multi departure ports...question

[Peggy Sue]

We've been looking at a Panama canal cruise next spring that departs from Port Canaveral or Fort Lauderdale..one day apart. When we arrive on the west coast, we can choose to depart from CA, Orgegon or Canada, as the Zaandam will be positioned for the Alaska cruise season at the end of this cruise.

 

Having only experience with 7 day or shorter cruises in the past, how does the cruise line handle passengers departing, coming on board etc at multi locations? What happens to the "welcome buffet", the life boat drill, sail away party etc? How disruptive to the flow of the cruise is all this coming and going?

 

Thanks!

 

Peggy Sue

[elmorejj]

On our Sprring repo cruise on the Zaandam, the only debarc. port was Los Angeles. About 400 pax debarced, and the same number came aboard. They had their own Muster drill, and there was no disruption to the rest of the pax. The only thing I found funny, was to see these pax wrapped up in blankets laying by the pool for two days! it really was not chilly and the cover was in place over the lido pool.....jean :cool:

[Joanne G.]

I sailed on the Norwegian Star in Hawaii when you could board for a 7-day cruise in either Honolulu on Sunday or Maui on Friday. The vast majority embarked in Honolulu. We embarked in Maui and loved it - check-in was a breeze with so few of us. We had a lifeboat drill on Friday in one of the lounges, and could blithely skip the main drill on Sunday. It was a little odd seeing the farewell show on our second night and the welcome dinner halfway into the cruise, but overall it worked great for us. They thoughtfully provided excursions for us in Honolulu, since that was a port stop for us. We had a special line in the terminal in Honolulu, too, so we could get on and off separatly without being detained by the disembarking and check-in process for everyone else. Getting off was a breeze, too. We had an evening flight, and were allowed to stay onboard as long as we wanted since it wasn't the big turnaround day for the crew.

 

Ultimately, NCL discontinued the Maui option. I'm not surprised. It seemed like extra work for them, and I'm thinking it must have resulted in some empty cabins between Fridays and Sundays.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

We have been on several cruises where passengers got off in one port while others got on. We never noticed anything going on. Their luggage was taken off the ship while the rest of us got ready to go ashore and do our own thing. Also those getting on the ship - never saw their luggage put on the ship. They receive instructions when their lifeboat drill be will held when they get on the ship. As for sail-away parties - if there happens to be one for that night - then they can go to it. Otherwise they just wait until a port when there is one.

:)