I’m going on a cruise on the NCL breakaway out of New Orleans in 3 days. I only live about an hour from the cruise terminal but I always choose a later embarkation time to give me plenty of time to get there. Sometimes traffic in New Orleans can be a nightmare. 😂 this is my 1st time on Norwegian so I’m excited.
A couple of lines I like to avoid on embarkation day are the line at guest services and the lines in the buffet. I prefer to eat lunch in the dining room or the local if possible instead.
Now that your Platinum status, you can board using the Haven entrance to avoid the long lines, and getting on board first or early has always been my preference to enjoy the ship for as long as possible
So I'm taking my first cruise ever in April for my birthday (NCL) so I'm pretty excited. Thanks for posting useful information in easily consumable chunks.
I agree with your comment on easy to watch and absorb shorter videos. I hope you enjoy a fun and safe birthday cruise. There was always so many things going on all day/evening and something for every age group. A few weeks ago I just returned home from my first ever cruise and it was with NCL as well. I did mine on the Encore out of Miami. I think I was only able to see about half the ship, I never found a time where I was unable to find something to do. The comedy shows, game shows they run, the dance club just to name a few. Now I am hooked on cruising, I loved the experience. I am already planning on my next, hopefully this fall or winter. Enjoy and safe travels...
Hi Justus 👋 yay for your first cruise! That's so exciting!! What ship are you sailing on and where are you headed? Thanks for your kind words and letting me know that I'm on the right track with my videos!
@@CruisewithGrant I'm sailing from LA to Vancouver on the bliss, I'll be solo traveling and decided to treat myself to a suite since it's my first vacation in 3 years hopefully it won't be too rainy despite it being April and your welcome 😊
@@CruisewithGrant The Joy. Mexican Riviera. Have you done a New England trip? I think that's the next on my list. Maybe late Summer or early Fall time.
Problem with late check in is Entertainment, Specialty Dining and other things that require booking on board means almost all the activies will be booked by the time you get on board.
Hi Michelle 👋 You make a great point. I've never had any challenges with this, but as the ships get closer to 100% capacity primo reservations in particular may fill up, especially on shorter trips so that's a great callout! Thanks for sharing!
@@CruisewithGrant I wish they had a better system. I’m leaving in a few weeks and I don’t like having to stress about whether I’m going to actually get to do anything and jump through hoops trying to get reservations for everything. I like my vacations to be better planned than this half baked experience.
@@angmarie9482 you can pre book specialty dining a few weeks ahead of the cruise along w excursions. But show reservations and specialty dining changes have to be done in person when entering the ship. W max capacity sailings, everything gets filled up fast and you could miss out on a show you wanted and then have to be stand by seating at the time of the show
Great video! My tips: make really careful plan when embark from foreign ports. I had 14-day South America cruise, with NCL Sky in Jan 2020, just before covid. We arrived at 4pm at the port of Santiago, Chile on 5pm sailing time. So lucky they let us in. The story is like this. We planned to take a bus from Santiago to the port and arrived at 2pm - plenty of time to check in with 5pm sailing time. It was a disaster because it was public holiday and all buses were fully booked. The only available bus was too close to the check in time! We had no choice to take it. It was so stressful with heavy and stop-and-go highway traffic on the way to the port. We thought we're not going to make it. Finally we did, within 1 hour of sailing time. We were so relieved when we stepped in the ship. But we glanced over the window and saw a couple, sprinting into the gangway. Apparently, some people checked in even later than us!
Hi Linda 👋 As a fellow Canadian I can totally relate. I always judge how much time to give myself based on what the weather might throw at me 😂 Any cruises lined up for you?
Hi Grant :-) First of all...thanks so much for what you do with your videos. I am taking my first cruise in April on the Encore (any tips?) and I've watched so many of your videos and they are very helpful! I also wanted to let you know I'm loving your new graphics ;-)
Hi Jill 👋 I'm sorry it's taken me a minute to reply. Can I just say that you made my day, so sweet! Yay for your first cruise! The Encore is a great ship, I really enjoyed my time on board. There's lots of good stuff to get you off to a good start with planning, but please feel free to reach out on Instagram if you have any specific questions @cruisewithgrant
This past fall I went on my first cruise and found that check-in and boarding weren't as big an issue as I thought it might be. The ship was only 2/3 capacity and covid testing was still in effect but things went far smoother than I expected. Even though I completed the online check-in, when I got to the port, they re-took my picture which took a few extra minutes. This is one of those things you can't predict. I chose a check-in time of 12:30 but showed up at 10:30. Not only did I not have to wait, but in chatting to some of the staff I was given a pass to join an even earlier group. Boarding began 10:45 and I was on-board ordering a drink by 11:30. As a solo traveler it would have been easier to move me to an earlier group. I'm not sure how well that would have worked for a group.
We love your videos and had thought of maybe dropping off our luggage and then going to eat at the fish market in San Pedro then going back for our later check in time...that way our luggage will be in our rooms by the time we get there!
Hi Raider Man 👋 Thank you so much for the comment and kind words. My friend Lori taught be about this. You can totally drop off luggage early and then check in later; whether the luggage will be there when you're onboard might depend. I've had some cruises where the luggage comes almost right away, and others (usually on big ships) where the luggage doesn't arrive until 8 or 9pm.
Thanks for the great videos. I’m taking my first cruise on the Escape to Bermuda in November and all your videos have been very helpful. I’m also a solo cruiser so your perspective on that has been great too!
Hi Kara 👋 You're most welcome! Yay for your first cruise 🥳🥳🥳 I know you're have a wonderful time! I'm so happy that me and the channel could be a part of that! Please feel free to be in touch if you have any other question, you can get me on Instagram @cruisewithgrant 😊
Hi Cecile 👋 You're most welcome! I do my very best to keep the videos spot on and helpful! I certainly do have a video on debarkation, I've linked it below for you! th-cam.com/video/-n8Xh6EubYc/w-d-xo.html
We traveled on NCL in November 2022, we did not realize that we had a suit at the Haven. We made line behind everyone else and when we reached the front of the line we saw a sign "HAVEN." Well from that moment on we hade serious VIP treatment and privilege: no more lines. private escort to our cabin via elevators reserved for Haven guests. We had access to butler and any show we wanted to see, private restaurant and bars. OK, question; as HAVEN guest did we need to stand at the regular boarding line or could we have just moved to the front? Can't wait till our March 2023 cruise, yes the exact same 7 day cruise on the Bliss.
Hi George 👋 Thanks for sharing your experience. While I haven't yet had a chance to experience the Haven myself (still on the bucket list), I've noticed that there is usually a sign for folks from the Haven to check in. Fun fact: not all ships have a Haven. I was recently on the NCL Star and they don't have a Haven area. I hope this was helpful. Please do share your experience with the Bliss, I'm super curious about the Haven
Grant great videos! Can you explain how to avoid lines on tender port days? We’d love to get ashore as quickly as possible but I can’t find any advice on the topic
Love your channel and getting excited about our ncl trip on the escape in March. Question, have you done the thermal spa? Thoughts on it?? Keep up the fun and good channel!
Hi there 👋 Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm having alot of fun sharing something that I love with others. So I haven't yet done the thermal spa, it's something I might try in the future. I like to enjoy, but I also usually travel on a budget so sometimes this is a bit too pricey for me. If you try it out please definitely let me know what you think. I've heard lots of people who love it to have a quiet place to relax
Good tips! I chose a later time hoping for less time waiting around to actually board and then waiting for the room. Will be on the Breakaway in 2 weeks 🥳 and very much looking forward to it. Enjoy your videos and tips, hope to run into you one day and say Hi.
Hi there 👋 Yay for your cruise! That's super exciting, where are you headed? Thanks for your kind words! I was so excited to meet some folks from the TH-cam community on my last cruise on the Star, who knows maybe we'll run into each other on the next one!
@@ClockedOutTravels We are also cruising but end of March to Harvest Caye, Roatan and Cozumel. Trying to decide if we want to get off and explore, pay for excursions, or stay onboard and enjoy a leisurely port day. Any advice for those three ports? First time NCL Cruiser!
These videos have been great for me to listen to as I embark on my first Norwegian cruise! Quick question - does waiting until the later check in times run the risk of not being able to get good reservations for the restaurants / on cruise activities?
Hi David 👋 I'm so glad to hear that the videos have been helpful! Yay for your first NCL cruise! I'm sure you'll have a great time. So the short answer to your question is maybe. You should be able to start making reservations online before you embark, that begin said if you prefer to do it onboard things may fill up if you get on board later. So it's really up to what may work best for you. If you have a look on the NCL website it tells you a bit more when reservations open online (as it's done by their Latitudes tier and room category)
Hi Jason 👋 Thank you so much always for your support! I so appreciate my regular champions 🫶 I hope that your cruise dreaming / planning is going well!
Thanks Grant! We embark on the Encore on Sunday and we were thinking about getting on the ship as early as possible, but maybe we will have a more leisurely morning and arrive later to avoid a big line up. Every person in our group has a different designated port arrival time, which I guess we'll ignore!
Hi there 👋 Do it! Enjoy a leisurely morning, depending on if you're close to your departure port you can also drop your luggage off then and then explore, grab lunch, etc. (I'll credit my friend Lori with this tip, she's already commented this as well). I've never had any issues with arriving at a different time than I selected (of course it's best to try to follow for the cruise line's planning purpose, but things happen 😜)
1:37 this is good advice BUT on cruises where NCL books the flight for you, they give you your plane tickets 2 months before your cruise begins and you DON'T get to choose the date and time of flight, just the airport you depart from. They had us flying in the day of our cruise a few hours before this departs which was crazy. Ended up having to use airline points to book a different flight the day before. We were told by the sales consultant we could alter our date of arrival when booking our cruise, but after calling in 2-3 days after getting our flight confirmations, we were told 1. The travel date you are requesting is not available, and then 2. (when calling back the next day) Change of flights is not possible at all and "who told you that?" (two different people, actually). The rest of our travel group flying from different airports also had the same experience, but were able to move their flight up by calling sooner than we did and complaining repeatedly. YMMV
Have you cruised NCL very recently? Curious about their times for leaving ports, I saw they recommend/require passengers be on board 2 hours prior to leaving, but that feels very excessive. Just wondering your experience in that area
Interesting about the cruise time check-in. We went on the Pearl two weeks ago and chose 10:30-11 a.m. check-in and we had no wait at all. There was no one in line!
Hi Angela 👋 Thanks so much for sharing your experience. It definitely depend cruise to cruise, but I"m glad you had a speedy check-in, it's always the best start to a holiday!! Hope you're having a beautiful day!
My tips: get off the embarkation deck ASAP, avoid the bars there and everything else. Hit the Main Dining Room (if it's open), instead of the buffet, for lunch, order a cocktail and have a nice, long, relaxing meal. Start vacation time right.
Thanks for the tips and good advice, we will be having our very long timed planned 1st cruise this march/April spring break 7-day cruise to stirrup Cay/st.thomas/Dominican republic onboard NCL Encore..hope lines are not so very crazy as we have always been a victim of spring break vacation mayhem!😫 every spring break we always encounter Insane lines, delayed/ Canceled flights its just spring break tend to be the first crazy mayhem vacation week in the start of every year..🙏🙏🙏
Hi Chris 👋 I hope that you're doing super duper! You got it right when you choose the time you pick the time you're supposed to arrive a the port. When you actually get on board will depend on how busy it is , and if they're fully ready to start boarding guests. Any cruises lined up for you in 2023 yet?
Thanks for these hacks. Cruising the Escape out of Miami in 2 weeks. I hate waiting and also have a friend to visit in Miami. My plan was to board around 1 or 2pm. Already booked premium restaurants and the production shows but I really would like to reserve comedy and supper club. Do you think they will be fully booked by the time we board?
I sail from Miami and that port is getting cluttered up earlier and earlier. I show up at 9 am and parking and mayhem are everywhere! But early entry into the ship means less hassle for lunch and easier time changing specialty dining or excursions - if changes are needed. Avoid the buffet if you can! It's madness!
Hi Warren 👋 Thanks for sharing your experience! Wow that sounds like a hectic time at the port! I totally agree that avoid the peak time at the buffet or finding another spot is a great approach for embarkation day.
Grant, I'm going on my first norwegian cruise this September 18th. We could not fly in the day before Because my husband's employer would not give him one more day off., but I was able to secure a nonstop flight from my hometown of St. Louis to Seattle at 7 AM, and it's supposed to arrive at 9:26am. Do you think I have good odds of making the cruise ship on time? I'm so worried to miss my port because of plane delays. We are flying on Alaska Airlines, which has a decent. Arrive on time rate.
Hi Jeanne 👋 That is a tough question, flight delays are always a possibility which is one of the risks of flying same day. That being said I've been quite lucky particularly when I'm flying and it's not winter (that's a thing here, just like in St. Louis) that my flights are on time. No guarantees, but my hunch is that you should have time. When you get invited to select your check in time you'll also see the latest time that you can check in, that'll give you a good sense of how big your window is. I hope that helps! Keeping my fingers crossed for you! 🤞🤞🤞
Thanks for your reply. I do not know what time to pick for my check in, Since I don't know if my flight will be on time or not. I was thinking noon since my plane. It's supposed to arrive at nine thirty a m? What would you suggest on picking a time?
One more "before Embarkation Day" type tip- have the NCL app already downloaded to your phone. And have your cruise docs in a folder on your phone that can be accessed without WIFI.
Hi there 👋 If you've checked in your bags then you'll only have to worrying about carrying anything you haven't checked in while rooms are being prepared. Hope this helps!
Hi Elizabeth 👋 Thanks for the question. In my experience the ships usually start boarding guests between 11am-12pm, I usually opt for a check in time between 2-3pm and that usually helps me miss most of the initial rush. Hope this helps!
Does the NCL app still have the messaging that we can use on board to chat with others on board the ship? It used to $10 a week and we didn't need to have wifi to use it.
Hi Nichole 👋 Thanks for your comment. You can certainly drop off your bags and explore a bit, but you'll have to see when your ship is starting embarkation. If they are still disembarking guests (which in my experience often continues to 11am-12pm) they won't be ready to help boarding guests. Hope this is helpful! Do you have an upcoming cruise lined up?
Hi there, I haven't had the opportunity to experience the priority access yet so I can't say anything just yet, but if I do I'll certainly consider making a video about it.
Hi--- We have a 2 bedroom family suite booked for JOY/October (2024)... not in The Haven. Does anyone know if this category still qualifies for the Priority Check-In queue or did they take that away and it's only for Haven and Platinum? Silver here... I'll be Gold at the end of this cruise -- MIA - Caribbean.
Hello Grant. I have a question i hope you can help. Im arriving for my NCL cruise the day prior, i also paid for a hotel transfer. If i dont know when my transfer is, what time should i book my port arrival time? I usually make my own way from the hotel but i took advantage of the free transfer.
Hi Julie 👋 Thanks for your comment. You'll probably want to reach to NCL for the specifics, the good news is that if you've booked your transfer through the cruise line, they definitely won't leave without you! The arrival at the port time is really so they can get a sense of when people are arriving and to spread out the crowd. I wouldn't fret about this one too much, but do contact NCL if you've got more questions. I hope this helped!
Grant, we are sailing on the Gem in April from Rome. Do you think it's a good idea to arrive a day early or are you confident that Ncl will get us to our ship on time?
Hi Greg, 👋 yay for your upcoming cruise. I'm sure you'll love the Gem! I haven't been on that ship, but I've been on the Jade and the Pearl (sisters!!). It sounds like you've booked your transfer through NCL, this is usually a super safe bet that the ship won't leave without you. When travelling so far it's usually worth thinking about arriving a day early as all sorts of delays, etc. can happen and I've definitely heard of people who missed their cruise because of things they couldn't control with flights / luggage. I hope this helps! Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions on Instagram @cruisewithgrant
I'd book my flight to arrive a day early at the least given all the issues going on with flights (NCL allows up to two days early). If your flight is late, you may miss your ship and may have to be flown to a later port.
I usually choose a later time and show up earlier. I haven't found that it affected my ability to board. There are so many things you can't control and this is one of the smallest. As long as I'm on board before they leave is what matters.
Hi Merry 👋 Great question, and the answer is... it depends. Different cruise ships will arrive at different times depending on the itinerary. When you get your option to check in online you'll see what's available for you particular cruise. Hope this helps!
I’ve been researching my upcoming dream cruises on the Jewel and then over to the Dawn. I agree with your tip on boarding at the later times. You can always drop your luggage and continue exploring the port city before checking in. After check in I opt to eat in the MDR rather that the buffet to avoid the pandemonium and crowds.
Hi there 👋 Thanks for the question. In my experience the ships usually start boarding guests between 11am-12pm, I usually opt for a check in time between 2-3pm and that usually helps me miss most of the initial rush. Hope this helps!
I was expecting faster embarkation in Brazil But your latitudes at least to be Platinish So instead of waiting I went to seafood market And asked them How much is the fish?
I noticed that the check in for my cruise (next week) only gave 3 options for check in times. My friends, travelling separately on the same cruise, only had three options as well, but they were different times than we had available (They checked in 3 days before I did.). It looks like NCL is trying to give the illusion of choice while forcing people to spread out their arrival times.
Watch next🎥: Top MUST DO tips for the first day of your cruise
th-cam.com/video/toNCXPzbs_w/w-d-xo.html
I’m going on a cruise on the NCL breakaway out of New Orleans in 3 days. I only live about an hour from the cruise terminal but I always choose a later embarkation time to give me plenty of time to get there. Sometimes traffic in New Orleans can be a nightmare. 😂 this is my 1st time on Norwegian so I’m excited.
A couple of lines I like to avoid on embarkation day are the line at guest services and the lines in the buffet. I prefer to eat lunch in the dining room or the local if possible instead.
Thanks for the tip. My husband loves the buffet, but I'm going to see if I can get him to a sit-down restaurant on the first night. 🍽 😀
The local has the worst service. Never had good service or experiences at The local.
I've had slow service there a time or two myself.@@paddyg56472
Now that your Platinum status, you can board using the Haven entrance to avoid the long lines, and getting on board first or early has always been my preference to enjoy the ship for as long as possible
So I'm taking my first cruise ever in April for my birthday (NCL) so I'm pretty excited. Thanks for posting useful information in easily consumable chunks.
I agree with your comment on easy to watch and absorb shorter videos. I hope you enjoy a fun and safe birthday cruise. There was always so many things going on all day/evening and something for every age group. A few weeks ago I just returned home from my first ever cruise and it was with NCL as well. I did mine on the Encore out of Miami. I think I was only able to see about half the ship, I never found a time where I was unable to find something to do. The comedy shows, game shows they run, the dance club just to name a few. Now I am hooked on cruising, I loved the experience. I am already planning on my next, hopefully this fall or winter. Enjoy and safe travels...
Hi Justus 👋 yay for your first cruise! That's so exciting!! What ship are you sailing on and where are you headed? Thanks for your kind words and letting me know that I'm on the right track with my videos!
@@CruisewithGrant I'm sailing from LA to Vancouver on the bliss, I'll be solo traveling and decided to treat myself to a suite since it's my first vacation in 3 years hopefully it won't be too rainy despite it being April and your welcome 😊
28 days til our first Norwegian Cruise and 2023! Super excited. Thanks for the new video 😊
Hi Pamela 👋 Exciting!! Which ship will you be sailing on! I'm still dreaming about my next trip
@@CruisewithGrant The Joy. Mexican Riviera. Have you done a New England trip? I think that's the next on my list. Maybe late Summer or early Fall time.
How was is? How was the food? I booked my first NCL for the Indian Ocean a little over a year from now.
@@erikh9991 we had a wonderful time. Really enjoyed the food, ship, service & shows. Was a great first NCL. We plan to do another, maybe Prima.
Problem with late check in is Entertainment, Specialty Dining and other things that require booking on board means almost all the activies will be booked by the time you get on board.
Hi Michelle 👋 You make a great point. I've never had any challenges with this, but as the ships get closer to 100% capacity primo reservations in particular may fill up, especially on shorter trips so that's a great callout! Thanks for sharing!
@@CruisewithGrant I wish they had a better system. I’m leaving in a few weeks and I don’t like having to stress about whether I’m going to actually get to do anything and jump through hoops trying to get reservations for everything. I like my vacations to be better planned than this half baked experience.
Hi, I'm new to cruising, my first cruise with be on the breakaway. Can you make reservations online? Or do you have to do it on the ship?
@@angmarie9482 you can pre book specialty dining a few weeks ahead of the cruise along w excursions.
But show reservations and specialty dining changes have to be done in person when entering the ship. W max capacity sailings, everything gets filled up fast and you could miss out on a show you wanted and then have to be stand by seating at the time of the show
@@warrenrudolph4475 Thank you for the information. Definitely plan to book as many things in advance as I can.
Great video! My tips: make really careful plan when embark from foreign ports. I had 14-day South America cruise, with NCL Sky in Jan 2020, just before covid. We arrived at 4pm at the port of Santiago, Chile on 5pm sailing time. So lucky they let us in. The story is like this. We planned to take a bus from Santiago to the port and arrived at 2pm - plenty of time to check in with 5pm sailing time. It was a disaster because it was public holiday and all buses were fully booked. The only available bus was too close to the check in time! We had no choice to take it. It was so stressful with heavy and stop-and-go highway traffic on the way to the port. We thought we're not going to make it. Finally we did, within 1 hour of sailing time. We were so relieved when we stepped in the ship. But we glanced over the window and saw a couple, sprinting into the gangway. Apparently, some people checked in even later than us!
How have I not found your channel before!?! Love your content. I just watched like 5 videos in a row. Nice job and thank you!
Hi Leanne 👋 Thank you so much for the encouragement!! I really love hearing the feedback! I hope you are having a wonderful day!! (you made mine!!)
Great tips, Grant! So happy I find your channel as I love sailing NCL.
Hi choochsooswild 👋 Thank you so much! I always feel good when I'm able to help someone 🫶 Any upcoming cruises for you?
@@CruisewithGrant I’ll be sailing NCL July 2 for 10 days Iceland and Greenland! So excited! How about you?
We've only sailed on NCL's older, medium-sized ships. I book everything online, ahead of time. We usually pick a boarding time from 1130-130.
The best tip is to be patient. Thousands and thousands of passengers are boarding. It takes time to board all the cruisers.
So happy I found your channel. 😊
Flying from Canada in winter months, we fly two days before. Lowers the stress level greatly. And you get over any travel lag.
Hi Linda 👋 As a fellow Canadian I can totally relate. I always judge how much time to give myself based on what the weather might throw at me 😂 Any cruises lined up for you?
Hi Grant :-) First of all...thanks so much for what you do with your videos. I am taking my first cruise in April on the Encore (any tips?) and I've watched so many of your videos and they are very helpful! I also wanted to let you know I'm loving your new graphics ;-)
Hi Jill 👋 I'm sorry it's taken me a minute to reply. Can I just say that you made my day, so sweet! Yay for your first cruise! The Encore is a great ship, I really enjoyed my time on board. There's lots of good stuff to get you off to a good start with planning, but please feel free to reach out on Instagram if you have any specific questions @cruisewithgrant
Grant, thanks for all of your tips. By the way, you have the kindest eyes! 🤩
Hi ShutterBugGeek 👋 You're most welcome! I'm so glad that something I love to do it helping others! Also you're too kind 😊
This past fall I went on my first cruise and found that check-in and boarding weren't as big an issue as I thought it might be. The ship was only 2/3 capacity and covid testing was still in effect but things went far smoother than I expected.
Even though I completed the online check-in, when I got to the port, they re-took my picture which took a few extra minutes. This is one of those things you can't predict.
I chose a check-in time of 12:30 but showed up at 10:30. Not only did I not have to wait, but in chatting to some of the staff I was given a pass to join an even earlier group. Boarding began 10:45 and I was on-board ordering a drink by 11:30. As a solo traveler it would have been easier to move me to an earlier group. I'm not sure how well that would have worked for a group.
We love your videos and had thought of maybe dropping off our luggage and then going to eat at the fish market in San Pedro then going back for our later check in time...that way our luggage will be in our rooms by the time we get there!
Hi Raider Man 👋 Thank you so much for the comment and kind words. My friend Lori taught be about this. You can totally drop off luggage early and then check in later; whether the luggage will be there when you're onboard might depend. I've had some cruises where the luggage comes almost right away, and others (usually on big ships) where the luggage doesn't arrive until 8 or 9pm.
Thanks for the great videos. I’m taking my first cruise on the Escape to Bermuda in November and all your videos have been very helpful. I’m also a solo cruiser so your perspective on that has been great too!
Hi Kara 👋 You're most welcome! Yay for your first cruise 🥳🥳🥳 I know you're have a wonderful time! I'm so happy that me and the channel could be a part of that! Please feel free to be in touch if you have any other question, you can get me on Instagram @cruisewithgrant 😊
@@CruisewithGrant great! Thanks. I follow you over there too. Just shared your channel with another solo traveler that is going to be on my cruise!!
@@roma8208 thank you so much ☺️🫶
Bermuda is beautiful! We've gone there three times on NCL from Boston.
@@Carolmaizy can’t wait!!!
Thank you for the tips. I enjoy watching your videos because you are precise. Any tips for debarkation?
Hi Cecile 👋 You're most welcome! I do my very best to keep the videos spot on and helpful! I certainly do have a video on debarkation, I've linked it below for you!
th-cam.com/video/-n8Xh6EubYc/w-d-xo.html
We traveled on NCL in November 2022, we did not realize that we had a suit at the Haven. We made line behind everyone else and when we reached the front of the line we saw a sign "HAVEN." Well from that moment on we hade serious VIP treatment and privilege: no more lines. private escort to our cabin via elevators reserved for Haven guests. We had access to butler and any show we wanted to see, private restaurant and bars. OK, question; as HAVEN guest did we need to stand at the regular boarding line or could we have just moved to the front? Can't wait till our March 2023 cruise, yes the exact same 7 day cruise on the Bliss.
Hi George 👋 Thanks for sharing your experience. While I haven't yet had a chance to experience the Haven myself (still on the bucket list), I've noticed that there is usually a sign for folks from the Haven to check in. Fun fact: not all ships have a Haven. I was recently on the NCL Star and they don't have a Haven area. I hope this was helpful. Please do share your experience with the Bliss, I'm super curious about the Haven
Grant great videos! Can you explain how to avoid lines on tender port days? We’d love to get ashore as quickly as possible but I can’t find any advice on the topic
We just got off the Escape. People were arriving at 9am to get on the ship while we were just getting off.
Hi Kristin 👋 Wow! 9am, that's super early!
You are the cutest cruise personality on social media! ❤❤❤
Love your channel and getting excited about our ncl trip on the escape in March. Question, have you done the thermal spa? Thoughts on it?? Keep up the fun and good channel!
Hi there 👋 Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm having alot of fun sharing something that I love with others. So I haven't yet done the thermal spa, it's something I might try in the future. I like to enjoy, but I also usually travel on a budget so sometimes this is a bit too pricey for me. If you try it out please definitely let me know what you think. I've heard lots of people who love it to have a quiet place to relax
Good tips! I chose a later time hoping for less time waiting around to actually board and then waiting for the room. Will be on the Breakaway in 2 weeks 🥳 and very much looking forward to it. Enjoy your videos and tips, hope to run into you one day and say Hi.
Hi there 👋 Yay for your cruise! That's super exciting, where are you headed? Thanks for your kind words! I was so excited to meet some folks from the TH-cam community on my last cruise on the Star, who knows maybe we'll run into each other on the next one!
@@CruisewithGrant heading out of New Orleans for Costa Maya, Harvest Caye, Roatan Bay, and Cozumel...should be fun!
@@ClockedOutTravels We are also cruising but end of March to Harvest Caye, Roatan and Cozumel. Trying to decide if we want to get off and explore, pay for excursions, or stay onboard and enjoy a leisurely port day. Any advice for those three ports? First time NCL Cruiser!
When you boarded late, what reservations were you able to make? Was there anything you wanted to reserve but was already booked up? Thanks
20 days out and we’ve booked Choir of Man, date and time we want.
These videos have been great for me to listen to as I embark on my first Norwegian cruise! Quick question - does waiting until the later check in times run the risk of not being able to get good reservations for the restaurants / on cruise activities?
Hi David 👋 I'm so glad to hear that the videos have been helpful! Yay for your first NCL cruise! I'm sure you'll have a great time. So the short answer to your question is maybe. You should be able to start making reservations online before you embark, that begin said if you prefer to do it onboard things may fill up if you get on board later. So it's really up to what may work best for you. If you have a look on the NCL website it tells you a bit more when reservations open online (as it's done by their Latitudes tier and room category)
Thank you Grant for another informative video. Keep up the great work!
Hi Jason 👋 Thank you so much always for your support! I so appreciate my regular champions 🫶 I hope that your cruise dreaming / planning is going well!
Thanks Grant! We embark on the Encore on Sunday and we were thinking about getting on the ship as early as possible, but maybe we will have a more leisurely morning and arrive later to avoid a big line up. Every person in our group has a different designated port arrival time, which I guess we'll ignore!
Hi there 👋 Do it! Enjoy a leisurely morning, depending on if you're close to your departure port you can also drop your luggage off then and then explore, grab lunch, etc. (I'll credit my friend Lori with this tip, she's already commented this as well). I've never had any issues with arriving at a different time than I selected (of course it's best to try to follow for the cruise line's planning purpose, but things happen 😜)
Great tips...without the noise ☺
1:37 this is good advice BUT on cruises where NCL books the flight for you, they give you your plane tickets 2 months before your cruise begins and you DON'T get to choose the date and time of flight, just the airport you depart from. They had us flying in the day of our cruise a few hours before this departs which was crazy. Ended up having to use airline points to book a different flight the day before.
We were told by the sales consultant we could alter our date of arrival when booking our cruise, but after calling in 2-3 days after getting our flight confirmations, we were told 1. The travel date you are requesting is not available, and then 2. (when calling back the next day) Change of flights is not possible at all and "who told you that?" (two different people, actually). The rest of our travel group flying from different airports also had the same experience, but were able to move their flight up by calling sooner than we did and complaining repeatedly. YMMV
NCL is flying us in on the day of the cruise so we are stuck. Hope everything goes smoothly.
Hi Helen 👋 Fingers crossed for you 🤞🤞🤞
Have you cruised NCL very recently? Curious about their times for leaving ports, I saw they recommend/require passengers be on board 2 hours prior to leaving, but that feels very excessive. Just wondering your experience in that area
Interesting about the cruise time check-in. We went on the Pearl two weeks ago and chose 10:30-11 a.m. check-in and we had no wait at all. There was no one in line!
Hi Angela 👋 Thanks so much for sharing your experience. It definitely depend cruise to cruise, but I"m glad you had a speedy check-in, it's always the best start to a holiday!! Hope you're having a beautiful day!
As always, good advice!
Hi Carol 👋 Thank you so much! I really appreciate when folks take the time to leave me a comment! Hope you're having a beautiful day!
The best tip is to become a Platinum latitudes member and you get to use the priority fast lane.🚢
My tips: get off the embarkation deck ASAP, avoid the bars there and everything else. Hit the Main Dining Room (if it's open), instead of the buffet, for lunch, order a cocktail and have a nice, long, relaxing meal. Start vacation time right.
Great information! Thank you Grant 💜
Hi friend!! Thank you so much!! I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season 🫶
On embarkation day I skip the buffet and eat in the MDR
Thanks for the tips and good advice, we will be having our very long timed planned 1st cruise this march/April spring break 7-day cruise to stirrup Cay/st.thomas/Dominican republic onboard NCL Encore..hope lines are not so very crazy as we have always been a victim of spring break vacation mayhem!😫 every spring break we always encounter Insane lines, delayed/ Canceled flights its just spring break tend to be the first crazy mayhem vacation week in the start of every year..🙏🙏🙏
I completed checked-in for myself but still need to complete it for my travel companions. Would they be able to board at the same time I am scheduled?
I was on the understanding the arrival time is your port arrival time, not the time your boardng the ship?
Hi Chris 👋 I hope that you're doing super duper! You got it right when you choose the time you pick the time you're supposed to arrive a the port. When you actually get on board will depend on how busy it is , and if they're fully ready to start boarding guests. Any cruises lined up for you in 2023 yet?
Thanks for these hacks. Cruising the Escape out of Miami in 2 weeks. I hate waiting and also have a friend to visit in Miami. My plan was to board around 1 or 2pm. Already booked premium restaurants and the production shows but I really would like to reserve comedy and supper club. Do you think they will be fully booked by the time we board?
I try to check in at Noon
Hi Jody 👋 Thanks for sharing!
I sail from Miami and that port is getting cluttered up earlier and earlier. I show up at 9 am and parking and mayhem are everywhere!
But early entry into the ship means less hassle for lunch and easier time changing specialty dining or excursions - if changes are needed.
Avoid the buffet if you can! It's madness!
Hi Warren 👋 Thanks for sharing your experience! Wow that sounds like a hectic time at the port! I totally agree that avoid the peak time at the buffet or finding another spot is a great approach for embarkation day.
Grant, I'm going on my first norwegian cruise this September 18th. We could not fly in the day before Because my husband's employer would not give him one more day off., but I was able to secure a nonstop flight from my hometown of St. Louis to Seattle at 7 AM, and it's supposed to arrive at 9:26am. Do you think I have good odds of making the cruise ship on time? I'm so worried to miss my port because of plane delays. We are flying on Alaska Airlines, which has a decent. Arrive on time rate.
Hi Jeanne 👋 That is a tough question, flight delays are always a possibility which is one of the risks of flying same day. That being said I've been quite lucky particularly when I'm flying and it's not winter (that's a thing here, just like in St. Louis) that my flights are on time. No guarantees, but my hunch is that you should have time. When you get invited to select your check in time you'll also see the latest time that you can check in, that'll give you a good sense of how big your window is. I hope that helps! Keeping my fingers crossed for you! 🤞🤞🤞
Thanks for your reply. I do not know what time to pick for my check in, Since I don't know if my flight will be on time or not. I was thinking noon since my plane. It's supposed to arrive at nine thirty a m? What would you suggest on picking a time?
One more "before Embarkation Day" type tip- have the NCL app already downloaded to your phone. And have your cruise docs in a folder on your phone that can be accessed without WIFI.
i am planning for a cruise on Holland America. what advice can you give me to avoid the embarkation line? when do i get my cabin number?
When you're talking about having to carry the bags with us if your room is not ready, do you mean backpacks or luggages?
Hi there 👋 If you've checked in your bags then you'll only have to worrying about carrying anything you haven't checked in while rooms are being prepared. Hope this helps!
What do you think is "later" boarding times
Hi Elizabeth 👋 Thanks for the question. In my experience the ships usually start boarding guests between 11am-12pm, I usually opt for a check in time between 2-3pm and that usually helps me miss most of the initial rush. Hope this helps!
Does the NCL app still have the messaging that we can use on board to chat with others on board the ship? It used to $10 a week and we didn't need to have wifi to use it.
Can you drop your luggage at the port early 9ish then go explore the city, then check in later 1-3pm?
Hi Nichole 👋 Thanks for your comment. You can certainly drop off your bags and explore a bit, but you'll have to see when your ship is starting embarkation. If they are still disembarking guests (which in my experience often continues to 11am-12pm) they won't be ready to help boarding guests. Hope this is helpful! Do you have an upcoming cruise lined up?
Hi...can you touch on the recent priority access?
Hi there, I haven't had the opportunity to experience the priority access yet so I can't say anything just yet, but if I do I'll certainly consider making a video about it.
Yes I would love to hear about priority access
Hi--- We have a 2 bedroom family suite booked for JOY/October (2024)... not in The Haven. Does anyone know if this category still qualifies for the Priority Check-In queue or did they take that away and it's only for Haven and Platinum? Silver here... I'll be Gold at the end of this cruise -- MIA - Caribbean.
Hello Grant. I have a question i hope you can help.
Im arriving for my NCL cruise the day prior, i also paid for a hotel transfer. If i dont know when my transfer is, what time should i book my port arrival time?
I usually make my own way from the hotel but i took advantage of the free transfer.
Hi Julie 👋 Thanks for your comment. You'll probably want to reach to NCL for the specifics, the good news is that if you've booked your transfer through the cruise line, they definitely won't leave without you! The arrival at the port time is really so they can get a sense of when people are arriving and to spread out the crowd. I wouldn't fret about this one too much, but do contact NCL if you've got more questions. I hope this helped!
Grant, we are sailing on the Gem in April from Rome. Do you think it's a good idea to arrive a day early or are you confident that Ncl will get us to our ship on time?
Hi Greg, 👋 yay for your upcoming cruise. I'm sure you'll love the Gem! I haven't been on that ship, but I've been on the Jade and the Pearl (sisters!!). It sounds like you've booked your transfer through NCL, this is usually a super safe bet that the ship won't leave without you. When travelling so far it's usually worth thinking about arriving a day early as all sorts of delays, etc. can happen and I've definitely heard of people who missed their cruise because of things they couldn't control with flights / luggage. I hope this helps! Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions on Instagram @cruisewithgrant
@@CruisewithGrant If they are flying in with NCL, I think you have to let them know 90ish days in advance that you want to arrive early.
I'd book my flight to arrive a day early at the least given all the issues going on with flights (NCL allows up to two days early). If your flight is late, you may miss your ship and may have to be flown to a later port.
How about choose the earliest available time and then just show up later?
I usually choose a later time and show up earlier. I haven't found that it affected my ability to board. There are so many things you can't control and this is one of the smallest. As long as I'm on board before they leave is what matters.
Also, what is the earliest check in time available?
Hi Merry 👋 Great question, and the answer is... it depends. Different cruise ships will arrive at different times depending on the itinerary. When you get your option to check in online you'll see what's available for you particular cruise. Hope this helps!
What is the latest time you like to check in?
Most cruise lines want you to be on board 2 hours prior to departure. Departure times are usually 4 or 5 PM.
I’ve been researching my upcoming dream cruises on the Jewel and then over to the Dawn. I agree with your tip on boarding at the later times. You can always drop your luggage and continue exploring the port city before checking in. After check in I opt to eat in the MDR rather that the buffet to avoid the pandemonium and crowds.
Hi there 👋 Thanks for the question. In my experience the ships usually start boarding guests between 11am-12pm, I usually opt for a check in time between 2-3pm and that usually helps me miss most of the initial rush. Hope this helps!
What time is considered “later” for check in please?
What would be considered a later check in time?
My cruise will be leaving Rome at 5p and how late should I be at the port to check in and avoid the line?
I was expecting faster embarkation in Brazil
But your latitudes at least to be Platinish
So instead of waiting I went to seafood market
And asked them How much is the fish?
I noticed that the check in for my cruise (next week) only gave 3 options for check in times.
My friends, travelling separately on the same cruise, only had three options as well, but they were different times than we had available (They checked in 3 days before I did.).
It looks like NCL is trying to give the illusion of choice while forcing people to spread out their arrival times.
Have you ever been onboard the NCL spirit and what are your thoughts and how was the food if you did?
Thinking of taking a cruise with my husband and both cigarette smoker why there smoking on ship policy