Charleston SC /NCL Majesty Baggage-Hotel-Touristy ??s

Hello,

I posted this on the NCL board with no luck. I need some help and hope someone might have some input!

What is the absolute earliest you can check your bags at the pier? The Ship sails at 5PM, so I'm guessing we can board around 1:30-2:00, we'll be checking out of the hotel at 10:AM, can we check our bags then, or earlier or do we have to wait until we're at the pier to board? If we could, we would check them early... like after breakfast, because that opens up more sightseeing time in Charleston which we're looking forward to.

Right now, we're thinking that we'd fly down on the Thursday evening, and just get settled that night int he hotel. Friday we would go to Magnolia Plantation (rumored to have some of themost beautiful gardens in the world... and this trip is in April :) , which seem to be a most of the day kind of trip, then maybe see if we could do a carriage ride in the evening. Saturday we sail, so it would be great if we had time to do some kind of tour in the late morning/early afternoon without worrying about the bags, or having to go back and pick them up from the hotel. Any suggestions? We should have at least 3 hours to fill.

Thanks for any input!

Meredith

Can't the hotel keep your bags until you are ready to go to the pier? That would seem to be a better idea. In any case, it seems to me that in these days of terror alerts and such, a cruise line would be very hesitant to take any unaccompanied luggage. In other words, whenever you check them in, you must go with them.

Enjoy Charleston, a wonderful town. If you don't have a hotel yet, we spent a nice pre-cruise night at the Andrew Pinckeny in. Had breakfast at their rooftop cafe, overlooking our cruise ship.

I just found out that I can have the cruise porters take the luggage beginning at 1PM, so we'll probably arrange for late check out, or for the hotel to hold the bags, and just stick to a morning sightseeing trip, then just get on board!

I'm still looking at different hotels, thanks for the reccomendation! I've been looking at a few that seem to be "right downtown" in the Historic District. Could you tell me, would a few miles away be a big problem, or is it best to be right in the middle of things?

Thanks for your input!

Meredith

We stayed in the Best Western King Charles Inn on a non-cruise vacation last year. It was very nice. Within walking distance of the visitors center close to the old market.

When I sailed out of Charleston on Celebrity they opened the gates to the drop off area at 10:30AM. After dropping off our bags we then had to drive across the street and park in a warehouse and were shuttled back across the street to the entrance door (or you could walk), We went thru security and were the 8th ones on the ship. It was a very easy process. We went right to lunch in the Windjammer and got a seat next to a window where we could watch others boarding. If you wanted you could check in, drop off your bags in your cabin and then get off the ship to do a little sightseeing. That is what many were doing. We also sailed at 5:00 PM. Hope this info helps.

I would stay downtown. The reason: Charleston is a gem of a city, very walkable at all hours. With its flickering gas lights and candle lights, it's great to take a night-time stroll there which is more doable if you stay right in the center. And the old slave market area has lots of restaurants, boutiques and artisans (including Gullah ladies doing baskets in the daytime) inside the market. And your ship will be just a few hundred years from all this.

Two years ago, when we took an Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Galaxy out of Charleston, I told my wife Charleston just might be the most interesting and best stop on the itinerary. It was.

Regardless of where you stay, you will have a great time. Don't miss a bowl of she-crab soup.