Embarkation day - what to do with carryon before staterooms are available

[ThunderSC44]

First time cruiser, leaving on the Horizon on Aug 13th, and our arrival appointment time is 2-3 hours before the noted stateroom access time.  I'm curious if there is anything we can do with our carryon other than lugging it around the ship until our room is ready.  Can we leave our carryon bags (excluding anything important) outside our stateroom once we board?  Or are there other options?

Thanks in advance!

[Rollin Tide]

Definitely wouldn't leave anything outside the stateroom.   Several times we've been able to just drop our stuff off in the room in the room steward is there.  If not, just had to carry it around, so we pack pretty light.

[May1cruiser]

Perhaps a rolling carry-on if you are unable to drop off. We typically drop our items inside the room, then leave to allow the team time they need. We have also placed important documents in the safe at the same time. The team seem very agreeable since we are not staying in the room. typically medicine and any soda we carry on. Just place those items in the big closets

[wemjam]

Unless you have priority access to your room, then you will be required to carry it around the ship with you.  FTTF, Diamond, and Platinum members have access to go to their room solely to drop luggage and leave; however, even at that the room doors are still open for cleaning, etc. and items left are not "secure."

 

General boarding passengers are strongly discouraged from trying to access their room until the appropriate time (1:00pm).  This only inhibits room stewards from getting all the rooms done and ready in a timely manner.

[wemjam]

1 minute ago, May1cruiser said:

Perhaps a rolling carry-on if you are unable to drop off. We typically drop our items inside the room, then leave to allow the team time they need. We have also placed important documents in the safe at the same time. The team seem very agreeable since we are not staying in the room. typically medicine and any soda we carry on. Just place those items in the big closets

"Definitely wouldn't leave anything outside the stateroom.   Several times we've been able to just drop our stuff off in the room in the room steward is there.  If not, just had to carry it around, so we pack pretty light"

 

Unless you are FTTF, Diamond, or Platinum you should not be attempting to access your rooms.  While they may "seem very agreeable," this is only because they are trying to be nice.  

 

Everyone doing this inhibits them from getting their work done efficiently (constantly dodging guests that shouldn't be there).

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

9 minutes ago, wemjam said:

Unless you have priority access to your room, then you will be required to carry it around the ship with you.  FTTF, Diamond, and Platinum members have access to go to their room solely to drop luggage and leave; however, even at that the room doors are still open for cleaning, etc. and items left are not "secure."

 

General boarding passengers are strongly discouraged from trying to access their room until the appropriate time (1:00pm).  This only inhibits room stewards from getting all the rooms done and ready in a timely manner.

You should add suites to your list of those who are allowed to drop off their carry ons.

[wemjam]

4 minutes ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

You should add suites to your list of those who are allowed to drop off their carry ons.

Yep, forgot Suites! 🙃

[VentureMan_2000]

It's really not a big deal to manage your carry-on luggage for a couple hours.  We just find a seat or table and park our luggage there.  We each take turns staying with the luggage while another goes to get some lunch to bring back, or use the restroom, etc.

As mentioned, trying to drop off any luggage before 1:30 is only a hinderance to the room steward.  Of course, he's going to be polite to you, but I'm sure he's wishing that you were not there getting in his way and taking his time... time that he really does not have to give on turn-around day.

[ray98]

You roll it around with you.  That is why there is a process to check bags at the terminal.

[ThunderSC44]

Thanks all.  I agree we can manage moving around with the bags,andi wouldn't want to get in the way of the staff as they work hard to prepare for our cruise.

[ManImBored]

I carry what few items I don't check in a backpack. This makes it easier to throw it on and walk around. We don't check sodas, water, or anything, so we don't have much in our carry-on. 

[kctwinmommy]

We do carry on only now, and we just take it to a table on the Lido deck, grab some lunch and drinks, and just hang around until our room is open.

[slavigne5577]

I pick an arrival time for 12:30-1:00 or 1:00-1:30. By the time we board its either nearly time or past time to enter rooms. We walk onto ship with very little line at all. But then that's in Nola were sail way is 3 or 3:30.

[bunnyette]

When we boarded the Pride in Dover lat summer, we went to our cabin and dropped off our carry on.  Even though the cabin wasn’t ready we were able to get our key cards…

[Gladys Kravitz]

I imagine if you give the cabin steward $10-20 he won’t mind you leaving your bags. 

[VentureMan_2000]

or for $1 a bag... check them in with a Porter before boarding.

[Haljo1935]

7 minutes ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

or for $1 a bag... check them in with a Porter before boarding.

I'm completely onboard w/tipping porters and do so gladly - they're really the ones who determine if my luggage and I sail together. Generally our carry-on has things that we need to keep close or secure, that's why they're carry-on not checked bags.

I don't bring the kitchen sink, but don't want the hassle of navigating lunch w/any amount of carry-on, not to even mention how much more crowded all that luggage makes dining areas. Ugh

[DallasGuy75219]

For everyone who hangs out at the buffet tables with their luggage after eating and until rooms are available... please don't. 

 

As evidenced by the people walking around in circles with full plates looking for tables, you're taking up tables (not to mention blocking pathways and creating a trip hazard with your piles of luggage) that others would like to be able to eat at.  After you eat, move along and find another place to wait so others can eat too.

Edited August 5, 2023 by DallasGuy75219

[simplelife]

7 hours ago, Gladys Kravitz said:

I imagine if you give the cabin steward $10-20 he won’t mind you leaving your bags. 

On some sailing we have been able to drop by the room. On others, there were staff members at the door leading to cabins turning people away.

[jimbo5544]

14 hours ago, slavigne5577 said:

I pick an arrival time for 12:30-1:00 or 1:00-1:30. By the time we board its either nearly time or past time to enter rooms. We walk onto ship with very little line at all. But then that's in Nola were sail way is 3 or 3:30.

Bingo

[Earthworm Jim]

15 hours ago, slavigne5577 said:

I pick an arrival time for 12:30-1:00 or 1:00-1:30. By the time we board its either nearly time or past time to enter rooms. We walk onto ship with very little line at all. But then that's in Nola were sail way is 3 or 3:30.

 

If you're coming from a local hotel, what are you supposed to do between hotel check out time and your late arrival time? Wandering around town with both your carry on and whatever bags you might leave with the porters is worse than having just your carry on with you on the ship.

 

Besides, being on board early when not many other people have boarded yet is the most pleasant ship time of the whole week. Who wants to miss out on that just to avoid having your carry on with you?

[slavigne5577]

We are an hour from Port of Orleans.

[Earthworm Jim]

58 minutes ago, slavigne5577 said:

We are an hour from Port of Orleans.

 

Hence the "If you're coming from a local hotel..." qualifier. I guess I should have more precisely said "If one is coming from a local hotel" rather than said "you", because I intended it as a general comment, not specific to your particular situation. And further added "and don't have a car"

Edited August 5, 2023 by Earthworm Jim

[VentureMan_2000]

3 hours ago, simplelife said:

On some sailing we have been able to drop by the room. On others, there were staff members at the door leading to cabins turning people away.

If I recall, pre-pandemic, they actually closed off the hallways to guests on embark day until those rooms were ready.  

Is my memory serving me right ?

[wemjam]

I love when people come on the forum and propagate misinformation.   While you most certainly "can" go to your room and drop luggage and likely may not be stopped from doing so because a stewards job is to be nice and accommodating, this does not mean that you "should."

 

You can rob a bank too, but that doesn't make it right.

 

If everyone tries to go to their room and do this, then it just delays EVERYONE from being able to access their rooms and how fast they are ready.  It is the stewards job to be unobtrusive.  This means if you are going into your room to drop luggage, they will likely just leave you be even if that is where they need to be cleaning at that point.  Compound that by 2000 passengers and how many times do you think they are getting interrupted when they shouldn't be.  Also, while it is an added privilege to be able to access the room early to drop luggage for some passengers based on room class or tier, this does not make it acceptable for everyone (don't be a Karen).  A lot of room stewards now will stop and comment to you that the rooms are not ready yet, and then you engage them to say "but I am just going to drop my luggage and leave," again multiply this time 2000 guests and how much time is being wasted.

 

PLEASE, if do not attempt to access your room until the appropriate time unless you fall into a category that allows for this privilege.  If you feel this is something you HAVE to do then buy FTTF if you don't fit into another category that allows for this option.

 

Also, as someone else pointed out.  Try to find an out of the way spot to wait.  There are lots of spots around the ship other than the lido dinning room to wait with your luggage.  Taking up a table to sit and wait just makes it harder for all passengers to be able to sit and eat.   I fully support carrying on your luggage (we carry on all ours too as we choose not to take any chances with it getting lost or damaged), but even before we had the ability to access our room and drop it, we would eat our lunch and just go sit quietly on the Promenade, Library, or any of a dozen other spots and relax and have a cocktail or something and maybe read or play cards and wait.