Walk off vs standard disembarkment

[Seafoam Green]

luggage valet would be shipping.

All ez check does is eliminate the steps of claiming your bags after disembarking and checking them at the airport (with the added benefit of printing your boarding pass for you the night before).

No correlation with how little or how much one packs.

Most of those who use it consider the $20 per person well spent--those who reflexively consider any for-fee option overpriced, won't.

 

Amen

Edited January 15, 2016 by Seafoam Green

[mjmalino]

We usually do the regular disembarkment, which is fine as we also usually stay a night in the disembarkment port before flying home. That being said, a couple of years ago, we drove to FFL, which is about 9 hours drive time. Unfortunately , after we booked we found out that our 2 sons had to report for their cadre training for. Cadet leadership course (they are both part of their high school JROTC) no later than 10 the next day. Because of this, we did self-disembark in order to get home as soon as possible in order to get them ready to go. Honestly, I didn't like it. I much prefer to not have to deal with luggage and such in the morning. I found it much more stressful, but, that is just my opinion.

[floridalover5623]

Luggage Valet would be shipping.

All EZ Check does is eliminate the steps of claiming your bags after disembarking and checking them at the airport (with the added benefit of printing your boarding pass for you the night before).

No correlation with how little or how much one packs.

Most of those who use it consider the $20 per person well spent--those who reflexively consider any for-fee option overpriced, won't.

 

I see that I mistakenly thought the $20 shipped it to your home. So now I understand it just gets it to the airport.

Although we could pack as much as we wanted to since we drive but fine that 1 small bag for each of is more than sufficient.

To each his own.

[Brisbane41]

It depends how good suitcases you have. After years of travel I have become an expert with this and can go with a small enough suitcase to handle as well as a travel backpack. I do self disembarkation and simply walk of the ship without having to line up or sit and wait and be congested by other people with their mountains of hand luggage congesting the gangways.

 

There will always be luggage carried off the ship. Sometimes the self disembarkation passengers with their small and manageable suitcases appear to be quicker and more organised than the passengers with copious amounts of hand luggage and checked suitcases waiting.

[Steelers36]

No one cares why people choose the option they do.

 

Here's the nub. If you sign up for walk-off and get a time of 7:00 AM but you choose to disembark at 9:00 am, yes, you are bucking Princess' system, which is why they gave you 7:00 am to begin with and yes you are affecting other passengers. Period. Maybe the effect is minimal, maybe not depending on how many other people do the same things. Is that a selfish behavior (again, specifically the time issue)? In my book, if you know the potential impact, yes, it is a bit.

 

Walk-ing off is not selfish. Picking walk-off and deciding assigned time doesn't apply to you? Yes, at least a little. I classify it in the same behavior pattern as chair hogs, TDs who show up at AD, seat savers in the theatre, etc. Is it a big deal? No. Does it affect other pax's cruise experience. Yes, it certainly can.

 

 

I don't understand these arguments, so I will repeat what I posted earlier on this thread.

 

Passengers can walk-off anytime with their luggage. If they want to disembark at 9:00am, there is no reason to request 7:00am. Just request 9:00am and sure you will be issued/assigned the appropriate color of luggage tags, but you don't have to use them! Just ignore and leave the ship when called. The early time is "express" for early departers. Just because Princess doesn't schedule "middle" and "late" walk-off doesn't mean you are doing that.

[fishywood]

I don't understand these arguments, so I will repeat what I posted earlier on this thread.

 

Passengers can walk-off anytime with their luggage. If they want to disembark at 9:00am, there is no reason to request 7:00am. Just request 9:00am and sure you will be issued/assigned the appropriate color of luggage tags, but you don't have to use them! Just ignore and leave the ship when called. The early time is "express" for early departers. Just because Princess doesn't schedule "middle" and "late" walk-off doesn't mean you are doing that.

 

Well I understand your argument perfectly. One of several on this thread trying to rationalize making up your own rules to suit yourself.

 

If you want to carry all your bags off yourself, and the only designated groups are at the very first disembarkation times, that is what time you have to get off.

 

If you want to stay on the ship until 9:00, but there are no self-carry groups at that time, you must place your cases outside your cabin the evening before to be claimed in the terminal.

 

Disembarkation from a cruise ship is just one of many life episodes where it is so much easier to let those in charge make the rules and hope that all your fellow participants follow them to the letter. But some of us here will just have to agree to disagree on that--actually, this thread contains a much more lucid and reasonable discussion of this topic than many of the times it has been debated previously. And that's all I've got. :)

Edited January 15, 2016 by fishywood

[floridalover5623]

Well I understand your argument perfectly. One of several on this thread trying to rationalize making up your own rules to suit yourself.

 

If you want to carry all your bags off yourself, and the only designated groups are at the very first disembarkation times, that is what time you have to get off.

 

If you want to stay on the ship until 9:00, but there are no self-carry groups at that time, you must place your cases outside your cabin the evening before to be claimed in the terminal.

 

Disembarkation from a cruise ship is just one of many life episodes where it is so much easier to let those in charge make the rules and hope that all your fellow participants follow them to the letter. But some of us here will just have to agree to disagree on that--actually, this thread contains a much more lucid and reasonable discussion of this topic than many of the times it has been debated previously. And that's all I've got. :)

There are no "official" carry off groups at that time but there's nothing to say that you can't carry off your own luggage. Hence they are carry offs no matter what you may call them. We've done that at times when we had breakable items in our luggage & there's no problem doing it.

[rob2102]

after talking to princess they have an express luggage service that will take your luggage from the ship to your airlines. The fee in port everglades is 20 pp. You can not pre book this service, it has to be arranged on the ship. In addition your airlines must also be participating in the service with princess. So if this sounds like a plan, you may want to check with princess for details.

 

This should help with walk offs or if your planning to kill some time in Ft Lauderdale because of a late flight, as in the case for us. The only thing then you have to manage is your carry on.

 

Cheers

[pablo222]

If you want to carry all your bags off yourself, and the only designated groups are at the very first disembarkation times, that is what time you have to get off.

 

If you want to stay on the ship until 9:00, but there are no self-carry groups at that time, you must place your cases outside your cabin the evening before to be claimed in the terminal.

 

I MUST? What's the punishment if I do not?

Where is this written in any info from Princess?

 

If I sleep late and miss my group, what do I do?

Call down to the desk, and ask that my bags be

taken off for me?

 

Fortunately, the princess folks running these things

are a lot more congenial than the posters here.

 

The people they allow to disembark are those with the 'current' color,

and any that have already been called.

[Colo Cruiser]

Well after all it is my cruise.

[BlackJack2]

Little confused here - we have only cruised Princess once. We cruise another line where we stay in our cabin until our disembarkation number/color is called. On Princess, do you stay in your cabin for disembarkation?

And - On embarkation, can you go straight to your cabin?

[txwriter]

You will NOT be allowed to do self-disembarkation unless you can manage all your own bags (at Canada Place they also demand that you have one hand free to hold the escalator rail, or they send you to the elevator they use for wheelchair pax which is a huge bottleneck when busy - depending how steady your mum is this might be required anyway).

 

Since you plan to stay an extra day I'd keep it simple - use the regular disembarkation process, requesting a later slot (disembarking after 9am). That lets you have a leisurely breakfast at about 8am, avoid all the luggage blocking aisles in dining rooms since all the self-disembark groups will have already left, and the queues will have died down a bit at customs/immigration. There will also be fewer bags in the holding area, making it easier to spot yours.

 

Use a luggage cart (complimentary) to get your bags to the taxi rank and take a cab right to your hotel - anywhere downtown will cost $10 or less, we're a very compact city. Never found any hotel unwilling to store your bags if your room isn't ready - in cruise season most hotels are pretty full so odds are your room won't be available until at least noon, but all hotels are quite used to cruisers rolling off the ship early and wanting to drop bags off.

 

Figure out some nice things for you and your mum to enjoy during the day, then come back to the hotel mid-afternoon for check-in.

 

Thank you! This helps.

[floridalover5623]

Little confused here - we have only cruised Princess once. We cruise another line where we stay in our cabin until our disembarkation number/color is called. On Princess, do you stay in your cabin for disembarkation?

And - On embarkation, can you go straight to your cabin?

 

They really want you out of the cabin before 8 AM so the stewards can have sufficient time to prepare it for the next passengers. Some people abuse that time limit but most don't. They'll give you an assigned lounge to wait in till your color is called or you can choose self disembarkment & leave the ship with all your luggage beginning at around 6:15 AM if you have somewhere to drive to or have an early tour scheduled on your own. If you leave early, you have to have all your luggage since it won't be available in the terminal for pickup until later.

[Colo Cruiser]

Little confused here - we have only cruised Princess once. We cruise another line where we stay in our cabin until our disembarkation number/color is called. On Princess, do you stay in your cabin for disembarkation?

And - On embarkation, can you go straight to your cabin?

 

 

No you have to vacate by 8am.

Its a silent disembarkation, nothing will be called.

Yes upon boarding the cabins are usually ready.

[Europeantraveler1]

In reference to my last reply concerning my husband and I needing to get off asap from our ship to get through customs; and get to the FLL airport to make our 10:10am flight home

and planning on departing when we are told to do so....does anyone know what the earliest time of disembarkation would be if our ship (Royal Princess) is scheduled to arrive in port (Ft. Lauderdale) at 6am? On our last cruise with HA, they opened up the buffet area for passengers to catch a quick and earlier than usual breakfast before disembarking. Only if possible, it would be great to be able to down a cup of coffee and grab a quick bite to eat before disembarking for the long day of traveling home. Thanks for your suggestions!

[Colo Cruiser]

In reference to my last reply concerning my husband and I needing to get off asap from our ship to get through customs; and get to the FLL airport to make our 10:10am flight home

and planning on departing when we are told to do so....does anyone know what the earliest time of disembarkation would be if our ship (Royal Princess) is scheduled to arrive in port (Ft. Lauderdale) at 6am? On our last cruise with HA, they opened up the buffet area for passengers to catch a quick and earlier than usual breakfast before disembarking. Only if possible, it would be great to be able to down a cup of coffee and grab a quick bite to eat before disembarking for the long day of traveling home. Thanks for your suggestions!

 

Earliest I have seen at PE is 7:00 1st group self walk off with your luggage.

[AKman2495]

In reference to my last reply concerning my husband and I needing to get off asap from our ship to get through customs; and get to the FLL airport to make our 10:10am flight home

and planning on departing when we are told to do so....does anyone know what the earliest time of disembarkation would be if our ship (Royal Princess) is scheduled to arrive in port (Ft. Lauderdale) at 6am? On our last cruise with HA, they opened up the buffet area for passengers to catch a quick and earlier than usual breakfast before disembarking. Only if possible, it would be great to be able to down a cup of coffee and grab a quick bite to eat before disembarking for the long day of traveling home. Thanks for your suggestions!

 

The earliest you could probably walk off would be around 7 am. On the Royal, The Horizon Bistro opens at 5:00 am for continental breakfast and the regular buffet opens at 6 am for breakfast. The MDR opens at 6:30.

 

One nice thing about early walk is that you can get some breakfast.and leave your bags in your room. After breakfast, you can go back to the room, collect your stuff and head to the rendezvous point for disembarcation.

[RocketMan275]

The earliest you could probably walk off would be around 7 am. On the Royal, The Horizon Bistro opens at 5:00 am for continental breakfast and the regular buffet opens at 6 am for breakfast. The MDR opens at 6:30.

 

One nice thing about early walk is that you can get some breakfast.and leave your bags in your room. After breakfast, you can go back to the room, collect your stuff and head to the rendezvous point for disembarcation.

 

On our last cruise (Oasis) we were in line for early disembarking at 545. We were about 40th in line. The line started moving at 0615. We were leaving the parking lot at 0640. We just stop for a biscuit down the road. If we went to breakfast, we lose an hour of drive time.

[Europeantraveler1]

Oh thanks so much for clarifying the whole process!!! We'll be sure to check with the ship's purser (about early, express walkoff and disembarkation details) once onboard! Sail away!!!!

[cattolica]

Royal disembarkation 10/31/15. First walk off was at 6:10am. Buffet for full breakfast not continental opened at 5:30am.

Edited January 16, 2016 by cattolica

[capriccio]

The earliest you could probably walk off would be around 7 am. On the Royal, The Horizon Bistro opens at 5:00 am for continental breakfast and the regular buffet opens at 6 am for breakfast. The MDR opens at 6:30.

 

One nice thing about early walk is that you can get some breakfast.and leave your bags in your room. After breakfast, you can go back to the room, collect your stuff and head to the rendezvous point for disembarcation.

 

The International Cafe will also be opened before and during disembarkation.

[pablo222]

In reference to my last reply concerning my husband and I needing to get off asap from our ship to get through customs; and get to the FLL airport to make our 10:10am flight home

and planning on departing when we are told to do so....does anyone know what the earliest time of disembarkation would be if our ship (Royal Princess) is scheduled to arrive in port (Ft. Lauderdale) at 6am?

 

Royal Princess -- 09-January

 

Walk-Off A,B,C,D 06:20, 06:30, 06:40, 06:50

Red 4 07:00

Red 6 07:15

Red 7 07:15

 

I had Red 4. I left the ship while it was still dark,

and was in a cab at 07:15

 

This cruise was a nursing home at sea. I have been on some

grand class ships where the walk-off line fills the dining room,

and extends back through the the piazza to the art gallery.

 

This cruise, there were not more than 50 walkers --- ooops I

mean walker-off'ers

 

This got things moving as little ahead of schedule.

[floridalover5623]

On the Royal during all 3 cruises in Nov walk offs began at 6:15 AM.

[Colo Cruiser]

So OP you have 45 choices.