Why rush to board?

[Iamcruzin]

1 minute ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Just get in line and walk off.  Location will be detailed in the departure letter.

I thought that someone would have to be notified. So basically I just don't put my luggage out the night before.

[Clarea]

7 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I thought that someone would have to be notified. So basically I just don't put my luggage out the night before.

 

Correct, there's no sign up process.

[jean87510]

15 hours ago, wwcruisers said:

You do realize that the porters who take your bags only put them on carts and get them to the ship. There, the ships' crew takes over the actual distribution/delivery process. And, yes -- I do tip the porters, because I want my bags to make it onto the ship. After that, there appears to be NO rhyme or reason as to whose luggage is delivered first.

We were just on the vision 1/19 sailing and I tipped the one porter $5 (all I had - rest were $20's) for my suitcase and my husband didn't tip for his suitcase because he thought I took care of it.  This was in New Orleans.  We waited for his bag up until 9pm then called to guest services.  We had the tags taped on and stapled.  He went down to identify and not only was the tag clearly ripped off (shreds were hanging off) but the side zippers were left open.  Lesson learned - make sure we have enough for the porters next time!  And now we have invested also in the clear luggage tags which appear to be more difficult to remove.  I remember he wore gym shorts and a tshirt to dinner in windjammer and we got a lot of stares.

[Biker19]

35 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

  Lesson learned - make sure we have enough for the porters next time!  

Correlation does not mean causation.

[BNBR]

15 hours ago, Pipo said:

I totally understand the ones that want to board early, what I still don't get are the ones that disembark early morning when there are NOT flying that same morning.

 

That would be us.  We live local.  Disembarkation day is NOT a cruise day.  So we prefer to just get off the ship and get home without crowds and all the craziness.  So by doing self-disembark, early, we get home often before 7:30AM.  It's so smooth and easy to just self-disembark early.  The ship doesn't want you on board.  So you end up just sitting around in a lounge waiting to get off anyways.  Then dealing with long lines and all the crazy.  When you get off early, you walk off, walk to the truck, and go home.  We then have the full day ahead of us to enjoy.  I am usually totally unpacked with laundry done before cruisers with flights have boarded.

 

As for boarding early, again, being local... we wake up on a cruise day with no other plans.  So we can either sit around the house waiting or we can go board early.  We show up around 10AM.  This is before check in lines and nonsense.  So we again get to avoid the crowds.  We'll check in then hang out, sometimes we have walked right on the ship at 10:20 or we sit around and hang out for an hour or so before boarding.  No big deal and no stress.  Plenty of parking at 10AM, too.  As disembarking cruisers are leaving and embarking cruisers haven't yet bombarded the port.

Edited February 4, 2019 by BNBR

[jean87510]

38 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Correlation does not mean causation.

true but its worth a shot........

[davekathy]

3 hours ago, clean1owner said:

 

If that's the case, I'll make them drag me off. 

I do enjoy good entertainment. 😛

[GeoJim]

Good feed but I did not see anything about dropping bags at the port and THEN going to sight see before checking in. We will arrive in Seward Alaska on the train by 1100 and the ship does not set sail until 2000, and I know we will have to be on board before that. We would like to see a little of Seward, can this be done? If you have done this, how did it work for you?

 

[FrankNBrew]

I appreciate all of the info, and I really hope to enjoy the ship as much as you all appear to. My only cruise was a 3 night many years ago, and I guess in my mind the ship is the transportation/hotel, and the ports are the vacation spots. I guess I've been reading too much, and now I'm expecting a crowded ship with rude people hogging pool chairs, and lines everywhere...and hence my question about rushing on to the ship. It concerns me that there will be a lot of hurry up and wait.  I hope to discover otherwise.

[xpcdoojk]

5 minutes ago, GeoJim said:

Good feed but I did not see anything about dropping bags at the port and THEN going to sight see before checking in. We will arrive in Seward Alaska on the train by 1100 and the ship does not set sail until 2000, and I know we will have to be on board before that. We would like to see a little of Seward, can this be done? If you have done this, how did it work for you?

 

 

True, but unless you are going to drive a good way, there isn’t that much to do in Seward. When we were there last summer there were lots of people fishing for salmon from the shore, and clearly the salmon were running, there is not a lot to do in Seward.  We spent the night before there, and outside of a couple of grocery stores and a post office not much there.  I am sure you can take a plane and fly over the Kenai peninsulas and see stuff but Seward not much.

 

jc

 

 

[nashirak]

We’re also in the “early to board” group. For us getting to the port almost always means getting there the day before and overnighting in a hotel. Flying out of Little Rock or Memphis has almost no convenient flights the day of, and it usually ends up being cheaper that way. Even Galveston is 7-8 hours away by car and that’s assuming no traffic/wrecks along the way. So an overnight hotel is what we usually do. We have a lazy sleep in, a relaxed breakfast, and then head over to the port around the time check-in and boarding start. We don’t usually have much to carry on, so it’s nothing to walk around with a backpack. Get a drink on board, lunch, and start the vacation as soon as possible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HBE4]

43 minutes ago, FrankNBrew said:

I appreciate all of the info, and I really hope to enjoy the ship as much as you all appear to. My only cruise was a 3 night many years ago, and I guess in my mind the ship is the transportation/hotel, and the ports are the vacation spots. I guess I've been reading too much, and now I'm expecting a crowded ship with rude people hogging pool chairs, and lines everywhere...and hence my question about rushing on to the ship. It concerns me that there will be a lot of hurry up and wait.  I hope to discover otherwise.

 

If it's been many, many years and a 3 night cruise, you were probably on an old, small ship.  Cruise ships have grown and changed dramatically over the last 10-15 years. You'll want the time to explore the ship and all the WOW factors. Get on board as early as you can. 

 

Don't let the talk of long lines, chair hogs, etc get you down.You may encounter some of that but less than 10% of the time. The other 90% you'll be fine.

[SRF]

9 hours ago, Trex827 said:

I always tip the porters. Just the right thing to do. Not because I expect extra special handling. They are long shoremen and do us a great service despite dealing with some tough self important big shot platnium, suite, diamond customers who think they deserve special service because of who they are.
 

 

They also make more than many of the passengers.

 

Average income for a longshoreman is around $100,000.

 

Senior ones make close to $200,000.  And cruise ship duty is desirable, so mainly senior people.

[clean1owner]

10 hours ago, BNBR said:

 

  I am usually totally unpacked with laundry done before cruisers with flights have boarded.

 

 

You are waaay too efficient. Takes me a week before my bags are totally unpacked. I just can't let go of my vacation that easily.

[BNBR]

1 hour ago, clean1owner said:

You are waaay too efficient. Takes me a week before my bags are totally unpacked. I just can't let go of my vacation that easily.

 

It's so satisfying to get it over with! 

[Mikew0805]

We used to board as early as possible. Now, that we take on and use self assist debarkation, we prefer to board when the cabins are available, so we do not have to carry the bags around. 

[Cruisin4aTan]

We like to get their early. Avoid the lines, get a convenient parking space, and be able to walk around the ship without it being crowed. Then we go up for lunch in the WJ before the crowds get there as well. It is just more relaxing to us. Plus I get to take some good pictures of the interior while no is around. Either way or time - Enjoy!!!

[The Fun Researcher]

On 2/3/2019 at 1:36 PM, Russ Lomas said:

I have tipped the porters handling the luggage about half the times.  Almost every time I tip, my case arrives damaged or late.  When I don't tip (not having US cash on me or I did not like the manners of the porter), the suitcase arrives by dinner time and not damaged.  Makes you wonder...

 

Well, you need to tip more than $0.50.

 

just kidding.  I jest I jest.

 

Dan

[HBE4]

21 hours ago, SRF said:

 

They also make more than many of the passengers.

 

Average income for a longshoreman is around $100,000.

 

Senior ones make close to $200,000.  And cruise ship duty is desirable, so mainly senior people.

 

In that case, they should be tipping ME for the privilege of handling my bags 

[Russ Lomas]

4 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

 

Well, you need to tip more than $0.50.

 

just kidding.  I jest I jest.

 

Dan

 

tip more than $0.50...per bag...in US funds?

 

for us Canadians, we may have to take out a 2nd mortgage to afford to tip those porters!

 

 

[The Fun Researcher]

29 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

 

tip more than $0.50...per bag...in US funds?

 

for us Canadians, we may have to take out a 2nd mortgage to afford to tip those porters!

 

 

Ah, true.  I didn't even factor in the currency conversion!  😉

Dan

[hapster85]

 
They also make more than many of the passengers.
 
Average income for a longshoreman is around $100,000.
 
Senior ones make close to $200,000.  And cruise ship duty is desirable, so mainly senior people.

Aren't those mostly casual longshoremen at the cruise terminals? Still will paid union employees, but not quite in that league.

[tinkr2]

On 1/31/2019 at 10:20 PM, Iamcruzin said:

For us it depends on the embarkation port. If it’s Florida we fly in the same day and go directly to port. San Juan we fly a day early and hang by the pool in the hotel until 1:00 and then grab a cab to port. This will be the first time driving to port  at Cape Liberty. Rush hour on Long Island is a disaster on a daily basis and the Belt Parkway has been under construction for longer than my 58 yrs of life. I have no idea of when the best time to leave would be. Probably the night before. We will probably be there earlier than I would like to be because I want to avoid traffic. Flying to Florida the same day as the cruise is less stressfull. If I had my choice I would rather show up at 1:00 to avoid any lines or crowds. Standing in line is not relaxing and I would gladly give up 2 hours of paid for ship time for a more relaxed enjoyable embarkation and an empty Wind Jammer.

It sounds like you are ready to purchase The Key.

 

On 2/1/2019 at 7:32 AM, SargassoPirate said:

I'd be willing to bet those same folks self-disembark and are the ones lined up at 6:30 AM.

The last day the ship is shut down for us bc we have not paid for the 8th day. And honestly, we work when we return. We are Floridians.

 

On 2/1/2019 at 11:31 AM, KevInPitt said:

 

Would you elaborate on the difference?

 

If the theory is one has paid for the first day and therefore should avail themselves getting onboard as soon as feasible (to get the most out of what they paid for), the same theory should hold true for the last day also paid for so one should leave as late as allowable (to get the most out of what they paid for).

 

In the end, it boils down to "I want to be first on the ship and I want to be first off the ship".    There's nothing wrong with admitting that but those who justify it with "I want my money's worth" only on the front end is shallow.

I don't want my moneys worth, I want my enjoyment worth. The first day is fun and enjoyable, the last , everything is shut down and therefore unenjoyable.

[tinkr2]

And as far as not tipping porters, its a tipped position. You tip because its the right thing to do. And you have no idea what their salary is in Florida. The unions are not  like up north. They are not full time. But using your theory that they make 100k, I made 95K waiting tables at Disney. Guess I should not have been tipped bc I made too much. How ridiculous. 

[SRF]

8 hours ago, hapster85 said:

On 2/4/2019 at 5:48 PM, SRF said:

 
They also make more than many of the passengers.
 
Average income for a longshoreman is around $100,000.
 
Senior ones make close to $200,000.  And cruise ship duty is desirable, so mainly senior people.

Aren't those mostly casual longshoremen at the cruise terminals? Still will paid union employees, but not quite in that league.

 

Nope.  Due to the tips that people throw, the "real" longshoremen would not allow that. 😄

 

But according to Chengkp75, they are senior longshoremen.