Bayport: best time to arrive at port?

[anonmom]

I've almost completed the online check-in for our January Jade cruise, but I can't decide on a port arrival time.

 

We are staying at the IAH Marriott on Friday night, and our reservation includes breakfast and late checkout until 1 pm.

 

The Jade sails from Bayport at 4, and NCL says we need to be on board 2 hours early, but the last port arrival time slot is actually 2:30-3 pm. :?

 

We could have a leisurely breakfast at around 9, and then swim in the hotel pool until noon, be out of the room and in an Uber by 1, and to the port by 2. I would probably still pick the last port arrival time, just so my super-anxious boyfriend doesn't have a panic attack.

 

Would that work? Or will everyone else be waiting until the last minute, too, making lines really long at that time?

 

Is there a time that is less crowded than other times? Or would we have to be there super early if we wanted to beat the crowds? (Something I'm definitely not willing to do.)

[Rudyard]

When we sailed out of there last year we arrived a little after 1100. The line inside the terminal waiting to go through security looked pretty bad (it wound all the way to the doors) but actually moved quicker than I thought it would. Once through there it took maybe 45 minutes or so to get through the check in line. We were on the ship about 1230.

[anonmom]

When we sailed out of there last year we arrived a little after 1100. The line inside the terminal waiting to go through security looked pretty bad (it wound all the way to the doors) but actually moved quicker than I thought it would. Once through there it took maybe 45 minutes or so to get through the check in line. We were on the ship about 1230.

 

Hmm, 90 minutes seems annoying, but doable. Does anyone know if the lines tend to get longer as the day goes on, though?

[rvsullivan]

No, most people want to be on the ship as early as possible. The lines are shortest near sail away time. Bear in mind, the arrival time in your documents is just a suggestion, no one enforces it at all. We always board before or near 11 am.

[anonmom]

No, most people want to be on the ship as early as possible. The lines are shortest near sail away time. Bear in mind, the arrival time in your documents is just a suggestion, no one enforces it at all. We always board before or near 11 am.

 

Good to hear! I do understand the desire for one's vacation to officially start as soon as possible, but our room rate includes breakfast and the hotel has a pool, so it doesn't really make sense to wake up early and rush across town just to have to wait in line. So I picked the last port arrival time, 2:30-3.

 

Almost all checked in now! Just need to wait until my boyfriend's passport arrives so that I can put the number on the reservation and print out our boarding passes. :)

[Rudyard]

Hmm, 90 minutes seems annoying, but doable. Does anyone know if the lines tend to get longer as the day goes on, though?

 

Waiting in line time was closer to a little over an hour. When I say we got there around 1100, I meant that's the time we arrived on the property. We dropped off our bags, pulled around to the parking lot (where we had to wait a few minutes behind people who hadn't prepaid and held things up), walked back over to the terminal, then finally got into the security line.

[anonmom]

Waiting in line time was closer to a little over an hour. When I say we got there around 1100, I meant that's the time we arrived on the property. We dropped off our bags, pulled around to the parking lot (where we had to wait a few minutes behind people who hadn't prepaid and held things up), walked back over to the terminal, then finally got into the security line.

 

Gotcha. We're just taking an Uber, so we won't have any of that to deal with.

[txjim09]

A bit off topic...

 

For the Princess 4-day cruise last week, it helped to prepay parking, at least by the time we arrived. About 5 cars in front of us and still a bit of a distance from the parking booth, staff started asking people if they had the receipt and directed them into the lot through a side entrance. This was 12:30 or so, everyone before that were directed through the booth, prepay or not.