Disembarkation

[debenson0723]

3 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

I'm wondering how many people here have disembarked at San Piedro, California. That's the only disembarkation experience I have with NCL.   A lot of room for improvement

I have disembarked multiple times in San Pedro, both self assist for a shorter cruise and without my luggage at the end of a 15 day cruise. Last time was in the rain, completely full ship, from the Joy. Even though we had priority disembarkation, there was no line to get off so we just went with the general population. Walked off, walked thru the terminal and right onto the airport bus.

 

As with most travel, a lot is going to depend on the number of people getting off, the time they decide to leave, the number of staff working at the port to handle luggage, crowd control, etc. Every situation in every port will be different, just like every flight in every airport is different. I just try to go with the flow, have plenty of time to get to my next destination (whether it be the airport, an Uber, my car) and not let the stress of the real world get to me after a great vacation experience. 

 

One last thing...if you think NCL is bad, Royal is even worse. I had friends picking me up and they thought I would never get out of that building (and I only had one small carry on bag). 

[RocketMan275]

24 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

Funny!    I wouldnt have minded sitting during embarkation. We were standing but nothing like coming off the ship

Depends upon the ship and the port.

We spent well over an hour standing at NOLA to embark Breakaway.

NOLA has a small seating area.  Once enough have passed security to fill the seats, they stop the security line and then you stand and wait until boarding starts and the waiting area gets to board.

We arrived at approximately 0930 and stood in a line that didn't move until after 1030.  The next time we boarded in NOLA, we arrived at the port at around 1100 and didn't stop moving until we were aboard.  

[debenson0723]

1 minute ago, RocketMan275 said:

Depends upon the ship and the port.

We spent well over an hour standing at NOLA to embark Breakaway.

NOLA has a small seating area.  Once enough have passed security to fill the seats, they stop the security line and then you stand and wait until boarding starts and the waiting area gets to board.

We arrived at approximately 0930 and stood in a line that didn't move until after 1030.  The next time we boarded in NOLA, we arrived at the port at around 1100 and didn't stop moving until we were aboard.  

NOLA is way worse than San Pedro, both with embarkation and disembarkation. Though I love the city, I would have a hard time booking another cruise from there. 

[RocketMan275]

14 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

How early is early when doing self assist?      Do you get time to eat a quick breakfast?

Sure, you can join the breakfast line in the buffet, then you can join the disembarkation line, then you can join the lines at the airport....

[RocketMan275]

15 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

How early is early when doing self assist?      Do you get time to eat a quick breakfast?

Sure, you can join the breakfast line in the buffet, then you can join the disembarkation line, then you can join the lines at the airport....

[RocketMan275]

1 minute ago, debenson0723 said:

NOLA is way worse than San Pedro, both with embarkation and disembarkation. Though I love the city, I would have a hard time booking another cruise from there. 

NOLA is bad for disembarking too.

We left the terminal and caught a cab.  

Then the train arrived to block the tracks and the cab couldn't leave the terminal.

We waited about 20 minutes on the train.

[Smitheroo]

37 minutes ago, debenson0723 said:

I have disembarked multiple times in San Pedro, both self assist for a shorter cruise and without my luggage at the end of a 15 day cruise. Last time was in the rain, completely full ship, from the Joy. Even though we had priority disembarkation, there was no line to get off so we just went with the general population. Walked off, walked thru the terminal and right onto the airport bus.

 

As with most travel, a lot is going to depend on the number of people getting off, the time they decide to leave, the number of staff working at the port to handle luggage, crowd control, etc. Every situation in every port will be different, just like every flight in every airport is different. I just try to go with the flow, have plenty of time to get to my next destination (whether it be the airport, an Uber, my car) and not let the stress of the real world get to me after a great vacation experience. 

 

One last thing...if you think NCL is bad, Royal is even worse. I had friends picking me up and they thought I would never get out of that building (and I only had one small carry on bag). 

I dont know how anyone with physical limitations can deal with this mess

[schmoopie17]

I never understood the concept of putting your bags outside your cabin the night before disembarking. Just doesn't seem safe or secure, given the traffic up and down the hallways.

 

Plus, don't airports warn people not to let their bags out of sight? Putting them outside your cabin is about as out of sight as you can get.

[Sand and Seas]

18 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

I never understood the concept of putting your bags outside your cabin the night before disembarking. Just doesn't seem safe or secure, given the traffic up and down the hallways.

 

Plus, don't airports warn people not to let their bags out of sight? Putting them outside your cabin is about as out of sight as you can get.

Hmmm.....

Just imagining if everybody (including those with wheelchairs, small babies in strollers, etc) had all of their luggage and were trying to get into elevators🤔

[julig22]

46 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

I never understood the concept of putting your bags outside your cabin the night before disembarking. Just doesn't seem safe or secure, given the traffic up and down the hallways.

 

Plus, don't airports warn people not to let their bags out of sight? Putting them outside your cabin is about as out of sight as you can get.

As opposed to leaving your bags with the porters when you embark and then expecting to find them in the hallway. Or at the airport when you check your bags and expect to find them at your destination?

And unless I'm mistaken, there are surveillance cameras in the hallways.

I for one don't want to lug my suitcase around anymore than required - let someone else get it up/down the stairs, down the gangway and into the terminal. Anything of value is in the carryon that I keep with me.

[RocketMan275]

56 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

I never understood the concept of putting your bags outside your cabin the night before disembarking. Just doesn't seem safe or secure, given the traffic up and down the hallways.

You're proposed alternative is .... ?

I guess you could sleep next to the bags in the hallway.

[Asawi]

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

I never understood the concept of putting your bags outside your cabin the night before disembarking. Just doesn't seem safe or secure, given the traffic up and down the hallways.

 

Plus, don't airports warn people not to let their bags out of sight? Putting them outside your cabin is about as out of sight as you can get.

I hear you and think you have a point. However my experience is that the suitcases don't stay in the hallways for very long if that makes it any better.

[Smitheroo]

26 minutes ago, julig22 said:

As opposed to leaving your bags with the porters when you embark and then expecting to find them in the hallway. Or at the airport when you check your bags and expect to find them at your destination?

And unless I'm mistaken, there are surveillance cameras in the hallways.

I for one don't want to lug my suitcase around anymore than required - let someone else get it up/down the stairs, down the gangway and into the terminal. Anything of value is in the carryon that I keep with me.

I agree with you

[Gypsy2]

I have never been given the color tags for being gold status.  How do they decide who gets what color?

[julig22]

7 minutes ago, Gypsy2 said:

I have never been given the color tags for being gold status.  How do they decide who gets what color?

You have to ask at Guest Services if you are eligible and need a priority tag.  If you have a NCL transfer or post-cruise excursion, they will deliver the tags to your stateroom.  Otherwise, the tags are usually available in the lobby, if not you get them from guest services.

[debenson0723]

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

I never understood the concept of putting your bags outside your cabin the night before disembarking. Just doesn't seem safe or secure, given the traffic up and down the hallways.

 

Plus, don't airports warn people not to let their bags out of sight? Putting them outside your cabin is about as out of sight as you can get.

I always lock my bags when I put them out in the hallway.  The room steward has had access to all my stuff for a week so I don't really worry about them but if some random passenger wants to steal, it's easier and quicker to get into an unlocked bag than mess with a locked bag.

[Gypsy2]

35 minutes ago, julig22 said:

You have to ask at Guest Services if you are eligible and need a priority tag.  If you have a NCL transfer or post-cruise excursion, they will deliver the tags to your stateroom.  Otherwise, the tags are usually available in the lobby, if not you get them from guest services.

Thank you, I will do that on our next trip.

[The Traveling Man]

7 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

This is the advice I read on another older thread on this same topic:

 

So disembarkation times are just like check in times on embarkation day. No matter what you yourself agree to, its Freestyle and you should do whatever you want when the time comes. You might get through faster or you might end up causing delays for yourself or others.. The important thing is that nobody gets to tell you what to do on NCL.

 

 

There is one difference which can become significant.  If the area available in the terminal for baggage claim is not large enough to accommodate everyone's luggage, the bags will be brought out in sequence.  Those who have debarkation tags with the earlier assigned times will have their bags set out first, while those with later times may not be able to retrieve their bags until after other passengers have reclaimed theirs.  Leaving the ship early would accomplish very little, as you would still have to wait in the terminal until your bags become available.

[Smitheroo]

Just now, The Traveling Man said:

There is one difference which can become significant.  If the area available in the terminal for baggage claim is not large enough to accommodate everyone's luggage, the bags will be brought out in sequence.  Those who have debarkation tags with the earlier assigned times will have their bags set out first, while those with later times may not be able to retrieve their bags until after other passengers have reclaimed theirs.  Leaving the ship early would accomplish very little, as you would still have to wait in the terminal until your bags become available.

Yes, I agree, that would be awful. Something to keep in mind. If I try to get off early it will be with my luggage. I'd like to try to get by with a carry on.  I know it can be done as long as you dont have to pack dressy clothes but it takes effort.

[Smitheroo]

2 hours ago, Asawi said:

I hear you and think you have a point. However my experience is that the suitcases don't stay in the hallways for very long if that makes it any better.

and I think airlines only care  when you are headed onto the plane. After you get off not so much lol

[The Traveling Man]

8 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

I was not aware of anyone cutting the line and shoving.  You can join the line early by getting on the end of it. No shoving and like I said, I dont recall seeing any luggage.  Now I know the reason why. It was as far as I could see an orderly very very long line that stood in place at several points for a long time.

I only have experienced line-cutting once.  On the Pr1ma last September debarking at Southampton, there was a major delay as British customs agents came onboard to inspect passports prior to allowing passengers to debark.  We got in line at what we thought would be a fairly early point in the process.  Nonetheless, it took us almost 90 minutes from the time we joined the line in the atrium until we got to the gangway.  At one point it looked like there were about 1000 people in front of us in line, and also about 1000 already lined up behind us.  A man from Sweden cut into the line near us.  When it was pointed out to him that he had jumped ahead of about 1000 other people, he became quite incensed.  He said that it was NCL's fault for delaying the debarkation process and that he deserved to be able to exit the ship in a reasonable time.  He refused to see that, quite literally, we were all in the same boat when it came to delayed departure.  I did not press the issue with him.  At that point I thought that it really made no difference if there were 1000 people ahead of me in line or 1001.

[Smitheroo]

13 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

I only have experienced line-cutting once.  On the Pr1ma last September debarking at Southampton, there was a major delay as British customs agents came onboard to inspect passports prior to allowing passengers to debark.  We got in line at what we thought would be a fairly early point in the process.  Nonetheless, it took us almost 90 minutes from the time we joined the line in the atrium until we got to the gangway.  At one point it looked like there were about 1000 people in front of us in line, and also about 1000 already lined up behind us.  A man from Sweden cut into the line near us.  When it was pointed out to him that he had jumped ahead of about 1000 other people, he became quite incensed.  He said that it was NCL's fault for delaying the debarkation process and that he deserved to be able to exit the ship in a reasonable time.  He refused to see that, quite literally, we were all in the same boat when it came to delayed departure.  I did not press the issue with him.  At that point I thought that it really made no difference if there were 1000 people ahead of me in line or 1001.

You handled that well.  

[UnbridledEnthusiasm]

I normally disembark with my luggage. I just don't like having a set time.  I had a huge suitcase that was heavy and a backpack but I preferred that over having to have a set time. You had to be out of the cabin by 8:00 AM and off the ship by 9:00 AM. I was on deck 5 (the cheap deck lol) which was the same deck for disembarking so never took the elevator for it. I had an early breakfast at the buffet and then joined a friend for breakfast #2 at the main dining room at around 8:15 (the room attendant was fine with me leaving my luggage in the room a bit longer since it was ready to go anyway and I think they clean these rooms last since we aren't the guests paying more $$$$). It's nice having breakfast in the dining room on the day you disembark. We were the only ones there aside from 1 other table. 

[Smitheroo]

2 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

I always lock my bags when I put them out in the hallway.  The room steward has had access to all my stuff for a week so I don't really worry about them but if some random passenger wants to steal, it's easier and quicker to get into an unlocked bag than mess with a locked bag.

I dont think it would be worthwhile to get into a locked bag, better just to grab the suitcase and keep walking I wonder how/if this has happened

[RedRover96]

Years ago, flying or cruising with checked bags I use small bright colored zip ties (like 3") can also use on non lockable zippers.  I have a cheap pair of wire cutters I leave in a checked bag pocket that I can cut them off. 

 

RedRover