(Gem) Suite Perks, disembarkation

[JEDIKNIGHT]

As I understand it, if you book Courtyaard Suites, it helps on embarkation day, as you can get on the ship quicker.

 

What about on the last day, for disembarking? Is there any advantage to booking a Courtyard Suite?

 

Also, I read here that you get your luggage BEFORE customs. Are there luggage carts available? Or do we just lug suitcases thru the line?

 

Are porters plentiful?

 

Thank you

[egurbi]

At disembarkation, you should receive VIP disembarkation, which, as I experienced, has some variance. When it works well, the concierge staff should designate a meeting place, help you avoid the crowds by using staff only elevators, and personally escort you off the ship.

 

When it doesn't work well, it goes something like this: 1) Show up in the Stardust Theatre 1.5 hours after docking at the request of concierge, 2) Wait another 30 minutes with other suite passengers in the Stardust theater wondering why others are getting off the ship and you are not, and 3) be herded out en masse to the checkout key line after express disembarkation ends (with the option of using VIP express disembarkation as well which meant you were first off before the other express disembarkers if could carry all your own luggage off with you).

 

I have learned from these boards that my personal disembarkation (and embarkation) experience was an aberration and I am glad to hear that.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

We were able to wait in our villa with all members of our family who were NOT in a villa until 9:00 am which was the specific time we requested disembarking. The concierge met us in the room and took us through hallways and locked doors so that we magically appeared at the exit without standing in line. That was priceless!

[goldmom]

It may depend who your concierge is, some work this out better than others. Ideally, as stated above, your concierge should arrange a time with you and escort you off the ship ahead of any lines. When this works, it's fantastic. We had Alex Forbes as our Concierge and he was great. We met in the lounge and once he told us we could leave we were off the ship and at the curb with our luggage in 15 minutes tops.

 

You can drag your luggage, but there are usually plenty of porters, especially if you are one of the first ones off the ship. Also, when you use a porter you seem to zip through any lines. When we got off in NYC, we had parked our car at the pier. The porter told my DH to head up for the car and then he took me on the elevator and out to the curb where DH would pick me up. Super easy!

 

Another perk you may enjoy with having a Villa, is that in some ports and also if you have to go through customs on the ship, the Concierge will escort you to the front of the line. My DH was the first person off the ship in Tortola, we went through all these back staircases which was pretty cool. I have been told though that this perk is not always available in every port. You'd have to check with your Concierge.

 

Enjoy! You'll be really spoiled. We've had suites before, but our next trip will be our first in a CY Villa and we're really excited about it!

[dcpolet1]

We always stay in the GV. We keep our bags in the room, the concierge comes up with people to take us down. She locks the elevator so it does not stop, we go to deck 4, straight out the doors and down the ramp. The best perk of all!!

[AmazingRace]

VIP debark is good in theory, but changes dramatically depending on the port of call debarking in due to local logistics, vessel time of arrival, Immigration clearance, Customs etc. etc.

Seattle is amazing for the N. Pearl - works like clock work. New York and Miami are a different story - a little more red tape to get though.

Recommended advice is to follow the instructions on your debarkation letter and be patient.

If in any way you can carry your own luggage ashore, this is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by the cruise lines now. Firstly, it saves them money ordering porters AND you can leave anytime once the ship is cleared and not have to wait for the checked luggage to be taken ashore and placed into color groups.

AR :o

[brovol]

Just a FYI. Any full suite gets the VIP disembarkation option, not just courtyard villas. In our experience, the express VIP disembarkation works very well. I like getting off the ship as soon as possible, and it does the trick with only a fraction of the difficulty that non-VIP folks have.

[odblnt]

Just a FYI. Any full suite gets the VIP disembarkation option, not just courtyard villas. In our experience, the express VIP disembarkation works very well. I like getting off the ship as soon as possible, and it does the trick with only a fraction of the difficulty that non-VIP folks have.

 

When we disembarked in Miami (as VIP's), we actually took our time with our friends and looked around the Garden Villa before departure. As it was, there were some hold-ups on the Customs side that halted the whole disembarkation process (all color groups) before we were ready to leave.

 

When we did go down to the baggage claim area (think of a large area with a bunch of baggage carousels for the different color groups) our bags weren't on the VIP carousel. When we asked, we were told that there were still some VIP bags on a basket that hadn't been cleared yet. Eventually they did come out, but if we had gone down there with the earliest VIP departure group, we would have been waiting for a couple of hours for our bags.

 

Good thing that none of us had early flights to catch.

[JEDIKNIGHT]

Thanks for the tips.

 

Between two couples we'll have some decent sized luggage. Would I be able to get carts to take my own luggage ashore? Or help to do it? (Of course I'd pay the helpers)

[Silverspoon]

Last year on the Gem, our VIP disembarkation was a disaster! When we got to the "gold tag" section of the luggage separations--one of our bags was missing.

 

The concierge directed us to the porters union. They are not NCL employees. We waited for our last bag for over 3 hours. Passengers were already on the ship for the next cruise. Our bag was never found. No help, no compensation. (Seems like they could have at least given us a number to a local laundry mat, etc.)

 

A few days later we received a call from a lady in NJ asking us if we thought that she might have our bag!!!:eek: She took our bag out of the VIP section by mistake! She only lived 45 minutes away from NYC, but she wouldn't bring it to us!!!

 

A week later, NCL shipped the bag from her home to ours---but first we finished our NYC vacation wearing the same outfit each day after we used the sink, a fan, bleach and clothes line as a laundry room in our hotel. (FYI express laundry service at the London takes 1-1/2 days!!!!) Yikes!

 

We can laugh about it now, but you can bet, next cruise we'll only carry off our luggage!

[dcpolet1]

Last year on the Gem, our VIP disembarkation was a disaster! When we got to the "gold tag" section of the luggage separations--one of our bags was missing.

 

The concierge directed us to the porters union. They are not NCL employees. We waited for our last bag for over 3 hours. Passengers were already on the ship for the next cruise. Our bag was never found. No help, no compensation. (Seems like they could have at least given us a number to a local laundry mat, etc.)

 

A few days later we received a call from a lady in NJ asking us if we thought that she might have our bag!!!:eek: She took our bag out of the VIP section by mistake! She only lived 45 minutes away from NYC, but she wouldn't bring it to us!!!

 

A week later, NCL shipped the bag from her home to ours---but first we finished our NYC vacation wearing the same outfit each day after we used the sink, a fan, bleach and clothes line as a laundry room in our hotel. (FYI express laundry service at the London takes 1-1/2 days!!!!) Yikes!

 

We can laugh about it now, but you can bet, next cruise we'll only carry off our luggage!

When we got off the Gem in Dec, the concierge came to the GV with 2 luggage carts. Our bags never left our sight. We went down the ramp off the ship and the baggage guy on the dock took over. Who was your concierge?

[orangeh3]

Last year on the Gem, our VIP disembarkation was a disaster! When we got to the "gold tag" section of the luggage separations--one of our bags was missing.

 

The concierge directed us to the porters union. They are not NCL employees. We waited for our last bag for over 3 hours. Passengers were already on the ship for the next cruise. Our bag was never found. No help, no compensation. (Seems like they could have at least given us a number to a local laundry mat, etc.)

 

A few days later we received a call from a lady in NJ asking us if we thought that she might have our bag!!!:eek: She took our bag out of the VIP section by mistake! She only lived 45 minutes away from NYC, but she wouldn't bring it to us!!!

 

A week later, NCL shipped the bag from her home to ours---but first we finished our NYC vacation wearing the same outfit each day after we used the sink, a fan, bleach and clothes line as a laundry room in our hotel. (FYI express laundry service at the London takes 1-1/2 days!!!!) Yikes!

 

We can laugh about it now, but you can bet, next cruise we'll only carry off our luggage!

 

Happened to us in Los Angeles after a Pearl through the Panama Canal cruise. If people would be more careful before assuming that suitcase is theirs, maybe things like this wouldn't happen. :mad:

[JEDIKNIGHT]

A week later, NCL shipped the bag from her home to ours---but first we finished our NYC vacation wearing the same outfit each day after we used the sink, a fan, bleach and clothes line as a laundry room in our hotel. (FYI express laundry service at the London takes 1-1/2 days!!!!) Yikes!

****

 

That's cool. I'm sailing Gem in March and if it works out calendar wise, I plan to wear the same underwear all week to get it nice and green for St Patty's day.

 

So who's inviting me for roll call?

[Silverspoon]

Sorry, maybe TMI about the clothes, but notice I mentioned bleach!:rolleyes:

 

It was interesting--we kept worrying that the housekeeper would think we were running a meth lab out of our hotel room!:eek:

 

Just be careful with your bags...I guess we're lucky we even got ours back!