Getting Off the Ship

[cruiserjt]

We are cruising on the Eclipse over the Holidays returning on 1/4 to Miami. Flying back to Boston from FLL at 3:45. Not interested in renting a car or doing an excursion on travel day. We want to be lazy getting off the ship and then just make the best of our time in what I expect will be a very crowded airport. My question is - what is open for beverages and food / snacks in the morning? We just want to relax with our 11 y/ o daughters and let the lines to get off diminish before venturing out. Is Cafe el Bacio open? Anything else? We have the beverage package so we don't need to worry about settling any charges. We have always had to get off early with the crowds, this is new to us. . .

 

 

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[cle-guy]

We are cruising on the Eclipse over the Holidays returning on 1/4 to Miami. Flying back to Boston from FLL at 3:45. Not interested in renting a car or doing an excursion on travel day. We want to be lazy getting off the ship and then just make the best of our time in what I expect will be a very crowded airport. My question is - what is open for beverages and food / snacks in the morning? We just want to relax with our 11 y/ o daughters and let the lines to get off diminish before venturing out. Is Cafe el Bacio open? Anything else? We have the beverage package so we don't need to worry about settling any charges. We have always had to get off early with the crowds, this is new to us. . .

 

 

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Only options are MDR serves breakast until 8am only, and buffet closes at 8:30. Cafe Al Bacio still has coffee. Everyone generally needs off the ship by 10 am or so.

[need2bespoiled]

We are cruising on the Eclipse over the Holidays returning on 1/4 to Miami. Flying back to Boston from FLL at 3:45. Not interested in renting a car or doing an excursion on travel day. We want to be lazy getting off the ship and then just make the best of our time in what I expect will be a very crowded airport. My question is - what is open for beverages and food / snacks in the morning? We just want to relax with our 11 y/ o daughters and let the lines to get off diminish before venturing out. Is Cafe el Bacio open? Anything else? We have the beverage package so we don't need to worry about settling any charges. We have always had to get off early with the crowds, this is new to us. . .

 

 

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Blu is open, the Buffet is open, a number of lounges are open, including the area of Cafe al Bacio, but I don't know if they are serving :(

 

I love the pic of your girls? in the S1 window :)

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Northern Aurora]

Blu is open, the Buffet is open, a number of lounges are open, including the area of Cafe al Bacio, but I don't know if they are serving :(

 

I love the pic of your girls? in the S1 window :)

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

We've had no problem obtaining specialty coffees and Tea Forte on disembarkation day at the Cafe al Bacio.

[Lois R]

The Main Dining room normally closes between 8-8:30.....I can't recall

the exact time but it is early. Same for the buffet.....breakfast is served

early in both places. I can't remember Blu hours on the last monring.

Cafe Al Bacio is opened for coffee/tea on the last morning as well. There

are no other lounges open...they might be open to sit in while waiting

to disembark but they are not serving anything.

 

Normally, they want everyone off the ship by 10 and that is considered

late. They need to have everyone off.....remember, the next set of

cruisers want to get on;)

[cruiserjt]

Thank you for all the quick responses, we are not trying to stay on until the last minute - just hoping to not to have to join the 'cattle call':) We will probably doing dining room breakfast and then just enjoy a cup of coffee in El Bacio.

 

Jenna, the pic of the girls is from Carnival Legend in 2010 - their first cruise! I try to find one of those windows on each ship to pose the same picture.

[need2bespoiled]

Thank you for all the quick responses, we are not trying to stay on until the last minute - just hoping to not to have to join the 'cattle call':) We will probably doing dining room breakfast and then just enjoy a cup of coffee in El Bacio.

 

Jenna, the pic of the girls is from Carnival Legend in 2010 - their first cruise! I try to find one of those windows on each ship to pose the same picture.

 

It's a great pic!

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Lois R]

Thank you for all the quick responses, we are not trying to stay on until the last minute - just hoping to not to have to join the 'cattle call':) We will probably doing dining room breakfast and then just enjoy a cup of coffee in El Bacio.

 

Jenna, the pic of the girls is from Carnival Legend in 2010 - their first cruise! I try to find one of those windows on each ship to pose the same picture.

 

Since you have such a late flight you can ask Guest Relations to put

you in the last group off....I have done that many times.

You will fill out disembarkation paperwork about 1/2 way through the

cruise. When you take it to Guest Relations let them know you would

like to be in the later group.....better to be in the 9:30 group than

the 8:00 group:eek:

[jelayne]

Just off the Eclipse last week. If I remember correctly latest time we could select to get off was 9 or 9:15. We requested & got 8:45 but they were so efficient they called our luggage tag number at 8:20😳. They were trying very hard to have everyone off before 9:30 and I think they succeed since by 9:20 there were only a few folks coming off the ship.

[fleckle]

Whenever we want to be last off, we simply note that we want luggage tags for the last group off on our disembarkation form, and then drop it into the box.

 

We never needed to discuss it with anyone, and were not concerned about what time the last group would actually be called, realizing that the actual "last call" time may not be known to the staff in advance and can vary from cruise to cruise.

 

Often they call our number just before the final announcement to kick everyone off the ship.

Sometimes they don't even call all the numbers but simply tell all remaining groups that have not yet been called to proceed to the baggage claim area.

 

 

Celebrity does not provide room service on disembarkation morning, so the ship is chaotic and disorderly with people running back and forth in opposite directions, going to and from breakfast, in addition to those who are trying to leave the ship.

It can come as quite a shock to passengers who are accustomed to the orderly disembarkation day procedures of Holland America.

 

[cruiserjt]

Thank you for the info. I can remember on NCL, Carnival and Mercury that the ship felt like a ghost town. I know it must be crazy flipping the ship over for the next cruise. Having a bar or lounge open would likely slow everyone down. Maybe a good game of Monopoly in the library or we have been thinking about teaching the girls how to play cribbage. We want to stay away from the stress and crowds of disembarkation.

 

 

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[drinkspackageexpert]

Just a side note......on disembarkation on day, although you can get a coffee at al Bacio, regardless of having a drinks package, you will be charged cash at the time of purchase because they will be resetting all the accounts for the next lot. At least that was the case last October. :rolleyes:

Edited August 11, 2014 by drinkspackageexpert
miss spelling

[rosegrower]

We were able to use our drinks package card on disembarkation day on Eclipse in December and on Reflection in March. I took cash with me both times but was told I could still use the beverage package for it.

[cle-guy]

We were able to use our drinks package card on disembarkation day on Eclipse in December and on Reflection in March. I took cash with me both times but was told I could still use the beverage package for it.

 

This is my experience too, though I usually have a drink package, sometimes free, sometimes I paid for it. Actually, even on my charter cruise where no packages apply, I got an Americano at Al Bacio and paid on my sea pass.

 

Maybe there is a specific time of the morning they finally "cut it off".

 

It would seem easy enough to keep it going, each card is a unique folio number, not a cabin number, so putting ht charge to a proper account is certainly easy enough, like a hotel who posts a charge after check out, for a mini bar item or something....

[wwcruisers]

Thank you for the info. I can remember on NCL, Carnival and Mercury that the ship felt like a ghost town. I know it must be crazy flipping the ship over for the next cruise. Having a bar or lounge open would likely slow everyone down. Maybe a good game of Monopoly in the library or we have been thinking about teaching the girls how to play cribbage. We want to stay away from the stress and crowds of disembarkation.

 

 

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Hey, fellow cruiser! With a flight out that late, have you checked into the shore excursions for the last day? Sometimes they offer something like a 3-hour trip to the Everglades, or something else local. You just take your luggage, and I think they will take you directly to the airport, when the tour is over. But, the shore excursions desk could give you the details. :cool:

[Fouremco]

Hey, fellow cruiser! With a flight out that late, have you checked into the shore excursions for the last day? Sometimes they offer something like a 3-hour trip to the Everglades, or something else local. You just take your luggage, and I think they will take you directly to the airport, when the tour is over. But, the shore excursions desk could give you the details. :cool:

I agree with you, but the OP indicated that he's "Not interested in renting a car or doing an excursion on travel day." (Post #1)

[cruiserjt]

After 14 days, 8 ports, 2 kids and a lot of $$ spent - I just know another excursion would be too much (physically and financially). I knew it would be suggested and I appreciate the idea. Thank You!

 

 

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[wwcruisers]

After 14 days, 8 ports, 2 kids and a lot of $$ spent - I just know another excursion would be too much (physically and financially). I knew it would be suggested and I appreciate the idea. Thank You!

 

 

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I can certainly appreciate that. ;) It's just that there is absolutely nothing to do in the FLL airport. And, the last time we flew home from there, it was unbelievably crowded. We finally managed to find two seats together -- three or four gates away from ours -- and held onto them for dear life. If we'd had more than a couple of hours 'till our flight, I would have lost my mind! :eek:

[cruiserjt]

Our original flight was for 12:30 but Delta changed it - I am certainly not looking forward to the time in FLL but I am dreading the arrival in snowy NH more! Charge up those Kindles!

 

 

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[ClaudiaB]

We usually get something at Cafe Bacio as we wait EARLY for self-disembarkation. We're usually among the first 10 off the ship as we like a particular early flight if it's FLL.

While we're waiting we take turns getting something to eat (a croissant or something like that) and pay cash for the drink.

[fleckle]

After 14 days, 8 ports, 2 kids and a lot of $$ spent - I just know another excursion would be too much (physically and financially). I knew it would be suggested and I appreciate the idea. Thank You!

While waiting around for that final disembarkation call, we like to hang out in peace and quiet on one of the unoccupied open upper decks as we enjoy observing port activity.

 

We stand or sit by the railing watching the lines of disembarking passengers down below and the cages of luggage being unloaded.

 

At ports where there are other ships within our line of sight, we like watching the comings and goings at the other ships too, and just the harbor activity in general.

To us that beats sitting around waiting in a stuffy departure lounge.

 

If crew members approach to clean "our" area, we just move on out of their way to another unoccupied space.

Drinks are usually still available from the beverage machines near the back of the buffet area.

[Cruise Raider]

We were able to use our drinks package card on disembarkation day on Eclipse in December and on Reflection in March. I took cash with me both times but was told I could still use the beverage package for it.

 

Same with us, we got a cup of coffee at Café Al Bacio on the morning of disembarkation with the package....no charge.

[cruiserjt]

I am starting to like the upper deck idea after breakfast. We will know when it is time to go when the crowds lessen and I love people watching :-) Might just grab a cup of coffee enjoy.

 

 

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[cle-guy]

One good comment I've read along the way, that I have yet to do, is go explore the special cabin types while they are vacant and housekeeping has the doors cracked to get them changed over.

 

Family Verandas, the suites, accessible cabins if they are of interest....

 

Kind of like your own personalized cabin crawl...