Oasis - Self-Disembarkation Question

[thurgood]

I seem to recall reading on this forum that some folks have used the self-disembarkation option in leaving Oasis. I am trying to determine whether to use that option myself. I will be staying in Fort Lauderdale for a day after my cruise, so I have no need to get bags to the airport. I would very much appreciate if someone could provide a short rundown on what is involved in the self-disembarkation process. Do you simply carry all of your own bags off early in the morning? Is there any "downside" to using this process other than having to carry your own bags and having to get up early? Is there any advantage to using the self-disembarkation process? How do the lines at Customs compare between the self-disembarkation and the standard disembarkation? Thank you.

[Tim,n,Sue]

I seem to recall reading on this forum that some folks have used the self-disembarkation option in leaving Oasis. I am trying to determine whether to use that option myself. I will be staying in Fort Lauderdale for a day after my cruise, so I have no need to get bags to the airport. I would very much appreciate if someone could provide a short rundown on what is involved in the self-disembarkation process. Do you simply carry all of your own bags off early in the morning? Is there any "downside" to using this process other than having to carry your own bags and having to get up early? Is there any advantage to using the self-disembarkation process? How do the lines at Customs compare between the self-disembarkation and the standard disembarkation? Thank you.

Looks like you have a good idea of what the process is as well as the downsides such as getting up early and manhandling your own luggage off by yourself. The customs lines are the same ones that everyone else uses, just that you get there earlier than the others when it should not be as crowded, again depending on how many others choose express walkoff.

[DonnaK]

We used self-disembarkation for Allure.

 

We liked not having to spend the final cruise day packing so we would have the luggage outside the door that evening. We liked not having to manipulate the packing to make sure that we kept everything we needed for the night and next morning in our carryon's (once we had things we needed in the morning packed in the luggage we turned in the night before). We liked being able to walk right off the ship and have no lines at customs. We liked having lots of taxis lined up, so no waiting. And we liked being at our post-cruise hotel by 7:30am (we could have gotten there even earlier if we left as soon as the ship cleared).

 

You have to be able to carry the luggage with one hand, and have the other hand free to hold the escalator handrail, otherwise there is a long line for the elevator.

 

The lines get longer for both customs/immigration and for a taxi as time passes by, so the earlier the better.

 

Our post cruise hotel happened to have a room available, so we were able to check in immediately with no additional fee. Otherwise, they would have held our luggage in a secure room until regular check-in time.