Info on a different boarding procedure

[kasowell2]

We are looking at a cruise from Reykjavik to Boston on the Eclipse. The question I have it says boarding is August 16 but it overnights there and leaves on the 17th at 5:00 pm. How does that work? Are you allowed to leave after checking in? Do they offer excursions that day and the next? I’m sure someone here has done a cruise that starts this way so help educate me so I can go ahead and book it. I will book it anyway I just want to know

[Mr. Click]

We are on that trip and to simplify it, think of the ship as your Reykjavik hotel for the night of the 16th.   Once you are checked in you can come and go as you like until all aboard on the 17th.  I am not sure about Reykjavik but other places we have done overnights the gangways have been open 24 hours a day so I am assuming it the same, hoping it is the same.  We are coming in a few days early, renting a car to tour on our own and there appears to be lots of parking around the port area where we can leave the car overnight on the 16th

[Arizona Wildcat]

Be aware of a couple things in Reykjavik. 

Rental cars will be in short supply.  Book ahead.  If you can find a rental company that will pick you up AND DROP YOU OFF go for it.

There are also very few taxis and they are scary expensive.  Taxis only take credit/debit cards.  No need for cash.

The pier is a 45 minute walk from the center of Reykjavik.  A bit longer to the National Museum which is excellent. 

Parking near the pier overnight is easy.  As said most rental agencies are near the downtown airport which is not near the pier.

[Northern Aurora]

We are also on the same cruise and that leg is the second leg of a B2B.  We have overnighted in Reykjavik on a prior series of cruises, and yes indeed, it was handled exactly the same as Celebrity has handled every overnight port call — the ship gangway will be open all night.  People are free to leave at their leisure.

 

We have also rented a car for an overnight at Reykjavik.  Great amount of safe overnight parking at the cruise terminal.  We did not need to pick up the rental from the airport.  It was delivered to the cruise terminal.  Two different car rental agencies had kiosks at the cruise terminal for those who had booked cars.

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, Northern Aurora said:

We are also on the same cruise and that leg is the second leg of a B2B.  We have overnighted in Reykjavik on a prior series of cruises, and yes indeed, it was handled exactly the same as Celebrity has handled every overnight port call — the ship gangway will be open all night.  People are free to leave at their leisure.

 

We have also rented a car for an overnight at Reykjavik.  Great amount of safe overnight parking at the cruise terminal.  We did not need to pick up the rental from the airport.  It was delivered to the cruise terminal.  Two different car rental agencies had kiosks at the cruise terminal for those who had booked cars.

We rented a car and drove the "Golden Circle". The nice lady at the checkin desk put all the main stopping points into the car SatNav because as she said "all the names sound and look almost identical even though they maybe on opposite sides of the country. 

[Northern Aurora]

1 minute ago, the penguins said:

We rented a car and drove the "Golden Circle". The nice lady at the checkin desk put all the main stopping points into the car SatNav because as she said "all the names sound and look almost identical even though they maybe on opposite sides of the country. 

We have done two land trips to Iceland and one prior cruise.  We have actually driven the Golden Circle twice.  My husband is a geologist so the rift valley is fascinating.  For those not familiar google it.  We have found driving in Iceland to be very easy since there are not that many roads.

[Miaminice]

We rented cars in all ports of Iceland on two cruises. Always used holdur.is the representative of Europcar. 
We can HIGHLY recommend them.

 

When you book on the Holdur website you can choose the port as pick up point.