POH - Embarkation question

[honeyMoon07]

Hello,

 

I was wondering if people can get off the ship after going through embarkation process. I'm planning to board the ship around 3pm so that I can make reservations to the specialty restaurants. Since the ship doesn't sail until 8pm, I would like to get off the ship and explore surroundings of the port. Has anybody done this?

 

Thanks

[jerseyjk]

Isn't the madatory muster drill at 4:30ish? Might put a damper on your plans.

[Don Haynes]

The problem with Hawaii is you'll miss the mandatory muster drill in Honolulu, and you would have to return by 7 PM for a 8 PM departure. If you miss the muster drill, you'll have to do the make up muster drill the second day, ruining any planned excursions on the first island. There aren't any sea days in Hawaii, which makes Hawaiian cruises slightly different than other cruises.

[honeyMoon07]

LOL... I forgot about those muster drills. Do you know what is the earliest we can get on the ship?

 

Thanks

[Browezilla]

After embarcation you can leave, I've done it on a number of ships, but wow, that's an early muster drill!

 

On most ships I've been on you can board by noon or so, but this is the first NCL ship I've been on.

 

Is it true you have to be back on board 1 hr before departure? All ships I've been on (even in Europe), have been 1/2 hr.

[Don Haynes]

That is the problem with Hawaii. Since they can get to the next island easily overnight, the ships stay in port later, sometimes overngiht. Fpr many this is a plus having much more time ashore with less time aboard ship.

 

On most cruises the second day is the first sea day, with no shore time expected and muster drills can easily be made up. On a Hawaiian cruise the second day is not a sea day, and who would want to make up a muster drill on a shore day?

 

Usually ships leave at 4 PM or 5 PM and have muster drills just before they depart. In Hawaii they wish to do the muster drill early while there is sufficent daylight instead of doing it at dusk or after sundown.

 

I would say get off the ship and enjoy the city everywhere else, but not in Hawai. I wouldn't want to do a make up muster drill whatsoever in Hawaii.

[bookbabe]

I was wondering if people can get off the ship after going through embarkation process. I'm planning to board the ship around 3pm so that I can make reservations to the specialty restaurants. Since the ship doesn't sail until 8pm, I would like to get off the ship and explore surroundings of the port. Has anybody done this?

 

We did this for the Dec. 25 PoH and didn't have any problems with it. You've got tons of time in the afternoon to explore the shops by the pier, etc. before having to be back on board. Yes, we had to wait in the security line again, but it was nowhere near as long later in the day as it was in the early afternoon. (We were even back on board in time for the muster drill, which is around 5pm, but we boarded around 1pm and had lunch first before going back on shore.)