People taking their own luggage off

[sarar]

I think the truth of it is, that some people find the coloured tag system and all the labels they have to attached all too confusing, so opt to carry their own bags off.

 

Sara

[Tucker in Texas]

Reasons to carry your own luggage off:

 

1) Don't have to pack the night before worrying about what to keep out and, invariably, packing something that you will need.

 

2) Don't have to worry about things going missing from your bag between putting it out and collecting it on the pier.

 

3) Don't have to worry about someone taking your bag thinking it is their own or flat out stealing it.

 

4) Don't have to worry about damage to the bag. On our Hawaiian cruise, our bag was "killed" between giving it to the ship and getting to the cabin. Thank goodness, I had a collapsible bag in the bottom of my suitcase to pack to go home with and nothing fell out of the damaged bag.

 

5) Don't have to root through a warehouse looking for the bag.

 

6) First dibs on getting a porter and a cab

 

7) Don't have to "lie" to the TSA people at the airport when they ask if your bag has been out of your possession at any time. Someone could slip something in your bag if evil is on their mind.

 

Works for me.

 

Tucker in Texas

[FineB4U]

Thank you Mr Luckyloo for the awesome explanation of how things work!! That was so informative and useful. You ROCK! :D It sounds like the tag system will work best for my husband and myself since we are driving ourselves from Miami to our next vacation spot which is Orlando so we're in no big hurry. I'd imagine we'll likely get the last disembarkation "window". Do you request it or is it assigned?

[Ask4Jay]

@Mike, UK_Cruiser -

Full disclosure: We are walking off with our luggage.

 

"and preventing others that play by the book entering the elevator."

Are you suggesting that we do NOT play by the book by taking our own suitcases?

 

We have a system, each has one medium -sized soft sided suitcase with wheels, and we carry one cabin bag each (no wheels). Our cabin is always at the aft end of the ship. So we take the aft elevators down to the lobby. There we join the orderly line toward the exit. No hassle, no rush, no pushing. I do hope that it meets with your approval, because we certainly will let you do it your way. I don't care why you do what you do. That's your decision, OK?

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Thank you Mr Luckyloo for the awesome explanation of how things work!! That was so informative and useful. You ROCK! :D It sounds like the tag system will work best for my husband and myself since we are driving ourselves from Miami to our next vacation spot which is Orlando so we're in no big hurry. I'd imagine we'll likely get the last disembarkation "window". Do you request it or is it assigned?

 

I'm just happy to pass on some of the great advice that I've received here. Sometimes posters just assume that everyone knows about things that we all take for granted...like the colored tags.

 

I see you're sailing on a ship that I haven't. Now that you mention it I've had tags assigned on some ships and on others they request you fill out a form with your travel plans before assigning colors. On the Epic I think we just picked up the color that we wanted - kind of defeats the purpose; but then again I was just on a "delivery/shakedown cruise" so...:rolleyes:

 

Have a great time and enjoy your cruise.

[FineB4U]

Thank you, I expect we'll have an amazing time. :) And I apologize, I see that I spelled your screen name incorrectly. :o

[mitsugirly]

We decided to take our luggage off (we were out late on Friday and by the time we returned and packed both of our rooms up, it was already past the 1am bag out in the hallway time).

 

We went upstairs to eat, take a few last pictures and they started announcing for walk offs with their own luggage to disembark. We went down to our rooms, grabbed the luggage, headed to the elevator (no one else was on it) and went to the casino area. My husband waited upstairs while I went down to guest services to settle our accounts (refunds) and then we walked right off the ship with only 2 people ahead of us. It was easy as pie and I'd do it again in a heart beat.

[sdmike]

No way would I roll my own bags off. Hell, I spend half my time trying to avoid pulling or carrying them. :)

 

Having said that, we prevent any "searching for bags" by owning bright yellow samsonite hard-sided luggage. Best travel investment ever. :)

 

[GigCrusier]

We always take advantage of checking our luggage with the Airline while on board the ship. Walk off the ship, catch a cab and collect our luggage back home. Yea, it cost a couple of bucks, but a nice treat.

[UK_Cruiser]

I don't know, you tell me. Obviously you are a more experienced cruiser than me. I've never cruised before and I thought that removing your bags yourself or letting NCL do it were both perfectly acceptable methods of leaving the ship. I don't know NCL's procedure for disembarkation and I asked a very polite question, receiving a reply that didn't answer my question in the least, and in fact seems to have a rather arrogant tone to it.

 

I've been in very large hotels on the day a convention is checking out. I imagine it's the same thing as what will happen on the ship. People clog the elevators with all their bags and displays and whatever else they needed for the convention. It takes a while to get an elevator that has enough room on it for you and your stuff, and then it stops at every floor on the way down. My personal solution is to leave a little earlier or sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in my room for another half hour or so until the group thins out. No point getting my panties in a wad over something that may inconvenience me slightly but somebody else has every right to do.

 

I think you need to calm down and be less rude. Saying that have you considered sailing the Epic ? You could fit in very well with some of the other rude people I encountered.

[uppitycats]

We always let the cruise line manage the bags. We don't put anything in the checked luggage -- the luggage that sits outside our door -- that is so valuable that we'd be "destroyed" if it went missing. And we always book a late fllight so that we don't have to rush off the ship first thing in the morning.

 

I use a wheelchair and it is annoying enough to try to navigate the hallways with all the people who insist on carrying out their own bags -- and not paying any attention to the times that they are supposed to be doing that -- and then waiting....and waiting....and waiting....and waiting... for an elevator (since I obviously can't do stairs)...all of which are filled with people and their multiple pieces of luggage that they're trying to juggle among themselves.

 

We each just have one manageable carry-on (mine "rides" on the back of my chair. Much easier, much less stressful. Once we're off the ship we've never had more than a few minute search to find our luggage and be on our way...then having to wait "forever" to get through security.

[FineB4U]

I think you need to calm down and be less rude. Saying that have you considered sailing the Epic ? You could fit in very well with some of the other rude people I encountered.

 

 

Thank you Mike, now that I know that you consider a calm and polite inquiry rude, I know that I won't find anything you post helpful in my quest to learn about cruising.

 

PS... I really like the ignore feature on the forum. Congratulations. You made the list. :)

[alwayssingin]

We pack the night before, other than our carry-on and computer, and let the ship take care of it. We can take our time the last morning, eat breakfast, and enjoy watching all the action taking place while we sip our coffee. We're usually one of the last ones off. Never had any problems finding our bags once we get off. If we're flying out the same day, we just book a later flight. Less people at the airport that way, too.

[stegosaurus1]

cause a traffic jam with self baggage with so many people going at the same time. I've learned that if you decide to do self baggage..9:30-10am are far better. You can generally walk right off.. I learned this on the Dawn when I saw the line forming at 5:30 am..I thought this was a vacation not a contest.Did self baggage on Carnival Miracle a while ago and 50% of the guests ignored orders to stay on one deck and lined up to get off hours ahead of time. Patience is the key- leave later..Barb:D

[Zeno]

This was our first NCL Cruise and we were amazed how many passengers took their own luggage off.

 

As far as I am aware on RCI if you choose to do this you have to do the early exit before 7:30.

 

On Saturday lots and lots of people chose to take their own luggage off between 8:30 and 10:30 and consequently ended up clogging up the elevators with luggage making for very long waiting times for elevators for everyone. What is it that makes people decide to do this ? It's far easier to leave luggage out the night before and collect once off the ship......isn't it ?

 

On NCL - you can take your own luggage off at any time. However one should use common sense - if you have "big" luggage it's better to leave it out the night before.

We travel with carryons and always take off our own luggage but our travel companion has a big suitcase and she leaves it out the night before.

[UK_Cruiser]

Thank you Mike, now that I know that you consider a calm and polite inquiry rude, I know that I won't find anything you post helpful in my quest to learn about cruising.

 

PS... I really like the ignore feature on the forum. Congratulations. You made the list. :)

 

 

Oh you don't know what you will be missing.

 

Could someone please tell this user that I wish them a very enjoyable first cruise and hope they have a great time.

 

XXX

[Vyhanek]

Well I agee with you, if you need the elevator then you absolutely have no business self disembarking. That would clog up the whole deal ruining this perk for everyone who is capable.

 

I think NCL is pretty clear that self assist is for able bodies people who can manage their own luggage. My family, including my kids when they were as young as 5 and 6 have been able to manage our own luggage, even on the escalators. If you can't figure that out then you're right, don't do it.

 

I hate that last morning of the cruise. There's not one thing relaxing about it. Coffee on the balcony is rushed, a million announcements, stewards already trying to clean around you. It sucks. So I like to get up and out asap. I catch an early flight home so I don't have to deal with all the people in the airport for hours on end and we're on our way. Usually home in New England relaxing that evening before heading back to work, while others on our cruise are still trying to get out of Miami or FLL airport because they've booked a late afternoon flight home.

[mjkacmom]

We hate packing everything up the night before. I somewhat dislike trying to find our bags, or waiting for our color to be called. We just like to be in control of our bags and timing.

 

It is so easy to just take our own bags off. The elevator thing is a bit of an issue though. If I was not taking my bags off, I would just walk down the stairs though. We take the stairs 95% of the time on the cruise, even when returning from shore. Works off some of the great food we eat too much of.

 

 

Me too! I have yet to take an elevator on a cruise. I would think a huge benefit of not having to carry luggage off would be the ease of using the stairs instead of waiting for an elevator. We need to be home no later than 11:30 on our next cruise, and absolutely will be carrying our luggage as soon as we are allowed.

[Fisherlady48]

Oh you don't know what you will be missing.

 

Could someone please tell this user that I wish them a very enjoyable first cruise and hope they have a great time.

 

XXX

 

 

Originally Posted by FineB4U

Thank you Mike, now that I know that you consider a calm and polite inquiry rude, I know that I won't find anything you post helpful in my quest to learn about cruising.

 

PS... I really like the ignore feature on the forum. Congratulations. You made the list. :)

 

Oh you don't know what you will be missing.

 

Could someone please tell this user that I wish them a very enjoyable first cruise and hope they have a great time.

 

XXX

__________________

Mike

 

 

I had to do this.. too funny.. I hate being ignored.. and personally I carry cash for tipping the porters to carry my bags. I never carry bags on vacation!!

[ColinIllinois]

I'm a very minimalist packer. One folding suit bag for the week. Shorts and Tshirts don't take up much room. :D

[RNPJN]

Thank you Mr Luckyloo for the awesome explanation of how things work!! That was so informative and useful. You ROCK! :D It sounds like the tag system will work best for my husband and myself since we are driving ourselves from Miami to our next vacation spot which is Orlando so we're in no big hurry. I'd imagine we'll likely get the last disembarkation "window". Do you request it or is it assigned?

you can pick the colored tags out yourself next to the reservation desk they have them out all day the day before disembarkation.

[Bars7816]

We've done both. I think we will just set the bags out the night before next time. It is easier.

 

My concern would be whether someone is checking bags as people pull them out of the sea of bags and walk away. Is anyone checking at the pier? Anyone can walk off with a bag from an airline carousel -- no one is checking baggage claim tags there.

[mistyPA]

When it comes to the last day of the cruise and disembarking we always prefer to carry our luggage off. Once the cruise is done we want to get home. We usually book a flight before noon, so being able to carry our luggage off by 8 am always works best for us. We live in Massachusetts and we are often home doing the laundry and tending to the errands necessary before returning to work...groceries, etc by 3 pm. By 5, I am relaxing, looking at pics, etc. I don't find anything enjoyable about staying on the ship, especially waiting around for my color to be called, then sorting thru the luggage, then waiting for a cab to go to airport, more waiting at the airport for the flight. I always feel like all I am doing on that last day is waiting, which I am not a big fan of. So, having the opportunity to get off the ship, clear customs, grab a cab, check in at the airport without too much waiting or rushing is always a benefit.

 

Walked off the Oasis at 6:55 am, cleared customs, caught a cab, checked in at the airport and was sitting at a restaurant at the airport ready to have breakfast by 8:45, ate then boarded the plane around 10 for a 10:25 flight. In Providence, by 1:30, home by 2:15 couldn't beat that.

 

Also, I do not interpret carrying your luggage off as performing some sort of "maverick" behavior. I take the stairs 90% of the time while on the ship, the definite one time I do take the elevator is the last day when I am carrying my luggage off. Of course, it is my choice to take the stairs during the cruise, but equally it is my choice to not take the stairs when disembarking. I really don't think a person should complain that much about having to share an elevator with someone who chooses to carry their luggage off...the world is made up of choices and just because my choice may not agree with another person's choice I still have paid for the right to use the elevator whenever I choose. The few times I have used the colored luggage tag system, I specifically didn't use the elevator, as I knew that people who are opting to carry off would need them. It seemed like a very easy and simple adjustment for me.

[Brighton Line]

It just amazes me how two pieces of luggage with the same luggage color tag that start off next to each other in the hallway end up at opposite ends of the color coded area.

Happened on all three of my cruises ;)