Epic Disembarkation

[Regguy]

Can anyone explain how disembarkation works? I'm kind of confused. I see that you can walk off the ship with your own luggage, and then there's some sort of complicated tag system.

 

We have a somewhat early flight out of BCN. I've arranged for a car service to pick us up at 7:30 a.m. I see that should be no problem if we walk off with our bags, but we actually have a fair amount of luggage, so I'm wondering, what, if anything, is our other option? Can we have the baggage collected at night and pick it up in the terminal in the morning? And if so, can we do this in time to get a 7:30 a.m. car?

[mcmomny]

Can anyone explain how disembarkation works? I'm kind of confused. I see that you can walk off the ship with your own luggage, and then there's some sort of complicated tag system.

 

We have a somewhat early flight out of BCN. I've arranged for a car service to pick us up at 7:30 a.m. I see that should be no problem if we walk off with our bags, but we actually have a fair amount of luggage, so I'm wondering, what, if anything, is our other option? Can we have the baggage collected at night and pick it up in the terminal in the morning? And if so, can we do this in time to get a 7:30 a.m. car?

 

The two of us had 5 bags total and walked right off, taxis are lined right up all over and it was quick and easy!

But we did not have a flight as we were staying a few extra days so took our time and were one of the last ones off so not sure what the early morning rush is like.

But if you have car service book you should be fine!

Have fun, great cruise!

[MeHeartCruising]

The "complicated tag system" you speak of is how they do the part where they collect the bags during the night while you sleep. They will have multiple colors of tags for you to select from. You pick the color that matches the time you wish to collect your bags on debarkation morning in the baggage area inside the terminal. So if you want your bags ready by 7:30 inside the terminal, you need to get the tag color associated with 7:30 and put them on your bags. You then leave them out in the hall the night before. In the morning, they announce over the speakers the colors near the time associated with them reminding you that it is time to leave the ship. (i.e. Yellow tag bags may now be claimed inside the terminal (at 7:30). It works quite well and is designed so that people know approximately when their bags will be available in the terminal and when they should get off the ship. Sometimes the times vary slightly depending on work loads. But it generally works well. Of course, you are also free to keep your bags overnight and take them off yourself at any time. What I do not know, is what time the color-code bag system starts in Barcelona. Perhaps a recent traveler can help with that. To make a 7:30 car, I would probably hope to have my bags in the 7:00 grouping, i would think.

[CCJack]

This is useful information, I had the exact same question for our debarkation in Rome, hoping to arrange an 8:30 private car. We don't mind carrying our luggage but on some other cuiselines if you want to carry luggage you must be off before all of the timed groups, so you have to get off by 6:30 or so. It sounds like this is not true for NCL, you can self debark at any time as long as you can carry your luggage (likely down stairs as elevators may be all full). Is this correct?

[Regguy]

This is very helpful. Thanks everyone.