Self Disembarkation

[yogoshady]

Hello everyone, this is my first post and I am one excited Aussie having just booked our first cruise on Mariner of the Seas Western Med 2nd Sept 2011.

I have read about self disembarkation but havn't been able to find how it works. Is there a restriction for number of cases you have or how big they are? If you can roll one case off yourself with say a backpack would that be acceptable. We are looking at getting off the ship as soon as we can in Rome to grab a flight to Rhodes. Would this be our best option?

 

Thanks for your help

[jmraggs]

Hello everyone, this is my first post and I am one excited Aussie having just booked our first cruise on Mariner of the Seas Western Med 2nd Sept 2011.

I have read about self disembarkation but havn't been able to find how it works. Is there a restriction for number of cases you have or how big they are? If you can roll one case off yourself with say a backpack would that be acceptable. We are looking at getting off the ship as soon as we can in Rome to grab a flight to Rhodes. Would this be our best option?

 

Thanks for your help

 

As long as you can handle your luggage on your own, you should be fine. The cruise line tells you that you will not get any porter assistance with your luggage and you should be able to pull it through customs on your own. The last night of the cruise, you keep your luggage in your room and do not place it outside in the hallway for crew members to pick it up.

 

The next morning they will announce when the self disembarkation begins and you can just leave carrying your own luggage. The night before you disembark, they usually inform you where the self disembarkation line begins. We have done this several times when we have been in a hurry.

 

Good Luck and enjoy your first cruise! Say hi to Oprah!

[Bound4Bermuda]

It might work a little differently on the various ships. On Explorer, we had to go to go to customer service to sign up for self-disembarkation. They gave us a time and a place to meet, and then they would let each group of people leave--no mass announcement free-for-all of people leaving. HOWEVER, as we were trying to make our way to our meeting place, others in the elevator were leaving and told us we should just go. I'm very big on following the "rules," so I was very against the idea, lol, but my husband convinced me that the worst that would happen was they would just send us back up. They didn't care or check anything--they just wanted people off the ship, lol.

[Happy ks]

I've only done self-disembarkation once and probably will never do it again. But I understand how it would work well for some people.

 

After going through the experience, my advice would be to take one large suitcase rather than one suitcase plus a carry on. A backpack would be fine as long as it doesn't weigh a lot. Make sure you can lift and carry your suitcase up and down stairs by yourself.

[RoofingPrincess]

After watching self-disembark at the end of my Jewel transatlantic, I'm convinced that passengers should have to pass a test to be allowed to do this! There were a LOT of ... well, to be kind, SENIOR ... people who chose to do this. They could barely get themselves down the gangway, much less them plus their luggage! Some had canes, some had walkers. Some of the luggage "got away from" them on the downward slope, and it was a miracle that no one got run over by someone else's luggage.

Then, of course, there were the people walking off with just a small carry-on. No way was that all of their stuff from a 14-night voyage. I guess they just wanted to get off the ship regardless of their tag number! They probably got lucky on this one, because rumor had it that one of the reasons it took so long for disembarkation to start was that the dockworkers insisted that all luggage be off the ship before passengers could start to leave...

[clott]

We did this when we sailed on the oasis in oct. Very well organized. We docked about 6 am was off the ship by 6:15 back at the hotel within 10 min to pick up our car. We were home in cocoa beach by 9 am. This was the first time we had done self debark and loved it. Ft lauderdale has everything down to a science. Was very easy to do

[yogoshady]

Thanks everyone, that was very helpfull.

My husband and I are pretty fit so there would be no problem lifting suitcases up stairs etc.

We might just sus out the situation once onboard and make a decision at the last minute.

I appreciate the advice.

[Finesse457]

We did this when we sailed on the oasis in oct. Very well organized. We docked about 6 am was off the ship by 6:15 back at the hotel within 10 min to pick up our car. We were home in cocoa beach by 9 am. This was the first time we had done self debark and loved it. Ft lauderdale has everything down to a science. Was very easy to do

 

Wow, are all ships this fast with the disembarking process? We are scheduled to dock on NOS in Rome at 0500 and have a 1055 flight. RC suggested all flights be after 10 am so this didn't leave much time for error. I'm kind of nervous about making the flight, but this was the only time available for a direct flight back to the US. Sounds like self disemarkation will be the way to go for us.

[Col1874]

Done it before and will do it again.

 

Here's a tip though, if you're waiting on a lift when leaving the ship, and one arrives going the wrong way, just get in!

 

We were waiting for 20 minutes for a lift going down to deck 4 from deck 10 on Independence since so many people were getting off, all the lifts going down were too full for us to get in!

 

...although I have no idea how so many people were coming from deck 11-14 on Independence considering there aint any staterooms higher than deck 10!!

[jmraggs]

Done it before and will do it again.

 

Here's a tip though, if you're waiting on a lift when leaving the ship, and one arrives going the wrong way, just get in!

 

We were waiting for 20 minutes for a lift going down to deck 4 from deck 10 on Independence since so many people were getting off, all the lifts going down were too full for us to get in!

 

...although I have no idea how so many people were coming from deck 11-14 on Independence considering there aint any staterooms higher than deck 10!!

 

We learned that lesson long ago; we do the same thing as you now!:D

[MrsFixitCT]

We've also done self disembark on our last 2 cruises...and for us it worked out beautifully. On our Liberty cruise, we were off the ship by 7, at the car rental by 715..and in Key West in time for lunch at Schooner Wharf! :D

[MrsPete]

We love self-disembarkation. Well, that's an overstatement -- I don't think anyone LIKES getting off the ship. I'll reword: This is the best way to do something you don't really want to do.

 

You do have to be able to manage all your own luggage, but a reasonably fit adult who's packed one rolling suitcase can roll that and carry a backpack or tote bag as well. This isn't a great idea for people with small children or people with mobility issues.

 

One note: Once you're off the ship and in the terminal, you'll come to a place where you either have to take the elevator or the escalator (I've seen this in both Miami and Port Canaveral, so I think it's universal). An employee will be there to decide which one you take -- you don't get to pick. The key: They want to know that you can HOLD your suitcase on the escalator, not just roll it. So a small woman might be able to roll one of those GIANT suitcases on wheels, but she'd probably be directed to wait in the long elevator line. The same woman with a medium suitcase would probably be allowed to go to the escalator. IF you're made to go to the elevator, you'll wait longer than the escalator people, BUT you'll still move faster than the people who have to wait and be reunited with their luggage. I can see the point in this; imagine what'd happen if the person above you on the escalator lost control of a giant suitcase -- imagine it and several people rolling down an escalator, injuring other passengers as it fell.

[cravingthis]

We love self-disembarkation. Well, that's an overstatement -- I don't think anyone LIKES getting off the ship. I'll reword: This is the best way to do something you don't really want to do.

 

You do have to be able to manage all your own luggage, but a reasonably fit adult who's packed one rolling suitcase can roll that and carry a backpack or tote bag as well. This isn't a great idea for people with small children or people with mobility issues.

 

One note: Once you're off the ship and in the terminal, you'll come to a place where you either have to take the elevator or the escalator (I've seen this in both Miami and Port Canaveral, so I think it's universal). An employee will be there to decide which one you take -- you don't get to pick. The key: They want to know that you can HOLD your suitcase on the escalator, not just roll it. So a small woman might be able to roll one of those GIANT suitcases on wheels, but she'd probably be directed to wait in the long elevator line. The same woman with a medium suitcase would probably be allowed to go to the escalator. IF you're made to go to the elevator, you'll wait longer than the escalator people, BUT you'll still move faster than the people who have to wait and be reunited with their luggage. I can see the point in this; imagine what'd happen if the person above you on the escalator lost control of a giant suitcase -- imagine it and several people rolling down an escalator, injuring other passengers as it fell.

 

 

Glad to hear it works well for you, thanks for sharing the tips!

 

This is our first cruise (Oasis), and we may decide to do self embarkation as well. I recall a tip a few months ago, but can't locate it now.

 

We'll have a large suitcase each (with wheels and a handle) and a small carry on each (with wheels and handle). Since we've never done this before, I'm not sure if we can handle it. We do have a strap that attaches the two suitcases each, so in essence we are pulling one set of suitcases and will have a purse/laptop each.

 

I read there are no stairs involved (Oasis), so it sounds like we'll be fine.

 

You mentioned Miami and Port Canaveral, so I wasn't sure about the set-up for Port Everglades.

[Cruiser 4 Life 66]

I love self disembarkation. You get to keep your suitcase and all your stuff and are usually one of the first off the ship. There are no restrictions, as long as you can carry it all yourself. Since I just have a backpack and a wheeled suitcase it's no problem for me.

[mackpav]

I did this on Mariner. It was the only bad experience I have had on RCCL. It was so crowded you could not move. There we so many people when the elevators stopped on the floor you couldn't get off. There we no RCCL people around. Some people almost came to blows. It was awful and I would not advise anyone to do it on Mariner. I have done it 5 other times on RCCL and never experienced anything like this. When I wrote to complain no one really even cared.

[vallance]

Had a terrible experience with this on the Explorer a couple of years ago. It was complete chaos and very unsafe. People were crammed into every available space and on staircases. You could not move!!!! I think there was some delay with customs clearing the ship, but there was no communication from RC staff. We waited on on the deck we were directed to for an hour before we could get off. And a letter to RC describing the experience went unanswered.

 

So, deciding whether to try it again on Navigator next week. It may be easier to just relax on the ship until things are calm.

[Aquahound]

Hello everyone, this is my first post and I am one excited Aussie having just booked our first cruise on Mariner of the Seas Western Med 2nd Sept 2011.

I have read about self disembarkation but havn't been able to find how it works. Is there a restriction for number of cases you have or how big they are? If you can roll one case off yourself with say a backpack would that be acceptable. We are looking at getting off the ship as soon as we can in Rome to grab a flight to Rhodes. Would this be our best option?

 

Before you make solid plans to do this, you might want to make sure the port you are disembarking allows it. Self-disembark is not permitted in all ports.

[Merion_Mom]

Glad to hear it works well for you, thanks for sharing the tips!

 

This is our first cruise (Oasis), and we may decide to do self embarkation as well. I recall a tip a few months ago, but can't locate it now.

 

We'll have a large suitcase each (with wheels and a handle) and a small carry on each (with wheels and handle). Since we've never done this before, I'm not sure if we can handle it. We do have a strap that attaches the two suitcases each, so in essence we are pulling one set of suitcases and will have a purse/laptop each.

 

I read there are no stairs involved (Oasis), so it sounds like we'll be fine.

 

You mentioned Miami and Port Canaveral, so I wasn't sure about the set-up for Port Everglades.

 

There is an escalator involved at Port Everglades.

 

It is really no big deal to do luggage the regular way. You just wait until your tag number/color is called, then depart with your carry-on, picking up your bags in the terminal, then going through customs/immigration.