Check-in Time for Haven Guests

[dinkydee718]

Quick question...I have not cruised in a few years. Can you still check-in anytime if you are staying in the Haven? 

[BirdTravels]

You can do online check-in 21 days prior to departure. 

 

At the terminal, you can arrive any time you want. For most cruises, Haven boarding will start around 11:00 am and you will be escorted by the butlers to the Haven before the flood of steerage passengers clog the gangway. 

Edited July 28 by BirdTravels

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, dinkydee718 said:

Quick question...I have not cruised in a few years. Can you still check-in anytime if you are staying in the Haven? 

Your check in time is provided when you do your online checkin 21 days before sailing. Until you are in the terminal everyone is treated the same. 

[Wayward Son]

2 hours ago, zqvol said:

Your check in time is provided when you do your online checkin 21 days before sailing. Until you are in the terminal everyone is treated the same. 

 

Your "arrival time" will be provided. Your check-in time will depend on the line of people in front of you. Your Haven boarding time (assuming you're through the check-in line) will be among the first whenever boarding begins.

 

[Seminole1975]

14 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

You can do online check-in 21 days prior to departure. 

 

At the terminal, you can arrive any time you want. For most cruises, Haven boarding will start around 11:00 am and you will be escorted by the butlers to the Haven before the flood of steerage passengers clog the gangway. 

That was not our experience in Portugal last year. We waited in line with everyone else (for about 2 hours!)until we went thru security then the Haven experience began. There was another couple behind us in the Haven as well but we did not see any other option but to wait in the long line. We made new friends tho’ We got to the ship around 11. 

[graphicguy]

Good points.  You have to get through security before you can cue up in the Haven waiting area.  There is NOT a separate line for anyone to get through security.

 

The previous guests all have to be disembarked before anyone can embark.

 

Once through security, you can go to the Haven waiting area.  

 

I agree with Bird....probably 11:00-ish!

[drew69]

33 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Good points.  You have to get through security before you can cue up in the Haven waiting area.  There is NOT a separate line for anyone to get through security.

 

The previous guests all have to be disembarked before anyone can embark.

 

Once through security, you can go to the Haven waiting area.  

 

I agree with Bird....probably 11:00-ish!

It varies port to port.  This year in Piraeus, our car pulled up, the porter came over to take the bags out of the van and saw the Haven tags.  Called someone over with a clipboard who checked our names and escorted us to a separate security line and then directly to the Haven seating area

[Kortehgehn]

37 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

There is NOT a separate line for anyone to get through security.

For the record, there is absolutely a separate Haven security line at the MCT.  However, I am not sure about other ports.  I thought I had read that Port Canaveral had a tent outside the terminal for Haven guests, but I am not sure about that one. 

 

Interestingly, we just got a letter from NCL about check-in times for our cruise next week on the Jade out of Canaveral.   It stated that guests would not be allowed entry into the terminal early:

 

"To avoid congestion at the port and ensure the smoothest embarkation possible, all guests are asked to arrive at the time selected during online check-in.

Please note, all pre-selected arrival times will be strictly enforced; guests arriving prior to their pre-selected time will not be granted early entry."

 

So this is different from what is stated on NCL's website, which states that you can arrive within an hour of your designated time.  Not sure how it works when multiple guests in the same stateroom have different times.  I suppose we will find out this weekend.

Edited July 29 by Kortehgehn

[graphicguy]

10 minutes ago, drew69 said:

It varies port to port.  This year in Piraeus, our car pulled up, the porter came over to take the bags out of the van and saw the Haven tags.  Called someone over with a clipboard who checked our names and escorted us to a separate security line and then directly to the Haven seating area

Must depend on the port.  I've never had a separate security line for Haven in any of the ports I've sailed out of on NCL.  I always had to go through security BEFORE getting to the check in for Haven guests.

[Laszlo]

18 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Must depend on the port.  I've never had a separate security line for Haven in any of the ports I've sailed out of on NCL.  I always had to go through security BEFORE getting to the check in for Haven guests.

Once.... in January 2023 on the Getaway out of NYC they had a separate security line for Haven guest. It was really nice, my wife and I were the only ones to going thru it, while their were hundreds of other people using the other 3-4 lines. In Boston everyone used one of two security line. It was fine, however I have never had to take out dam near half the contents of my backpack. They needed to see my laptop and camera gear in those little gray boxes you put your stuff in. I said to one of the guys working isn't this what going thru the x ray machine is for? Needless to say he wasn't amused Lol

[mthayer295]

Our experience in Haven on Prima last August in Iceland mirrors those who have indicated that there was not a separate security line. In fact the line was very long and we stood in the rain,   I asked one security attendant if there was a line for Haven and he was so rude to me - he basically said something to the effect of “why would you think you are better than anyone else”.  I certainly wasn’t suggesting I am better than anyone else but rather trying to determine if there was a line for Haven as I had paid quite a bit more for that experience and had the impression it included “priority boarding”.  I had not been made aware that security didn’t include that. 

[dinkydee718]

1 hour ago, Kortehgehn said:

Interestingly, we just got a letter from NCL about check-in times for our cruise next week on the Jade out of Canaveral.   It stated that guests would not be allowed entry into the terminal early:

Yes--this is why I'm asking! We have always been able to show up at the terminal whenever we want to and now it looks like we need to abide by the on-line check-in time. I am fine waiting till the afternoon but was just curious if we had the option to go earlier like we used to. TY!

[Landl cruiser]

9 hours ago, Kortehgehn said:

For the record, there is absolutely a separate Haven security line at the MCT.  However, I am not sure about other ports.  I thought I had read that Port Canaveral had a tent outside the terminal for Haven guests, but I am not sure about that one. 

 

Interestingly, we just got a letter from NCL about check-in times for our cruise next week on the Jade out of Canaveral.   It stated that guests would not be allowed entry into the terminal early:

 

"To avoid congestion at the port and ensure the smoothest embarkation possible, all guests are asked to arrive at the time selected during online check-in.

Please note, all pre-selected arrival times will be strictly enforced; guests arriving prior to their pre-selected time will not be granted early entry."

 

So this is different from what is stated on NCL's website, which states that you can arrive within an hour of your designated time.  Not sure how it works when multiple guests in the same stateroom have different times.  I suppose we will find out this weekend.

 

Miami has a booth and Port Canaveral has a tent outside for Haven and Suite (Not Mini Suites) guests to check in and bypass the long lines .  Not difficult to find, but not easy either.  Coming out of the parking garage, it is easy, but with shuttle buses you have to walk around the lines to find the booth/tent.

 

Edited July 30 by Landl cruiser

[complawyer]

in the past, whenever there were ncl personnel out side the area, i have always walked up to them, advised that we were staying  in a haven or a suite, and they escorted me right to the front.

 

usually, however, other than a couple of embarkation ports, the lines werent that long, and they moved pretty quickly. as others have stated, after security check in, right to the haven check in area. then someone comes within 10-15 minutes to escort you on board. usually for a quiet lunch/ drink(s) at cagney's

[BirdTravels]

On 7/28/2024 at 5:43 PM, dinkydee718 said:

Quick question...I have not cruised in a few years. Can you still check-in anytime if you are staying in the Haven? 

So,,, I assumed that you were sailing on the Joy out of NYC. 

 

If you are, you do not stand in the steerage line for Security. Your Haven treatment starts as soon as you enter the terminal.

 

You have a special security line for Haven guests. You will complete a facial recognition scan before proceeding to x-ray and metal detection. Once through security, you proceed about 3/4 the way down the terminal for the dedicated Haven check-in desk. You will be escorted from the Haven lounge in the terminal to the Haven Horizons Lounge on the ship. 

 

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

On 7/29/2024 at 11:29 AM, graphicguy said:

Must depend on the port.  I've never had a separate security line for Haven in any of the ports I've sailed out of on NCL.  I always had to go through security BEFORE getting to the check in for Haven guests.

A pre-security line may depend on the port or you may just have to ask. In Barcelona we had to ask. Two out of three times in New York there was a Haven line. In Miami there is a Haven line. 

[Joan18]

On 7/29/2024 at 10:42 AM, graphicguy said:

Good points.  You have to get through security before you can cue up in the Haven waiting area.  There is NOT a separate line for anyone to get through security.

 

The previous guests all have to be disembarked before anyone can embark.

 

Once through security, you can go to the Haven waiting area.  

 

I agree with Bird....probably 11:00-ish!

Exactly. Port personnel don't work for the cruise line. 

[dexddd]

Having a Haven security line varies by port.  

[xkritter]

Does Seattle have a Haven security line?

[RocketMan275]

On 7/29/2024 at 8:02 AM, Seminole1975 said:

That was not our experience in Portugal last year. We waited in line with everyone else (for about 2 hours!)until we went thru security then the Haven experience began. There was another couple behind us in the Haven as well but we did not see any other option but to wait in the long line. We made new friends tho’ We got to the ship around 11. 

That's been our experience in New Orleans as well.

[erisajd]

2 hours ago, xkritter said:

Does Seattle have a Haven security line?

Yes.  Stay to the right as you enter the port building - do NOT get in the line on the left. 

[Sand and Seas]

3 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

That's been our experience in New Orleans as well.

That's not good news😔

If any Port needed a special Haven line it would be Nola.   We love to cruise from there but embarkation has had its problems.  Will finally be in Haven for upcoming winter cruise.  Guess it won't be as smooth as Miami 🙄

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, Sand and Seas said:

That's not good news😔

If any Port needed a special Haven line it would be Nola.   We love to cruise from there but embarkation has had its problems.  Will finally be in Haven for upcoming winter cruise.  Guess it won't be as smooth as Miami 🙄

We've cruised NOLA twice.

In 2022, we arrived at the Port around 0945.  We stood in line for security for over an hour.  Once through security, things were fine.  We boarded about 30 minutes later, around 1115.  This was back when NOLA was playing Covid.  They had port personnel policing proper mask wearing until you checked in.  We had to show show our boarding passes, COVID vaccination cards, passports, etc., to Port personnel at least four times prior to checkin.

In 2023, it was much smoother.  We learned out lesson and didn't arrive at the port until 1100.  Much reduced lines and we boarded around 1130.

 

The major problem with NOLA is the fact that it wasn't designed for ships as large as Breakaway.

[ryarger]

11 hours ago, erisajd said:

Yes.  Stay to the right as you enter the port building - do NOT get in the line on the left. 

In a lot of of the videos I’ve seen of boarding in Seattle, the line stretches far outside the building down the sidewalk.

 

Does the Haven line get to skip that or do you stay in that outside line until you get to the doors then go into the Haven side?

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, ryarger said:

In a lot of of the videos I’ve seen of boarding in Seattle, the line stretches far outside the building down the sidewalk.

 

Does the Haven line get to skip that or do you stay in that outside line until you get to the doors then go into the Haven side?

We always get to Seattle early enough to just walk in the door. There is no special line outside, you have to get inside the door to move to Haven Check-in.

 

This was 2023, and there was no one in line outside (we were in the Haven).