21-day Check-In Math …

[New2cruise2022]

I’ve read plenty of check-in threads, but I’m looking for some confirmation on my 21-day checkin. Embarkation is Jan 22. Does this put my checkin on the wee hours of Jan 1 right after the ball drops on NYE or does this mean I’m up at midnight two nights in a row? 
 

(I’m a night owl so I’m not lamenting late nights, just curious if it happens on the party night or the next.)

 

TIA for indulging my paranoia, my OCD, and my phobia of math. 

[New2cruise2022]

Apologies for the double post here. If there is a Mod in Heaven, please remove. Thanks. 

[KansasTexan]

Is there an advantage to checking in at the 21 day mark? 

Edited December 17, 2022 by KansasTexan
typo

[Niffernay]

I "think" it's midnight of the 21st day before your cruise.  Our cruise leaves on Sunday, January 15, 2023. My plan is to be online at 12:01 on Sunday, December 25, 2022 - I'll just stay up on Christmas Eve. It's easier for me to use the days, i.e., Sunday, instead of counting.  I also have OCD, paranoia, a phobia of math and FOMO on the first check-in time 🙂  Jen

[Niffernay]

1 minute ago, KansasTexan said:

Is there an advantage to checking in at the 21 day mark? 

The sooner you check in, the better chance you have of getting an early check-in time at the port on the day of sailing 🙂 

[roger001]

Unless I'm missing something, why must you check in at exactly the moment of the 21st day?   I assume that 21 day mark is just the earliest you can check in.  Nothing gained of which I'm aware of hurry, hurry.   This isn't like grabbing a seat on SWA.  

 

[Niffernay]

2 minutes ago, roger001 said:

Unless I'm missing something, why must you check in at exactly the moment of the 21st day?   I assume that 21 day mark is just the earliest you can check in.  Nothing gained of which I'm aware of hurry, hurry.   This isn't like grabbing a seat on SWA.  

 

@roger001, - personally, I overthink, overpack, overplan, over-everything (thank you OCD) for our cruise PRIOR to the cruise so that I can completely relax once I hit the gangway.  Part of this is making sure to get the earliest check-in time at the port as possible. Hence, I sit at my computer at 12:01 on the 21-day mark.  Completely unnecessary, but it's part of my MO.  🙂 

[LincolnLog]

Pro tip: if you’re on the west coast you can do it at 9pm 😉

[drwbrt]

15 minutes ago, roger001 said:

Unless I'm missing something, why must you check in at exactly the moment of the 21st day?   I assume that 21 day mark is just the earliest you can check in.  Nothing gained of which I'm aware of hurry, hurry.   This isn't like grabbing a seat on SWA.  

 

You're right that it's not like grabbing a seat on SWA.  My stateroom will be the same no matter what time I arrive.  However, my seat in the comedy club and in the theater are very much like SWA.  I view my cruise from a value perspective.  I paid my cruise fare from 12p (ish) on embarkation to 8a (ish) on disembarkation day.  Anytime spent not on the ship between 12p-4p on embarkation day is value lost.  Everyone cruises their own way.  The sooner I get on the ship, the sooner my drink package is working for me.

[New2cruise2022]

8 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

You're right that it's not like grabbing a seat on SWA.  My stateroom will be the same no matter what time I arrive.  However, my seat in the comedy club and in the theater are very much like SWA.  I view my cruise from a value perspective.  I paid my cruise fare from 12p (ish) on embarkation to 8a (ish) on disembarkation day.  Anytime spent not on the ship between 12p-4p on embarkation day is value lost.  Everyone cruises their own way.  The sooner I get on the ship, the sooner my drink package is working for me.

I’m now contemplating what the checkin at SW would look like if they offered drink packages … ✈️🍹🧉🍻🥂🍷🍾🥃🍸🍺

[Niffernay]

11 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

Anytime spent not on the ship between 12p-4p on embarkation day is value lost.

This 💯☝️

[New2cruise2022]

@Niffernay is my kind of traveler. The one I wave to in the parking lot at the port an hour before it opens while I eat my breakfast in my car and look for porters to take my bag. I’m the king of hurry up and wait. 

[Turtles06]

Tip: it doesn’t happen often, but sometimes the NCL system doesn’t open for check-in at 12:01am ET even though the app and your account on line do have a live “check-in” button/link. You can press it to your heart’s content, but check-in might not be available for hours.   

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, roger001 said:

Unless I'm missing something, why must you check in at exactly the moment of the 21st day?   I assume that 21 day mark is just the earliest you can check in.  Nothing gained of which I'm aware of hurry, hurry.   This isn't like grabbing a seat on SWA.  

 

 

1 hour ago, KansasTexan said:

Is there an advantage to checking in at the 21 day mark? 

Pro Tip: Check-in times at the port are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis as part of online check-in. If you want an early check-in time, doing your online check exactly at Day 21 midnight edt will give you the full selection of times. By Day 20, early check-in times will be sold out. 

Edited December 17, 2022 by BirdTravels

[drwbrt]

11 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Tip: it doesn’t happen often, but sometimes the NCL system doesn’t open for check-in at 12:01am ET even though the app and your account on line do have a live “check-in” button/link. You can press it to your heart’s content, but check-in might not be available for hours.   

My cardiologist thanks you for sharing this pro tip. *click*….*click*…*click click*…*click click click click click click click click*

[New2cruise2022]

18 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Tip: it doesn’t happen often, but sometimes the NCL system doesn’t open for check-in at 12:01am ET even though the app and your account on line do have a live “check-in” button/link. You can press it to your heart’s content, but check-in might not be available for hours.   

This is part of the reason I was trying to ascertain if it is more likely that it is early on the first day of the year or the second. I could see a higher propensity for a technical issue in the opening minutes of the New Year while people are partying. 

[Turtles06]

Something else to consider:  I’ve been on two NCL cruises since the restart, both out of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, and on neither occasion did anyone check guests’ scheduled arrival times. I’m not against having check-in times as a way to manage crowding, but if no one checks for those times, it’s pointless.  

[debenson0723]

42 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Something else to consider:  I’ve been on two NCL cruises since the restart, both out of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, and on neither occasion did anyone check guests’ scheduled arrival times. I’m not against having check-in times as a way to manage crowding, but if no one checks for those times, it’s pointless.  

It really varies by port. Seattle, Athens and LA (twice) all looked at my check-in times and were enforcing them (this was late 2021). Port Canaveral and Southampton did not (this year). I think the longer we are back to cruising, the less important the check-in times are becoming.  Just my experience and observation.

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, debenson0723 said:

I think the longer we are back to cruising, the less important the check-in times are becoming. 

With most ships still sailing well below capacity, it probably doesn't matter as much.  As the ships fill up, they may monitor assigned check in times more closely for crowd control.

[jtdlmc]

We booked NCLs precruise hotel package which includes transfer from the hotel to the port.  Am I right in assuming that we don’t really need to bother with a check-in time since we will get there when the bus takes us?

[JesseB]

On a semi-related but somewhat hi-jack-ish note, what all Docs are needed besides passport number for the E-Checkin...its been a couple years since we have cruised and checkin is tonight/tomorrow.....

[roger001]

I just did a check in and other than the passport numbers, the rest was stored with NCL or just routine questions.  It does ask for you credit card number plus a photo similar to a passport photo.  

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, jtdlmc said:

We booked NCLs precruise hotel package which includes transfer from the hotel to the port.  Am I right in assuming that we don’t really need to bother with a check-in time since we will get there when the bus takes us?

And... when you get off the bus and get to the door, you may have a boy scout checking times,,, and have you sit on the curb until your time. 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, JesseB said:

On a semi-related but somewhat hi-jack-ish note, what all Docs are needed besides passport number for the E-Checkin...its been a couple years since we have cruised and checkin is tonight/tomorrow.....

Passport number and expiration date

photo (looking straight into the camera, blank background, mostly face)

Emergency point of contact

Credit card

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

And... when you get off the bus and get to the door, you may have a boy scout checking times,,, and have you sit on the curb until your time. 

Boy scout??  Aren't they the good guys?