Jump to content

Disembarkment Process


JannyLyn

Recommended Posts

Well, thanks for all the replies. I did change my flight, but really not that much better. I changed it to 9:30 instead of 8:30. That cost me nearly 400 to change for me and my two daughters. Anything later than that would have cost nearly 800. Guess I will have to just try my best to be one of the first ones off the boat.

 

You're not going to make that flight either. Every single cruise line says not to book a flight before noon. While some have made flights at 10:30, it was dicey. Look, you have to actually be ON that plane 15 to 20 minutes before it departs. Airlines are closing doors that much early. If your behind isn't in that seat at that time, you're out of luck.

 

It's Christmas, the airport will be insane. The lines for check in and security will be at least 45 minutes long for EACH. If you've never been on a cruise you probably don't realize that there are a hundred things that can delay your getting off the ship. On my last three cruises, all out of FLL, we didn't even begin leaving the ship until 8:30.

 

There's a reason those early flights are so cheap-----airlines KNOW cruise passengers can't make those flights. And again, seeing it's Christmas, you could find yourself spending a day or two at the airport or hotel. I'm sorry, but you should have paid the extra for the much later flight. I highly doubt you'll make a 9:30 flight, on Christmas, with two kids in tow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're not going to make that flight either. Every single cruise line says not to book a flight before noon. While some have made flights at 10:30, it was dicey. Look, you have to actually be ON that plane 15 to 20 minutes before it departs. Airlines are closing doors that much early. If your behind isn't in that seat at that time, you're out of luck.

 

It's Christmas, the airport will be insane. The lines for check in and security will be at least 45 minutes long for EACH.

I hate to sound so negative, but these flight times, especially on Christmas Eve are just crazy.

 

I agree with kitty9. Processing time (checking bags, getting through security, and getting to your gate) at FLL during peak times is two hours. Checked baggage cutoff time is 30 minutes before your flight for most airlines. You must be at the gate ready to board at least 15 minutes before your flight, or your seat can be given away.

 

Your flight times are really risky, especially considering you are traveling on such a heavy travel day (Christmas Eve) and with two children. If you miss your flight because you are late, the airline has no obligation to put you free, on another flight. If they do, you will have to wait for a flight with three open seats. Very difficult to find during this time period.

 

If you must do this flight, highly suggest you travel with carry-ons only, prearrange pick up at the port, check in for your flight and print out your boarding passes on the ship, and know exactly where to go in the airport. Have a cell phone with the airline's phone number so you can call if you are stuck waiting in line and know you will miss your flight.

 

Good luck because you're going to need it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, thanks for all the replies. I did change my flight, but really not that much better. I changed it to 9:30 instead of 8:30. That cost me nearly 400 to change for me and my two daughters. Anything later than that would have cost nearly 800. Guess I will have to just try my best to be one of the first ones off the boat.

 

 

at least you got another hour to work with. But still (Oasis is HUGE)

its gonna be very stressful for you and your daughters. (what a way to end a wonder weeks vacation.)

 

Is it possible to do carry ons only so there is NO checked baggage.

 

then security at the airport--- with many ships debarking at the same time. you need to make sure you are walking off that ship by 7:30.

Barring any ship problems

 

(someone not paying their ship account on time-- listen to the loud speaker for them to be calling the same names over and over and over--- then go bang on that persons door.)

 

I wish you luck. and please report back that you made that flight in time

 

 

 

Curious question- what will it cost if you missed that flight? does the airline refund your ticket cost or just move you to another flight.

(which by the way will be full of cruise passengers)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Curious question- what will it cost if you missed that flight? does the airline refund your ticket cost or just move you to another flight.

(which by the way will be full of cruise passengers)

Depends. For most airlines, if you don't call and cancel before the flight takes off, you'll lose the entire value of your ticket. The airline would have no obligation to help you in this scenerio.

 

If you do cancel, they have the right to charge you the change fee (usually $150 per person for the legacy carriers), plus any difference in fare for another flight.

 

But, there have to be seats available, and doubtful there would be three empty seats on one flight on Christmas Eve. Airlines overbook as it is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, thanks for all the replies. I did change my flight, but really not that much better. I changed it to 9:30 instead of 8:30. That cost me nearly 400 to change for me and my two daughters. Anything later than that would have cost nearly 800. Guess I will have to just try my best to be one of the first ones off the boat.

 

There is no trying here. You MUST be one of the 1st off. The suggestion that you do carry ons only is a good one. Program the airline's phone # into your phone now b/c if you call & cancel if you can tell you are not going to make it they may work with you.

We'll keep our fingers crossed & hope you get a Christmas Miracle, b/c unfortunately, you are going to need one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This could be a stupid question, but I'm a first time cruiser. If we put our bags out the night before, how do we answer the question at the airport when they ask if our bag has been out of our sight?

 

You just say no. Technically, once you get your bags and go through US Customs, they've not been out of your sight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This could be a stupid question, but I'm a first time cruiser. If we put our bags out the night before, how do we answer the question at the airport when they ask if our bag has been out of our sight?

 

It's a very good question. In all honesty, I never thought about it. I do remmage through the bag upon return b/c I usually have to stuff in the toiltries & get out something I forgot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
You're not going to make that flight either. Every single cruise line says not to book a flight before noon. While some have made flights at 10:30, it was dicey. Look, you have to actually be ON that plane 15 to 20 minutes before it departs. Airlines are closing doors that much early. If your behind isn't in that seat at that time, you're out of luck.

 

It's Christmas, the airport will be insane. The lines for check in and security will be at least 45 minutes long for EACH. If you've never been on a cruise you probably don't realize that there are a hundred things that can delay your getting off the ship. On my last three cruises, all out of FLL, we didn't even begin leaving the ship until 8:30.

 

There's a reason those early flights are so cheap-----airlines KNOW cruise passengers can't make those flights. And again, seeing it's Christmas, you could find yourself spending a day or two at the airport or hotel. I'm sorry, but you should have paid the extra for the much later flight. I highly doubt you'll make a 9:30 flight, on Christmas, with two kids in tow.

 

So, here is the kicker in all of this. I listened to all the comments on this thread, changed my tickets to the tune of $400 extra dollars. The ship got into port at 5:30 instead of the 7:00 listed on the intinerary. Was off the boat by 6:20 using the express disembark and made it to the airport by 7:00. Ended up being able to get on my original 8:30 am flight, only now it had cost me an extra $400 How ironic!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks everyone for your responses.

 

I have a few more questions now.

 

If we do decide to self-disembark... do you have to carry your luggage down stairs or just roll it down sidewalks? I won't be able to lift my suitcase for more than a few seconds at a time, but rolling it should not be a problem at all.

 

Also, if we do self-disembark... why do we have to be one of the first groups off? Can't we have a nice breakfast first and then go back to our cabin, grab our luggage and walk off whenever we want? We have to be at the airport around 11am, so I wouldn't know what to do if we had to get off at 8am.

 

Most of the rules and procedures for disembarking a ship are made by local Immigration / Customs Officials. In most US Ports, those taking their own bags down the gangway are required by the officials to go through first, before those whose bags are being handled by the cruise line.

In some ports the officials are relatively lax on this idea; in other ports I have seen them detain passengers who carry their own bags off later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, here is the kicker in all of this. I listened to all the comments on this thread, changed my tickets to the tune of $400 extra dollars. The ship got into port at 5:30 instead of the 7:00 listed on the intinerary. Was off the boat by 6:20 using the express disembark and made it to the airport by 7:00. Ended up being able to get on my original 8:30 am flight, only now it had cost me an extra $400 How ironic!

 

Ain't life a b$#@$%? Glad that you had no problems but given the way of life if you had not changed your reservations you can be sure your ship would have been 3 hours late in docking, customs and immigration would have held the ship for 3 more hours, etc etc. :)

 

But in all candor, we recently took 2 cruises that started and ended in Bayonne, NJ. Cruise #1 (in November) did dock 3 hours late and other problems with debarkation kept many passengers on the ship until after noon. The 2nd cruise (same cruise line and same port in Dec) arrived in port on time and we were off the ship about 30 minutes earlier then scheduled. Its almost like gambling in the casino..you just never know!

 

Hank

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are due to arrive at Bayonne at 7.00 and although we are not taking an onward flight that day, we'd like to be off the ship asap to get a taxi to our hotel and be able to make the most of a couple of days in NY before returning home.

 

Would we be best to take the first disembarkation time or do the self-disembarkation to avoid the crowds. What is the earliest we'd be expected to disembark on arrival.

On our first cruise we were not in a rush at all and were amongst the last to disembark and had absolutely no trouble finding our luggage in Miami.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are due to arrive at Bayonne at 7.00 and although we are not taking an onward flight that day, we'd like to be off the ship asap to get a taxi to our hotel and be able to make the most of a couple of days in NY before returning home.

 

Would we be best to take the first disembarkation time or do the self-disembarkation to avoid the crowds. What is the earliest we'd be expected to disembark on arrival.

On our first cruise we were not in a rush at all and were amongst the last to disembark and had absolutely no trouble finding our luggage in Miami.

 

 

I would eat in the dining room and stroll off with the last people-- your room at the hotel will probably not be ready that early in the morning with all the people checking out-- (maybe going on the cruise after you

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, here is the kicker in all of this. I listened to all the comments on this thread, changed my tickets to the tune of $400 extra dollars. The ship got into port at 5:30 instead of the 7:00 listed on the intinerary. Was off the boat by 6:20 using the express disembark and made it to the airport by 7:00. Ended up being able to get on my original 8:30 am flight, only now it had cost me an extra $400 How ironic!

 

Bklyn -- I was actually wondering about you. I'm sorry it was expensive but if your life is anything like mine, had you not paid the money, you would have missed all available flights. :o I am glad it worked out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really glad it worked out for you. I would have been worried half the holiday.

 

We also changed our flights at an extra cost on our first cruise due to suggestions on cruisecritic and it was the best thing that we did and gave us piece of mind.

 

Flights are always unpredictable - we had an expected 9 hour window between our flights (we thought) on our outward journey to the USA and due to bad weather conditions in Europe this was reduced to 2hr 15 mins.

We had to sprint thru JFK to catch the shuttle between gates making it with 8 mins until last check-in ..... whew. Who would have thought that a 9 hour window would be insufficient !!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...