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Can I leave my bags at the ship hours before I embark?


retiredguy22
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My flight lands 4 hours before my embarkation time. I'd like to take my bags to the ship area and leave them, then take an Uber to see some sights. Three calls to Carnival got me 3 different answers - yes, no, maybe. Has anyone had experience with this??

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30 minutes ago, retiredguy22 said:

My flight lands 4 hours before my embarkation time. I'd like to take my bags to the ship area and leave them, then take an Uber to see some sights. Three calls to Carnival got me 3 different answers - yes, no, maybe. Has anyone had experience with this??

 

Why not have the car pick you up at the airport, put the bags in the trunk, and then take you on the sightseeing trip en route to the ship?  That might even save money on the transportation.

 

GC

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You can probably drop your bags off any time after 10:00 AM at most ports.   You will have to board about an hour before sailaway (likely 4:00 or 5:00 PM),  so you can most probably have from 10:30 to 2:30 (or thereabouts) for your wandering.

 

What you need to know is last check-in time - even if you have an assigned time, you can always come back a bit later - as long as it is before final check in.

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1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Why not have the car pick you up at the airport, put the bags in the trunk, and then take you on the sightseeing trip en route to the ship?  That might even save money on the transportation.

 

GC

that would work if we're just driving around, but we are also thinking of going to a museum for a few hours. I'll ask them if there's a safe place for our luggage too.

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There was a question like this before.  I am not seeing the port you are sailing from, but that aside, do you realize that from the time you "land" , hopefully on time, disembark the plane, get through the terminal, wait for your bags, get your car...you are looking at a good hour before you get on the road, then what about traffic getting into the port.  You may think you have four hours to play with, but I would think more like one.  I wouldn't want to be "sightseeing" then running for my ship.  Why can't you just embark the ship and enjoy the day and yourselves

 

Edited by myfuzzy
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2 hours ago, retiredguy22 said:

My flight lands 4 hours before my embarkation time. I'd like to take my bags to the ship area and leave them, then take an Uber to see some sights. Three calls to Carnival got me 3 different answers - yes, no, maybe. Has anyone had experience with this??

 

Not  a problem at all. The porters have no idea where you go after you leave your bags with them. Just make sure that you are back and checked in 2 hours prior to scheduled departure.

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21 minutes ago, retiredguy22 said:

Because they won't let us on until 1:30.

usually that is  a preferred time  but you can probably embark earlier

depends on the port & cruiseline how strict they are

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28 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

usually that is  a preferred time  but you can probably embark earlier

depends on the port & cruiseline how strict they are

In all my years of cruising, I arrive at the terminal, go to the assigned line(s), check in, and either wait in the allocated lounge until boarding opens or board.  I have never had my boarding time asked for or questioned

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Luggage is handed over for check in at the curb. Normally, you would then park the car then return to the cruise center for check in. No idea if there is a cross check between luggage and getting on the ship.

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9 hours ago, myfuzzy said:

In all my years of cruising, I arrive at the terminal, go to the assigned line(s), check in, and either wait in the allocated lounge until boarding opens or board.  I have never had my boarding time asked for or questioned

 

I think I ready where Carnival is now strictly enforcing assigned boarding times.  

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1 hour ago, GTO-Girl said:

 

I think I ready where Carnival is now strictly enforcing assigned boarding times.  

While a line may enforce assigned boarding times, they will not deny boarding to someone who shows up later than his assigned time, but still during boarding hours.   Most passengers want to board as early as possible, so usually there is less of a crowd and shorter waits the later you show up. 

 

If OP can get to the pòrt by 10:00 or 11:00 AM, and boarding continues unti, say, 3:00 PM for a 5:00 PM sail away, he can drop his bags and then come back just before 3:00.

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At some ports (Baltimore) they restrict entry into the port until most of the returning passengers leave.

 

But you can normally drop bag by at least 10AM (for Grandeur) and boarding is normally around 11AM.  Rooms become available at 1PM.

 

 

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As long as you can get to the baggage drop off area then it should be a yes. Drop it off and check it goes on the transport/treadmill thing then jump into a taxi. The only risk you run is your luggage being outside your cabin for a longer time which doesn't seem to bother most.

 

Bear in mind though that you need to check in 2 hours before sail away and that most major lines do muster an hour or so before sailaway.

 

 

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15 hours ago, retiredguy22 said:

My flight lands 4 hours before my embarkation time. I'd like to take my bags to the ship area and leave them, then take an Uber to see some sights. Three calls to Carnival got me 3 different answers - yes, no, maybe. Has anyone had experience with this??

 

Guess I should have mentioned it's Carnival in Miami.

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So your flight lands at 9:30AM.  It will probably be 10:30AM by the time you get any checked luggage.  Carnival used to have check in stations just off the baggage carousels at the airport.  If you use these, it will probably be 11AM, the seaport is 20 minutes away with no traffic, so if you go straight there, you'll be arriving around 11:30AM.  Only 2 hours to kill before you are technically allowed into the terminal.

But if you already checked in at the airport, then given your bags to the porters outside the terminal, you may be allowed to enter right then and just wait for boarding.

In any event, just 2 hours between arriving at the seaport and giving your luggage over prior to boarding isn't a long wait, nor probably enough time to leave, travel to a museum, enjoy a tour there, and travel back to the seaport.

I'd rather be having lunch on board the ship.

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9 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

If you are using Carnival transportation to the port, you get to enter the terminal on arrival before your arrival time.

 Is that because of the airport check in as I hinted in my earlier post (#17)?

Edited by evandbob
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4 hours ago, retiredguy22 said:

Thanks to all who responded! We'll go to the port and decide then about sightseeing before embarkation which will depend on time, weather, and how tired we are!

Makes sense. Everywhere I’ve boarded you leave your bags with porters before entering the terminal - also, most cruisers seem determined to board as early a ship possible, so the crowds (and the wait) diminish the later it is. Because your flight arrival, and time getting to terminal, are variables, the decision can only be made when you get there.

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12 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Nope, it is for people using the Carnival airport shuttle to port.

Don't cruisers using the Carnival buses have to check in at the airport first?  Or can they just go straight to the waiting area for the shuttle and  bypass the airport checkin?  (although why would anyone would opt for seaport check in and longer lines than the relatively short airport wait?)

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