Arriving to ship early/what to do with carry on....

[BOBFudge]

I have never been to the port early.. Usually I am the last one who the ship is waiting for :D .. This year I believe luck will be with me and I may be boarding around noon. Rooms are usually not ready until 1:30, so my question ?? What do I do with my carry on? Just grin & bear it and eat lunch with it on the Lido deck? Anyone been able to just stash it in the unready room? :eek:

[happy cruzin]

Yep - you will not have anywhere to put it until the cabins open. Occasionaly they open before 1 or 1:30 - but not usually.

[BOBFudge]

Thanks! I guess on benefit of being late is the room has always been ready and waiting! :)

[Tapi]

Anyone been able to just stash it in the unready room? :eek:

 

You won't even have access to the hallways leading to the rooms. Normally they have the fire doors closed while the room are being finished.

 

We always time our arrival at the port so that we board when rooms are ready (and usually lines have died down by then as well. Last time we cruised, we arrived at 1:00pm and went from check in to our stateroom in about 15 minutes!). Although there are plenty of people wanting to board as early as possible and wait around with their suitcases around the ship for the sake of "starting their vacation early", we consider that hell.

[Riley's Mom]

We just carry them with us until the cabins are ready.

Some times I have been able to just drop off my carry-ons to the cabins even if they weren't ready yet.

I have been able to do this when we have had a suite of room on the higher decks... Not sure if they get those ready first???

 

But it is always worth a try to see if the cabin stewart will allow you to drop off the bags.. Worst they can say is "No".

[Bunkie103]

Rather than try to "sneak" my carry-on into the room I broke down and bought one with wheels. Makes it that much easier to "carry" it around should I board before rooms are ready.

[Joanne G.]

I switched from a wheeled bag to a backpack for my carry-on bag. It leaves my hands free for going through the buffet line. :D And it's easier to manage going up and down stairs.

[firefly333]

Rather than try to "sneak" my carry-on into the room I broke down and bought one with wheels. Makes it that much easier to "carry" it around should I board before rooms are ready.

 

Thats what I have. I also dont sneak into my cabin, though I know where to go to get thru with the baggage handlers who are bringing up the baggage. Why bother the cabin steward as if Im special.

 

I go to eat and deal with the carry on. Eat, then I go to the purser's desk to get a hole punched in my card, then I head to the MDR to see if they have the numbers on the tables yet, usually not, have to wait. I like to see where my table will be.

 

Then I go to my cabin.

[Riley's Mom]

Its not "sneaking" if you walk to your cabin and there is no one there and you put your carry on in the room!!!

 

But if you want to think of it as "sneaking" that sounds more dangerous and exciting!!! lol

[rrraydon]

I barely like to carry my purse, let alone a bag...lol. I've started checking everything in....if my bag's not there in time for dinner, I'll wear what I have on. No more lugging stuff around for me..I'm on vacation!!!..:p

[cruisingirl75]

I use a backpack rather than a carry on bag. Much easier on my shoulders and back.

[Cuizer2]

I have never been to the port early.. Usually I am the last one who the ship is waiting for :D .. This year I believe luck will be with me and I may be boarding around noon. Rooms are usually not ready until 1:30, so my question ?? What do I do with my carry on? Just grin & bear it and eat lunch with it on the Lido deck? Anyone been able to just stash it in the unready room? :eek:

 

I always arrive early (twice I've been the first one on the ship) and I always drop my carry-on off in the cabin. However, I always make sure the cabin steward knows what I am doing (I don't want the cabin steward thinking the bags are left over from the prior cruise).

 

If you know what you are doing, this is possible. In fact, one time I had security helping me find the cabin steward. I always make sure to just drop off the bags and then get out of the cabin steward's way. So far I have not had any problems.

[dzap17]

I've always got to my room early and always drop any carry on we have off

[firefly333]

Its not "sneaking" if you walk to your cabin and there is no one there and you put your carry on in the room!!!

 

But if you want to think of it as "sneaking" that sounds more dangerous and exciting!!! lol

 

I guess its all in the mind. If the signs state cabins wouldnt be ready until 1:30 pm they post .. but you know there has to be a door open for the baggage handlers .. and you know how to find it .. some dont think its sneaking to use the luggage handlers door.

 

To me its imposing on others, which I try not to do in life in general. Each to their own.

 

OP as you can see, many think the signs dont mean them. Its up to you.

[misguidedangel]

I generally like to be in the first group to get on the ship. I/we head on up to Lido and park our butts in a chair and enjoy a leisurely lunch. I usually will leave around 12:30 at the latest and walk around the interior of the ship and take some pictures dragging carry on bag and beach bag with me..It is a pain, but I am a whirlwind when I get onboard and want/need to do so much that I just grin and bear it.....After I get my carry on and beach bag unpacked I go out to the open decks and check them out, and usually by then it is around 3ish and got to do it quick cuz of muster drill....

 

Next cruise I've had to buy new luggage and I will be bringing a 30" and a rolling carry on only. The rolling carry on will be nice cuz no more sore shoulders from a 20lb+ carry on to haul around.....

[uppitycats]

I think it's called a "carry-on" for a reason...I carry it on. :) Generally I'll try to at least figure out where my room actually is, and if the steward happens to see me and gives me permission to do so, then I'll drop it in the room. Otherwise, I do indeed carry it around. But then, I don't really carry on heavy stuff, like liquor or sodas or anything, so it's not that big a deal.

[Bunkie103]

Since I put my jewelry, meds and laptop in my carry-on I wouldn't want to leave it in a room where the door is not locked. I am also a rule-follower. If they say 1:30 I can wait until 1:30 but that's just me. On our next cruise we'll arrive in Vancouver around 11:45 so I figure by the time we get to the ship and board, even with Platinum status, it will be close to 1:30.

[riffatsea]

We only have carryon. We didn't need to find a "special" door to get to our cabin. We just took the elevator to our deck and opened the hall door. We walked to our cabin and dropped off the luggage , putting it under the bed.

We said "Hi" to the steward and went up to lunch.

We didn't "sneak" anything and we were more comfortable at lunch. IF the door had been locked then we would not have done it.

[JoeMissile]

Its not "sneaking" if you walk to your cabin and there is no one there and you put your carry on in the room!!!

 

But if you want to think of it as "sneaking" that sounds more dangerous and exciting!!! lol

 

You know you really shouldn't do this. Between the room stewards trying to clean the rooms' date=' the carts/vacuum cleaners in the hallway and maintenance workers doing their thing, the last thing they want to see is you and your bag. At the very least it indicates you are inconsiderate of others and feel the rules are for someone else.[/color']

[Katty30]

I have never been to the port early.. Usually I am the last one who the ship is waiting for :D .. This year I believe luck will be with me and I may be boarding around noon. Rooms are usually not ready until 1:30, so my question ?? What do I do with my carry on? Just grin & bear it and eat lunch with it on the Lido deck? Anyone been able to just stash it in the unready room? :eek:

 

 

LOL We have never managed to get to the ship before 1P before so when we board the room is always ready :) Easier in my opinion. Less Lines, no worries about the carry on luggage, no worries about it being "gone" from the unlocked, opened door, etc....

[ehfl]

A carry-on is just that...a small bag that's easy to carry around. It's never been a problem to deal with it at lunch. They're easily transported over the shoulder, or on wheels.

[soccersharon]

You won't even have access to the hallways leading to the rooms. Normally they have the fire doors closed while the room are being finished.

 

We always time our arrival at the port so that we board when rooms are ready (and usually lines have died down by then as well. Last time we cruised, we arrived at 1:00pm and went from check in to our stateroom in about 15 minutes!). Although there are plenty of people wanting to board as early as possible and wait around with their suitcases around the ship for the sake of "starting their vacation early", we consider that hell.

 

 

I agree. Since we have always arrived late, we've always been able to just walk up to our cabins, put our suitcases away, change, get a DOD, and enjoy sailaway. No waiting in line for us!

[Cuizer2]

A carry-on is just that...a small bag that's easy to carry around. It's never been a problem to deal with it at lunch. They're easily transported over the shoulder, or on wheels.

 

Some can be both carried over the shoulder and run on wheels ...

 

[sunshine002]

I have never been to the port early.. Usually I am the last one who the ship is waiting for :D .. This year I believe luck will be with me and I may be boarding around noon. Rooms are usually not ready until 1:30, so my question ?? What do I do with my carry on? Just grin & bear it and eat lunch with it on the Lido deck? Anyone been able to just stash it in the unready room? :eek:

 

I always take my luggage to the cabin and put it in the closet. I know I take a chance since it was not secure, but seemed less of a chance than not taking it on board myself.

I have now done about 12 cruises with Carnival and have gone onboard early about half the time.

[Tbay-eh]

Everyone does their own thing - if ignoring requests, rules, or signs floats their boat then who am I to say otherwise, no skin off my back. My only concern is that the cabin doors are propped open for easy and quick access and if something goes missing who is to blame.