Walk off disembarkation

Hello,

I am new to HAL. I have cruised Princess and NCL before. Does HAL have walk off disembarkation where you just grab your luggage and walk off?

Thanks,

Yes. It's called self-disembarkation, and you are the first group to leave the ship.

Yes. It is the first off the ship, unlike NCL where it means you can leave whenever you want. On HAL they want/ask you to leave prior to the first colored group to leave.

I wish it was like NCLs honesty.

Expedited disembarkation. A few requirements:

Be able to handle your own luggage.

U.S. Citizen

Credit Card on file.

Generally, you will be off the ship by 7:30 AM

I believe HAL's reasoning for all self-debark passengers to leave first is to avoid the congestion that is often caused by people carrying/pulling their own large suitcases down stairs, escalators, in elevators, etc. once off the ship.

Accidents have happened when people try to handle their big pieces and they fall or stumble and get injured.

Passengers with only carry-ons move faster once off the ship, and to mix both crowds can create problems. I've seen it done both ways, and to have the self-debark go first with their luggage is far safer.

If you want to leave later, you just go with your color group, but you take your own bags. We've done that many times, and we've been told it is fine so long as you can take your own luggage without assistance.

Another reason they want the self disembarkation people to all get off right away -- they clog up the elevators ON the ship with their luggage.

Yes they do, we use it every time to avoid the zoo and hassle of finding your luggage in the port building.

Expedited disembarkation. A few requirements:

 

Be able to handle your own luggage.

 

U.S. Citizen

 

Credit Card on file.

 

Generally, you will be off the ship by 7:30 AM

I didnt realize that only u.s. citizens could do this. We had hoped to self disembark on our next cruise.

Good to know.

Keith

I didnt realize that only u.s. citizens could do this. We had hoped to self disembark on our next cruise.

This is absolutely incorrect. Any person can do self disembarkation from a Dutch ship at any time and anywhere !!!!

Us citizens do not get any privileges in that respect, why would they?

Getting off early from the ship in Amsterdam, Vancouver, Buenos aires and Fort Lauderdale or Seattle earlier than the others because you are Americans. Come on !!!!

Relax. You will be able to get off the ship as early as you want. Enjoy your vacation.

Expedited disembarkation. A few requirements:

 

Be able to handle your own luggage.

 

U.S. Citizen

 

Credit Card on file.

 

Generally, you will be off the ship by 7:30 AM

Where on earth did you take this information ????

US citizens !!!!! My question is why would US citizens be able to cut the line and be off the ship before the others. :eek: I am sorry but this is very incorrect.

HAL usually allows self-disembarkation but not always. We were not allowed to do it when disembarking the Ryndam in Tampa because "the elevators are too small"!! That was a really odd reason, because it was allowed for disembarking the Veendam into the same terminal building on a prior cruise, and from the Maasdam at Port Everglades on a subsequent cruise.

Expedited disembarkation. A few requirements:

 

Be able to handle your own luggage.

 

U.S. Citizen

 

Credit Card on file.

 

Generally, you will be off the ship by 7:30 AM

I have never found that my nationality to be a problem even when self-disembarking, even in US ports. Unless of course US Customs & Border Protection have come up with another new rule?

Agree that if self-disembarking we should be first off - after all what is the point in self disembarking unless you need to get off early! Of course, people dragging heavy luggage through any waiting line can cause problems for them and other guests.

HAL usually allows self-disembarkation but not always. We were not allowed to do it when disembarking the Ryndam in Tampa because "the elevators are too small"!! That was a really odd reason, because it was allowed for disembarking the Veendam into the same terminal building on a prior cruise, and from the Maasdam at Port Everglades on a subsequent cruise.

While I do believe you, I also find it odd. We have self-disembarked twice from the Ryndam in Tampa. The most recent was the beginning of April.

This is our first HAL cruise. Our flight does not leave BOS until 2:40pm. We are not using a ship transfer and my 84 year old mom and I cannot manage our luggage on our own-we would prefer to set large bags outside our cabin the night before and retrieve them the next morning.

Any suggestions or strategies?

We plan on using a cab to the airport.

Apparently as of July 1 I have heard that security lines will be getting even longer at airports so we plan on enjoying the American Aadvantage lounge as I fortunately have permanent elite status with them.

Thanks in advance.

While I do believe you, I also find it odd. We have self-disembarked twice from the Ryndam in Tampa. The most recent was the beginning of April.

This is our first HAL cruise. Our flight does not leave BOS until 2:40pm. We are not using a ship transfer and my 84 year old mom and I cannot manage our luggage on our own-we would prefer to set large bags outside our cabin the night before and retrieve them the next morning.

Any suggestions or strategies?

We plan on using a cab to the airport.

Apparently as of July 1 I have heard that security lines will be getting even longer at airports so we plan on enjoying the American Aadvantage lounge as I fortunately have permanent elite status with them.

Thanks in advance.

If I were you, I would ask for the latest disembarkation time (on my recent disembarkation in Boston, that was 9:30 on the request form). By then, there should be few pieces of luggage left in the terminal, and it's easy to find yours (mine was all alone :D). There were plenty of cabs outside, and it's a short ride to Logan.

If Mom has any mobility problems, then ask for wheelchair assistance leaving the ship. The pusher will take you to the luggage claim area, then right to the taxi stand.

We want to do self-disembarkation. Have done it many times on other lines and thought that we did it off the Maasdam a few years ago. BUT, since we are not in a rush, would like to enjoy breakfast and then leave. So, 7:30 a.m. does not sound good to me.

I really hate having to spend the last evening packing everything and worrying about whether I left the right number of clothing items out for the next morning.

Oh, well. Guess we go with the flow.

We 4 Canadians were able to self-disembark in San Diego in Jan. I didn't realize when I agreed to this with our travelling party that we would need to leave first. Since our flight was not till 1 p.m. and the airport was only minutes away, I would have liked to linger a bit, but we did not feel rushed at all. We were on the main deck and could not get to the elevator due to luggage traffic to go down one deck so we waked off on the main (it meant we need to use the elevator in the terminal instead.)

Walked right up to an airport shuttle and were on our way in minutes.

Our next cruise is out of Vancouver, BC which means no flight for us. Not sure what we will do. Don't have our cabin assignment yet so I guess it might depend on what deck we are on and how many floors down to walk off.

This is absolutely incorrect. Any person can do self disembarkation from a Dutch ship at any time and anywhere !!!!

 

Us citizens do not get any privileges in that respect, why would they?

 

Getting off early from the ship in Amsterdam, Vancouver, Buenos aires and Fort Lauderdale or Seattle earlier than the others because you are Americans. Come on !!!!

 

Relax. You will be able to get off the ship as early as you want. Enjoy your vacation.

I was wondering the same thing. I am Canadian and will be disembarking in Vancouver, so why would I not be able to disembark early, won't I be going though CANADIAN customs, not US?