Disembarkation bags or no bags

[Avereysnana]

Cane someone tell me which is better. I have only seen one person who said that they would never take their bags with them again to get off and I was wonders if anyone else and an opinion. We are on the Pride out of Baltimore.

[kf657]

We have done both. It depends on several things:

 

If I am alone with the kids, I would not do it. I need to be able to keep hands free to grab them

 

If my husband is with us, then we do walk off with our luggage, and get on the shuttle...

 

If we a parked near where we are getting off- then we walk off and go straight to parking garage, especially if we are in a rush to get where we need to be-post cruise.

 

If your first cruise, unfamilar port, or going to airport I would most likely send luggage ahead...

 

Sorry I run on, but it is a personal choice..Good luck

[fireyankee24]

I did the Pride last January and we carried our own bags off. My wife and I only had our 2 bags with wheels and 2 carry ons. We were off the ship and through customs within a hour. It all depends on how much stuff you gotta carry and how much of a hurry you are going to be in.

[soozles]

Are you talking about the self assist? I did it once, and I don't think I would do it again. Too many people trying to get off all at once, trying to cram into elevators with way too many bags. It just wasn't easy. They say they go by deck number, but the reality is that once they announce self assist, then everyone tries to go at once. It was a madhouse. Plus, the bags are heavy and cumbersome. I'd rather set my bags outside and let someone else handle them. But, I'm usually not in a rush to get off the ship anyway.

[tak81288]

Depends on how much stuff you have, how easy it is for you to carry it off, and whether or not you have time to look for your luggage.

With that being said, I'm am sometimes in rush and only pack one bag and a carry on tote, but still just send my main luggage off and retreive it later. The last thing I want to do is have to lug more stuff around then I have to while getting off the ship and I always make my luggage stand out with colorful ribbon and things so it is easy to find.

 

Everyone has their preferences though.

[klmorg]

It's really a matter of personal preference, and if you have an early flight to catch perhaps. We always do self-assist debarkation, and have never had any problems. Other than getting to the airport, I also don't like packing & leaving my luggage out the night before, then going to collect it somewhere. But that's just us.

[Avereysnana]

Sounds like self-assist is going to be easier. Thanks

[LPLRN]

We did self assist our first cruise and that was it. We like to take our time getting off and the luggage can be a hassel.

[1965]

DH and I did self assist on our last cruise. For us, it's the way to go. We'll do it whenever we can.

[The4Cruisers]

We don't like to pack up and put everything in the hallway the night before debarkation, so we carry our own bags off the ship. However, we do wait until self-assist and the other folks are off the ship before we even try to get off ourselves.

 

We did this in Jaxport last week and we were one of the last people off the ship. We were in the car by 10:15 and home by 5PM.

[jessed]

Try luggage express if your ship and airline have it. We did it last week on the Freedom. It was great!

[Crusingmomma]

How does Luggage Assist work?

[LucyR.]

I tried Luggage Express twice. I just had to pay a fee on the ship and they delivered my luggage to the airport and I didn't see it until I got home to Los Angeles at LAX airport. I had to prove who I was and showed them my receit sp. It was great. It used to cost $15. before the airlines decided to charge for luggage fees. It most likely cost more now.

I did it just for fun and it was great service.

 

One time I got off in Fort Lauderdale and went on the Everglades tour to see the alligators. It was raining hard and I got super wet down to my shoes. When I got the airport I had to change all my wet clothes and shoes. Lucky for me I chose to keep my luggage with me that time.

 

I will not do Luggage Express any more because I never know when something unexpected comes up like the airport shutting down and having to stay in a hotel.... and it will be useful to have luggage with me so I can change clothes.

Presently I am traveling with less things and clothes so it is better just to walk off with my luggage since I have to take a train at 9:30A.M. to go home.

Sometimes the luggage is not ready to be picked up right way when I get off the cruise. I have waited until 8:45a.m. to get my luggage. I am a VIP and I can get off anytime.

[Lixer]

We did self-assist on our last cruise and had mixed feelings about it. We were not told in the disembarkation materials that we had to be out of the room by 8:15 and had to go wait in the main showroom until 9:30.

I was very ill and weak with the flu and if we could have stayed in the room until 9:30 I could have managed going down 2 flights to get off but instead my boyfriend had to lug both of our bags up three flights to the showroom then down five to get out.

 

If I had been well, it would have been fine. Still a hassle, but better than having our stuff sit out for hours. Being sick, if we would have known that we had to be out of the rooms we would have done the leisurely option.

[jessed]

On our cruise on the Freedom last week, you filled out a form and brought it to Guest Services before Thursday AM - we were leaving on Sat. You give them ID and your flight info. Your boarding pass and temporary luggage tags (your airline changes to their tags when it gets to the airport) are delivered to your room Friday PM. You also get tags for your zone, either 4 or 5. You leave your luggage outside your room and you don't see it until you get to your home airport. On day of disembarking, you leave when the airline clears your luggage. Zone 4 was called right after the self assist people, which on Sat. was 8:15. Took a taxi to FLL and was through security by 9:00 AM. The cost is $20 per person and is well worth it especially when I saw the check-in lines for Southwest. It was mobbed and looked like a hour wait. As for not having clothes, I had a carry on for anything I needed.

[jessed]

We did self-assist on our last cruise and had mixed feelings about it. We were not told in the disembarkation materials that we had to be out of the room by 8:15 and had to go wait in the main showroom until 9:30.

I was very ill and weak with the flu and if we could have stayed in the room until 9:30 I could have managed going down 2 flights to get off but instead my boyfriend had to lug both of our bags up three flights to the showroom then down five to get out.

 

If I had been well, it would have been fine. Still a hassle, but better than having our stuff sit out for hours. Being sick, if we would have known that we had to be out of the rooms we would have done the leisurely option.

 

You could of waited in your room until you were called, they have no way of knowing where you are. I don't understand why it was so late for self assist. Last week on the Freedom they were leaving at 7:30.

[G'ma]

Cane someone tell me which is better. I have only seen one person who said that they would never take their bags with them again to get off and I was wonders if anyone else and an opinion. We are on the Pride out of Baltimore.

 

After watching the mob scene for years - people struggling with suitcases, carry-ons, kids, bags of items bought while cruising; watching as they stack up going down stairs, waiting in a overcrowded elevator lobby with dozens of others doing the same..... I'd never do it.

 

I came off Pride 1/16. It took over one hour for self assit to be over!!!

 

It's a huge mess, frankly.

 

Let them handle your bags for you the night before... The morning of, have a leisurely breakfast, find a comfortable place to sit, take a good book....and wait. I generally wait until the last call. At that time, I don't have to wait for an elevator, no lines at the gangway and my luggage is easily spotted...waiting for me....

[klmorg]

After watching the mob scene for years - people struggling with suitcases' date=' carry-ons, kids, bags of items bought while cruising; watching as they stack up going down stairs, waiting in a overcrowded elevator lobby with dozens of others doing the same..... I'd never do it.

 

I came off Pride 1/16. It took over one hour for self assit to be over!!!

 

It's a huge mess, frankly.

 

[b']Let them handle your bags for you the night before[/b]... The morning of, have a leisurely breakfast, find a comfortable place to sit, take a good book....and wait. I generally wait until the last call. At that time, I don't have to wait for an elevator, no lines at the gangway and my luggage is easily spotted...waiting for me....

 

We prefer self-assist. Not a mess in our eyes. To each his own, I say. ;)

[cullensmom]

I won't do self assist again. I'd rather go hang out on the Lido deck until the mad rush is over.

[h_blond2]

We always take our luggage off with us....it's just easier!

[jessed]

If you are catching a flight, it's not easier, especially if you have checked luggage.