Can I drop my luggage off earlier then my boarding time

[Maggiemay6]

Good morning! My family and I leave for our first cruise soon. We will be on a closed loop cruise leaving from Baltimore and making stops at Freeport, Grand Turk, and Half Moon Cay. The earliest check in time I could get was between 2:30-3:00 to board the ship...Carnival Pride. The papers I received from Carnival state that the place where you drop your luggage off to get checked closes at 2:00. If you board after that you must carry all of your luggage onto the ship. I called Carnival and they agreed that it does state that on the papers I received however they couldn't answer my question which was " Can I drop my luggage off earlier then my boarding time?" I was hoping I could drop my luggage off maybe around 1:30 and just wait around until 2:30 and boardthe ship. Carnival recommended that I call the port and ask them however I have been unable to speak to a live person. Does anyone know anything about this? Any information would be greatly appreciated! Have a wonderful day!:)

[Mary Ellen1]

You can drop off your luggage anytime, starting around maybe 9-9:30 or so. You drop it off with the porters -- not Carnival. Very similar to the skycaps on the sidewalk at the airport. Just make sure your bags have the right tags on them, tip the guy, and you'll see your luggage later on that day. (We hope.) You can get luggage tags from the porters, if you need.

 

Have fun on your cruise!

[Mary Ellen1]

Just make sure you have your ID's, passports, birth certificates, boarding passes, etc., in your hand luggage. And all your valuables. Don't check that stuff. :)

[Maggiemay6]

Thank you Mary Ellen1!! That's what I was hoping. Have a nice day!

[winddawn]

I agree with Mary Ellen. You can drop your luggage off earlier at your convenience. Some people do just that before going out to sightsee in the embarkation city before boarding the ship. Your check-in time has no bearing on what time you can drop your luggage off. I also agree that tipping the guy is cheap insurance to help ensure your luggage will show up at your cabin later. I always tell the guy I'm an arriving passenger just to be sure there's no misunderstanding because the port area will be crazy busy with debarking passengers too.

 

Have a great cruise.

[Maggiemay6]

Thank you wind dawn! I feel more at ease now with the information you both have given me. Have a great day!

[TrqoisWtrs]

Just make sure you have your ID's, passports, birth certificates, boarding passes, etc., in your hand luggage. And all your valuables. Don't check that stuff.

 

And also carry on your allotted bottles of wine. Don't want those to get confiscated! lol

[Homosassa]

The OP is talking about the Pride out of Baltimore. Isn't this the port where no one is allowed in until a certain time? Is that the case only for parking or does it also apply to dropping off luggage and then parking.

 

Hopefully, someone who has cruised out of Baltimore can give specifics and not just general statements about embarkation ports.

[cajunfla]

.......check-in time is NOT same as boarding time. BEWARE!! Do a search on Carnival's web site. everything is explained there.

[Maggiemay6]

Now I'm not sure what to do. Has anyone cruised out of Baltimore on the Pride recently? I would really like to hear what you have to say. Thank you!!

[dacsmom]

You can drop your luggage off at whatever time you want. The time of 2:30 that you chose is not the time you board the ship, it is the time you are allowed into the terminal to begin the check in process. You drop your bags off outside, there are people who drop bags off in the morning and explore the city and then come back. Drop your bags off around 1:30, get in line to check in, then board the ship. Have a great vacation and don't stress over this.

[happy cruzer]

You may want to look at the port of departures page here on CC for Baltimore. I use it for my homeport best info ever!

[Maggiemay6]

Thank you dacsmom! I have high anxiety and I worry about everything. I'm trying to just calm down. I'm sure everything will be okay. I just like reassurance to make me feel better. This is my first cruise and I hope once I'm on I can relax and enjoy it!!! Thank you for your helpful information! Have a great day!!

[Maggiemay6]

Cajunfla... what is the different between check in time and boarding time?

[BDRebel]

Normally about 20 minutes.

 

Check-in time refers to the time they allow you to get into line to go through security and check in at the gate.

Boarding time refers to the time that you leave the terminal (after going through the check-in procedure) and actually get on the ship.