A different disembarkation question

[DrHemlock]

Have any of you ever disembarked an RSSC ship in the wee small hours of the morning at the end of a cruise, long before the organized departure process begins, because you had a very early non-RSSC-arranged flight to catch? I'm talking 3:30-4:00 a.m. disembarkation for a 6:10 a.m. flight.

 

If so, did you notify ship's staff ahead of time so they could ensure the door was open and the gangplank lowered? Did you keep your luggage in your cabin rather than putting it outside in the hallway the night before, then just schlep it downstairs (or call for a porter) to disembark?

 

I know what you're thinking: What about customs & immigration whether in a foreign port or in the US upon returning? They won't be open at that hour.

 

In this case, it will be a foreign port but Mariner will have arrived two nights earlier and spent the entire previous day in port running excursions, etc., so customs & immigration to that country will have been completed.

 

Of course, there is the issue of whether taxis will have access to the port at that hour, but that's a separate issue and not part of my question.

 

My TA says it won't be a problem for RSSC to let us off the ship whenever we want as long as customs & immigration have been cleared. I trust her, of course, but would love to hear from someone who has actually done it, regardless of where in the world you happened to be at the time, and whether you had any problems with the ship being locked up tight overnight or staff blocking your exit for bureaucratic or "safety" reasons or whatever.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Kkamlani]

Have any of you ever disembarked an RSSC ship in the wee small hours of the morning at the end of a cruise, long before the organized departure process begins, because you had a very early non-RSSC-arranged flight to catch? I'm talking 3:30-4:00 a.m. disembarkation for a 6:10 a.m. flight.

 

If so, did you notify ship's staff ahead of time so they could ensure the door was open and the gangplank lowered? Did you keep your luggage in your cabin rather than putting it outside in the hallway the night before, then just schlep it downstairs (or call for a porter) to disembark?

 

I know what you're thinking: What about customs & immigration whether in a foreign port or in the US upon returning? They won't be open at that hour.

 

In this case, it will be a foreign port but Mariner will have arrived two nights earlier and spent the entire previous day in port running excursions, etc., so customs & immigration to that country will have been completed.

 

Of course, there is the issue of whether taxis will have access to the port at that hour, but that's a separate issue and not part of my question.

 

My TA says it won't be a problem for RSSC to let us off the ship whenever we want as long as customs & immigration have been cleared. I trust her, of course, but would love to hear from someone who has actually done it, regardless of where in the world you happened to be at the time, and whether you had any problems with the ship being locked up tight overnight or staff blocking your exit for bureaucratic or "safety" reasons or whatever.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

I don't see this being an issue. However, I would recommend that you call us on 877-505-5370 with the details of your specific itinerary so we can provide you with a definitive answer.

Best-

KSK

[RachelG]

Yes, we have done this three times, twice on regent and once on silversea. Not a problem. The only problem you might encounter is finding a taxi. I arranged a car to pick us up in Istanbul and in Lima. In Istanbul, it would have not actually been necessary as there were lots of taxis sitting outside the port building at 4 am. In Lima, it definitely was necessary. In lisbon, there were taxis there at 4 am.

I kept our luggage in Istanbul,mbut in Lima and lisbon, they offloaded it, and it was there for us to pick up. I can pretty much guarantee you will not be the only person catching an early flight as there were several others getting off with us each time.

[DrHemlock]

Whoa!! An answer from the President within eleven minutes of posting? Now that is impressive!

 

I'll give a call to the number you provided. I'm further encouraged by RachelG's answer as we will, in fact, be disembarking in Lima as she did. I plan to pre-arrange a taxi or town car with a reliable company there and will check with them regarding their experience in getting into the dock area at that hour.

 

As RachelG suggests, we might not be the only folks heading to LIM for one of those early-morning flights. Machu Picchu, anyone?

 

Thanks very much, Mr. Kamlani.

[RachelG]

In Lima, there will be a minibus that will take you to the port entrance where you will have to meet your driver. They will not let the taxi drivers come out all the way to the ship, but there will definitely be others getting off at the same time as you. There aren't that many flights out of Lima. It is either very rly am or very late at night.

 

Enjoy machu pichu!

 

The port at Lima is actually in Callao. It is a bit out of town, and looks pretty scary at night. Just be aware and definitely pre arrange a car and driver. There were NOT cabs available.

[DrHemlock]

Good advice. Having spent some time in Lima previously, I'm aware of how dodgy the Callao area is.

 

For anyone else reading this and planning to disembark early as we are, or just to travel to Lima generally whether on a cruise or otherwise, I will add to RachelG's comment.

 

You may have seen on a map how close the port is to the airport and thought, therefore, that it would be an easy hop over. No more than a ten-minute drive and a person could probably even walk it in the daytime if they're feeling young and energetic and aren't loaded down with baggage. Well, fuhgeddaboudit!! It's a short hop, alright, but you want to approach it with a good bit of caution.

 

Lima is a great city filled with history, friendly people and excellent cuisine. However, a normal amount of urban precaution is required and you don't want to wander through certain poorer areas, of which the port of Callao is one.

 

Consensus on various boards including this one, Fodors and TripAdvisor is that it's okay to walk from the port to the nearby maritime museum, if you are so inclined, in broad daylight following the clearly marked tourist pedestrian route, but don't walk anywhere else. Don't even think about trying to "walk into town" as we do in so many other, usually smaller, ports around the world.

 

Travel to/from the port -- whether into the city or to the airport -- only in a tour group, pre-arranged car or authorized taxi. Emphasize "authorized" as wildcat cabs are a constant problem both at the port and at the airport and you can quickly find yourself in an unknown area of the city with not-so-nice folks requesting, even requiring, that you hand over your valuables.

 

As in major cities anywhere, fixed taxi stands at transportation hubs can be relied upon to put you into authorized taxis. Same with hotel doormen, regardless whether you are a registered guest, and restaurant maitre d's who call a cab for you after dinner. But hailing a cab on the street or succumbing to the advances of drivers who approach you in a scrum offering the "best price"...not such a good idea.

 

Safe travels, everyone!

[TedC]

IN my experience the only cabbies I trust are in London - I hope that hasn't changed!

[zorro90068]

IN my experience the only cabbies I trust are in London - I hope that hasn't changed!

 

Yeah but will cost you a fortune!!!!!!

[RachelG]

Excellent advice, Dr. Hemlock.

 

Ted, one of the few places I have been ripped off by a cabbie was in London. We definitely got taken for a ride. This was before the days of smart phones and gps. I had a feeling we were not going the right way, but the cabbie kept claiming "construction" as an excuse. Other place was in Istanbul, but I will give that guy the benefit of the doubt as there were language issues.