Embarkation at Bayonne -- procedure?

[Marialivia]

When being dropped off at Port Liberty, porters are available to take luggage (usual tip is $2 a bag). This is what I now need to know: Does the porter get the luggage directly to the cabin? If so, then it would be necessary to have the RCCL luggage tags in place. Is this correct? Or does the porter simply get the luggage to the shuttle bus? Thanks. ML :confused:

[CarpeCerevisi]

After you give your luggage to the porter, the next time you'll see it is in your cabin. You must have the RCCL tags on the bags when you give them to the porter.

 

After you go through check in, you we take a shuttle bus to the ship. There's only room on the bus for passengers and their carry on luggage. The luggage that you give to the porters is sent through security and then trucked to the ship.

[BaumD]

Assuming Bayonne works the same way as Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Venice, Barcelona, NYC, etc. The porters (who are usually longshoremen and not employees of RCCL) take your luggage from the curb, load it onto carts and get the carts to the ship. Once abord the ship, the luggage is distibuted to your cabin by the RCCL staff on the ship. That is why they are still delivering luggage after the ship sails.

[Marialivia]

:D Thanks so much for the info, especially since it's what I was hoping to hear!! ML :D

[txcarrie]

I think it's a little different than the other ports. If I'm correct you give your luggage to the porters and then have to ride a shuttle bus to the ship. I am sure they want your RCI tags on the luggage.

 

My question is: Do you tip the shuttle bus driver?

 

Carrie

[Marialivia]

Never thought about the shuttle bus driver and whether he/she should be tipped. Good question! I have a further question now, which concerns locking my luggage. As it must go through "security," I assume I should NOT lock it. Advice will be appreciated!! :confused:

[mirock99]

My question is....if you have carry-on luggage, do you have to haul it all the way up those supposed 5 flights of stairs to board the ship? We are not flying so maybe it would be wise to just put everything through with the porter??? Any advice here on this? Thanks.

[DAMIFIKNOW]

You may tip any one you want to,even me if you desire it is a personal choice,Carry ons if the they contain medicines,cameras,or anything of value.Take with you!

[MyCousinRachel]

Yes -- you will have to lug your carry-ons up that 5 flights of stairs, so try to have the porters take most of what you have packed. Remember to include your name and address somewhere in or on your smaller bags. We all have luggage tags on the large cases, but seem to forget about identifying the smaller ones. My husband had a small luggage wheeler (not sure what they are actually called) that we plopped our four carry-ons onto. They allowed us to enter the ship on the 2nd floor - which is used for wheelchair or impaired-ability users. We tipped the porter the suggested amount $2- per bag -- and he was very appreciative- said that he would make sure our luggage got to our room right away. And we noticed - that it did... our luggage was outside our room, first on our floor. Also -- our embarkation was scheduled for 3 pm. We arrived early at 12:30 - so that we could enjoy lunch and explore the ship (learned from posters here). But --- we could not enter our room until 3 pm - all hallways to the staterooms were closed off. So we had to lug around all of our carry-ons while we had lunch and looked over the ship. Another reason to check-in anything not vital.

 

Laurie

[Marialivia]

Oh I'm not looking forward to those 5 flights. Can't the elevators be used? How can it be 5 flights for everybody, as people are on different decks? I'll have to remember to keep my carryon as light as possible! :confused:

[MyCousinRachel]

They want you to enter the ship on the Main Deck where the Guest Relations desk and the Explorations desk and the fabulous Centrum is centered. They will also have staff trying to sell the soda cards right when you enter. If you are able to use the 2nd floor entry (which is the wheelchair access) as we did because of my husband's rolling case with 4 carry ons, then you will take the elevator up. It's not a pretty entry at all and we went all the way up to the 8th floor immediately - thinking that we could get to our room. We didn't realize that we had bypassed part of the welcome aboard atmosphere on the 5th floor -- until much later.

 

 

Hope this helps, Laurie

[Marialivia]

Yes, it surely does help, because now I know what to expect. If my carryon is the least bit heavy, then I will have the porter take it along with my big suitcase. My jewelry (such as it is) I will keep in my handbag, and I have a separate case for my camera, which won't be too cumbersome. Thanks! ML :D