Who is NOT in a hurry on the last day?

For those who are not in a rush to catch a flight, what is there to do on the last day? Are you required to sit in one of the "holding lounges" and wait to be called? I have no flight to catch, but if there is nothing available to do, I think I will do as I have previously, and line up early.

We just hang out in any open area or bar and wait for the appointed time to go to the designated disembarkation area.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Nothing is open except breakfast. You can sit around in one of the holding areas but seems pointless to me. We always carry our bags off and we drive to the port so we are never in a hurry. But i don’t see the point in sitting around on the ship when you can get off and go sit around at home. 🤷🏻*♀️

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Some areas will be roped off etc. It's not an inviting atmosphere around the ship, not a fun place to hang out anywhere.

Nothing is open except breakfast. You can sit around in one of the holding areas but seems pointless to me. We always carry our bags off and we drive to the port so we are never in a hurry. But i don’t see the point in sitting around on the ship when you can get off and go sit around at home. 🤷🏻*♀️

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Exactly what I was thinking. :)

Some areas will be roped off etc. It's not an inviting atmosphere around the ship, not a fun place to hang out anywhere.

This is pretty much what I suspected.

Nothing is open except breakfast. You can sit around in one of the holding areas but seems pointless to me. We always carry our bags off and we drive to the port so we are never in a hurry. But i don’t see the point in sitting around on the ship when you can get off and go sit around at home. *♀️

Lots of people fly.

Many have later flights and FLL won't let you in the terminal at the earliest of 4 hours before your flight.

Lots of people have too many or heavy bags that cannot be walked off.

Sticking around the ship makes sense because they have no where to go.

That's one reason why...

Lots of people fly.

Many have later flights and FLL won't let you in the terminal at the earliest of 4 hours before your flight.

Lots of people have too many or heavy bags that cannot be walked off.

Sticking around the ship makes sense because they have no where to go.

That's one reason why...

So what do we do?

I know we will be kicked off the ship no later than about 9:30. And our plane doesn’t leave FLL until about 4 PM.

I don’t think anyone is interested in going on the the airboat or city of y’all excursion. And there will be six of us, so we’d need a minivan if we decide to rent a car.

Some Europe sailing have a package that allows you to stay on the ship for several hours

I'm guessing then that there is no option that we have over here in the UK to stay on board later at Southampton (for a fee of course!)

On our first cruise we imagined a leisurely disembarkation, but it didn't work out as planned. The only breakfast option was WJ, We were pushed out of our JS around 9:30, the only place to go was the departure area on the Promonade, which was like a train station at rush hour, where we spent over an hour. By the time we got off the ship there was 1 1/4 hour backup in immigration and customs. Our adult children cruised with us, two left their cabins at 8 am with their families and were at the airport 45 minutes later.

Our next cruise we'll take an early disembarkation, drive home, shower, then go out and have brunch somewhere.

So what do we do?

 

 

 

I know we will be kicked off the ship no later than about 9:30. And our plane doesn’t leave FLL until about 4 PM.

 

 

 

I don’t think anyone is interested in going on the the airboat or city of y’all excursion. And there will be six of us, so we’d need a minivan if we decide to rent a car.

Catch a cab or two, go to the beach with your bags? See if any hotels have a day option?

Rent a minivan and see the sights?

Nothing is open except breakfast. You can sit around in one of the holding areas but seems pointless to me. We always carry our bags off and we drive to the port so we are never in a hurry. But i don’t see the point in sitting around on the ship when you can get off and go sit around at home. 🤷🏻*♀️

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Good thought process if you live nearby. If you need a hotel, though, you’re probably not getting a room until 4ish, so you’ve got to do something. Might as well just take your time on your way to whatever. I don’t like rushing. :)

If we are on an east coast cruise we are frequently stuck with 6:30 to 7 pm flights as we fly Alaska Air and their directs back to Seattle are in the evening. To fill the time we have taken ship tours. We have also rented cars and visited local sights (Tampa we went to the Dali Museum). We have also sat in FLL waiting as many as 5 hours just to be allowed to check in and get rid of our luggage. Thank goodness for Kindle books.

On our first cruise we imagined a leisurely disembarkation, but it didn't work out as planned. The only breakfast option was WJ, We were pushed out of our JS around 9:30, the only place to go was the departure area on the Promonade, which was like a train station at rush hour, where we spent over an hour. By the time we got off the ship there was 1 1/4 hour backup in immigration and customs. Our adult children cruised with us, two left their cabins at 8 am with their families and were at the airport 45 minutes later.

 

Our next cruise we'll take an early disembarkation, drive home, shower, then go out and have brunch somewhere.

You are supposed to vacate your cabin by 8:00. Don’t know why you think a JS has anything to do with that. Really rude to stay longer and inconvenience the room steward who needs to get that cabin turned over. Had you left earlier you could have had a nice breakfast in the MDR.

We have also sat in FLL waiting as many as 5 hours just to be allowed to check in and get rid of our luggage. Thank goodness for Kindle books.

As I recall when we cruised out of FLL on Celebrity in 2010, we ended up getting off relatively early and were at the airport around 10:00 for a flight that didn't leave until around 4:00. They offered a service to let you go ahead and check your bags and then certain companies offered some tours around the city. I can't remember what company we used but we did go and have a little tour around Fort Lauderdale.

The cruise lines usually offer departure day excursions.We took one to El Yunque National Forrest outside San Juan PR after our Celebrity Summit cruise. They dropped off our luggage at the airport and we collected it after the tour . Very convenient .

You are supposed to vacate your cabin by 8:00. Don’t know why you think a JS has anything to do with that. Really rude to stay longer and inconvenience the room steward who needs to get that cabin turned over. Had you left earlier you could have had a nice breakfast in the MDR.

Rude? No, I am many things, but not that. I also didn't say a JS "had anything to do with that", but then again, I don't have all the knowledge others have 'round these parts. I definitely do not recall seeing any notice that there was a mandatory 8 am vacate order. Not saying it wasn't there - jus' don't recollect see'n it.

The point of my post was to say RCI makes an effort to motivate people to get off the ship early, and that's not clear to everyone - especially us novice cruisers.

Lots of people fly.

Many have later flights and FLL won't let you in the terminal at the earliest of 4 hours before your flight.

Lots of people have too many or heavy bags that cannot be walked off.

Sticking around the ship makes sense because they have no where to go.

That's one reason why...

Right. But I was giving my opinion on OP’s question. Clearly OP is not in a hurry. So imo there is no reason to “hang out” on a ship where everything is closed while customs lines continue to get longer. If you just want to hang out, there are plenty of nice places that would be open around most ports where you could hang out.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I have this problem in July for a cruise out of Jersey. Flight home isn't until 4:50 PM and there is literally nothing near the cruise port or airport (EWR). We've absolutely zero interest whatsoever in going into NYC (been there multiple times). We'll drag our feet as long as possible on the ship, then probably just mill around the airport for awhile. We could try and convince the airline to give us an earlier flight if there is room (they have flights to our destination every single hour of the day) but I'm not going to hold my breath on that.

Not an enjoyable way to spend the day, that's for sure, but we do what we have to in order to meet a budget.

Later flights (pretty much anything after noon) are perfect to use luggage valet program, if you are in a port /ship that offers. Easy way to get rid of baggage.

We did the Royal luggage valet program where they take them the night before and you see them at your destination airport (for a fee of course). All 7 of us had backpacks with valuables, etc. that we carried for the day. Rented a mini-van at the FLL airport and did our own airboat tour which we met up with just past Sawgrass Mills Mall on I75. Back to airport in plenty of time for our 445pm flight.

Depending on your sailing, there are post-cruise shore excursions through RC. There's quite a bit to see and do in the area but most would require a vehicle.

The Windjammer is a more of a zoo than usual on departure day I avoid at all costs (plus kind of tired of the food there anyway); no room service either on arrival morning. Rooms must be vacated by 8 - departure "lounges" are basically livestock holding pens. If the line could they would kick you off sooner (in their defense your cruise is over and they have to put on a happy face and do it all over again)! For us it's self assist and off by 7-730 with Global Entry and/or Mobile Passport if available off the ship in minutes....

Rude? No, I am many things, but not that. I also didn't say a JS "had anything to do with that", but then again, I don't have all the knowledge others have 'round these parts. I definitely do not recall seeing any notice that there was a mandatory 8 am vacate order. Not saying it wasn't there - jus' don't recollect see'n it.

 

The point of my post was to say RCI makes an effort to motivate people to get off the ship early, and that's not clear to everyone - especially us novice cruisers.

The information provided is very specific, especially for novice cruisers. Along with your luggage tags you are told where to wait to be called for disembarkation. You are also provided a list of breakfast venues and times. If you received your luggage tags it's right there. Also similar information in final cruise compass. I don Know how RC could make it any clearer.

By staying in your cabin until 9:30 not only did you make it difficult for the steward, you are fortunate that your name wasn't being announced in an effort to find you as they tried "zero down" passenger count.

Hopefully if you cruise again you will read the paperwork

And not feel uninformed.

Thanks for all of the responses. Based on this information, I will do as I always have, and be one of the first to line up, in my eagerness to get back to reality. :D As someone else mentioned, I don't see any reason to stay on longer as it will be just wasted time. (even if I have no where to be.)

The information provided is very specific, especially for novice cruisers. Along with your luggage tags you are told where to wait to be called for disembarkation. You are also provided a list of breakfast venues and times. If you received your luggage tags it's right there. Also similar information in final cruise compass. I don Know how RC could make it any clearer.

 

By staying in your cabin until 9:30 not only did you make it difficult for the steward, you are fortunate that your name wasn't being announced in an effort to find you as they tried "zero down" passenger count.

 

Hopefully if you cruise again you will read the paperwork

And not feel uninformed.

Well, if I don't, I can always come back here, post about it, and be scolded by you.