embarkation day question

[Glammy Grammy]

We will be arriving in Barcelona at the cruise terminal (flight permitting!) at 12.30pm. We would like to check our luggage through then get a taxi to do a whistle stop tour before getting back to the ship an hour before it leaves. Is it permissible to do this, or once you've checked your luggage at the departure port have you got to embark the ship? We've normally been so excited that we get straight on to the ship but would like a change this time.

[trabeler]

You can drop off your bags and then leave again... but considering your flight arrival time, baggage claim, taxi to terminal... you won't have too much time to see Barcelona. We're not the type to do this as we always try to come in the night before when flying to a port. It's nice to get on the ship around noon, have a leisurely lunch and then explore the ship.

 

You might want to consider actually checking in and then taking your tour. I haven't actually tried doing that, so perhaps someone can advise if that is possible as well. If you've checked in, you don't have to worry about that (and the possibility of any documentation surprises) when you get back. Also, be sure you clearly understand the all aboard time for the ship and plan to be back at least 30 minutes earlier.

[jdvmd]

You will need to drop off your luggage with the porters and continue on with embarkation, i.e. getting your room keys etc. Personally, I think you are taking on way too much after flying in and cutting it too close with the departure time etc. I agree that there could be problems with documentation etc. And what about the life boat drill? Barcelona's traffic is pretty bad. I would hate to be stuck in it seeing the ship sail away with my luggage but not me.

[SuiteTraveler]

From my experience the timing might be something like this:

 

12:30pm - flight gets in

1:30pm - use restrooms, get luggage, go through customs and immigration, go to ground transportation.

2:15pm - arrive at the port, give bags to porter and check in.

2:45 - onboard ship

 

Sounds pretty tight to me as far as having much extra time for touring - maybe you could have a brief driving tour from pickup at the airport and have the driver take you over to the Las Ramblas area - which is close to the port, then drop you off at the port - that would save time in having to check in luggage prior to touring...

[BaumD]

She said that they will be arriving at the port at 12:30, not landing at the airport.

[jdvmd]

What time is the ship leaving?

[windsor123456]

Book with one of the private tour companies. They will meet you at the airport, keep your lugggage in the car, give you a tour of Barcelona and then drop you off at the cruise ship terminal.

 

Travel in style and comfort!

 

Note that the road to the ship can get pretty jammed so make sure you have enough time for everything.

[DocJohnB]

I don't know if you HAVE to check onboard immediately upon dropping off your luggage.

 

But, I can't see even a short visit to the city as a realistic option.

 

You say (depending on flight) you will get to the port @12:30. Pretty much the peak arrival time, but for the sake of argument give yourself 20 minutes to minutes to drop off the luggage and find transportation (cab) back to town. Depending of traffic another 5 minutes to the base of the Ramblas. It is now approximately 13:00. Solstice gets underway at 17:00, but you will have to be checked in and be onboard(minimum) 1 hour before (@16:00).

 

Traffic in Barcelona on most days is, ummm, rugged. I have no idea of just what you want to see, but if it is not right in the port area, you aren't going to see much - if anything. A couple of years ago we had a van that took us from our hotel near Plaza Catalunya to the port and with traffic, it was a good 20 minute trip.

 

I don't believe that dropping your bags off, checking, then going on a little tour would be any better.

 

There is just not enough time.

 

My thought would be to just check in, grab a drink of the day, sit down and relax and enjoy the beginning of your 12 day cruise without any added stress.

 

But, these are just my thoughts.

[Glammy Grammy]

Many thanks for your advice, and after consideration think we'll just embark and take things leisurely on ship. Our flight home is in the afternoon, so think we'll disembark early and do it then as we will have a few hours to kill before check in at the airport. Better than sitting about waiting for our flight. To be honest, we're usually like 2 children when we embark so excited to get on and have a look round the ship, so probably wouldn't have been able to tear ourselves away anyhow!!

[CathyCruises]

Here's what we have done in the past. Check out of hotel and drop luggage at ship. Check in, do a quick look around, then take the port shuttle to the foot of Las Ramblas. Get on Metro and do a few more hotspots in Barcelona, enjoying the last hours in this great city. Then we return to the ship an hour before we depart. We figure we will have many days on the ship, and let's face it, once you've gotten the lay of the land, there's not much else to do unless you want to sunbathe (in November!) or hit the bars. It is easy to get from the port to the city--a 5-10 minute cab ride max. This is not Civitavecchia we are dealing with!