fellow passengers ...

In your cabin will be a programme with all activities and meal times listed, read it and decide then what you want to do.

 

Don't prepare too much, go with the flow, relax, have a good time.

[TLHB]

Thanks, NorthernNeighbour. I did call our TA today. He said that the papers still have not arrived. He did say that he would call HAL. Should I call them as well? Or does all of the contact with HAL have to go through my TA?

 

Thanks, JeannyCT. I was wondering if I should wear something that would be appropriate for dinner because I wasn't sure how long it would take to get our bags. I do think that we will get there early on embarkation day because we are just so excited about it!:D So then we should have time to change and prepare for dinner. Correct?

I asked about what we do at sail away because the Disney Cruise (only cruise I have done thus far) does a big celebration/sail away party. The characters come out and dance. There is a band playing on deck. We brought bubbles for the kids to blow as we left port. Of course, I do realize that this is a completely different type cruise and atmosphere. We will not have the kids with us. This is meant to be a romantic time for DH and me. I just didn't know if there was a big sail off event or not. I want to make sure not to miss anything important that first day.

[NorthernNeighbour]

First and last night at sea are by tradition casual dress at dinner. This has been true for more than 100 years.

 

No one is expected to dress for dinner until the second night -- then according to whatever the dress code (formal, informal) is for that night.

 

As for the travel documents, your TA should have already (in my opinion) gotten these from HAL. I would say if you have not received them in one more week, you should either try to escalate your request to the owner of the travel agency or contact HAL to find yourself why they have not been forwarded to the agent.

 

As I said earlier, I would just tell the TA that you are not prepared to wait around much longer for the documents to arrive. You perhaps have other things to do and need to get your travel arrangements all finalized within a very few days.

 

If you have made your final payment, then I see no reason for HAL not to issue the documents soon -- since it is less than one month until your departure.

[MikeT718]

As far as embarkation goes HAL has it down to a sicence..from the time you enter the terminal you get on a line that you think you will be on for hours!! but they move you very quickly..Once they have checked your docs and credit card for your on ship purchses. Then your pictuers are taken for your room key / show and sign card..you then as you get ready to board there is a potographer to take you picture apon boarding. Once aboard you will be directed to the Lido for Lunch. At some time between 1:00 and 1:30 (this is general for a 5:00 departure) there will be an announcement that the cabins are now ready..Some time in the next couple of hours your bags will arrive at your cabin..Then you unpack and lastly you

 

Have Fun

and

Enjoy your

Cruise

I hope this was detailed enough for you:)

Any other questions I will try to help

 

The poster is not responseable for spelling:p

[Krazy Kruizers]

If you have booked air through HAL you might not get your documents until 2 weeks before the cruise. HAL waits until the end to book flights.

 

There will be lifeboat drill around 4:15 and a sailaway party on the Lido Deck aft around 4:45 - 5:15.

[SpuddGirl]

TLHB, you should receive your documents within the week. My TA said, and I think I even read it on the website, you will receive approx. 3 weeks before your departure date. For June 4, that would be approx. May 14 but I'll bet you get them a few days sooner. Its hard to wait, but they're coming!!

 

As far as dinner seating, your documents MIGHT state early or late, or it might state what our did recently: Waitlisted. Then you have to wait until you board to find out. Depending on how far in advance you booked, my advice is don't be surprised if you are assigned to late seating. This happened to us and at first we were disappointed, but we just went with it and had a wonderful time staying up late - something we don't often do due to DH's work schedule! If you get late and want early, you can try to change your assignment, but do so as early as possible - if the ship is filled to capacity there might not be much room for them to move, and its pretty much first come, first served. If you booked many months in advance, you may be pleased to find you get just what you requested.

 

You can wear pretty much anything to dinner - except I think shorts, tank tops and thongs - OOPS - I mean flip flops - my daughters cringe in absolute horror when I refer to flip flops for feet as thongs - (MOM - thongs are underwear! gasp!) :eek: - thats what they were called when I was their age!) in the Vista dining room, though I think the first night policy is more lenient than the rest. I saw several people wearing jeans our first night. You should have your luggage by dinner time, but that is not always the case, so if you don't plan to wear your boarding clothes to dinner, which many people do, then take an extra outfit in your carryon luggage. I think the last pc. of our luggage was delivered around 5pm (others were there mid afternoon). Just depends on how busy it is.

 

Sail away is a nice time to be on deck watching the ship leave port - thats what I would recommend! Happy sailing!

[bepsf]

Ahhh, Yes - that magical time between boarding the ship and sailing away...

 

...when one enjoys a nice lunch in the Lido Restaurant,

explores the ship and finds one's stateroom and makes a mental note of where the closest staircases and elevators are,

find the table one has been assigned to in the main dining room,

makes spa & hairstyling appointments for days at sea,

makes grillroom reservations (or confirms reservations made from home)

returns to the stateroom to retrieve lifevests and happily sees that most of the luggage has arrived,

arrives at the lifeboat station early to take funny pictures before the drill - then stands quietly while stateroom numbers are called - responding in a loud voice when one's number is called, then patiently listens to the important info that is offered during the remainder of the drill,

returns the lifevest to the stateroom and runs into the cabin steward where introductions are made with a friendly smile and he inquires as to your dinnertime so that he can make up your beds for the night as you dine,

make your way to the lido to try out your new shipboard card in the Lido Bar on the first of many cocktails (never bother w/ the ones in the souveneir cups),

meet people at the sailaway festivities who will be your new best friends for the week!

:)

[PrincessYoga]

Thanks for posting this thread. My docs as far as I am aware haven't arrived. They are going to my Mother's house in America and she is bringing them). My question is about the loudness of the Captain's announcements. I am hard of hearing and it has happened over the past 18ths or so. I have trouble airport announcements and some loud speakers in shops. I can hear noise but just it is all muffled. Did you think I will be able to hear it? I am not worried when my Mom is there but on the ship I am guessing there won't be screens like in an airport. Thanks..

[jhannah]

No, there are no screens. Announcements aren't piped into the cabins unless it's an emergency or the lifeboat drill announcement. You can tune your cabin TV to a channel that will let you hear what's on the public address system. It's usually the channel that shows the ship's bridge cam ... but check the TV listing in your cabin to be sure. If you're in a public area, you should be able to hear the announcements ... but they may not be loud enough for you.

[PrincessYoga]

Thanks for that information...

 

May I just say....1 month before I leave to meet my Mother in Rome!!! 1 month and 2 days before the cruise...Sorry I am just a bit exicted..

[TLHB]

Thanks for the help everyone. I am getting so excited!!!!!!!!!

I did explain to my TA that I will be leaving to go out of state at the end of May. I will be bringing my daughters to their grandparents' house. They are staying there while DH and I cruise. I explained that I will need the docs by then. I hope that they come this week!

Apparently the embarkation will be easy enough since it sounds as if it will be orderly. I do want to hit the dining room and see our table. I also understand that we will be eating lunch on board at the Lido. About how far into the embarkation time is the drill? I would assume it is late to make sure that everyone is on the ship.

I guess you all can tell that I am a definite type A personality. I am a big planner and I like to be prepared. I do want to relax and enjoy the cruise with DH. I am looking forward to many special moments with him on the trip! I just want to make sure we are prepared for that first day. I know that each day after that we will have the paper/activity guide. I just didn't know about that first day.

I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[kryos]

I was wondering if I should wear something that would be appropriate for dinner because I wasn't sure how long it would take to get our bags.

The first evening is always casual anyway ... and the dining room staff realizes that some people may have not gotten their luggage delivered yet ... especially if they have early seating. So, as long as you are dressed "decently," just about anything (other than shorts, tank tops, etc.) will work for that first night.

 

But, I do have to say that I have never had occasion not to have my luggage before dinner ... even early seating dinner ... on a HAL cruise. But, I guess it could happen ... especially on a large ship where a lot of people arrive for boarding later in the day.

 

As someone else advised, though, don't try to prepare too much. Just relax and go with the flow. Believe me, you'll have a great time.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[unclerich]

As of May 7, we're still waiting for docs for Noordam 5/21 Med!! There's really no excuse - we booked our own air and have assigned cabin from 4 months ago.

I'm sure there coming :confused: .

 

Sometimes an online TA doesn't deliver the customer support.

 

We're still going to the Med!:)

 

Richard