Hour before?

[Davideb]

NCL's website says that at each port, passengers must be on board an hour before scheduled departure time. Is this true? What if you show up 30-40 minutes before scheduled departure?

[bakerintn]

I think a lot depends on the port / country regulations themselves.

 

They have the right to deny you boarding and to leave without you.

 

If you want to find out, try it. The only thing that you have to lose is the cost of transportation to the next port, lodging and meals overnight and possible issues with not having your passport with you. Seems worth it to have time for one more umbrella drink before you board, doesn't it??

[biker@sea]

What happens if you get to the pier 30 min before sailing and have a 40 min problem with a foreign countries customs officer???

[Don Haynes]

Usually customs delay you debarking a ship, not embarking... Even if they did delay you, I can't understand how it would take more than five minutes to straighten out any problems, unless you are being arrested... The simple answer is not to wait until the last minute to board the ship... I plan getting back to the ship with 90 minutes to spare...

 

The ship will depart on time... The ship will wait for a late ship sponsored shore excursion, but that is it...

 

Its actually interesting to watch passengers run to get back to the ship when they are late... Its also interesting to watch as the ship sails without them with them on the pier...

 

Don't be late, and be aware of the time at all times. Wear a watch...

[alwalaska]

That is a poorly placed message. For the embarkation port, all passengers must be on the ship at least an hour before the ship sails. I know this is true in at least every port in the US due to Homeland Security regulations.

 

In most ports of call, the all aboard is 30 minutes before the departure time which is what is typically advertised on the cruise web site.

 

Be careful and check the all aboard time before getting off the ship in each port because it can change. Also, make sure that your watch has the ship time and not the port time if there is a difference.

 

I had questions on this before our last cruise as well.

[LJH1]

That is a poorly placed message. For the embarkation port, all passengers must be on the ship at least an hour before the ship sails. I know this is true in at least every port in the US due to Homeland Security regulations.

 

In most ports of call, the all aboard is 30 minutes before the departure time which is what is typically advertised on the cruise web site.

 

Be careful and check the all aboard time before getting off the ship in each port because it can change. Also, make sure that your watch has the ship time and not the port time if there is a difference.

 

I had questions on this before our last cruise as well.

There is many places to find when you have to be back at any particular port

1) It's always annouced over the pa

2) it will be posted in your "freestyle daily"

3) it will be mounted in a stand as your disembarking ship

If you miss all of this ask on the way out.

[iheartbda]

There is many places to find when you have to be back at any particular port

1) It's always annouced over the pa

2) it will be posted in your "freestyle daily"

3) it will be mounted in a stand as your disembarking ship

If you miss all of this ask on the way out.

And people STILL manage to be late.:p

[DAGVBSB]

Tender ports have early last calls because you can't miss that last tender boat.

 

I always love to hear the PA announcement about 20 minutes before sailing... "will the following guests please call the Recepion Desk if you are on board"..... followed by a list of 5-10 names. It is good to know the names of those who are draggng their feet to get back on board...lol.

[mitsugirly]

NCL's website says that at each port, passengers must be on board an hour before scheduled departure time. Is this true? What if you show up 30-40 minutes before scheduled departure?

 

Here's what happens if you are late: :D http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=936118

[alwalaska]

In Antigua, RCCL changed the time we were arriving in port after we arranged our private tour. Our guide said he would make the adjustments necessary and meet us an hour later than originally planned.

 

Our all aboard time was 4:30pm for a 5pm departure. In the other ports we had been in, you could usually see the ship quite a while before arriving back. At 4:05, several of us started getting nervous and asked how much longer. He said just a few more minutes, but we were a mess with each minute that passed. There were 8 of us from our roll call that booked this tour together.

 

True to his word, he pulled up at the parking lot near the dock at 4:15. We all ran back to the ship. We were on well before many others, but I don't ever want to be that close again.

[LateCruiser]

And people STILL manage to be late.:p

 

It's amazing what a few drinks can do to your sense of time.

[Don Haynes]

Simply put, the cruise ship has to leave on the evening tide, or morning tide at many ports of call... The cruise line has no intentions of paying more for an extended pier time either... The needs of the many are much more important than the needs for one late person...

 

Don't be late! Return to the ship early, and leave time to replace a flat tire with a spare. Expect an accident which could tie up traffic and delay your return 30 minutes or more...

 

I plan to return at least 90 minutes before the ship departs... I have had only one close call, and that was with a ship sponsored shore excursion...

[bethaniesmom]

i always plan on being back at least an hour before we depart. gives me time to get a drink and make my way to a railing where I can watch the last minute people running to get back on as the gangway is being disassembled!

 

Beverly

[LJH1]

And people STILL manage to be late.:p

 

You should have said drunk and late.

[NMLady]

I think a lot depends on the port / country regulations themselves.

 

They have the right to deny you boarding and to leave without you.

 

If you want to find out, try it. The only thing that you have to lose is the cost of transportation to the next port, lodging and meals overnight and possible issues with not having your passport with you. Seems worth it to have time for one more umbrella drink before you board, doesn't it??

 

The 'hour before' rule is for EMBARKATION, not for ports. It's because the TSA requires a passenger manifest.

For ports, the 'aboard' time is posted at the gangway as well as in the ship's newsletter for the day. It's usually 30 minutes before departure.