Questions from a New HA cruiser

[mdeering]

I have previously only cruised NCL and have loved it. But I want to try something new. I have questions:

 

NCL has available a "bar set-up". You can order ahead of time bottles (liter) to be delivered to your room. They are pricey, but still cheaper than going to a bar. Is this available on HA?

 

On NCL you have to board 2 hours prior to embarkation. Is this the same on HA?

 

How long does disembarkation take in FLL? How is it done? Can you remain in your room or do you have to gather somewhere else?

 

How big are the aft VA balconies on Eurodam?

 

Thank You,

Marilyn

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes you can pre-order Alcohol for your cabin from Ship Services - 1-800-541- 1576.

Or you can wait until you board the ship and order it from room service.

They are liter bottles.

Keep in mind that no matter wheather you order it from Ship Services or from room service, in Ft Lauderdale there will be a 15% gratuity added on as well as a 6% Florida tax.

[Krazy Kruizers]

If you do your immigration form online then you need to be on the ship about 90 minutes before the ship sails.

In Ft Lauderdale the lifeboat drill is at 4:15.

Disembarkation goes very quickly if the ship arrives on time and there haven't been any problems.

Within the first full day of the cruise you will receive a form letter asking about your disembarkation plans. Here you indicate whether you are taking your luggage off yourself, needing to make an ealy flight (please do not book anything before Noon), if you are going to be independent and go to a hotel or to your car. Depending on what you check off, depends on when you will disembark. You will get this information near the end of the cruise as to the time you are to disembark.

yes -- you can remain in your cabin until it is time for you to disembark.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry I can't answer anything about the balcony for a VA.

We only book SA's.

[mdeering]

Krazy Kruisers- Thank you very much for the reply.

[cf_chuck]

I have previously only cruised NCL and have loved it. But I want to try something new. I have questions:

 

NCL has available a "bar set-up". You can order ahead of time bottles (liter) to be delivered to your room. They are pricey, but still cheaper than going to a bar. Is this available on HA?

 

HAL has a selection of liquor that can be ordered ahead of time or through room services. If you have a particular mix you want, you might think about packing it.

 

On NCL you have to board 2 hours prior to embarkation. Is this the same on HA?

 

I think the current policy is to be on board an hour before departure, but there are some things that are required at least 90 minutes before departure that can be handled in most cases with advanced check in. I'd suggest that you plan on being on board 90 mins ahead to be safe.

 

How long does disembarkation take in FLL? How is it done? Can you remain in your room or do you have to gather somewhere else?

 

You can remain in your room. The length of time it takes depends on a lot of different factors. If you are carrying your luggage off, you have the first shot AFTER everyone has settled their ship accounts. If you have a flight and are using the HAL transfer, HAL sets up the timing. FLL is a busy place so I suggest you check on other ships disembarking on the same day. http://porttime.com/

[cf_chuck]

Yes you can pre-order Alcohol for your cabin from Ship Services - 1-800-541- 1576.

 

Or you can wait until you board the ship and order it from room service.

 

They are liter bottles.

 

Nine minutes.

 

 

Keep in mind that no matter wheather you order it from Ship Services or from room service, in Ft Lauderdale there will be a 15% gratuity added on as well as a 6% Florida tax.

 

From what I understand, the Florida tax can be avoided by asking for the purchase to be delivered after departure and outside FL territorial waters. A minor point.

[mdeering]

C F Chuck, Thank you for the reply. We were trying to figure out flights. There is a nice non-stop arriving at 2:40 PM. I just worry about depending on the airlines to get me any where when they say they will.

 

Marilyn

[cf_chuck]

C F Chuck, Thank you for the reply. We were trying to figure out flights. There is a nice non-stop arriving at 2:40 PM. I just worry about depending on the airlines to get me any where when they say they will.

 

Marilyn

 

You're welcome. A 2:40 flight is tight for a 5PM departure even though the airport is close to the port. For a (hypothetical) 5PM departure you need to be on board the ship not later than 4 assuming everything is in order. If you carry on your bags and if you are seated in the front, you can make it to the taxis in 20-30 mins. Not a problem if things are on time. If you check bags, it doesn't matter where you sit, but my experience has been in FLL of a wait for 45 mins to claim bags and another 10 for the taxi, so we're talking an hour roughly. After the cab ride (10 - 15 mins) and the offloading of baggage (5 mins) and the check in (assuming no lines since it's late so we'll give it 10 mins if you run the gauntlet) you're out of time. If you want to take the flight, I hope you have a later departure.

[jtl513]

IMO, a 2:40p ETA is WAY too tight!! :eek: :eek: It doesn't take much these days to make a flight 30 minutes or more late departing, and there's just too many small things that could add up to your missing the ship. Remember, if you get there at just 4:01p you could be denied boarding because CBP says they must have everyone on board 1 hour prior to departure.

[sail7seas]

Please rethink plans to take a flight arriving so late. You are really taking a huge risk.

 

Luggage delivery on the carousels in FLL can be very slow. Even if the flight arrives exactly on time, you are cutting it way too close IMO

 

[norcal2]

C F Chuck, Thank you for the reply. We were trying to figure out flights. There is a nice non-stop arriving at 2:40 PM. I just worry about depending on the airlines to get me any where when they say they will.

 

Marilyn

 

We booked a non-stop some time ago with Delta and our flight has been changed 7 times now and we don't leave until February. To be sure most of the changes were minor but at this point our one-way non-stop with a one-stop return has turned into a one-stop with a two stop return. The rest of the changes were for minor time changes and plane changes.

 

If this is now the norm, you may want to make sure you have plenty of tine for the changes. If the lines say they are changing you and time is not good, be sure and ask to see better flights to fit your schedule. It is a little crazy right now.

[Boytjie]

C F Chuck, Thank you for the reply. We were trying to figure out flights. There is a nice non-stop arriving at 2:40 PM. I just worry about depending on the airlines to get me any where when they say they will.

 

Marilyn

 

Oh, I would not fly in that close to departure! I would fly in at least a day early. All you need is canceled flight, a delay at a stop over, bad weather or mechanical problems that could make you miss your cruise. It may be 2 or 3 days into the cruise before you may be able to join it. And for a 7 day cruise that is just not worth it (I don't know how long your cruise is).

[jtl513]

Oh, I would not fly in that close to departure! I would fly in at least a day early.

Right! Take the "nice non-stop arriving at 2:40 PM" on the day before! :)

[NetwrkEng]

Allow me to add my voive to those saying do not try for it with a 2:40 arrival. The cost of staying the night before is going to look very small when 4:00 has come and gone and you realize your not going to make it.

 

If there are other circumstances that just will not allow you to come in the night before then I would advise rescheduling the trip or at least try for something that gets you in well before noon.

 

Back in the "old days" that would be VERY close but in today's airline environment you are really setting yourself up.

 

Check out this thread for a recent "we missed it". Good read too.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=809473

[NetwrkEng]

Hmmm OP never returned. Wonder if we scared them off of the 2:40 flight? Just curious. I'll bump it up and see if we get an answer.

[mdeering]

Thank you all for responding. You are right-we would be insane to arrive that close. I felt sure about that, but I needed some ammunition to convince my very optimistic friend.

 

We have also come to our senses about doing a second cruise this year. I did manage to get the time off work (but with a alot of heming and hawing).

 

So the plan now is to take a cruise on the Nordam next fall, and arrive in Ft. Lauderdale the day before. We are already getting excited about it.

 

We have loved the 2 NCL cruises we have been on. But we like to be in a suite, and for 2 old friends who travel together but don't want to sleep together, NCL's queen beds (no sofa bed) are not cutting it. Holland looks like a good fit for us.

 

Thank you again,

Marilyn

[Taxguy7]

IMO, a 2:40p ETA is WAY too tight!! :eek: :eek: It doesn't take much these days to make a flight 30 minutes or more late departing, and there's just too many small things that could add up to your missing the ship. Remember, if you get there at just 4:01p you could be denied boarding because CBP says they must have everyone on board 1 hour prior to departure.

 

We flew Houston-Miami last year and booked air through the cruise company. I paid an extra fee to change to a non-stop, but the plane could not land in Houston due to weather:eek: We arrived in Miami late, but still with enough time to make the ship and a lady from the cruise line met us and took us to a place to wait for the transfer bus. It was over half an hour before anybody showed up. We got to the ship after (almost) everybody was gone with one other couple. They boarded us and we missed the lifeboat drill, spending the last half of it in our cabin. (I found the life vests and checked to see that they were the same as before :) ) It was 20 minutes before we could get a drink, and a few 'drinks' before my nerves started acting calmly.:eek:

This year we are leaving from Europe and a port we always wanted to visit, so we are flying in to spend two days there before we sail.