New late check out process.

[PeteMan]

No thanks! Would rather put that $35 per person to better use off the ship -- take a tour en route to the airport.

 

Who wants to be on board with all the preps for the next sailing going on around you? It would be anything but relaxing as cleaning, cabin prep, etc. is going on all around you? People in the stairwells and elevators getting off the ship, people in the public lounges waiting to get off the ship, people eating in the WJ before leaving the ship, crew getting shore leave, supplies being loaded, etc.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

I think you miss the point. You leave your cabinn at 9am and go for breakfast (WJ is fairly quiet) as most poeple are panicking about getting off. You then head for the pool for a few hours (which will be very quiet) then go for lunch at around 12pm before the masses arrive.

 

Pete

[melbur]

No thanks! Would rather put that $35 per person to better use off the ship -- take a tour en route to the airport.

 

Who wants to be on board with all the preps for the next sailing going on around you? It would be anything but relaxing as cleaning, cabin prep, etc. is going on all around you? People in the stairwells and elevators getting off the ship, people in the public lounges waiting to get off the ship, people eating in the WJ before leaving the ship, crew getting shore leave, supplies being loaded, etc.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

 

If you have ever done a B2B, you would know it is not nearly as disruptive as you are portraying. It is quite relaxing in those few hours to have the ship "to yourselves" before the next gang board.

[wingatesl]

If you have ever done a B2B, you would know it is not nearly as disruptive as you are portraying. It is quite relaxing in those few hours to have the ship "to yourselves" before the next gang board.

Definitely, if they had this on the Oasis I would be booking a late flight home. You can wake up, relax, wait for the disembarkation madness to lessen, and then get off the ship.

[Dorset Cruiser]

Just booked this for our departure date from Grandeur on 24th July. Our flight home is not until 4.00 pm and we have made our own flight arrangements. Will only take an hour to get to the airport so we will be able to stay on the ship until about 12.00 noon, get our last free lunch and then make our way to the airport. Much better surroundings than sitting in a soul-less airport from 10.00 in the morning:)

[B_Mc]

With access to my cabin, I'd totally pay it, but just to hang around? I doubt it.

[grabby]

I've booked this for our cruise on AOS in November. Our flight back to the UK isn't until 7.30pm so I think it will be much easier to stay on ship and relax in the sun for afew more hours and get off and get a taxi straight to the airport about 3pm. We have to be out of the cabin by 9am so I'm sure it won't mean that new passengers will be delayed in getting access to their cabins.

 

 

Adele

[Bookish Angel]

to read at the airport. I won't be paying to stay on the ship. If I am flying, I want to get to the airport ASAP because sometimes I can get an earlier flight home - have done that twice as I often have carry-on only.

[nelblu]

I haven't seen much about this option since it was announced by RCL some time ago. Is this still available? We've got a 3pm flight out of SJ in Feb. on the AOS and would take advantage of this option rather than wait at the airport for some 4-5 hours.

[RCCIFan]

I found out this is called the Late Departure Program offered on European sailings only. Kids 3-12 are half price, kids under 3 are free. Space is available to store your carry ons. Your soda package will be good until you leave the ship but any purchases will be charged to your personal credit card, not your SeaPass card. You can sign up for it as a shore excursion option on line, or onboard the 2nd day of the cruise (a flyer with all the details will be in your Day 1 Cruise Compass.

[teajak]

to read at the airport. I won't be paying to stay on the ship. If I am flying, I want to get to the airport ASAP because sometimes I can get an earlier flight home - have done that twice as I often have carry-on only.

You could take a cab and have a great lunch somewhere for $35. each instead of the crowded WJ on embarkation day.

[foxesden1]

we did a RCL tour, when we arrived in Barcelona. It was a great tour that dropped us off right at the airport.

[Dorset Cruiser]

We prefer to stay on the ship a little longer. We have done the pre-flight tours that the cruise company organise, for instance we had a trip to Monserrat one year, a tour around Rome another year and a visit to a resort when in San Juan one time. This time we just want to relax for as long as possible before our flight back to the UK and our drive back to our home. It is a small price to pay in any event, after the amount we paid out for the actual cruise.

 

It would not be much fun trying to find a restaurant whilst lugging our suitcases and hand luggage around with us:eek:

 

No chance of us getting an earlier flight as we are using a budget airline to get to Barcelona.

 

Staying on the ship until WE want to leave will be much more restful for us.

[Ocean Boy]

I haven't seen much about this option since it was announced by RCL some time ago. Is this still available? We've got a 3pm flight out of SJ in Feb. on the AOS and would take advantage of this option rather than wait at the airport for some 4-5 hours.

 

I don't think it will be worth it to you for a 3 PM flight. You will need to be at the airport by 1 PM which would meen getting off the ship by around noon time. The $35.00 fee is not buying you much time.

[peteukmcr]

I haven't seen much about this option since it was announced by RCL some time ago. Is this still available? We've got a 3pm flight out of SJ in Feb. on the AOS and would take advantage of this option rather than wait at the airport for some 4-5 hours.

We used it on Liberty in Barcelona in May this year and I have taken an excerpt from my review and reproduced it below.

 

You could take a cab and have a great lunch somewhere for $35. each instead of the crowded WJ on embarkation day.

To be honest the WJ wasn't crowded at all on embarkation day, but I suppose it depends on the time you choose to visit.

 

We prefer to stay on the ship a little longer. We have done the pre-flight tours that the cruise company organise, for instance we had a trip to Monserrat one year, a tour around Rome another year and a visit to a resort when in San Juan one time. This time we just want to relax for as long as possible before our flight back to the UK and our drive back to our home. It is a small price to pay in any event, after the amount we paid out for the actual cruise.

 

It would not be much fun trying to find a restaurant whilst lugging our suitcases and hand luggage around with us:eek:

 

No chance of us getting an earlier flight as we are using a budget airline to get to Barcelona.

 

Staying on the ship until WE want to leave will be much more restful for us.

That's why we chose it as we only had 1 flight to choose from for our return flight to Manchester.

 

This is our experience on Liberty in May 2011 on the day of disembarkation.

 

Our SeaPass account was closed at 8 a.m. and the cards deactivated at 9 a.m. so that I presume we could not get back into the cabin.

 

Following breakfast we finished packing (we only had carry ons as it was only a 5 day sailing, although they are quite large!) and as we could stay in the cabin until 9 a.m. we relaxed and then took our bags to the Velazquez dining room on deck 3 where we were given a receipt and allowed to store them until we decided to leave the ship, which at the latest was 3:30 p.m.

 

We had stickers on our SeaPass cards that identified us as using the Late Departure Program.

 

We relaxed by the Solarium which was extremely quiet once the majority of guests had disembarked. We could get complimentary coffee, tea, iced water and snacks from Café Promenade whilst on board and could purchase other drinks from the bars once they re-opened using our credit card.

 

Around 10:30 a.m. the new guests commenced boarding, so soon Liberty started to fill up with new excited passengers ready for their cruise.

 

For the final time we had lunch in the Windjammer and then relaxed again on deck 11 until we decided to disembark and make our way to Barcelona airport for our flight back to the UK.

 

They check your SeaPass card as you disembark and keep it as you are a Late Departure guest.

 

So for us, the Late Departure program worked well as our flight was not until late evening from Barcelona.

 

When we disembarked the ship, we passed straight out through the baggage hall and outside the terminal.

 

For those who had elected to have their bags taken off by RCI, the Late Departure baggage tags are very different to the normal ones and you get these with the instructions placed in your cabin the day before departure. If you use these and place your bags outside your cabin before 11 pm like everyone else the night before arriving in Barcelona, you pick up your bags from a separate area clearly sign posted once you exit the terminal building.

[kate23]

We just booked this for our upcoming cruise. We are staying one night after the cruise in Barcelona (staying one night prior to cruising as well). We will just relax on board until our room is ready in Barcelona.

 

It seems like it will work our well for us.

 

Kate

[Merion_Mom]

We used it on Liberty in Barcelona in May this year and I have taken an excerpt from my review and reproduced it below.

 

To be honest the WJ wasn't crowded at all on embarkation day, but I suppose it depends on the time you choose to visit.

 

That's why we chose it as we only had 1 flight to choose from for our return flight to Manchester.

 

This is our experience on Liberty in May 2011 on the day of disembarkation.

 

Our SeaPass account was closed at 8 a.m. and the cards deactivated at 9 a.m. so that I presume we could not get back into the cabin.

 

Following breakfast we finished packing (we only had carry ons as it was only a 5 day sailing, although they are quite large!) and as we could stay in the cabin until 9 a.m. we relaxed and then took our bags to the Velazquez dining room on deck 3 where we were given a receipt and allowed to store them until we decided to leave the ship, which at the latest was 3:30 p.m.

 

We had stickers on our SeaPass cards that identified us as using the Late Departure Program.

 

We relaxed by the Solarium which was extremely quiet once the majority of guests had disembarked. We could get complimentary coffee, tea, iced water and snacks from Café Promenade whilst on board and could purchase other drinks from the bars once they re-opened using our credit card.

 

Around 10:30 a.m. the new guests commenced boarding, so soon Liberty started to fill up with new excited passengers ready for their cruise.

 

For the final time we had lunch in the Windjammer and then relaxed again on deck 11 until we decided to disembark and make our way to Barcelona airport for our flight back to the UK.

 

They check your SeaPass card as you disembark and keep it as you are a Late Departure guest.

So for us, the Late Departure program worked well as our flight was not until late evening from Barcelona.

 

When we disembarked the ship, we passed straight out through the baggage hall and outside the terminal.

 

For those who had elected to have their bags taken off by RCI, the Late Departure baggage tags are very different to the normal ones and you get these with the instructions placed in your cabin the day before departure. If you use these and place your bags outside your cabin before 11 pm like everyone else the night before arriving in Barcelona, you pick up your bags from a separate area clearly sign posted once you exit the terminal building.

 

And I'll repeat the tip that I read here:

 

If you are one of those people who like to keep your SeaPass as a souvenir (or proof of your sailing), and you know that you are using the Late Departure option on your cruise, just go to Guest Relations part way through your cruise, tell them that you lost your SeaPass card, and they will issue a new one. Continue to use the new card; that's the one that they will keep when you finally leave the ship.

 

:)

[erin_cruisers]

I think this is a fabulous idea, and would use it if it was offered.

 

I hate the disembarking madness. :(

 

We just got off the Serenade in San Juan this past Sunday.

Up early for a hurried breakfast in the jammed Windjammer, then a boring 1 hour wait in the lounge until our colour was called.

Well, we get down the hall only to be in a huge slow line-up that snaked all the way down the stairs, out the ship to the final check-out process.

Then another huge line-up to retrieve the bags and clear customs.

Another half hour later we line-up for a cab.

( Fortunately now it is short, due to plentiful cabs in San Juan.)

 

The debarkation is painful, and nothing like the boarding process, which is smooth. Why?

One reason is because not everyone is trying to board at the same time. ;)

If people could trickle off the ship when they wanted, it would be much better in my opinion.

 

And think about this. If a hundred or several hundred (whatever the number is) stayed on the ship until the afternoon,

then those who do want to disembark early would have that many less in their lines. ;)

 

We stayed two extra days in San Juan, and although off the ship by 10:30, we couldn't check into our hotel until middle of the afternoon anyway.

 

So staying on the ship, enjoying a leisurely breakfast, pools, etc, then getting off with virtually no lineups and stress would be ideal, and well worth the extra $35.00. :)

[hmallett]

And I'll repeat the tip that I read here:

 

If you are one of those people who like to keep your SeaPass as a souvenir (or proof of your sailing), and you know that you are using the Late Departure option on your cruise, just go to Guest Relations part way through your cruise, tell them that you lost your SeaPass card, and they will issue a new one. Continue to use the new card; that's the one that they will keep when you finally leave the ship.

 

:)

Wish I'd known that last year (before i discovered CC) when we did late departure on Voyager in Barcelona. The late departure option isn't particularly cheap, but we enjoyed it. The ship was practically empty, and we spent plenty of time in the hot tub! When we got to the airport, we still had to wait quite a while to check in, and at Barcelona airport there's nowhere to sit, so there were people just sitting around on the floor. Glad we weren't there for 6 hours waiting for checkin!

[klingoncruiser]

Interesting idea. I always drive so not all that interested. However I can see where it would be nice for some people.

[trolleydolly]

What do you think about it?

 

Other week on AOS they are offering you the option of staying on board till 3pm, your baggage goes as normal and you have to be out of the cabin at 9am(I think) but you get to use all the facilties and get lunch in WJ. Your sea pass gets closed but they somehow allow you to use debit/credit card till 3pm. Cost $35 each.

 

I think its a good idea as the last 2 cruises we did we had late flights and the trips we wanted to do on the last day were both cancelled so we ended up wasting hours at the airport. I guess it could end up very expensive if your a large party.

 

We did this out of Venice on Voyager. Our flight wasnt until 6pm so was great for us. It was a bit weird watching the ship get quieter and quieter and then the new passengers getting on.

 

For us, the thought of hanging about an airport for hours on end or trying to find somewhere to stow luggage whilst doing a bit of sightseeing wasnt an option, so it was great. It would of probably cost us that amount of money for lunch in Venice as well!!