Disembarkation Alert

[onthegogirl]

Just had a stressful experience when disembarking the Koningsdam in Rome. The day before we were to leave, the disembarkation package arrived and instead of our transfer to the airport, they had us scheduled to go to Rome.  When I went to the front desk to correct the issue, they told me that we would have to take a taxi to the airport because my flight left before noon (11:20am).  I had provided my flight information when I purchased the transfer so I was not happy.  I was told that there was no way I would make the flight.  Well I got expedited disembarkation and then had to wait for my bags.  When I asked about getting a taxi I was told by HAL personnel that I should have booked in advance.  

 

I summary, there was a "taxi" right at the entrance to the customs area and we shared a ride.  We were at the airport over two hours in advance in plenty of time to catch the flight,  Our transfer was refunded but nothing could be done the about the stress felt about missing our flight home 

[*Miss G*]

Sorry about the stress levels.  That’s never fun.  I am guessing you purchased the transfer online within your booking?  Because I thought the forms state transfers are unavailable if your flight is within a certain window of time.  I could be mixing things up.  I’ve only had one coffee.

[3rdGenCunarder]

6 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

Sorry about the stress levels.  That’s never fun.  I am guessing you purchased the transfer online within your booking?  Because I thought the forms state transfers are unavailable if your flight is within a certain window of time.  I could be mixing things up.  I’ve only had one coffee.

 

I'm on my second cup of coffee and I think you're right. If you book a transfer on board, the form is very clear about the flight times that will work with the transfer. I don't know about booking a transfer online. 

 

OP, your stress is understandable, and I'm glad you made your flight. But I'm curious about why you had to wait for your bags if you had expedited disembarkation. 

 

[SargassoPirate]

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have learned to embark and disembark the stress free way by flying in at least a few days before a cruise and flying out at least one day after the cruise.  We use the extra time to enjoy the local area, have a leisurely breakfast on boarding day and get to the ship in plenty of time for a relaxed first day on board. On disembarkation day, we try to be amongst the last off the ship and if customs/immigration is backed up, we find a place to sit and read for a while.  Then we get to our local hotel, explore the area, have a leisurely dinner, and fly home the next day.  We realize that not everyone has the gift of time like we do, but we truly enjoy our leisurely pace as a nice way to start and end a relaxing cruise holiday.

 

Just saying to think about how one schedules a vacation.

[cruisemom42]

While you ended up making your flight with no problem (thank goodness), do note that it is always recommended on these boards to be at FCO airport 3 hours in advance for flights bound for the US -- the airport is chaotic, there are long lines and extra security for US-bound flights. It takes a while and sometimes that extra time is needed.

 

I would not call it so close. 

[HappyInVan]

3 hours ago, onthegogirl said:

... I had provided my flight information when I purchased the transfer so I was not happy.  I was told that there was no way I would make the flight.  Well I got expedited disembarkation and then had to wait for my bags.  When I asked about getting a taxi I was told by HAL personnel that I should have booked in advance.  

 

I summary, there was a "taxi" right at the entrance to the customs area and we shared a ride.  We were at the airport over two hours in advance in plenty of time to catch the flight,  Our transfer was refunded but nothing could be done the about the stress felt about missing our flight home 

Sorry to hear about the mishap. Sounds like no human brains were present when your transfer application was accepted at HAL. They should have rejected your transfer weeks or days before disembarkation. Not leave it to the last day.

 

And, the service desk should have been able to advise you accurately about what to do at the port.

 

May I ask how hard it was to get a taxi? Was it a regular taxi? How much for the fare to the airport?

 

Thanks.

[drowelf]

4 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have learned to embark and disembark the stress free way by flying in at least a few days before a cruise and flying out at least one day after the cruise.  We use the extra time to enjoy the local area, have a leisurely breakfast on boarding day and get to the ship in plenty of time for a relaxed first day on board. On disembarkation day, we try to be amongst the last off the ship and if customs/immigration is backed up, we find a place to sit and read for a while.  Then we get to our local hotel, explore the area, have a leisurely dinner, and fly home the next day.  We realize that not everyone has the gift of time like we do, but we truly enjoy our leisurely pace as a nice way to start and end a relaxing cruise holiday.

 

Just saying to think about how one schedules a vacation.

We do something similar. Unless I can get Flights out from Europe after 2pm,  its an overnight before the flight home. It also lets us re-pack our luggage to meet those pesky airline restrictions. We tend to do more pre-cruise stays at new ports, as we can be pretty wiped after a port intensive cruise. 

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP -- sorry about your stressful disembarkation.  Glad you made your flight.

 

We always arrive at the embarkation ports 3 or 4 days ahead and stay 1 or 2 days after the cruise at the disembarkation port.  I can't handle stress.

[sail7seas]

11 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have learned to embark and disembark the stress free way by flying in at least a few days before a cruise and flying out at least one day after the cruise.  We use the extra time to enjoy the local area, have a leisurely breakfast on boarding day and get to the ship in plenty of time for a relaxed first day on board. On disembarkation day, we try to be amongst the last off the ship and if customs/immigration is backed up, we find a place to sit and read for a while.  Then we get to our local hotel, explore the area, have a leisurely dinner, and fly home the next day.  We realize that not everyone has the gift of time like we do, but we truly enjoy our leisurely pace as a nice way to start and end a relaxing cruise holiday.

 

Just saying to think about how one schedules a vacation.

 

 

We always did the same.  Even if only  t he Caibbean and  FLL,  We always  did a post cruise stay.  Such a relaxing way  to go from  ship  to  shore..

 

 

[cowmilker]

When I first started reading this forum, this subject was one of the first things I read about. I took everyone's advice. We always arrive at least one day early for a cruise, and only book a flight home (domestic) in the evening of disembarkation day.  Overseas, it's always overnight at least before leaving.

I know that a 14 day cruise really means 16 days minimum.  I factor that in when I book it.

It was the best advice and well worth the time I spent reading. I will always be grateful to those of you who stressed this over and over again.

[Hlitner]

Sorry for your difficulty and stress.  Perhaps that is the major reason we avoid using cruise line transfers :).  In the case of Civitavecchia we routinely have taken a 10:50am flight (to the States) without a worry in the world.  We simply arrange a private transfer (through Rome Cabs) which is usually less expensive then the cruise line transfer.  We have our driver meet us at 7:15 and are at FCO by 8:15 in plenty of time for our flight.  We have a friend who has taken a 10am flight from FCO although this is a bit early for my own level of comfort.

 

The problem with cruise line transfers is that they are generally on large buses.  The bus will often sit at the port until it is full and all the luggage is loaded.  Hence the procedure only moves as fast as the slowest passenger, and on lines like HAL there are always some folks who are veeeeerrrrry sloooooowwww.  When we do a private transfer we often will advertise on the CC Roll call and invite 1 or 2 other couples to join us.  If our driver is supposed to meet us at 7:15 we will be off the ship by 7, meet our driver, and be on our way by 7:20!   When we need to do a very early transfer we will use the Express disembarkation procedure where we depart the ship with all of our luggage.   Another advantage of using a private transfer is that our driver will drop us (and our luggage) at the proper door.  There are no hassles getting to the proper part of the airport, waiting for our luggage to be unloaded, etc.

 

If you are curious about the cost, with 4 people a private transfer from Civitavecchia to FCO (via Rome Cabs) will cost about 40 Euros per person.  With 6 folks it drops to about 30 Euros per person (including tips).

 

Hank

[comcox]

17 hours ago, onthegogirl said:

Just had a stressful experience when disembarking the Koningsdam in Rome. The day before we were to leave, the disembarkation package arrived and instead of our transfer to the airport, they had us scheduled to go to Rome.  When I went to the front desk to correct the issue, they told me that we would have to take a taxi to the airport because my flight left before noon (11:20am).  I had provided my flight information when I purchased the transfer so I was not happy.  I was told that there was no way I would make the flight.  Well I got expedited disembarkation and then had to wait for my bags.  When I asked about getting a taxi I was told by HAL personnel that I should have booked in advance.  

 

I summary, there was a "taxi" right at the entrance to the customs area and we shared a ride.  We were at the airport over two hours in advance in plenty of time to catch the flight,  Our transfer was refunded but nothing could be done the about the stress felt about missing our flight home 

I thought with express disembarkation you had to carry all your bags off yourself so there should have been no wait for that.

[Storylady]

I understand your stress leave, we also learned the hard way that if you want a HAL transfer to the airport, you need to book a flight after 1 PM. Otherwise you might have to carry your luggage off the ship like we had to do. At least you had luggage taken off for you. So now I make sure all my flights are after 1 PM.

[onthegogirl]

19 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

Sorry to hear about the mishap. Sounds like no human brains were present when your transfer application was accepted at HAL. They should have rejected your transfer weeks or days before disembarkation. Not leave it to the last day.

 

And, the service desk should have been able to advise you accurately about what to do at the port.

 

May I ask how hard it was to get a taxi? Was it a regular taxi? How much for the fare to the airport?

 

Thanks.

There was a fellow standing outside the terminal.  We negotiated a fare of $150€ and that is about $20$ higher than the transfers.  We shared the van with six other passengers.  Since he was allowed to negotiate inside the port area I believe he was a legitimate taxi.  I understand when you book in advance you get your taxi just outside the port, but I could be wrong.

 

I try to go out early as well and stayed overnight at FCO, I had a transfer for the flight back on disembarkation.   Had I been informed when I booked the transfer I would have made other arrangements.

 

 

[onthegogirl]

5 hours ago, Storylady said:

I understand your stress leave, we also learned the hard way that if you want a HAL transfer to the airport, you need to book a flight after 1 PM. Otherwise you might have to carry your luggage off the ship like we had to do. At least you had luggage taken off for you. So now I make sure all my flights are after 1 PM.

Both DH and I are “mature” individuals and were suffering from colds so we begged to have our bags handled.  We were given expedited tickets are let off the ship at 7:30 but were not able to pick up our bags until the ship released them at almost 8:00.  Had we known we would have struggled with the bags ourselves.  

[TiogaCruiser]

On 8/15/2019 at 6:11 AM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I'm on my second cup of coffee and I think you're right. If you book a transfer on board, the form is very clear about the flight times that will work with the transfer. I don't know about booking a transfer online. 

 

OP, your stress is understandable, and I'm glad you made your flight. But I'm curious about why you had to wait for your bags if you had expedited disembarkation. 

 

In my experience with booking online shores + transfers with HAL, the flight time frame was very clearly disclosed at the end of the description (e.g. “For flights 3:00pm or later only”).

 

If I plan to do a HAL transfer to the airport I check that time before booking the shores + transfer.  I don’t know if HAL also adds that language to the plain transfer.

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, onthegogirl said:

Both DH and I are “mature” individuals and were suffering from colds so we begged to have our bags handled.  We were given expedited tickets are let off the ship at 7:30 but were not able to pick up our bags until the ship released them at almost 8:00.  Had we known we would have struggled with the bags ourselves.  

 

Someone should have warned you that your bags wouldn't be waiting for you at 7:30. I've never heard of anyone being allowed to leave at the expedited time without carrying their luggage. 

 

The more "mature" I get, the more time I allow for everything, especially making travel connections. 

 

[HappyInVan]

3 hours ago, onthegogirl said:

There was a fellow standing outside the terminal.  We negotiated a fare of $150€ and that is about $20$ higher than the transfers.  We shared the van with six other passengers.  Since he was allowed to negotiate inside the port area I believe he was a legitimate taxi.  I understand when you book in advance you get your taxi just outside the port, but I could be wrong.

 

 

 

Ouch!!!!

 

One more reason why I won't be embarking/disembarking in Rome.

[sail7seas]

3 hours ago, onthegogirl said:

There was a fellow standing outside the terminal.  We negotiated a fare of $150€ and that is about $20$ higher than the transfers.  We shared the van with six other passengers.  Since he was allowed to negotiate inside the port area I believe he was a legitimate taxi.  I understand when you book in advance you get your taxi just outside the port, but I could be wrong.

 

I try to go out early as well and stayed overnight at FCO, I had a transfer for the flight back on disembarkation.   Had I been informed when I booked the transfer I would have made other arrangements.

 

 

3 hours ago, onthegogirl said:

 

 

Sorry you had to deal with thag stress.  Someone made a big mistake when they sold you the transfer and  notification should have been made sooner.

 

Hope the cruise was terrific