Dis-embarking with own luggage

[Midlandscruiser]

Can anyone tell me up to what time you are able to leave the ship carrying your own luggage (IOS in Sept). We dock at 5.30am, and planned leaving around 8.30am. Thank you for your help

[firefly333]

There is no set time to leave, but usually they try and clear the ship no later than 10 am.

 

You will have to clear your stateroom earlier so they can start cleaning.

 

Since you want to debark around 8:30 am there should be no problem even if they are calling numbers by then, as they dont know if you have more luggage waiting or you are carrying off everything.

[Mycraft]

when you want to carry your own luggage you have to leave the ship first...that means when you dock at 5.30 you have to leave 5.45

 

If you want to leave at 8:30 just do the normal debarkation we always got of the ship between 8 and 9 not carrying the luggage...

[milton333]

when you want to carry your own luggage you have to leave the ship first...that means when you dock at 5.30 you have to leave 5.45

 

If you want to leave at 8:30 just do the normal debarkation we always got of the ship between 8 and 9 not carrying the luggage...

 

I believe this is incorrect. First, regardless of when you dock, the ship must first clear customs/immigration before anyone can start disembarking, so it's not likely to be 15 minutes after you dock. Secondly, you MAY leave in the first group off the ship if you are carrying your own luggage, but you are not REQUIRED to do so. We have done self disembark on both prior cruises, and took the opportunity to enjoy breakfast before getting off the ship, without regard to the "number" then being called.

 

Self disembark is nice, no rush to get packed the night before, no worries about making your flight time or trying to get your disembark group number changed the night before, etc.

[Paulxyz2004]

If you opt to be in the self-debarkation group you will have a set time for your group to be called like when doing the regular debarkation where they take your luggage off.

 

The self-debarkation or sometimes also called express-debarkation is usually the first group off.

 

While they will hardly keep you onboard for another cruise if you don´t get off when you are supposed to do so it´s not a fair and considerate thing to do.

 

They set up the groups for a reason - to make debarkation as smooth as possible for everybody. People lugging their suitcases off will undoubtely clutter up the gangway and that´s the reason why they get them off first, to guarantee all other guests following a smooth walk off the ship.

 

IMO it´s very inconsiderate to other passengers to - as suggested here - just ignore the debarkation time given and just walk off as you please. It will hold up everyone else.

[Mycraft]

thats the point...you have to go first...of course the ship have to clear customs but then you have to go...

[CruisinAgain2Soon]

when you want to carry your own luggage you have to leave the ship first...that means when you dock at 5.30 you have to leave 5.45

 

If you want to leave at 8:30 just do the normal debarkation we always got of the ship between 8 and 9 not carrying the luggage...

No such thing. No one gets off the ship 15 minutes after arriving and no one gets off that early anyway.

If the OP wants to self debark, they must leave earlier than everyone else.

Depending on the ship, it could be as early as 6:15 AM as on the Oasis or Allure to an hr or more later than that on other ships

[Yorkshire Voyagers]

We left Voyager in Venice yesterday and carried our luggage off. Anyone doing this had to leave the ship by 0700 via deck 1. After that time you were not allowed to carry bags off and the departure gangway changed to deck 4.

[joandian]

We carried our luggage off in Barcelona and everyone doing that had to meet at 7.45. We were off and in a taxi to the airport by 7.15.

[Texmike]

We could never debark early carrying our own luggage since we have five pieces and my wife has trouble even with one small carry on.

 

We would never be in a rush anyway unless we would have an early flight which I hope is never the case.

 

Our last two cruises we have driven to the port in Galveston when we were on the Voyager Of The Seas

 

We also cruised on the Freedom when it went out of Miami and on the Mariner when it went out of Los Angeles. We boarded earlier since we had a flight but always had extra time at the airport

[Galveston Cruiser]

We have always carried our own luggage off and, though there are recommended times to disembark, with or without luggage, no one is going to stop or tell you have done anything wrong. We have left early and we have had breakfast first then left later. Never had a problem on a closed loop cruise or a transatlantic.

 

I don't see how it is not fair or inconsiderate as it affects no one. Our one bag each is much less than those with 5 or 6 carry ons. Never have experienced a "cluttered" gangway. The only line is immigration which takes a few minutes, then U.S. has customs, but then everyone has their luggage at that point.

 

The cruise line is giving guests guidance, which in this day and time seems most need.

[Midlandscruiser]

Thank you for all your replies.

[Lottycruiser]

On Liberty in april we wre given a very early disembarkation time and asked if we could change the time ,we were told our only other option was to disembark ourselves by carrying our own luggage and we had to be off the ship by 9am , so it looked like we could disembark anytime from when the ship got clearancer after it had docked up until 9am , after reading some of these replies it seems that different ships have different policies on disembarkation .

[wcook]

We left Voyager in Venice yesterday and carried our luggage off. Anyone doing this had to leave the ship by 0700 via deck 1. After that time you were not allowed to carry bags off and the departure gangway changed to deck 4.

Had to? Not allowed?

 

So what happens to those people who, for whatever reason, didn't make it out the door by 7:00??

 

Somehow I suspect the rules aren't quite as black and white as some posters are making out.

[Bobal]

We've disembarked 3 times with our own luggage. I really don't want to leave my cases outside in the evening before we've even got back from dinner and then have to open them and repack stuff in the terminal building the next day.

 

We disembarked from Grandeur yesterday. We were given second departure but chose instead to disembark when it suited us (at 8.15) and just carried off our own cases.

 

I can't believe some of the comments here - are you seriously suggesting that if people attempt to disembark after (say) 7am with their own cases, they are going to prevent you from leaving the ship :rolleyes:

[wrp96]

I don't think they will stop you if you walk off with your bags at a later time. BUT they highly discourage it because for every person that is considerate and can actually handle their own bags doing self-disembark, there are 2 idiots that have too much stuff or are too unfit to be able to handle their own bags.

 

Last cruise, we sat watching the self disembark group. There were people trying to self-disembark using canes, walkers etc. Combined with an extremely steep gangway, it was an accident waiting to happen - and did delay disembarkation for the rest of us because it took too long.

 

So if you are physically able to handle all your bags, don't worry about it. If you aren't certain, either let them take your bags off for you - or go when they call the self-disembark group.

[C & L]

Departures

 

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/55679654?access_key=key-giu824sq2db0oajy1fk

[Tucker in Texas]

We usually self disembark because we have friends we are taking to the airport and they have early flights. I, also, worry that it is left "unattended" for an extensive period of time making it ripe for pilfering and, worse, someone putting something in it for an accomplice to retrieve somehow once it is ashore.

 

How do you truthfully answer the security question at the airport when they ask if you have had it in your possession/supervision all time time?

 

However, two times in the past year we put the bags out the night before rather than schlep them in the morning.

 

The first time, one of our bags mysteriously was put in a far corner away from the general area along with a couple of dozen other bags with various color tags. We just happened to stumble across it on our way to find someone to fill out a claim form. Which by the way is worthless as all it does is describe the bag. No "proof" you ever even had a bag for them to lose and, of course, lots of words about how they have no liability for it. I question whether the insurance carrier would even pay a claim.

 

The second time, we had a tour and we were assured our bags would be first off and ready to pick up for our tour which would eventually get us to the airport where we were staying overnight. Wrong. One bag did not show up and we had to leave it or miss our tour eating the tour price and pay our way to the airport.

 

I am sure that the only reason we ever got it back was because we were staying overnight at the airport and we had all afternoon to chase it down--and it took all afternoon. Lots of time spent on hold, being forwarded to other phone numbers.

 

It had been left in the general lost and found at the port which tells me the cruise line had no intention of reuniting us with it. When we got it back, the correct color tag was still on it (we wondered if it had fallen off and, hence, was not in our color section) and inside of the unlocked bag on the very top was our itinerary which included the hotel we were staying at.

 

So, zero for two. I carry my own bags off from here on out.

 

As for being inconsiderate not getting off with our bags first, sorry, that dog doesn't hunt. Sure they schedule the color times in an effort to stagger disembarkation but many, many people pay no attention to it. I've never seen anyone being denied getting off when they are disembarking prior to their color being called and I've seen plenty doing it.

 

The closest I've ever seen to enforcement is in Galveston. They will not let you on the escalator if you don't have "one hand free" which meant you had to use the elevator if you were unable to handle the steps with your bags. There was a terminal employee close to the elevator who pulled those with color tags on their bags (the people self-disembarking did not have any color tags issued) and made them wait for the elevator until all the non-color tags people went down. So, if you are going to self disembark in Galveston, don't put the color tags on your carry-ons (lol). Don't know why some people did but there were quite a few of them.

 

Tucker in Texas

[LisaT91403]

I, also, worry that it is left "unattended" for an extensive period of time making it ripe for pilfering and, worse, someone putting something in it for an accomplice to retrieve somehow once it is ashore.

 

How do you truthfully answer the security question at the airport when they ask if you have had it in your possession/supervision all time time?

 

 

We've never had anything stolen or anything added to our bags, and we are Diamond. That's not to say that it couldn't happen, but I just haven't heard of it. Not sure why someone would want to put something in the bag just to get it from the cabin into a holding area before you clear customs. They would have to go retrieve it and carry it through customs themselves, wouldn't they? You could lock your bags if you were really concerned.

 

Also, for whatever it's worth, they don't ask those security questions at the airport anymore. They stopped doing that a long time ago.

[fdthird]

So. looks like there are a large number of the "The hell with the rules...I do what I want" type of folks answering this question. Nice!

[Mycraft]

Yeah! That's the problem...there are always some people which think they are better then someone else...so they do what they want and other have to stay behind...

[Bobal]

So. looks like there are a large number of the "The hell with the rules...I do what I want" type of folks answering this question. Nice!

 

As one of those people to whom I think you're referring I'd like to mention that we walked off well after one announcement (hence just before the next) and there was no-one else disembarking at the same time as us :p;)

[tfrcal]

So. looks like there are a large number of the "The hell with the rules...I do what I want" type of folks answering this question. Nice!

 

This is just a different form of the age old "what do you wear on formal night" question. Seems that the answers are not much different.

[Yorkshire Voyagers]

I don't make the rules, I just follow them and anyone who can't be out of bed in time should not request express departure.

[Bobal]

I don't make the rules, I just follow them and anyone who can't be out of bed in time should not request express departure.

 

We didn't request early departure - we were given it because we were suite guests.