AMV Posted July 28, 2022 Report Share Posted July 28, 2022 We just booked the 4 day Mexico cruise out of LA and i have two questions being new to cruising in general: 1. We set sail at 4pm, how early can we board the ship we are trying to arrange air travel? 2. Before we set sail, are the water slides open for use? Trying to assess what we should carry on like our suits etc. 3. Once returned to LA how long does it take to get off the ship? Again trying to arrange air travel home the same day Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPS Posted July 28, 2022 Report Share Posted July 28, 2022 Welcome to the boards! 1. Currently, you can choose a boarding time when it is time to check-in for the cruise. Check-in is available at 45 days from your cruise date. Boarding times are half hour windows that are GENERALLY about 10 or 10:30 am until (probably?) 3:00pm. (If you have any travel issues and show up after your scheduled boarding time, it's not a big deal). BTW, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to fly in the day before rather than fly in the day of your cruise just in case of travel issues, especially right now with so many airline troubles happening. 2. Absolutely bring your bathing suits in your carry on! Pools, Hot tubs, and water slides will be open. 3. While the ARRIVAL time of the ship can be pretty early, the ship may not be cleared by the port for passengers to debark until a bit later. If you decide to "self-disembark" and take your luggage off the ship with you instead of having your luggage gathered the night before, you can leave as soon as the ship is cleared. (As a general rule, many here on this site don't book any flights that leave before noon.) FYI: Navigator is a GREAT ship! 14Terry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted July 28, 2022 Report Share Posted July 28, 2022 32 minutes ago, AMV said: We just booked the 4 day Mexico cruise out of LA and i have two questions being new to cruising in general: 1. We set sail at 4pm, how early can we board the ship we are trying to arrange air travel? 2. Before we set sail, are the water slides open for use? Trying to assess what we should carry on like our suits etc. 3. Once returned to LA how long does it take to get off the ship? Again trying to arrange air travel home the same day Thanks! I will sail Nav in Sept but I can answer your questions. You will have to check-in and get a check-in time which will 'bleed" into your boarding time. The earliest check-in time will be 10:30 but you might not get on the ship until 11am. Most people would recommend you fly in the day before as to not miss your cruise. However, if you are flying directly from a hub, you can get away with the first flight of the day. Mostly everything will be open on embarkment day, some things will close early for sail away, but slides and pools will be open, so pack swimwear in carry-on. The casino won't open until we are in international waters and usually the food venues close between 2/3 and open back up after sail away. If the ship is scheduled to dock at 6am, barring any delays you will be able to self-disembark starting around 7/7:30am. The suggestion is that anything after 11;30/noon will be good as far as flying back home the same day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisingNewb Posted July 28, 2022 Report Share Posted July 28, 2022 47 minutes ago, AMV said: 3. Once returned to LA how long does it take to get off the ship? Again trying to arrange air travel home the same day Getting off of the ship is NOT the problem. Its LA traffic. What airport you going to? How are you getting to that airport? Generally, the Navigator 4 night Mexico cruise starts on a Monday and ends on a Friday. Any time of day on Friday in the greater Los Angeles area is prime traffic. Keep in mind that if the ship has a 10:30 am boarding option, this means the ship has to empty out by at least 10:30 am. If your flight is at LAX and after 3pm, you should be okay making it to the airport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted July 28, 2022 Report Share Posted July 28, 2022 First off for self assist Navigator was 7:50am 1 hour ago, CruisingNewb said: Keep in mind that if the ship has a 10:30 am boarding option, this means the ship has to empty out by at least 10:30 am 10:30 check in time doesn't necessarily mean boarding time. It may end up meaning "check in and sit and wait" WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzo1975 Posted July 29, 2022 Report Share Posted July 29, 2022 With all the cancelations and delays in air travel these days, I'd fly in the day before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted July 29, 2022 Report Share Posted July 29, 2022 We were just recently on a 4-night cruise on Navigator: June 27-July 1.... First boarding window was 10:30. We arrived about 10:10--with pre-check-in, we had "boarding passes" and Covid test certificates in hand, were ushered right into the terminal, zero line so right up to the desk...and on the ship, believe it or not, by 10:20 am!!! Dining wasn't even open yet...but pool areas were. Mexican Food and Johnny Rockets next to the pool were both open and operating as well. I usually advise flying into ANY cruise--if you have to fly--at least the day before. For San Pedro, stay at the Crowne Plaza or the Doubletree. CP is only about three blocks from the pier--walkable...or a cheap hotel shuttle or cheap Uber...Lots of good restaurants near the CP--try the Green Onion (Mexican) or San Pedro Brewing Co. We were easily off the ship before 9:00--tried to stay on long as we can and enjoy a long breakfast because we didn't need a flight home, just an Uber...Could have gotten off wheeling our own luggage as early as about 7:25-7:30. Worst part when we got off was one of the longer lines I've seen in San Pedro for Customs. Still not too bad... IIt's a Friday morning, so LA traffic is not great...but, still, it's just 20 miles to LAX...Worst rush hour traffic, it still will take less than an hourYou might even make a slightly earlier flight but "safe" time is anything after Noon...If you're nervous about your flight, make sure to check in on the internet and print your boarding passes...and it helps to have TSA Pre-Check. Even without that, LAX is not close to as bad as many imagine. We fly out of LAX all the time and we've never needed close to the "recommended" time. Also remember Ubers and Taxis, though they cannot pick up at the curb (they need to meet you at a designated lot), they CAN drop you off right at the curb. Cactus527 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistertomatohead Posted July 29, 2022 Report Share Posted July 29, 2022 Can't you just tell them you have an early flight and they let you off early? Isn't there a shuttle to LAX where they give you priority disembarking? It might be worth the cost. General advice is to give yourself time and fly out a day later or a late flight but some people have work and other obligations they have to get to. My Nav cruise is September.. have they fixed the big screen on the pool deck yet? It looked like permanent 3D when I was there earlier in the year. I liked the ship except for that one thing. They were showing movies and the screen was broken. I saw YouTube videos later that showed it was still broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisingNewb Posted July 29, 2022 Report Share Posted July 29, 2022 The problem with LAX and LA traffic is not the normal everyday gridlock. Its the everyday occurrence of accidents. I have lived in Orange County California for 2 decades and driven to LAX hundreds of times to fly or to pick up family. Its a total crapshoot on any given day and you should expect as much. Less than one hour in Rush hour traffic? That would be on a good day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted July 29, 2022 Report Share Posted July 29, 2022 5 hours ago, mistertomatohead said: My Nav cruise is September.. have they fixed the big screen on the pool deck yet? It looked like permanent 3D when I was there earlier in the year. I liked the ship except for that one thing. They were showing movies and the screen was broken. I saw YouTube videos later that showed it was still broken. It was working fine when I was on it a couple weeks ago. mistertomatohead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistertomatohead Posted September 4, 2022 Report Share Posted September 4, 2022 On 7/29/2022 at 7:07 AM, smokeybandit said: It was working fine when I was on it a couple weeks ago. On the ship now. Still broken and still showing movies. So lame. This is the pool deck screen not the theater which is fine. At this point it might be more than a year to fix it since it'll have to wait for drydock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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