Disembarking Question from a Newbie...

[Ossie]

Hi All

 

I'm going on my first cruise on the Grandeur on the 13 October from Baltimore. :D

 

We'll be catching a flight from the UK to Chicago then a connecting flight to Baltimore.

 

On the way back the flight I hope to catch from Baltimore to Chicago leaves at 1000 hours. Our itinerary says we will arrive back in Baltimore at 0700 hours on 22 October.

 

Am I being realistic in hoping to get off the ship and to the airport in time to catch that flight? :confused:

 

If so how do I go about letting RCI know that I want to be off the ship early when we return???

 

If this is not feasible I will need to think about a connection from Washington I think....

 

Thanks in advance... from a Newbie... :)

[Gingee]

I think if I were you I would leave more time between the time the ship comes in. They are usually on time but you never know. I think the cruise ships try to get the people off the ships first though for people who are making connections. We usually drive or take a train so we don't have connection to make on that day. For us taking a train we usually schedule it the next day so we can have a leisurely get off the ship.

[irishnyc]

I would book a later flight. Even if you got off the ship at exactly 7, you'd be taking a chance trying to get to the airport and get through security in time.

[DHADEN]

Hi All

 

I'm going on my first cruise on the Grandeur on the 13 October from Baltimore. :D

 

We'll be catching a flight from the UK to Chicago then a connecting flight to Baltimore.

 

On the way back the flight I hope to catch from Baltimore to Chicago leaves at 1000 hours. Our itinerary says we will arrive back in Baltimore at 0700 hours on 22 October.

 

Am I being realistic in hoping to get off the ship and to the airport in time to catch that flight? :confused:

 

 

If so how do I go about letting RCI know that I want to be off the ship early when we return???

 

If this is not feasible I will need to think about a connection from Washington I think....

 

Thanks in advance... from a Newbie... :)

 

 

 

First of all, if the ship is scheduled in port at 7:00, the immigration agents won't be there 'til 8:00 or so. They won't start disembarking until 8:00 AT THE EARLIEST. (It is usually 8:30 or later.)

 

So, if you are among the first off the ship (say between 8:00 & 8:30), you still have to go find and get your luggage (another 15 minutes). Then you have to get through customs--- have you done that before?? It could be 1/2 hour or it could be 2 hours.

 

Then, you have to find transport to the airport. I don't know Boston or how long it will take to get to the airport, but I can bet you won't make it in time to be "at least 1 hour before your flight".

 

Keep all this in mind when you are booking your flight out of Boston.

 

Hope this helps! - - - Have a great cruise!!:D

[signman]

Ok Ossie, first let me tell you that I am at every Baltimore disembarkation so you are getting this right from the source.

 

Grandeur has not arrived promptly at 7 in a while, it's more likely closer to 7:30 that she is tied up and the gangway is attached. There is a "walk-off" option where you carry ALL of your luggage off the the ship with you, down the gangway and right to your transportation. You do not put your luggage in the hall to be picked up the last night. Once off the ship there are no porters. Customs will clear you right on the ship, so once you are off there is no further delay. The first "walk off" passengers will be off starting around 8, but there is congestion on the ship for you to negotiate to insure that you are among the first off, so I would suggest you plan on standing near the gangway as the ship is docking.

 

You will most likely have airport transfers included with your cruise papers. It's possible that the RCCL bus may be able to leave with a first load of passengers by 8:30, but you will be better off planning to hop right into a taxicab direct to BWI airport. That cost will be in the $30 range. The most direct route to BWI is via I-95 South to Exit 52, the BW Parkway (Rt 295) south to the airport. Your cabbie will most likely want to take 95 to 195 which is longer and thus more expensive, so you will have to fight him on this.

 

Bottom line, You could make your flight, but with any hitches, you could just as easily not get to the airport in time. If the ship is an hour late you are pretty much toast. What else can I help you with?

[Kelynj]

one thing to be aware of......

we expected to 'walk off' with all our luggage on a carnival cruise last November as we had read so many others were doing. But as we are from Wales we had to go through immigration and were not allowed to walk off with our luggage. We were meeting my sister in Tampa at an arranged time and I had no way to contact her that I was unable to leave the time that i was expecting too. we went to the front desk explained the situation and they did put us in the very first group to disembark (after the 'walk offs' had disembarked) I hadn't read anywhere on these boards that people from outside of the USA could not carry off their luggage - it could be different with Royal carribean - if it is please let me know as we would like to get off early from our Freedom cruise in November

[wraithe]

Hi Ossie,

 

singman is the hookup on these boards when it comes to the port in Baltimore, if he says you should try for a later flight, I would do that. I sailed on Grandeur last year at that same time frame and even the first "color" allowed off the ship wouldn't have made a 10:00 flight with immigration, collecting bags, getting a ride and such. That said, we're at a newer terminal this year, but I don't expect debarkation to change much as far as times. RCL gives out colored luggage tags on the last night and they determine the order by which you'll be allowed to disembark the ship. I would write an email to RCL and make sure that you're allowed to carry off your luggage, if you're going to try that.

 

Off of your original topic, if you'd like to join the rest of us in the bead brigade, we have a pretty good group chatting in the roll call threads for this cruise, and would love to have you join us over there. The bead brigade plans to wear some sort of mardi gras type beads on the first day onboard so that we can find each other. If you'd like to take a look at our roll call, here's the link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=257277. If you're interested in signing up for our Meet and Mingle, here's the link for that: https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/ccEntry.do. I hope to see you come by and chat with us, and look forward to seeing you onboard.

[Ossie]

Thanks for the info folks.... I thought I would be cutting things a bit tight...

 

Plans being made for a later flight as we speak......... ;)

 

Thanks again.........:)