Do you carry off your luggage yourself or have a scheduled zone etc?

[Velvetwater]

Just wondering if people prefer to self assist or put their luggage out on the last evening to get a time/zone etc.

 

 

I find putting my luggage outside my door a little worrying (despite it being locked) so do self assist as its also quicker. I have never heard of theft/damage to bags left outside but I am sure it must happen sometimes.

 

Also not sure if all cruise lines offer both options.

 

thoughts?

Edited June 15, 2014 by Velvetwater

[OCruisers]

We ask for the earliest possible Assisted and put ours out in the hall unlocked for pick up. Never had a problem. Naturally, things of value to us are put in our carry-ons. :)

LuLu

[lovevacadays]

I did self assist on my last two Princess cruises. I liked it as I was off the ship early and I bet home before the ship cleared of all passengers. I have left my luggage in the hall many times and done assisted. Never any problems. I think problems are probably rare but may happen. Just like checking your baggage at the airlines. I would never put anything of value in my suitcase.

[Shmoo here]

Just wondering if people prefer to self assist or put their luggage out on the last evening to get a time/zone etc.

 

 

I find putting my luggage outside my door a little worrying (despite it being locked) so do self assist as its also quicker. I have never heard of theft/damage to bags left outside but I am sure it must happen sometimes.

 

Also not sure if all cruise lines offer both options.

 

thoughts?

 

Only one cruise of our 10 did we not put our bags out the night before and claim them in the terminal.

 

And that was Carnival. We opted to carry off (right after the FTTF group) since the time lag between when we had to be out of our room to our assigned debarkation time was going to be like 2 hours. :(

 

Our other cruises (HAL and DCL) we put our bags out the night before. It's just easier not to have to handle the bags through the throngs in the morning who all want to be "first" off. Never had an issue with doing that yet.

[Ehpride]

I put out the same bag that I'm going to check on the plane. Since I'm not putting anything I can't lose in that bag, I have no qualms about it being out of my sight, especially since I'm going to end up handing it over at the airport anyway.

 

I see no point in ending a relaxing vacation by rushing off the ship and carrying off my bags.

 

 

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[KirkNC]

We always do self disembarkation. Two reasons, first we get to keep it the last night and second we get off early.

[Keith1010]

We always get our luggage on the pier.

 

Keith

[cruzeluver]

No self-assist for me. I am on vacation, not lugging bags and have never needed to be off the ship particularly early.

[paul929207]

We always put the bags out the last night. Never had a problem

[sparks1093]

We've done both but now pick the latest time for disembarkation and put the luggage out the night before. I don't like trying to get all of our luggage off of the ship through crowded hallways and long lines. We only keep one carryon for the valuables and our spare clothes. The only way I can see us doing self-disembark in the future is if we have a flight to catch but as it stands right now we always drive to the port so we're in no hurry to leave the ship.

[Bonnie J.]

WE always do the walk off now. But, we cruise, even for a B2B, with two small bags that will fit as carry-ons through the x-ray when you get on. We still have our bags at night so can put that night's clothes and PJ's in our suitcases, don't have to carry them off.

On Carnival we are Diamond so get off 1st. NCL was a zoo. Everyone walking off did it at the same time so it took forever and there was a VERY long line doing it. On Princess we are given a number tag and wait until that number is called to get off. Don't remember about RCCL.

I have pink duck tape on the handles of our suitcase so they were easy to spot when we used to put them out.

[Stratheden]

I would never rush and struggle to carry my bags off the ship. We have to hand them over at the airport so why start worrying about them on the ship.

 

We never book an early flight - most often stay the night at the port as we always have a very long flight.

 

Don't believe in spoiling a lovely cruise with a terrible experience at the port. Wouldn't worry me if we were last off the ship.

[Karysa]

I would never rush and struggle to carry my bags off the ship. We have to hand them over at the airport so why start worrying about them on the ship.

 

We never book an early flight - most often stay the night at the port as we always have a very long flight.

 

Don't believe in spoiling a lovely cruise with a terrible experience at the port. Wouldn't worry me if we were last off the ship.

 

My bag was taken by another cruiser in the Venice, Italy cruise terminal. That almost spoiled my cruise. :D I approached the lady who had the bag like mine and well let's just say I had to convince her that the bag was not hers. She FINALLY agreed to look at the luggage tags. :rolleyes:

 

In her defense it was a very unusual bag. Just so happens that we both picked it up at the same store back near Toronto, Canada.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Karysa

[donaldsc]

The only time I would ever do carry off is if it was the only way I could make a plane flight. The only time I would ever book such an early plane flight is if there were absolutely no alternative flights or if the alternative flights were ridiculously more money.

 

I prefer to sit around the airport for a few hours as I can always read a book or listen to music to avoid the madhouse rush to get off the ship early.

 

With regard to your fear of having your luggage tampered with while it sits in the hall, we have never had a problem in this area.

 

DON

Edited June 16, 2014 by donaldsc

[Delboy1]

I find having your own maid and butler travelling with you solves the problem (just joking!).:p

[cb at sea]

I'm pretty sure no one wants your suitcase full of dirty clothes! Any valuables would be in your carry-on...so there's little to steal. Yes...anything not in your hand should be locked, but you don't need to worry about theft.

 

We put our luggage out, even if we have an early flight....the ship will ask those with early flights to tell them, so they can get you off the ship early! It works!

[Cruisin' Chick]

We put valuables in our carry on, along with a change of clothing for the morning out on one chair in the cabin. We try to put everything else outside our cabin. Never had a problem with losing anything that way. Don't won't to hassle with dragging a bunch of luggage more than we need to after a relaxing cruise. And definitely we don't book early flights for non-LA disembarkations. For our home port, I think it's only considerate to let those with flights to catch to have dibs for getting off the ship before us as we're just driving home.

[jocap]

We self disembark in the UK, because we have a day's driving ahead and like to get away from the port before rush hour starts; we've not found this a struggle because suitcases today are well wheeled...:) It's a matter of taking them down in a lift to whichever deck, then wheeling them along the gangways- no struggle. We've no hesitation about leaving luggage outside the cabin for a fly/cruise.

[jezthepuff]

We put our luggage out for our first two cruises, but then we figured out how much time you save with Self Assist. We have a long drive back, and we want to hit the road.

 

We've learned to pack lightly, and my husband and I can very easily handle it ourselves.

[boogs]

Yes...anything not in your hand should be locked, but you don't need to worry about theft.

 

Locking gives you a false sense of security, especially if you have soft sided suitcases.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf-DGKUNffI

 

A locked suitcase makes a thief think there is something valuable inside. If a thief wants to get into it and it is locked, they can simple pick it up and carry it away to a place where they can pry it open in secrecy. I have been travelling for over 40 years and have never locked my suitcases. Nothing has ever been missing, either.

Edited June 17, 2014 by boogs

[MrsPete]

No self-assist for me. I am on vacation, not lugging bags and have never needed to be off the ship particularly early.

 

But you're cool with leaving your bags out the night before on someone else's time table, then scheduling your departure as to arrive in the terminal along with your bags, and finally searching through everyone else's luggage to find your own?

 

Seriously, it is so much easier to carry -- no, roll; no one has a suitcase without wheels these days -- your own bags off.

[sparks1093]

But you're cool with leaving your bags out the night before on someone else's time table, then scheduling your departure as to arrive in the terminal along with your bags, and finally searching through everyone else's luggage to find your own?

 

Seriously, it is so much easier to carry -- no, roll; no one has a suitcase without wheels these days -- your own bags off.

 

I, for one, am cool with it versus rolling all of my luggage through crowded hallways, elevators and stairwells with the hundreds of others who are in a hurry to leave the ship. It's never taken more than a few minutes to find our luggage in the terminal. Each to his or her own (which is why there's a choice:)).

[boogs]

But you're cool with leaving your bags out the night before on someone else's time table, then scheduling your departure as to arrive in the terminal along with your bags, and finally searching through everyone else's luggage to find your own?

 

Seriously, it is so much easier to carry -- no, roll; no one has a suitcase without wheels these days -- your own bags off.

 

I, for one, am cool with it versus rolling all of my luggage through crowded hallways, elevators and stairwells with the hundreds of others who are in a hurry to leave the ship. It's never taken more than a few minutes to find our luggage in the terminal. Each to his or her own (which is why there's a choice:)).

 

The trick is to wait as long as possible before leaving the ship, and taking your time getting to where the luggage is available. We usually get to our luggage after more than half the passengers have already picked through theirs, leaving fewer bags to search through. That, and having luggage that isn't black like so many others have, makes it quite easy. Soooo much better than lugging off my own suitcases down narrow hallways, in crowded elevators, or down stairs, which to me is a lousy way to finish off an wonderful cruise.

Edited June 20, 2014 by boogs

[h_blond2]

We always choose the self assist option. We find it quicker and easier. We've never had a problem with taking off our own luggage.

[Slugsta]

It would be nigh-on impossible for Mr S to manage me in the wheelchair and the luggage, I refuse to even try! We live about 45 minutes in the car from our home port, there's no need for us to rush off :)