Galveston, Debarking using assisted luggage and with car?

[HappyTexan44]

How does luggage work in Galveston when you have a lot of luggage and a car?   Please check my understanding and fill the holes.  

 

We will be putting our luggage out the night before and letting them handle it.   I've gathered that we'll get a 30 minute time frame to debark and get our luggage.   During that 30 minute window, they'll put our luggage out on a table and we can grab it.  What then?   Do we need to get a porter?   If so, does the porter take the luggage to the car?   Can DH get the car and pull it up close, and then we shlep the luggage from the baggage claim to the trunk?   It will be two adults and two teen girls.  Oh, and we'll be parking in the parking garage at the port.  

 

I know lots of people like to take care of their own luggage.  We are the people that luggage assistance was created for.  A good vacation is when we don't have to do without the comforts of home.  

 

[David10225]

I was hoping someone could help with this question as I will be traveling with my disabled wife who can only manage short distances.without a rest. I am thinking of bringing a transport chair but not sure how  I can manage the luggage.

[GJustice]

Luggage left in the hall the night before will be taken to the baggage claim "Barn" and ALL the luggage will be arranged in groups by disembarkation group number BEFORE passengers (other than self assist) are allowed off the ship.

 

Porters will be available to meet you where your luggage is and take it out to the curb. You can send someone to bring the car around to the pickup line and load it there. I DON'T know how far the porters can/will go into the parking lots/garages adjacent to the terminal. I have seen porters headed "toward" the parking lots, but haven't watched to see how far they'll go.

 

We always park offsite and only have to get to the shuttle line.

 

@David10225Contact Royal's Special Needs (special_needs@rccl.com) and they can provide wheelchair (and a pusher) that can meet you on the ship at a special departure area (typically close to the gangway) and roll her off the ship to an area in the terminal where she'll have to transfer from a "ship's chair" to a "terminal chair" for the rest of the trip. Get a porter to wrangle the luggage and you'll just have to lead/follow them to your car. 🙂 Same process works for embarkation as well, should have started with that. We do this all the time.

 

Also, you may want to look at renting a scooter on board, especially if you're on a large ship and/or want to explore a lot. They can be waiting in your stateroom when you get onboard and you leave it there when you leave.

[David10225]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your information. I have been worrying about this to the point I was thinking about canceling, but I dont want to limit my wife's options for travel just yet.

[dog]

52 minutes ago, David10225 said:

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your information. I have been worrying about this to the point I was thinking about canceling, but I dont want to limit my wife's options for travel just yet.

Take your own transport chair. Crew will help getting in/ off ship and you can find bags and have a porter take you out of terminal.  Princess does not rent wheelchairs.

[GJustice]

1 hour ago, dog said:

Princess does not rent wheelchairs.

Sorry, assumed posters were talking about Royal Caribbean. Luggage handling should be similar for all I suspect.

[David10225]

Thanks to all! We are on RCI Harmony so will check with them at the email that was provided.

[dog]

3 hours ago, David10225 said:

Thanks to all! We are on RCI Harmony so will check with them at the email that was provided.

HAL does rent a few wheelchairs but I am not familiar with your cruise line.

[GJustice]

Royal Caribbean doesn't rent them either, but they DO provide wheelchairs and assistance to get through the terminal and to board/leave their ships.

 

[dna1990]

Echo'ing above...always contact your cruiseline's special needs department.  Not just for first/last day, but they may have helpful options for the whole week.

 

I would choose the assisted luggage option (place all but a small carry on outside your cabin door the last night).  You will receive new "numbered" luggage tags.  Enjoy the next morning as usual and await for that "number" group to be called off.  Once in the terminal, scout where there number sign is for your bags, but also scout for where best to hail a porter, they are often lined up, or sometimes there is a wait for a porter.  They will load everything as you point out your items.

 

At RCCL terminal, porters are really only going to get you out of the terminal and to the main sidewalk pickup area or to a shuttle pickup area.  On occasion, you might get one to go as far as the North Lot Covered, but this has seems to have been cracked down on.

 

At the CCL/Princess/et al terminal, porters are again going to get you to the self pickup sidewalk or the shuttle areas just across the driveway.

 

 

Grab a shady spot and/or have an umbrella to wait, if one person is going to go get car and pull back thru.  It can take a while at peak times to work your way back in thru the traffic.  Main point is to be prepped for this wait and be patient, and not to get stressed for either party knowing where the other is, etc.  Each self pickup zone has a number, so just know that is where the car will be coming back to.

 

"Logistics" of a cruise or any travel can be stressful.  Heightened for those will mobility or other issues.  I can tell you it will work out well though, because you are already "thinking ahead" and "asking questions".  That is the recipe for success in this case I believe.

 

 

[David10225]

Thank you for all of this wonderful information.

Edited June 25, 2023 by David10225

[sargemrs]

On 6/24/2023 at 12:22 PM, dna1990 said:

Echo'ing above...always contact your cruiseline's special needs department.  Not just for first/last day, but they may have helpful options for the whole week.

 

I would choose the assisted luggage option (place all but a small carry on outside your cabin door the last night).  You will receive new "numbered" luggage tags.  Enjoy the next morning as usual and await for that "number" group to be called off.  Once in the terminal, scout where there number sign is for your bags, but also scout for where best to hail a porter, they are often lined up, or sometimes there is a wait for a porter.  They will load everything as you point out your items.

 

At RCCL terminal, porters are really only going to get you out of the terminal and to the main sidewalk pickup area or to a shuttle pickup area.  On occasion, you might get one to go as far as the North Lot Covered, but this has seems to have been cracked down on.

 

At the CCL/Princess/et al terminal, porters are again going to get you to the self pickup sidewalk or the shuttle areas just across the driveway.

 

 

Grab a shady spot and/or have an umbrella to wait, if one person is going to go get car and pull back thru.  It can take a while at peak times to work your way back in thru the traffic.  Main point is to be prepped for this wait and be patient, and not to get stressed for either party knowing where the other is, etc.  Each self pickup zone has a number, so just know that is where the car will be coming back to.

 

"Logistics" of a cruise or any travel can be stressful.  Heightened for those will mobility or other issues.  I can tell you it will work out well though, because you are already "thinking ahead" and "asking questions".  That is the recipe for success in this case I believe.

 

 

Is all this information true for suite passengers as well as general population?  We're reserved in the uncovered North Park and we CAN walk to our car I'm assuming but hoping for an easier "out" with the luggage and all.  Advice would be appreciated!

[GJustice]

AFAIK, cabin class only applies when you're coming INTO the terminal to board the ship, once you're back on land we're all steerage 🙂

 

Suite passengers DO get early numbers/groups to leave the ship, which theoretically gives them a little advantage getting out of the terminal, but no "status" perks once you get your bags.

[ssb]

11 hours ago, GJustice said:

AFAIK, cabin class only applies when you're coming INTO the terminal to board the ship, once you're back on land we're all steerage 🙂

 

Suite passengers DO get early numbers/groups to leave the ship, which theoretically gives them a little advantage getting out of the terminal, but no "status" perks once you get your bags.

Yes good information 

[ssb]

You can get an early disembarkation number just by asking and then walking off with baggage.