Handicapped but considering self-disembarking

To make sure we make out 2pm flight out of Sea-Tac after our upcoming cruise, I am considering self-disembarking. (I think that's what it is called when you carry your own luggage off the ship?) But I've never heard of a person unable to walk doing that.

Mechanics: I travel with my DH who has no mobility limitations. I will have both my personal scooter and my manual wheelchair on the cruise. I think my large suitcase, DH's duffel, and my laptop bag will all fit in the wheelchair seat, so DH can push the wc while my purse and I ride on my scooter. (We will also be using this system to fly to Sea-Tac, so we will know ahead of time how well or poorly it works.)

Time-wise we should be okay if we are off the ship by 10am, allowing a half-hour to get through customs, a half-hour to the airport, and we'd be there 3 hours before flight departure (domestic flight). But the cruise line managed to misplace my suitcase on our last cruise, so I'm a bit nervous about possible find-the-missing-suitcase delays that could result in missing our flight. Plus, frankly, I simply don't like sending my belongings into the unknown or not having them accessible during last-minute packing. It seems that self-disembarking would solve both problems and let us saunter off the ship whenever we are ready.

Thoughts?

Self disembarkation is at 7:30 am, not 10 am?

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If you are self-debarking, you don't HAVE to be off first. We travel carryon only, and have no problem waiting until last call...

OP, self debark typically means you have to be able to handle all of your luggage, etc., without assistance, and this may mean having to use the stairs! If you cannot do that, you are really not a candidate for self debark. EM

You should have no problem making a 2:00 PM flight, even if you are one of the last people off the ship. I use wheelchair assistance off, and have heard "last call" to disembark as many as three times before they took me off.

Never had a problem making a flight that late---including in Seattle.

I wouldn't risk attempting self-disembark with all that equipment plus luggage.

To make sure we make out 2pm flight out of Sea-Tac after our upcoming cruise, I am considering self-disembarking. (I think that's what it is called when you carry your own luggage off the ship?) But I've never heard of a person unable to walk doing that.

 

Mechanics: I travel with my DH who has no mobility limitations. I will have both my personal scooter and my manual wheelchair on the cruise. I think my large suitcase, DH's duffel, and my laptop bag will all fit in the wheelchair seat, so DH can push the wc while my purse and I ride on my scooter. (We will also be using this system to fly to Sea-Tac, so we will know ahead of time how well or poorly it works.)

 

Time-wise we should be okay if we are off the ship by 10am, allowing a half-hour to get through customs, a half-hour to the airport, and we'd be there 3 hours before flight departure (domestic flight). But the cruise line managed to misplace my suitcase on our last cruise, so I'm a bit nervous about possible find-the-missing-suitcase delays that could result in missing our flight. Plus, frankly, I simply don't like sending my belongings into the unknown or not having them accessible during last-minute packing. It seems that self-disembarking would solve both problems and let us saunter off the ship whenever we are ready.

 

Thoughts?

You stated " I think my large suitcase, DH's duffel, and my laptop bag will all fit in the wheelchair seat, so DH can push the wc while my purse and I ride on my scooter.". Your statement means that you're assuming it will work so why wouldn't you test it out while you're still at home to see if it all fits on the wheelchair and that your husband can manuver it. Additionaly the cruise line will want you off the ship before 10AM. Also no one ever just "suanters" off the ship . It most definitely is a rushed processed whether you self disembark or not and having a disability doesn't change that.

Have you checked if your cruise line offers Luggage Valet ( name can vary depending on the cruiseline ) which is a program that you pay to have the ship process your boarding pass and check your' luggage in directly ? The next time you'll see your luggage is when you arrive at the airport of your destination. Not all airlines take part in this program . But typically United, American, Delta and Southwest do out of the Port of Seattle. Both RCCL and Princess definitely offer such a program for that port. both cruise lins require you to sign up for the program on by day 2 of the cruise.

Thanks for the responses. If we start leaning towards trying it, I'll be sure to check whether stairs are involved. (Have you really had to use stairs to exit a modern cruise ship at its home port? Oasis of the Caribbean had ramps in place at every port as well as Ft Lauderdale.) Other than stairs or gaps in the walkway, I think DH can manage our luggage and I can manage me - but those are pretty significant exceptions.

I just mentioned 10am as an example of how late we could do regular disembarking and still make the plane - but we wouldn't be leaving as early as 8 no matter how we disembark. Neither DH nor I are early risers.

What ship and port? Definitely do a test run at home to see how this works for you. Might even want to take a spin around the block.

Norwegian Pearl, RT Seattle. We live in the country so a "block" is about 5 miles. lol But we have to get from remote parking at Denver to the terminal, which will be a good test of how difficult it is and how well we do at managing it. (HAS to be easier than last time, which had DH pushing me in my wheelchair with his duffel slung across his back while I tried to maneuver my big rolling suitcase with my laptop bag on top. What a nightmare!)

For a two PM flight, no need to self-carry luggage. When a wheelchair is part of the package, I would just let them help.

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Thanks for the responses. If we start leaning towards trying it, I'll be sure to check whether stairs are involved.(Have you really had to use stairs to exit a modern cruise ship at its home port? Oasis of the Caribbean had ramps in place at every port as well as Ft Lauderdale.) Other than stairs or gaps in he walkway, I think DH can manage our luggage and I can manage me - but those are pretty significant exceptions.

 

I just mentioned 10am as an example of how late we could do regular disembarking and still make the plane - but we wouldn't be leaving as early as 8 no matter how we disembark. Neither DH nor I are early risers.

You are required to out of the cabin by 8:30 AM at the latest so you do need to be planning to rise early.

As far as steps at the home port varies per cruise line, ship ,port and terminal used at that port.

I was under the impression one hand must be free to hold on going down the stairs/esclator.....I could be wrong. My personal feeling passengers who have mobility issues should not even consider self debarking.

On our last cruise we were going to try self assist even though I had an electric wheelchair. However it specifically stated in the cruise line instructions that people on scooters or wheelchair were not eligible for the program. We like to get off as early as possible even though we drive to the port.

We went to the place where the people who needed assistance went and we were one of the first to leave because I had my own chair. If you have your own chair or scooter you don't have to wait for someone to bring a wheelchair to you and you can leave earlier, whenever they call your no.

Have a great cruise.

Norwegian Pearl, RT Seattle. We live in the country so a "block" is about 5 miles. lol But we have to get from remote parking at Denver to the terminal, which will be a good test of how difficult it is and how well we do at managing it. (HAS to be easier than last time, which had DH pushing me in my wheelchair with his duffel slung across his back while I tried to maneuver my big rolling suitcase with my laptop bag on top. What a nightmare!)

Hubby drops me and my scooter and all the luggage off at the airport then goes and parks the car, and gets the shuttle back to the airport terminal. I wait and "guard" all the stuff. LOL.

When we return we claim our luggage and he takes me and all the luggage outside. He then goes and retrieves the car and back to pick me and all the luggage up. It really works well for us.

Sounds great! Wouldn't work for us because DH couldn't find his way out of a paper bag. lol

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On our last cruise we were going to try self assist even though I had an electric wheelchair. However it specifically stated in the cruise line instructions that people on scooters or wheelchair were not eligible for the program. We like to get off as early as possible even though we drive to the port.

 

We went to the place where the people who needed assistance went and we were one of the first to leave because I had my own chair. If you have your own chair or scooter you don't have to wait for someone to bring a wheelchair to you and you can leave earlier, whenever they call your no.

 

Have a great cruise.

Good point ! Though rent a scooter and don't bring mine from home , my friends who do bring their own scooters and wheelchairs were not allowed to do self embark on RCCL, Princess as well as Holland America. They were told it was unsafe due to able body people stampeding the gangway and it would actually slow down the entire process. They were the very next group after self disembark to leave because they did not need assistance from the crew. Kind of guessing NCL would be that same way.

Good point ! Though rent a scooter and don't bring mine from home , my friends who do bring their own scooters and wheelchairs were not allowed to do self embark on RCCL, Princess as well as Holland America. They were told it was unsafe due to able body people stampeding the gangway and it would actually slow down the entire process. They were the very next group after self disembark to leave because they did not need assistance from the crew. Kind of guessing NCL would be that same way.

We also were not allowed to do self disembark on Celebrity Sihouette. DH wanted to try (I didn't) but the cruise line said no.

Sounds great! Wouldn't work for us because DH couldn't find his way out of a paper bag. lol

 

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Oh believe me my hubby lost the needle on his compass, if he ever had one. The scenario I described was at Miami and the parking garage is directly across the street from the port. I was amazed he did it alone.

I was under the impression one hand must be free to hold on going down the stairs/esclator.....I could be wrong. My personal feeling passengers who have mobility issues should not even consider self debarking.

OP will be riding a mobility scooter and her husband will be pushing a wheelchair with their luggage. Therefore they will not be using steps or an escalator . Rather they will be using the terminal elevator which is reserved for use by passengers with mobility issues

> The scenario I described was at Miami and the parking garage is directly across the street from the port. I was amazed he did it alone.

LOL! We will be flying from Denver. Long term parking is literally miles from the terminal, and NOT a straight shot - a looping road to get near the expressway, then a short piece on a different road to actually get onto the expressway, then he has to remember whether he left me at East or West terminal ... you get the idea. There is a free shuttle bus, of course, but there are multiple routes and the one time we tried having him get the car, he came back an hour later on the same shuttle bus he had left on, without ever getting near our car. (I was surprised he was able to get back to the terminal on his own. Wonderful husband but lousy navigator.) The shuttle busses kneel so are easily accessible, and we have always been able to get a handicapped parking spot right by a bus stop.

I can understand wanting to avoid getting mowed down, but since I am looking at self-disembark for convenience rather than to be the first off the ship, it wouldn't bother me at all to wait until those in a hurry had left. Do you HAVE to leave at an early hour if you self-disembark? Even if we can't do self-disembark, if towing the luggage in my wheelchair works out, I still think we will keep our luggage with us.

Just remember that there are a lot of people wanting to get on the ship for THEIR cruise after your's and the crew has to prep all the cabins for the new passengers. So no, you absolutely MUST leave your cabin by at least 8am and no later. You won't have a choice in this----you will be waiting in some public room by 8am, regardless of when you leave the ship. You will have to be an early riser on disembarkation day especially if you want to have breakfast before leaving. Most breakfast venues are only open until 8 or 8:30.

With a 2pm flight, there's no reason to carry all your stuff off the ship. And remember, there's no assurance that the elevators will be working. I was just on a cruise where the elevators were not working until the repair company showed up and that was after 9am.

> you absolutely MUST leave your cabin by at least 8am

This was absolutely NOT true on our Oasis of the Seas cruise. We didn't have to leave the cabin until after 10.

> you absolutely MUST leave your cabin by at least 8am

 

This was absolutely NOT true on our Oasis of the Seas cruise. We didn't have to leave the cabin until after 10.

According to your signature you upcoming cruise out of Seattle is on NCL. Therefore what you did on RCCL's Oasis of the Sea cruise has no relevance.

NCL typically wants passengers out of their cabins by 8:30 AM and completely off the ship by 10:00 AM

Just be aware that with self-disembarkation, you are totally on your own. You have to get yourself and your gear off the ship, down the gangway, and through customs/immigration without assistance. I have seen people try it who shouldn't have create bottlenecks and other problems. Just because one person in a group can handle it doesn't mean the cruise line staff will help.

Having said that, enjoy your cruise, relax, and have a good time.