Just got back from my February 11 "Cruise To Nowhere" onboard the NCL Gem. Ship departed at 4:15PM from the New York City Westside pier 88.
Embarkation.
This time, I arrived at the pier at 9:45. I was the first passenger inside the ship terminal. Around 10:30 the passengers were given green cards with a number written on it. At about 12:00PM they started calling group numbers. I was literally on the ship in 10 minutes. If you can, I would advise arriving at the pier 2 hours before the time the cruise ticket states embarkation begins. You will avoid all of the log-jam