Elite disembarkation lounge

[metairiegal]

We are Elite, and we always do an early walk-off.  This means going to a designated dining room to wait to be called.  We have attempted to go to the Elite Disembarkation Lounge a couple of times instead of the dining room, but we are always told that it would be faster to go to the dining room and wait to be called from there.  Has anyone actually waited in the Elite Disembarkation spot??  What are the advantages/disadvantages? 

[Sea Day Cruiser]

For me the major disadvantage is that it gets very crowded. I usually avoid it.

[Crzn-Life]

Yesterday when we disembarked the CB the elite lounge didn’t open until 7:30 and early walk off started about that time. We were in the first group of Independents scheduled for 8 so we didn’t bother going to the elite lounge because that was in Club Fusion. Gangways were midship on decks 5 & 6 so it just didn’t make sense to us to go there since our meeting place was the Island dining room which was close to the gangway. 

 

[Lindaru]

I only have the one cruise we were on to go by, but our elite/suite lounge designation was Club Fusion.  We were scheduled to disembark at 9:35 and we got there about 9:00.  It was quite crowded but thinned out rather quickly.  I was noting that they were getting each group off on time.  By the time they got to our group, it was very quick and went smoothly.

[berlingo]

We always enjoy the elite disembarkation lounge. We find it a peaceful haven on a hectic disembarkation morning. 

We have breakfast in the mdr and then head to the lounge. It must be said that we are never in a rush to leave the ship and much prefer to be amongst the last off. So we enjoy a leisurely orange juice and a read of the papers in the lounge. Then by the time we leave the ship the queues have all but disappeared and the luggage collection is almost deserted.

A good stress free way to disembark.

 

Juliax

 

[MissP22]

9 hours ago, metairiegal said:

We are Elite, and we always do an early walk-off.  This means going to a designated dining room to wait to be called.  We have attempted to go to the Elite Disembarkation Lounge a couple of times instead of the dining room, but we are always told that it would be faster to go to the dining room and wait to be called from there.  Has anyone actually waited in the Elite Disembarkation spot??  What are the advantages/disadvantages? 

We used to when were left the ship after 10 AM but it offers no advantage if you're a walk off. Just go to the DR & leave at the end of the group walking out. 

[skynight]

Not just elites, also includes full suite and platinums. Over half the ship qualifies. Our experience is that the lounge is too crowded.  On most ships they use Club Fusion or the Vista Lounge all the way aft. Disembarkation is normally mid ship and the general waiting lounges are closer. Experience, no real advantages. The last few years when we had a later disembarkation time we had our breakfast and then went over to the general lounge assigned to our color tag. Less crowded.

[partybarbie]

13 hours ago, metairiegal said:

We are Elite, and we always do an early walk-off.  This means going to a designated dining room to wait to be called.  We have attempted to go to the Elite Disembarkation Lounge a couple of times instead of the dining room, but we are always told that it would be faster to go to the dining room and wait to be called from there.  Has anyone actually waited in the Elite Disembarkation spot??  What are the advantages/disadvantages? 

 

If you are in the first walk-off group, go to the Elite disembarkation Lounge. The last time I did this, there were only about ten of us there.  It was way less crowded than the cattle call in the dining room.  Also, you will be called to disembark before those in the dining room are called.  At 7:30 am, we were let off the ship, went straight through customs, got a taxi, checked our bags, went through security, and were at our gate at 8:30 am, for a 10:30 am flight.  This was on the Island at Fort Lauderdale.

 

Last month, on the Royal in San Pedro, our walk-off group was directed to Club 6 (so it's not always the dining room).  Since our cabin was forward, we just took the elevator to our meeting spot.  Customs was running ahead of schedule, so as soon as we arrived, we were told to go ahead and go.

 

Hope this helps you. 

[metairiegal]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Interesting to read how crowded the Elite disembarkation lounge is.  (We are always in the 1st walk-off group, so maybe it wouldn't be too bad?) 

 

Because going to the dining room to wait is very crowded, and people are all crazy trying to be the first ones off.  I really hate the whole set-up of waiting in the dining room.  So, I was hoping the Elite spot would be better.

[partybarbie]

11 minutes ago, metairiegal said:

Thanks for the replies.

 

Interesting to read how crowded the Elite disembarkation lounge is.  (We are always in the 1st walk-off group, so maybe it wouldn't be too bad?) 

 

Because going to the dining room to wait is very crowded, and people are all crazy trying to be the first ones off.  I really hate the whole set-up of waiting in the dining room.  So, I was hoping the Elite spot would be better.

The Elite lounge does get crowded after breakfast, but when we got there at 7:30 am, it was pretty empty.  I'm sure it depends on how big the ship is, and when they start letting people off.  I have gone to the dining room one time, never again.  Even if the Elite lounge is crowded, the Circle Host will be there and you are given at least a five or ten minute head-start over those passengers in the other lounges. 

[Ombud]

I use it but arrive around 8 for the continental breakfast. Let the staff know which disembarkation tour or shuttle I'm in, find my spot and relax. Plenty of room by then. I'm on vacation until I hit Bart at SFO

[Ep010835]

Tried it once. Didn’t like it. 

[Mike45LC]

To answer part of your question that has been ignored:  They have juices and pastries, coffee and tea.  So you have enjoy a continental breakfast and fill in the empty corners before going out into the cold world.  I don't recall if my Soda & More package is still being honored; I often still have some cans of soda from the free mini-bar set-up, so I bring one with me to the disembarkation lounge.

 

I don't get to the Disembarkation Lounge early, and it is usually pretty well emptied out by the time I get there.

 

Most of my cruises are from Los Angeles, and my car is parked right there.  I am in no rush off the ship, to hit the traffic for a 5 hour drive home, and I just relax in the lounge until my group is called.

 

[Colo Cruiser]

The lounge is a joke. Everybody and their brother comes in.

Crowded and noisy. 

The entryway is blocked by those wanting to be "first out".🙄

We stopped going shortly after it was created.

[erber]

We used the platinum and elite disembarkation lounge on our Alaska cruise that concluded on Saturday. We arrived at the lounge a little after 8:00 and our group was called at 8:20 ( which was the time our group was supposed to get off the ship). We were escorted to the gangway and got right off. 

 

The lounge was not crowded and the assortment of pastries and coffee etc was nice. 

 

We have used the platinum and elite lounge on several other cruises and had similarly nice experiences. Our experiences using other disembarkation locations have been far more hectic and crowded. 

[XBGuy]

Reading the responses above, I am wondering what world I live in.

 

On our first few Princess cruises, we would go to whatever assembly area our instructions said.  Invariably, we found the dining room or the Wheelhouse Bar or whatever room incredibly crowded.  When we reached the level where we were eligible to use the Platinum/Elite lounge, I agree, it was crowded, but no way was it more crowded than the other ones. 

 

Like many our cruising habits have evolved into routine.  We, invariably, request a disembarkation time of 8:30--that time works out well for our driver.  So, we leave our cabin at about 8:00.  In the Elite lounge we find a place to sit--it has never been hard.  I should add that we just have one fairly small tote.  (I actually think it is neat that the cruise line pays people to schlep all my stuff off the ship.)  So, we don't need a lot of space, and we don't have to compete for an elevator.  I then get myself a cup of coffee and a pastry.  Mrs. XBGuy logs in with her iPad.  The last time--May on the Ruby Princess--she announced that she had two hours of minutes that she had to use up.  She didn't make it.  About 8:25 our group was called and we left.  On a previous cruise, we sat down in the Crown Grill, and I had my coffee and pastry when we learned that our group had been called before we'd even arrived.

 

So, yes, OP, whatever you do, stay away from the Elite lounge.  It's awful.  😉

[metairiegal]

40 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

The lounge is a joke. Everybody and their brother comes in.

Crowded and noisy. 

The entryway is blocked by those wanting to be "first out".🙄

We stopped going shortly after it was created.

That sounds exactly the dining room situation!  :-)

[metairiegal]

Thanks again everybody for the replies and info!  Your expertise is greatly appreciated. 

 

We may try the Elite lounge for our upcoming cruise.  Although, as I mentioned in my original post, twice (most recent was last month on the Caribbean Princess) we showed up at the Elite spot and we were told by the Captain Circle host that it would be quicker to go to the dining room.  Huh?  Very confusing!

[Ombud]

1 hour ago, Mike45LC said:

 So you have enjoy a continental breakfast and fill in the empty corners before going out into the cold world. 

I enjoy the continental breakfast  .... easier than trying to get into MDR IMHO

[railman]

On an Alaska cruise ending in Vancouver we bought a Princess post cruise hotel package that included a transfer, and was assigned a 10:00 departure time.  We had breakfast in the DR and than went to the lounge around 9:00.  They were in the process of closing up, and the host told us they were running early and we should disembark right now.  When we got to our luggage they indeed were not ready for us, and we hung around the luggage area for 45 minutes.  Would have been more comfortable straying in the lounge till the proper time.

[neverbeenhere]

We've been to it a few times, grab a bucket of bacon from the MDR and head on down to people watch. 

[Colo Cruiser]

1 hour ago, metairiegal said:

Thanks again everybody for the replies and info!  Your expertise is greatly appreciated. 

 

We may try the Elite lounge for our upcoming cruise.  Although, as I mentioned in my original post, twice (most recent was last month on the Caribbean Princess) we showed up at the Elite spot and we were told by the Captain Circle host that it would be quicker to go to the dining room.  Huh?  Very confusing!

We now enjoy a nice breakfast in the DR and when they close at 8:30 we head to the gangway.

[Thrak]

23 hours ago, erber said:

We used the platinum and elite disembarkation lounge on our Alaska cruise that concluded on Saturday. We arrived at the lounge a little after 8:00 and our group was called at 8:20 ( which was the time our group was supposed to get off the ship). We were escorted to the gangway and got right off. 

 

The lounge was not crowded and the assortment of pastries and coffee etc was nice. 

 

We have used the platinum and elite lounge on several other cruises and had similarly nice experiences. Our experiences using other disembarkation locations have been far more hectic and crowded. 

 

This has been our experience as well. We normally request a 10:00 or 10:30 disembarkation. We have a leisurely breakfast, grab a snazzy coffee, and go to the Platinum/Elite lounge. They have regular coffee, juice, and water. I have seen iced tea as well. It's never been overly crowded and we are always immensely pleased not to be huddled on the floor in the Explorer's or Photo area where there are masses of people waiting. When our group is called we are escorted to the gangway. A couple of times I have snagged a split (or two) of champagne the night before and taken it unopened to our cabin. In the disembarkation lounge I have used it with the complimentary OJ to make a morning Mimosa to enjoy while waiting. For those who avoid this area like the plague: Thank you for making our time there more enjoyable as the fewer people who use the lounge the less crowded it will be for those of us who do use that venue.

[1emerald1]

On 6/10/2019 at 12:01 PM, XBGuy said:

Reading the responses above, I am wondering what world I live in.

 

On our first few Princess cruises, we would go to whatever assembly area our instructions said.  Invariably, we found the dining room or the Wheelhouse Bar or whatever room incredibly crowded.  When we reached the level where we were eligible to use the Platinum/Elite lounge, I agree, it was crowded, but no way was it more crowded than the other ones. 

 

Like many our cruising habits have evolved into routine.  We, invariably, request a disembarkation time of 8:30--that time works out well for our driver.  So, we leave our cabin at about 8:00.  In the Elite lounge we find a place to sit--it has never been hard.  I should add that we just have one fairly small tote.  (I actually think it is neat that the cruise line pays people to schlep all my stuff off the ship.)  So, we don't need a lot of space, and we don't have to compete for an elevator.  I then get myself a cup of coffee and a pastry.  Mrs. XBGuy logs in with her iPad.  The last time--May on the Ruby Princess--she announced that she had two hours of minutes that she had to use up.  She didn't make it.  About 8:25 our group was called and we left.  On a previous cruise, we sat down in the Crown Grill, and I had my coffee and pastry when we learned that our group had been called before we'd even arrived.

 

So, yes, OP, whatever you do, stay away from the Elite lounge.  It's awful.  😉

My experiences have been the same.  After I find a spot to park it, I get coffee and a pastry, and by the time I've finished that my color has been called.  And have always been able to find a table or seat very easily.

[2theship]

In our most recent experiences, we've had afternoon flights so we were in no hurry. We went to breakfast in the MDR then moved to the Platinum/Elite lounge afterwards. By the time we got there, the early departures had already left so we grabbed a spot, relaxed and waited. I don't think that we even looked at the breakfast/snack/coffee/juice offerings. It was crowded but as time went on, it emptied out.