Carrying Your Luggage Off...

[danyelle]

So the worst part of my last cruise was the debarkation process. Slow, long, then annoying while hunting for my luggage.

 

Is it possible to keep your luggage and carry it off yourself instead of putting it out your door on the last night?

 

Can we just do this without telling our steward or whoever?

 

Also, our flight isn't until 8pm but we'd like to spend the day exploring south florida, is it possble to tell them we need an early debarkation time despite not having a plane to catch or is that not allowed?

 

TIA for any replies.

 

D

[dougp26364]

You'll need to go to the pursers desk and request this service. They only allow so many people to do this. On Enchantment, the number was 350 passengers. When you make your request, remember that it is a request only and not a reservation or guarentee that they will allow you to do this. On the last night, your cabin steward will either leave you your travel lite vouchers or your luggage tags. You must show the travel lite vouchers when you exit the ship with your luggage. As I understand it, you must have a U.S. passpport in order to exercise the option to carry off your own luggage.

 

 

I don't really know what would happen if you hid your luggage and attempted to carry it off the ship on your own without permission. I would assume you might have issues with US customs.

[cmason]

Well that is not how it worked on Jewel this last November: I went and asked for a walkoff pass. They handed it to me right there and then. It had a "Group Code" on the bottome (group A for me). I needed this card to get off the ship as a walk off. And no conditions like passport or anything like that.

 

By the way, I was with wife and two kids, six bags, two of them large rollaboards. We strapped it all to the rollaboards, and walked right off, no problems.

 

In Fort Lauderdale, the do not have a luggage belt, in fact they don't have much of anything in FLL. Instead, it is basically open warehouse space. The good thing is there is plenty of room for ALL the luggage. No waiting on luggage, when you get off, it will be there. When we did the walk off, it was all sitting there, grouped by color tags. That was 8am.

[Happy ks]

Unless you can easily handle all your luggage yourself, I personally wouldn't try it. Some may have an easy time, but there are other times you have to walk down stairs, deal with crowded elevators, manage a bag on an escalator. No thanks, not for me, I'm not a pack mule. We have only had one cruise when we had a difficult time finding our luggage. That was the only one I hadn't put a brightly colored identifying tag or ribbon on the bag.

 

I like to move unemcumbered, I have enough to deal with carrying my purse and one small carry on.

 

But, if I only had a 3 day cruise with no formal nights and didn't mind wearing the same clothes twice, fitting it all into one carry on, you bet I would try it! I'll be doing just that next May on a repo cruise.

[danyelle]

Thanks so much doug and cmason for the info. I guess I'll check w/ pursers asap to figure it all out and be sure i'm one of the select few who are allowed.

 

My boyfriend and I will only have one roll-on item each so it will be no hassle for us but thanks for your input anyway happy.

[Cuizer2]

I don't really know what would happen if you hid your luggage and attempted to carry it off the ship on your own without permission. I would assume you might have issues with US customs.

 

Why? What is the difference to customs if you do this with or without the cruise line's permission? You have to get ALL of your bags before the final customs inspection. Why would customs care how the bags got off the ship?

[chaswelf]

So if you do the walk off thing do you have to take your luggage through some special line to be check by the drug dogs?

[wrp96]

Also, our flight isn't until 8pm but we'd like to spend the day exploring south florida, is it possble to tell them we need an early debarkation time despite not having a plane to catch or is that not allowed?

 

TIA for any replies.

 

D

 

Since you don't have anywhere to be that early, please wait and let those people that are trying to catch early flights get off first.

[Vyhanek]

I'm with you OP.

 

I want to carry my own things off. I got all my stuff there by myself in the first place I can certainly wheel it off by myself too. I would rather do that than have to put my things out in the hallway the night before. Is it too much to just want your own stuff when you are getting ready in the morning and trying to pack everything up. I want my suitcase and access to everything inside it on the day I disembark. I don't want to cram my things into a carry on. I want to shower, use my hot rollers, my make-up and everything else I need. If I wanted to work out of a carry on I would bring just that in the first place.

 

Other cruise lines have figured this out and its not a hassle to do self- disembark. I don't understand why RCCL can't offer this as a regular option (not some special, limited number request thru the pursor) when their competitors can.

[dougp26364]

I'm finding different rules for each ship we sail on. Nothing really seems to be consistant from one ship to another despite the fact they're the same cruise line. I'm guessing each ship has a lot of lattitude on how they handle things or, prehaps it has to be done different ways in different ports since none of the cruise teriminals seem to be the same.

 

Why would customs care? I really don't know. I'm learning that there's not much rhyme or reason when it comes to a government agency. They might not give a darn but, then again, they could make a big deal out of it. I've never known anyone who has hid their luggage and tried to carry it off without permission. My problem is I'm one to follow the rules, figuring that they're there for my protection or convenience. I can imagine what exiting the ship would be like if everyone just ignored the rules and did whatever they pleased.

 

We didn't go through any special lines or see any special treatment once we were off the ship. The ships personel where the only ones to ask to see what was called a "travel lite" pass as we exicted the ship. None of the customs or imigration people seemed to care.

 

When it comes right down to it, I'm enough of a chicken that I wouldn't try taking my own luggage off the ship without permission.

[Cuizer2]

I'm finding different rules for each ship we sail on. Nothing really seems to be consistant from one ship to another despite the fact they're the same cruise line. I'm guessing each ship has a lot of lattitude on how they handle things or, prehaps it has to be done different ways in different ports since none of the cruise teriminals seem to be the same.

 

Why would customs care? I really don't know. I'm learning that there's not much rhyme or reason when it comes to a government agency. They might not give a darn but, then again, they could make a big deal out of it. I've never known anyone who has hid their luggage and tried to carry it off without permission. My problem is I'm one to follow the rules, figuring that they're there for my protection or convenience. I can imagine what exiting the ship would be like if everyone just ignored the rules and did whatever they pleased.

 

We didn't go through any special lines or see any special treatment once we were off the ship. The ships personel where the only ones to ask to see what was called a "travel lite" pass as we exicted the ship. None of the customs or imigration people seemed to care.

 

When it comes right down to it, I'm enough of a chicken that I wouldn't try taking my own luggage off the ship without permission.

 

You make two valid points. 1) There is nothing wrong with following the rules. When you arrive at customs with your luggage, how are they going to know how you got it off the ship? My point is, I don't think this is a customs issue. It might be a ship or port issue. Nonetheless, I can respect you wanting to follow the rules. 2) Who is getting off a cruise ship? The same people who came on. They have all of your info (post 9/11). They know who you are. I would see cruise ship passengers as very low risk. In most cases, in order to get off the ship in the US, you had to get on the ship in the US. So, for the most part customs may see cruise ship passengers as very low risk, and thus approach their jobs with that attitude. In my case, for the last three cruises, the biggest question I got was over some baskets I was carrying off the ship. The female customs inspector was interested in why a male would have baskets. I told her I had no intention of keeping them, I was going to (and did) let anyone at work who wanted the baskets to have it. Suddenly all was right with the world, she smiled and I was off to my car. FYI, one was taken and the other is being used at work. So your point about not having to go through a special inspection is well taken. As for me, the biggest inspection I have been through was a three day cruise to Mexico. The least inspection was a two week cruise to Alaska. The three one week cruises I have taken (two to Mexico and one to the Caribbean) have not resulted in much of an inspection. It might be different if the ship just arrived in a US port after picking up passengers in a non-US port (such as an Atlantic crossing). Since all my cruises have been round trip, I would not known.

[atlcple2]

Our last 2 cruises were on Carnival (Spirit) and Princess (Caribbean Princess), both within the last 12 months. We took our luggage off oursleves on both ships with no hassle or problem. We each had 3 carry on size pieces of luggage. We didn't request to do it, nor were we told that we had to. We simply didn't put it outside our door and took it off the ship with us. On the Carnival Ship, it was the first time that we were allowed to do it. They actually announced it over the speaker to let everyone know. Much faster and we will be doing the same thing on the Mariner in February...even with the kids. They will each have their own carry on with rollers. A breeze! Highly recommend it!!

[jstazy]

Just got off of the SOS this past Friday the 9th. DH and I both had small carry on bags that we were able to carry off ourselves. We did not need to get any special passes. They called for people who had thier own bags and people started to get in line. We were off the ship by 7:30 no questions asked and no waiting around. We were the first group allowed off of the boat. We did not encounter any baggage searches or dogs and only had to declare our purchases and show our passports in the terminal. I will never again leave my bags outside my door. This was the easiest process ever. I have to say embarkation was also the smoothest we have ever encountered by doing our forms online. We had gotten to the terminal and were on board in less the 15 mins. and that is only because people were confused about if they wanted thier photo taken by the photographers or not before getting on the ship and bottled up the line.

[dougp26364]

Now we've always taken our carry on baggage off ourselves. It's just the checked baggage that I figured they were concerned with.

 

I suspect it's simply a logistics problem. If you have everyone standing in line to get off the ship pulling their carry on bags plus 4 large pieces of checked luggage, the elelvators, stairwells, lounges and everything else could get pretty jammed up.

[critterchick]

We almost always carry our own luggage off the ship. I don't care if I have to wait until my color is called, but I just hate leaving my bag out in the hall. We usually travel with carry-on sized bags, even on our longer trips, so it's not difficult to maneurver them around the ship.

 

Some ships offer a very early disembarkation to a limited number of passengers, and those people are off the ship first, usually by 7:00 am or so. You don't need to show "need" or US citizenship, as I recall, but space is very limited. Monarch of the Seas offers it on their 3-night Ensenada cruise, I think and I think LA residents who are going to work on Monday morning are the ones who take advantage of it. I don't think I've ever seen anybody stopped from disembarking when they wanted to, but if you did put your bag out, it may not be unloaded and waiting for you yet.

[goodml]

We just got off the Majesty this morning and carried our luggage off for the first time. We had two very large pieces and one carry-on. There were instructions in yesterday's Compass telling you what time you could do this. We didn't have to have a special tag or pass - you just chose whether or not to do it and made sure you were there at the specified time. We were off the ship within fifteen minutes of docking and we actually made it from Miami to FLL by 9:00. It was great and I would definitely do it again.

[CAT GIRL]

Do you think if everyone starts carrying off their own luggage it

will slow down the debarkation process? I agree with wrp96

let those that have flights get to the airport. If I didn't have to get

off the ship I'd sleep in and have a nice breakfast before getting

off.

[Host Caroline]

"Sleeping in and having a nice breakfast" is great for a passenger but for the stewards who have so many cabins to clean, inspections,etc....that's why they only serve breakfast until 8:30 or so... and ex. on NCL where they have freestyle disembark, they try to clear the ship as soon as they can.

We always carry our own luggage off... to get on the road when we have an 10-11 hour drive or an early flight (which we always book).. it' s less hassle and doesn't disrupt those who have early flights who are still off first.

[goodml]

Pretty tough to sleep in since on the Majesty we had to vacate the cabins by 8:00 am sharp. It was simple enough to have that nice breakfast then go back to the cabin and grab the bags and walk right off the ship.

[PatNC]

Just returned yesterday from Soverign at Port Canaveral. All the information on taking your luggage off was in my stateroom the eve before. It said "starting at 7:45". At 7:15 it was announced that we had been cleared and could start leaving. It was very easy, a little crowded because you have to swipe you Seapass to leave. Wouldn't do it any other way.

[Petert]

I have, in the past, had the opportunity to disembark early with my baggage. This was in the early days of Carnival's experiment with this procedure. There were only about 50 persons in our group and our disembarkation was very efficient, and went quickly. If this were to be made available to everyone, and even made the only method of debarking, the cruise lines could dispence with the stevedores and save money on the operation.

 

The only problem is that I can see are the bottle necks strangling the entire process. The elevators, crammed with assorted baggage, will be slowed to a crawl with people trying to get their third bag on a full car. Three thousand people trying to wrestle all their baggage down the one gang plank and the escalators. Lines forming at seven am throughout the depature deck with everyone trying to get off the ship early. Kind of reminds me of the people that come on board the commercial aircraft with three bags and an unwrapped 25 inch tv set, trying to collect, and move, all their loot upon arrival and blocking the last hundred passengers exit.

 

The early departure process, with baggage, should work well if it is not abused, and is limited. The departure methods for most ships is very efficient in most ports, and the main source of delays is the limited number of immigration agents. Experienced cruisers are aware of the difficulty in debarking two or three thousand people over a single gangway, and plan ahead to to limit the anxiety, and irritation, by selecting flights that can be met without excessive effort.

 

Petert

[jdkey]

We have done this twice, once on Carnival and once on RCCL(Mariner in Oct 05)Didn't have special pass or permission. WE will continue to do this, it gets us off the ship and on our way home faster no trying to find your luggage. I really don't like leaving my luggage in the hall. I hate ending the cruise by sitting around waiting to be called.It has not been a problem either time. (it also makes me more aware of what I pack).

Debbie

[jdkey]

We have done this twice, once on Carnival and once on RCCL(Mariner in Oct 05)Didn't have special pass or permission. WE will continue to do this, it gets us off the ship and on our way home faster no trying to find your luggage. I really don't like leaving my luggage in the hall. I hate ending the cruise by sitting around waiting to be called.It has not been a problem either time. (it also makes me more aware of what I pack).

Debbie

[Onessa]

I too have always hated the debarkation process. Our last cruise was on NCL and it was much better. We did not have to vacate the cabins, they stuck to their published schedule for tag colors, and even though we were with nearly the last group called, we were off the ship by 10:00am. They had the continental breakfast going on right to the end. Ship's cable was showing regular TV and movies. It was very efficient.

 

We had booked a post cruise hotel through NCL and they handled all of the baggage transfers. We had the luggage out by midnight and when we checked in at the Marriott at 2:30, our luggage was waiting in the room. It really was much nicer than anything else I had ever experienced.

[Cuizer2]

I too have always hated the debarkation process. Our last cruise was on NCL and it was much better. We did not have to vacate the cabins, they stuck to their published schedule for tag colors, and even though we were with nearly the last group called, we were off the ship by 10:00am. They had the continental breakfast going on right to the end. Ship's cable was showing regular TV and movies. It was very efficient.

 

We had booked a post cruise hotel through NCL and they handled all of the baggage transfers. We had the luggage out by midnight and when we checked in at the Marriott at 2:30, our luggage was waiting in the room. It really was much nicer than anything else I had ever experienced.

 

NCL does seem to do debarkation right.