Boarding time - 1st time on HAL

[JohnCoffield]

Hi all, we are new cruisers to HAL & are on Noordam on March 11th leaving Sydney for a 2 week cruise. We've just received our boarding time - 3:40pm. I know I'm a first time cruiser with HAL but on the previous cruises I've been on (10) I've never had a time as late as this. 

Any comments or suggestions are most welcome.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

That does sound late. What time is the ship scheduled to sail?

 

I have only sailed on HAL out of US and Canada ports. People start showing up at 10:00 or 10:30 and nobody checks boarding time.

 

I don't know if Sydney enforces boarding times. You might try the ports of call boards and ask how boarding is typically handled in Sydney. 

[Cruise NH]

Wow that's late.  I can only tell you what we would do...which is arrive when we felt like it.  The worse that can happen is that they make you wait but at least you're there and will probably get in earlier then that time as the crowds will lighten considerably by 2ish.

[lissie]

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Edited February 27, 2023 by lissie

[lissie]

11 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

That does sound late. What time is the ship scheduled to sail?

 

I have only sailed on HAL out of US and Canada ports. People start showing up at 10:00 or 10:30 and nobody checks boarding time.

 

I don't know if Sydney enforces boarding times. You might try the ports of call boards and ask how boarding is typically handled in Sydney. 

If she is sailing from Circular Quay - she's not allowed to leave until after 7pm - as they have to briefly pause the commuter ferries to let her out 

[FlaMariner]

15 hours ago, JohnCoffield said:

We've just received our boarding time - 3:40pm. I know I'm a first time cruiser with HAL but on the previous cruises I've been on (10) I've never had a time as late as this. 

 

So all I can pass along is my past experience.......

 

We've cruised out of Fort Lauderdale and Rotterdam since the unpleasantness and we never paid any attention to our boarding times (always 1pm or later) and showed up around 10am (perhaps 9:30am sometime) and we were always welcomed to check in and board (once boarding began at 11:30am) and did not have to wait at the curb/outside/in a line, etc. 

 

...And welcome aboard Holland America Line...have a great cruise.