First off -- carry your own luggage

[jamesnnb]

We normally are on the first group off the ship and carry our own luggage but on an upcoming cruise we will be staying at a hotel in the final port and would like to get off later but still carry our own luggage. Does that work? It is just one carry on (small) and one wheeled piece of luggage (not huge) and there is two of us. Is it OK to take a later exit (10 or so) and still carry two pieces of luggage?

[lovevacadays]

Yes. You will have to vacate your room by 8-830 so as long as you are ok with carrying your luggage around the ship you will be fine.

 

 

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[NavyVeteran]

The self carry off groups are normally scheduled first. However, you may be better off not requesting self carry off. Then you will be scheduled for a later group with luggage handling. Just because you are in that group does not mean that you have to give them your luggage - you can depart with your group and bypass the luggage pickup at the pier. That way, you are leaving when they expect you to leave.

[fishywood]

Prepare to be clobbered on this one....

 

Technically not "OK" but done all the time.

You have to be out of your cabin by 8 so you will be cluttering up the aisles with you bags wherever you go the rest of the morning.

It would be a lot simpler to at least check the larger bag--if you are one of the last off the ship it will only take you a second to claim it--but you will unfortunately not be in the minority if you don't.

[AKman2495]

We usually have larger bags and one small wheeled bag. We get up, have breakfast and are back to the room by 8. We then take our bags and wait till our departure time.

 

BY eating early, you can eat without having to lug your bags around.

 

While you wait, you will probably have to find a spot outside of the lounge where your group is supposed to meet. Once it gets within 45 minutes from your departure time, you can head to the lounge for your group with no problems.

[paul929207]

You can carry off your stuff and wait until the end of the debarkation process to do it. Usually that means about 9:30 or 10am.

[jamesnnb]

We are not trying to go against any rules or anything. Just prefer to have our luggage with us not taken off the night before. Again, it is one small carry on and one small rolling bag. So we are each carrying one. Our plan would be (as suggested) to have breakfast and leave the bags in the cabin -- getting back and out of the cabin by the 8am request. Then, as we are Elite, go up to the Elite Lounge (wherever that is) and wait for our late departure time. The Elite Lounge is usually out of the way of the other departing groups and normally has quite a bit of room and juice & coffee. We wouldn't be in the way and we would be in the last group off.

[Cruise Raider]

You will be fine and not even breaking any rules. On our last cruise a couple of weeks ago, they had self walk off times scattered throughout the disembarkation schedule. No longer are the walk offs clumped all in the early times. Our disembarkation questionnaire had several choices, some early and some a little later in the morning ... the last one being 10:30 AM, I believe.

We were out of our room about 8:30 and we had chosen the 9:30 walk off and went to the Elite disembarkation lounge. I think we were in our shuttle around 9:40....worked out well.

[TracieABD]

You will be fine. There are a number of people who do not want to leave their bag out.

[jamesnnb]

Thanks, Cruise Raider. We had not heard of the scattered approach before but that sounds just like what we were hoping for. Not adding to the 'first off' folk (we didn't plan to request first off then not use it -- that would not be fair) but being able to carry your own luggage and get off at a later time. We don't want to be in the way -- and believe me our two pieces could easily be considered carry on with the airlines. I can see Princess listened to people who wanted to do the same and not wanting to be first off but still want to carry their own. Perfect!

[DrivesLikeMario]

With your plan, OP, you'll be just fine. ;)

[Cruisin' Chick]

Prepare to be clobbered on this one....

 

Technically not "OK" but done all the time.

You have to be out of your cabin by 8 so you will be cluttering up the aisles with you bags wherever you go the rest of the morning.

It would be a lot simpler to at least check the larger bag--if you are one of the last off the ship it will only take you a second to claim it--but you will unfortunately not be in the minority if you don't.

 

My last couple of cruises on Princess, we were given a lounge to stay in after leaving our cabin. When the next group is called to disembark, it's only inside the lounge and not over the PA. So as long as the OP goes to his assigned lounge with his luggage, he won't be cluttering up the aisles. Personally, I would put out my suitcase into the hall the night before (and get it at the baggage claim) because it's easier for me.

[fishywood]

When the next group is called to disembark' date=' it's only inside the lounge and not over the PA. So as long as the OP goes to his assigned lounge with his luggage, he won't be cluttering up the aisles. [/quote']

 

Would be nice if that was how it actually worked in the real world. Unfortunately there are many who sign up for the very first walk-off group who believe that it means they can disembark at their assigned time or anytime after. (Though it is commendable in this case that the OP understands they should sign up specifically for their intended departure time whether with or without all their bags). So you do have a segment of passengers--who in their mind any designated lounges or announcements are irrelevant--scattered about in the HC or wherever they please on Decks 5, 6 or 7 with their bags very much obstructing traffic. Now I often travel with a cabinmate who cannot walk stairs and on several cruises when we left the lounge as our color was called we have had to let elevator after elevator pass by only occupied by 2 or 3 people with their luggage splayed all around the elevator floor; this was well after the final time for express walk-off.

Edited January 16, 2015 by fishywood

[bills blasters]

Hope it is ok to change the subject a bit, but I was wondering if we do the luggage express (not sure what Princess calls it, but that is what Carnival calls it), do we have to go to meet with all the other luggage express people and all leave at the same time?

On our last Carnival cruise, we all had to meet in one of the lounges and were not allowed to leave until everyone was there. There were 2 ladies that came in almost an hour late. We couldn't get off until they showed up.

Never sailed on Princess, so would like info on how they do it.

Thanks

Claudia

[Cruisin' Chick]

Would be nice if that was how it actually worked in the real world. Unfortunately there are many who sign up for the very first walk-off group who believe that it means they can disembark at their assigned time or anytime after. (Though it is commendable in this case that the OP understands they should sign up specifically for their intended departure time whether with or without all their bags). So you do have a segment of passengers--who in their mind any designated lounges or announcements are irrelevant--scattered about in the HC or wherever they please on Decks 5, 6 or 7 with their bags very much obstructing traffic. Now I often travel with a cabinmate who cannot walk stairs and on several cruises when we left the lounge as our color was called we have had to let elevator after elevator pass by only occupied by 2 or 3 people with their luggage splayed all around the elevator floor; this was well after the final time for express walk-off.

 

Seems like this is two different issues, if I'm understanding your post correctly. As I said, Princess started assigning a specific place for each party to wait until their color is announced (and that's inside that lounge). We go to that place (the previous cruise we were given the elite/platinum area in one of the main dining rooms and before that, the Princess Theater). So I don't know if passengers are hanging out in the stairwells, etc. (which was a problem on our 2004 cruise so we were happy to hear they were correcting this).

 

So if passengers were ignoring the simple (IMO) directions of where to wait, maybe that was on a ship where crew members were busy and didn't notice. But that's certainly something to note on your post-cruise survey or in a separate email to Princess, letting them know that there was a need for crew members to make sure passageways were clear. But it didn't seem a problem on our cruises we've taken since the silent disembarkation process was started.

 

Since we don't ever do the self-disembark walk-off (we're certainly not going to rush off for our cruises out of San Pedro, as that's a drive for us, and for other locales, we're going to allow for later flights or post-cruise stays so we won't be stressing out over catching a too-early flight), I don't pay attention to whether people signed up for this are supposed to tell them what time they want to leave the ship.

 

As far as I know, you can always leave the ship later than the time given to you, just as long as you leave at the end.

[jamesnnb]

We've been utilizing the 'first off/walk off' for our last several cruises and really thought the last 2-3 times it worked like a charm. It seems that instead of a PA announcement, just that particular lounge knows it is 'their time' to exit. Since we have been early-off, we don't see the rest of the ship during the rest of the procedures. I will add that on our last walk-off, we were all advised that you are to have just one piece of luggage each so you are not trying to pull two pieces at once through the narrow hallways. I'm sure not all follow this rule, but it seemed like it worked better. Also, we requested 'walk off' and were given a 'first' or 'second' or 'third' time slot -- so not all walk offs went off at the same time. You were to show your 1 or 2 or 3 (or A or B or C or whatever it was) as you exited the lounge and were escorted to the gangway. And I agree that you should only request first-off if you need/want to utilize it, not just so you can exit at will. But it seems like Princess is addressing that by allowing those that want to carry off but not exit first can now do so. We normally fly home at the end of our cruise and our flight home always requires at least one stop-over and we actually have to land is another state and drive home. So later flights don't work for us. My original question was posted as this one upcoming cruise we plan to stay overnight upon arrival at our final port and fly home the next day. It's all good -- we're cruising!

[caribill]

Hope it is ok to change the subject a bit, but I was wondering if we do the luggage express (not sure what Princess calls it, but that is what Carnival calls it), do we have to go to meet with all the other luggage express people and all leave at the same time?

On our last Carnival cruise, we all had to meet in one of the lounges and were not allowed to leave until everyone was there. There were 2 ladies that came in almost an hour late. We couldn't get off until they showed up.

Never sailed on Princess, so would like info on how they do it.

 

Princess calls it EZCheck.

 

When you are at your assigned meeting place and your departure color is cleared for disembarkation, you can leave the ship even if everyone else with that color has not shown up.

 

However, if your group is for transportation to the airport, the transportation may not leave if waiting for some who has paid for it but not shown up at the bus. At some point the bus will leave even if not everyone has shown up, but it will be later than it is supposed to leave.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We've been utilizing the 'first off/walk off' for our last several cruises and really thought the last 2-3 times it worked like a charm. It seems that instead of a PA announcement, just that particular lounge knows it is 'their time' to exit. Since we have been early-off, we don't see the rest of the ship during the rest of the procedures. I will add that on our last walk-off, we were all advised that you are to have just one piece of luggage each so you are not trying to pull two pieces at once through the narrow hallways. I'm sure not all follow this rule, but it seemed like it worked better. Also, we requested 'walk off' and were given a 'first' or 'second' or 'third' time slot -- so not all walk offs went off at the same time. You were to show your 1 or 2 or 3 (or A or B or C or whatever it was) as you exited the lounge and were escorted to the gangway. And I agree that you should only request first-off if you need/want to utilize it, not just so you can exit at will. But it seems like Princess is addressing that by allowing those that want to carry off but not exit first can now do so. We normally fly home at the end of our cruise and our flight home always requires at least one stop-over and we actually have to land is another state and drive home. So later flights don't work for us. My original question was posted as this one upcoming cruise we plan to stay overnight upon arrival at our final port and fly home the next day. It's all good -- we're cruising!

 

Do you mean your disembarkation port? At first when I was reading this post, I was wondering if you were talking about leaving the ship before the end of the cruise. Sorry, I'm a bit confused about when you're talking about leaving the ship. But if you're talking about at the disembarkation port, and just going to a hotel, then you're doing what many do and not flying home that day.

[jamesnnb]

Ah, yup. Disembarkation Port. 'First off/walk off' normally refers to the final port -- not when someone (unusual) walks off at some port in between and never returns....? Sorry you were confused. I thought it was clear as I provided pretty good detail -- when you leave the ship early, prior to the Disembarkation Port, you don't normally wait in a lounge with a color-coded ticket. haha.

[puli]

We've been utilizing the 'first off/walk off' for our last several cruises and really thought the last 2-3 times it worked like a charm. It seems that instead of a PA announcement, just that particular lounge knows it is 'their time' to exit. Since we have been early-off, we don't see the rest of the ship during the rest of the procedures. I will add that on our last walk-off, we were all advised that you are to have just one piece of luggage each so you are not trying to pull two pieces at once through the narrow hallways. I'm sure not all follow this rule, but it seemed like it worked better. Also, we requested 'walk off' and were given a 'first' or 'second' or 'third' time slot -- so not all walk offs went off at the same time. You were to show your 1 or 2 or 3 (or A or B or C or whatever it was) as you exited the lounge and were escorted to the gangway. And I agree that you should only request first-off if you need/want to utilize it, not just so you can exit at will. But it seems like Princess is addressing that by allowing those that want to carry off but not exit first can now do so. We normally fly home at the end of our cruise and our flight home always requires at least one stop-over and we actually have to land is another state and drive home. So later flights don't work for us. My original question was posted as this one upcoming cruise we plan to stay overnight upon arrival at our final port and fly home the next day. It's all good -- we're cruising!

am I to understand that you cannot/should not do the "early walk off" disembarkation if you have 2 bags? even if you can manage fine with say, one medium and one carryon suitcase?

 

Seems to me on a cruise of a week or more most passengers will have more than one bag so if only cruisers with one bag can make use of this program there would be a very short line to disembark first thing !

[jamesnnb]

That is what they told us at the Purser's Desk. I told them we had one regular size rolling suitcase (husband pulls) and I have two small rolling carry on bags that actually stack and pull as one, plus an over the shoulder bag and the PurserLady said that would be fine. She said what they are trying to get away from is one person trying to pull two rolling suitcases, using two hands -- as there really isn't room in the hallways for two, side-by-side bags. They prefer if you have two bags for one person to pull to not utilize the first off/walk off but leave them out the night before and pick them up in the terminal. I'm sure not everyone follows their suggestion -- but that is what we were told.

[puli]

That is what they told us at the Purser's Desk. I told them we had one regular size rolling suitcase (husband pulls) and I have two small rolling carry on bags that actually stack and pull as one, plus an over the shoulder bag and the PurserLady said that would be fine. She said what they are trying to get away from is one person trying to pull two rolling suitcases, using two hands -- as there really isn't room in the hallways for two, side-by-side bags. They prefer if you have two bags for one person to pull to not utilize the first off/walk off but leave them out the night before and pick them up in the terminal. I'm sure not everyone follows their suggestion -- but that is what we were told.

 

They should let everyone know the above before final payment. We have booked a private taxi pick up as early as possible. so we can catch the Eurostar train to Paris. . counting on being able to walk off first with out two bags each (1 medium and 1 carryon)...We also thought suite passengers got priority disembarkation but not so on Princess. Too late to change now as we have purchased our train tickets....we will just have to join the mob of two-suitcasers.

[jamesnnb]

I really think you will be fine. If one is over your shoulder and one you are pulling, that meets their guidelines. If you are pulling two and don't have difficulty with them side by side -- no one really cares. It is the people that can't handle them and hold up the others in the hallways as the others can't get by -- as I understand. So, as long as you can manage I don't think anyone will care or say anything to you. You'll be fine and on your way to Paris! Enjoy.

[caribill]

We have booked a private taxi pick up as early as possible. so we can catch the Eurostar train to Paris. . We also thought suite passengers got priority disembarkation but not so on Princess. Too late to change now as we have purchased our train tickets....we will just have to join the mob of two-suitcasers.

 

If you are not assigned an early enough time, you can exchange at the Purser's desk. (Do so as soon as you know you need to exchange as there is a limit to the number of people in each walk-off group.)

 

But have a "Plan B" in mind since ships do not always make port at the scheduled time due to weather or other problems.

[jamesnnb]

Good advice from caribill.