Carrying your luggage off the ship?

[Staying Focused]

I read in my booklet that i should bring an overnight bag since luggage will be collected the last night. I had planned to keep it and just take if with me when we disembarked so we could leave immediately (parked in the terminal garage). I'm assuming i can just let them know that i want to do this and i won't have any problems? I'm cruising with RCCL.

[serene56]

you do not have to let anyone know you are keeping your luggage. Just do not put anything out at night.

 

Keep your sea pass card, your documents out (IN HAND) so you can get off the ship and not be digging for it.

 

Just note that you will not be leaving immediately as soon as the ship docks. YOu will have to wait til the ship clears. and follow procedure for your ship for self dismbarkation.

[Staying Focused]

Approximately how Kong might this be? More like 30 min or maybe two hours?

 

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[chipmaster]

Approximately how Kong might this be? More like 30 min or maybe two hours?

 

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Never sailed RCCL but on the other lines you are assigned a time/meeting place, thus you do need to drag your luggage to the assigned waiting area and then disembark at the assigned time. I have yet to see this happen on "time."

[OCruisers]

No way of knowing exactly in advance of how long it will take for the ship to be cleared for disembarkation. Sometimes it takes longer than others.

 

If you decide to take your luggage off yourself, be sure you can do it completely by yourself because you will have absolutely no assistance.

We've seen people trying to do this who really should not have.

 

LuLu

[Staying Focused]

It will be me and my husband with one suitcase each and my small carry-on so no worries there. The itinerary says off at 7:00am, I was hoping to be driving away by 8.

 

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[MazziB]

It will be me and my husband with one suitcase each and my small carry-on so no worries there. The itinerary says off at 7:00am, I was hoping to be driving away by 8.

 

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I wouldn't plan anything you cannot change the day you disembark. My experience is it takes awhile to have the ship cleared by customs. Also just plain ol' crowded with everyone trying to do the same thing you are: getting off quick.

Just try to stay in the vacation mode *No Worries* until you get to your car. LOL. Good Luck.

[paul929207]

It will be me and my husband with one suitcase each and my small carry-on so no worries there. The itinerary says off at 7:00am, I was hoping to be driving away by 8.

 

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I suspect the itinerary says they expect to dock at 7. Then the ship must be cleared by local authorities. Often this is a 30 minute or so task. However, there are times when it seems to take for ever. Like 2 hours.

[serene56]

The itinerary says off at 7:00am, I was hoping to be driving away by 8.

 

 

the itinerary says Port Canaveral 7:00am Does not say you get off at that time.

 

If you hit rough waters it may dock later - rare occurrence but it happens.

 

Your loyalty people will be getting off the ship before you. (Its a lot of people to disembark and a lot of people will be self assisting.

 

It takes hours to get every one off the ship.

 

But you are not just going to take your luggage and get to the parking garage--

 

 

Also just plain ol' crowded with everyone trying to do the same thing you are: getting off quick.

Just try to stay in the vacation mode *No Worries* until you get to your car. LOL. Good Luck.

 

 

and MANY people will be driving out of the garage with you-- not as many as about 9am.. But like posted many people will be getting off with you

you need to clear customs and then clear immigration.

Sometimes with self assist there might only be two officers doing this

Depending on how many officers this could go quickly or it could take a bit of time

Edited April 24, 2015 by serene56

[Cruisin' Chick]

As others have said, you need to be able to handle anything you keep with you the last night and not put outside your cabin. You might, depending on the port, have to carry items down stairs or an escalator as elevators will be reserved for handicapped passengers.

 

Another thing, many of those who are doing disembarking are because of morning flights (which are not recommended).

 

We have never tried to do self-disembarking (not with all the stuff I'll be lugging around) so I don't know how much time earlier we can get off, but we never hurry off. If we're driving home, we know we'll be home within an hour and half after we get to our car (figuring for any jams leaving the parking lot and any traffic jams on the 405). If we're flying that day, we're not going to book a morning flight and stress out if the ship is getting the full customs and immigration check. Sometimes we've stayed around post-cruise and sightsee for a few days. But we're never going to try to push ahead of those who might actually need to get somewhere in a hurry.

[Staying Focused]

Thanks for the replies. I also pit this on the RCCL forum and am getting multiple responses that at the new port Canaveral terminal people are off and leaving in about 30 min!! We will see in a couple weeks!

 

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[spookwife]

It will be me and my husband with one suitcase each and my small carry-on so no worries there. The itinerary says off at 7:00am, I was hoping to be driving away by 8.

 

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no. the itinerary is ARRIVAL TIME at the pier. figure at least 45 minutes for the ship to be cleared for disembarking. longer if they are late arriving to clear the ship. while it is possible be through Customs quickly, 8 am is probably not a reasonable assumption. might be close to that, but no guarantees.

 

the self disembarkation line is LONG and people start lining up an hour or more before the listed time.

[gwsster]

The post from the prior poster is so true! The long lines are crazy.

On one of the Mega ships the Elevators were packed and lines with frustrated people trying to get from the top floors to the waiting areas to disembark. Every time the elevator doors opened people would shove to get on only to find that the elevator was full. They had large suitcases and couldn't drag them down multiple flights of stairs. That is where the joy of the cruise ended with griping and ticked off cruisers. I would say plan on being the last off the ship and exit in a relaxed manner. Plan for a flight after the noon hour if you are going to carry your luggage off. Go get a cup of coffee and do some people watching. The dynamics of behaviors can be quite entertaining.

[MazziB]

GWSSTER: Plan for a flight after the noon hour if you are going to carry your luggage off. Go get a cup of coffee and do some people watching. The dynamics of behaviors can be quite entertaining.

 

Love this idea!!! People watching can be very enlightening.

Edited April 25, 2015 by MazziB

[Staying Focused]

Sounds like I'm going to be spoiled on this cruise after hearing all your stories of other ships/places!

 

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[jacksmycat]

RCCL was the quickest debarkation I've ever had. We took our own luggage off and we're waiting for the shuttle about 7:30. We were on FOS out of Port Canaveral.

[GottaKnowWhen]

I read in my booklet that i should bring an overnight bag since luggage will be collected the last night. I had planned to keep it and just take if with me when we disembarked so we could leave immediately (parked in the terminal garage). I'm assuming i can just let them know that i want to do this and i won't have any problems? I'm cruising with RCCL.

 

 

A few things to remember. 1) the ship's crew want you outta there as soon as possible. They loved you, were overjoyed to have you travel with them, but they know that it is time to say goodby and move on. 2) the sooner you are gone, the sooner they can prep for the incoming hoard of new passengers who are clamoring for a place to leave their heavy suitcases, some gourmet food, and a big drink or two not necessarily in that order. 3) ask Guest Services what you can do to get out as early as possible. They will probably give you a priority disembarkation. Carrying off yourself is usually faster, easier to leave early. 4) ultimately, what happens has little to do with RCCL or other line, it is all about customs and immigration. Can be very fast if properly manned, can be very slow. So, 5) relax, don't make plans for an early-morning breakfast meeting with your broker or whatever, go with the flow, and don't let any disembarkation stress ruin the good memories from your cruise.

[TBone2K]

I read in my booklet that i should bring an overnight bag since luggage will be collected the last night. I had planned to keep it and just take if with me when we disembarked so we could leave immediately (parked in the terminal garage). I'm assuming i can just let them know that i want to do this and i won't have any problems? I'm cruising with RCCL.

 

That is exactly what we did on our last Enchantment cruise. The parking garage is right next to the pier, so just a short walk once your leave the terminal.

 

The cruise lines will give you an approximate time they want you to be ready to leave. That is based on the time the ship clears customs. Higher status guests are usually first followed by self-debark (that's you) and then a bunch of other numbers. For those who checked their luggage, they might as well wait for their number to be called, otherwise they be waiting for their luggage.

 

Really if you are carrying off your own stuff, you can leave any time once the ship clears. My only suggestion would be don't go as soon as a group is called, since you will get caught up in a crowd at elevators and customs. DW and I will usually get up in decent time, tell our room steward we'll be leaving in about an hour (just so they know when our room will be available). Then we have a nice breakfast at the Windjammer (which isn't as busy, since many people have already left or are waiting in the lounges). Then we go back to our room, grab our bags and head out.

[clackey]

We usually do self-assist and and have been in the car and on the road by 8:30 or 9:00.

[Eileenieg63]

Really if you are carrying off your own stuff, you can leave any time once the ship clears. My only suggestion would be don't go as soon as a group is called, since you will get caught up in a crowd at elevators and customs. DW and I will usually get up in decent time, tell our room steward we'll be leaving in about an hour (just so they know when our room will be available). Then we have a nice breakfast at the Windjammer (which isn't as busy, since many people have already left or are waiting in the lounges). Then we go back to our room, grab our bags and head out.

 

This sounds like the best plan if you're not running to catch a flight. DH and I are taking our first cruise on 5/16 out of Bayonne. We really don't have any reason to rush... Just didn't know that we could leave our stuff in cabin and enjoy breakfast without baggage!

Thanks for that :D

[1bets1]

I will try for self disembarcation. I'm on RC, out of Bayonne. So I pay no attention to my assigned time? Do the tell the selfies where and when to line up? I'll gladly get up early to get on line.

[ducklite]

Thanks for the replies. I also pit this on the RCCL forum and am getting multiple responses that at the new port Canaveral terminal people are off and leaving in about 30 min!! We will see in a couple weeks!

 

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My RCI cruise came back over two hours late into Port Canaveral after making a detour to Miami on the way to drop of a sick passenger. Getting off was a disaster. The escalator broke while many of us were on it causing people to fall, and then the luggage conveyor broke and they couldn't send the bags out. We didn't get our bags until noon. It was a crappy way to end an equally crappy cruise.

[TBone2K]

I will try for self disembarcation. I'm on RC, out of Bayonne. So I pay no attention to my assigned time? Do the tell the selfies where and when to line up? I'll gladly get up early to get on line.

 

There is an order for self debark. It will be in your departure paperwork. However you can leave later than that if you wish.