HELP ... making a noon flight home

[kcbmarek]

HEP!!!! I have been trying effortlessly to get information from NCL on how to handle being one of the first passengers to disembark off the Star after our cruise. We just booked our air out of Seattle and it is a noon flight back to Las Vegas. NCL told us that we just need to talk to the crew when we board to arrange this. Any other cruises we have been on it was an item that was prearranged prior to boarding. We will be on our honeymoon and this is the last thing I want to have to deal with.

 

Any advise???

[pamera]

NCL offers a program that allows you to carry your luggage off the ship yourself. That group is the first group off the ship. You have to sign-up to be part of that group and it's usually advertised a couple days before arriving back. (Keep an eye out either in the Freestlye Daily or the additional papers that arrive with the Freestyle.)

[mikedw]

From what I understand, you can just carry your bags off yourself. Personally though, I would never have booked nor recommend that a client book that early of a flight. To many things can go wrong, especially with customs and immigrations who have to clear the ship before anyone is allowed off. If they're short that day, that process could take longer. Figure the ship gets in at 7:00 am, it probably be 9:00 am that they start letting people off, then traffic and security at the airport, not a relaxing way to end a honeymoon and that's if everything goes smoothly.

[Toyz711]

if you can sign up for any of the baggage programs, do it.

sea-tac can get very busy on cruise days. they didn't even start getting off the ship until about 9, getting off the star in seattle. then grabbing a taxi, 30 mins to sea-tac, then the lines for check in. if you do the self disembarking and carry your stuff off, grab a cab, you should be alright. but next time book your flight for later so you don't have to worry about it. traffic in seattle can be awful.

[KeystoneCruiser]

We did the Star out of Seattle in 2005. SeaTac airport is a mess on weekend mornings when the cruise ships disembark. There are 3-4 disembarking at the same time and most head to the airport!

 

They began allowing people off the ship at 8:45 a.m. (docking was at 7:00 or 7:30 but they have to clear customs). The first group off was "express disembarkation" which means carrying all of your own luggage off the ship. Then they called all those on NCL sponsored tours. Next the began to call luggage colors. We had the second color and were off the ship by about 9:30.

 

We got to SeaTac by 10:00 BUT then the waits began! It took us about 20 minutes just to get up to the door areas to unload. (lots of vechicle traffic.) We were then in line to check in for the airport for about 1 and a half to two hours and then the line for Security Checkpoint was another 30 minutes. (and they had all lanes open!!)

 

We had a 1:30 p.m. flight and walked up to the gate about 1:00 p.m.

 

Getting off the ship early is only the first hassle....getting through SeaTac airport is an even greater hassle!!

[pieshops]

i wonder why people do this to themselves.

 

You just get off a nice relaxing cruise, your mind is refreshed and you are feeling good.

 

And then it is like you never were on vacation, stress of is the ship getting in on time? am i going to get off in time? What are the lines going to be like at the airport?

 

too many variables, we always book a late flight even if we have to get up for work the next day. A little less sleep is much better then the stress of having to make an early flight.

[old faithful]

i wonder why people do this to themselves.

 

I didn't think about it - I was scheduled to fly home at 11:00am out of Miami from my Jewel cruise (4/1/07=-) When I started to read these boards I started to get worried and stressed ... I finally changed my flight to the next day - I will just have to spend an extra day in Miami and spend as much time as possible in my cabin on the last day hanging out instead of stressing out =)

 

I JUST CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!