How Do You Get Off The Ship LAST ?!?!

[gkyagermom]

I hope someone answers the question about bus transfers to the airport. We have some time before our flight, but if there's a busload of angry people waiting for us to get off the ship, we may want to go with our "color" when it's called.

[critterchick]

I like this! Our flight home isn't until 1:-something in the afternoon (FLL). It sounds like the port is fairly close to the airport so we don't need to be in any great rush to get off?

 

No you don't, and since you can't check in until 2 hours before your flight, you don't want to be in any rush to get to the airport because you'll be stuck with all your luggage (unless you use the luggage valet program, in which case you get rid of it as soon as you exit the terminal - well worth the cost IMHO).

[gemz]

I thought there isn't breakfast in the dining room on the last day? I thought it was Windjammer only

 

We were last to disembark off Freedom in August because we weren't flying out that day but then there was a whole bomb threat evacuation of the terminal so we sat in the Arcadia FOREVER and it was so boring. Then moved to the Promenade and then the Schooner Lounge outside the casino and passed out on the sofa lol.

[DHADEN]

While relaxing in on of the lounge areas, do you have any of your luggage with you or is luggage checked in earlier? First time cruiser so not sure how this all works.

Thanks.

 

You will pack all your "CHECKED" luggage the night before and place it in the hallway by midnight for the porters to take and offload the next morning.

You will still have your "CARRY-ON" luggage with you the morning of disembarking.

 

HINT:

When you are packing the night before, be sure to plan clothes for the next morning to wear off the ship. We have seen people who got dressed for bed, packed everything else, and put their suitcases out in the hall. The next morning, they were leaving wearing the "RCI TerriCloth Robes".:D

 

Hope This Helps.

[Jungle Jane]

How is it determined what color/time one gets? I'd like later, can I request it or do they randomly assign it?

 

Still practicing my "mosey"...

[LLS]

We got off the Majesty on January 11th. Breakfast dining room service on the last morning was from 6:30 to 8:00 am. I did not notice the Windjammer hours but if you want to have a relaxed breakfast in the dining room, you have to get there before 8:00 am.

 

We had transfers to Miami Airport and were there by 9:00 am for our 2:30 pm flight! Way too much time so we tried to go standby on an earlier flight but our bags made the 11:00 am flight but we didn't. Finally landed at Newark at 6:45 pm. What a long day at the airport only to discover that the 11:00 am flight landed at a different terminal and we had to pay a cab driver an extra $20 to take us to the other terminal so we could grab our bags. Luckily, they were still sitting there all alone.

[wsantelope]

HINT:

When you are packing the night before, be sure to plan clothes for the next morning to wear off the ship. We have seen people who got dressed for bed, packed everything else, and put their suitcases out in the hall. The next morning, they were leaving wearing the "RCI TerriCloth Robes".:D

 

Hope This Helps.

 

I can see it now - now that is the mark of a good vacation!

WHAT a Visual !!!

Thanks for that!

LMHO.....

[Suzanne74]

Thanks to cruise critic - we did almost exactly what other here posted for our first cruise.

 

We asked our room attendent the last day if we could stay until 8:30am and she was fine with that (we are big tippers - so I am sure that helped)

Then we went to the WJ (next time I will go to the dining room - great idea!) and enjoyed a breakfast. Then we went to the ice skating rink to watch the "cruise in review" movie. My dd was in it a few times because they apparently had video of the pirate cruise and meet the captain in the kids club. It was great! Then we went to the arcade one last time. Of course not the adults idea. Then we walked the promenade and I took some pictures. We walked up to the pool deck and sat on a few chairs until they asked for final disembarktion. We waited 3-5min in a line and then were off getting our luggage. It was wonderful.

 

Our flight doesn't leave San Juan until 4pm so we plan on doing this again on the AOS and then walk around downtown in San Juan, shop, get some lunch and then head to the airport. This will be nice since United will take our luggage at the Kiosk! :D

[WinnieinWA]

To avoid another person taking my luggage from the warehouse I do this:

 

I tie an extremely hidious Xmas Cat scarf that someone gave me years ago to the handle on the top of my suitcase. I tie a Christmas ribbon of Green and Red on the side of my suitcase.

 

Nobody with an ounce of dignity or class would take the suitcase with the hidious scarf tied to it.. I'm safe!:D

 

I haven't cruised RCI yet but am doing so in 5 weeks and I'll be one of the later ones to leave as my flight is at 4PM. I don't think they toss you in jail if you don't leave when your "color" is called.;)

 

 

Happy Cruising! :)

 

Winnie

[time4me2fly]

To avoid another person taking my luggage from the warehouse I do this:

 

I tie an extremely hidious Xmas Cat scarf that someone gave me years ago to the handle on the top of my suitcase. I tie a Christmas ribbon of Green and Red on the side of my suitcase.

 

Nobody with an ounce of dignity or class would take the suitcase with the hidious scarf tied to it.. I'm safe!:D

 

I haven't cruised RCI yet but am doing so in 5 weeks and I'll be one of the later ones to leave as my flight is at 4PM. I don't think they toss you in jail if you don't leave when your "color" is called.;)

 

 

Happy Cruising! :)

 

Winnie

 

So that's why I never see you wearing that scarf.:(

[DHADEN]

How is it determined what color/time one gets? I'd like later, can I request it or do they randomly assign it?

 

Still practicing my "mosey"...

:p

 

Jane;

Sometime during the cruise, usually the day before disembark, you will be asked about your "travel Home" arrangements. They supply the "color" tags according to when your flight is leaving.

RCI usually provides the white tags (first color called) to the ones with the earliest flights.

If you want to change your color after you see your assignment, go to the pursers desk and they will get whatever you request. (most people don't know this ;))

 

Hope This Helps - - Keep on "moseying" :p

[alwalaska]

Does anyone know if the dining room on the Explorer is open that last morning? I am pretty sure that it was not open for breakfast the last day on the Sovereign on our last cruise, and the Wind Jammer was a total mess. All of the staff were obviously busy elsewhere and none of the tables were getting cleaned off. There was nowhere to sit and many of the food items were cold or empty.

 

It really sounds like the dining room is the place to be if you don't want to line the halls with everyone else.

[cin7609]

Work at the cruise terminal and you can be last off and carry your own luggage off. ;)

[aloha of the seas]

For many years my wife and I were always one of the last ones of the ship unless we had to take a transfer. Last cruise was the first time my wife was in a wheel chair. They advised us we would have priority debarkation . So we figured we would take advantage of it. We would up on line for 2 hours while other groups with more priority departed the ship. Imagine a bunch of people in wheel chairs jammed in a hallway with no place to go with luggage and carryons banging into them as people forced their way off the ship. It was not a leisurly morning. Never Again

[aloha of the seas]

For many years my wife and I were always one of the last ones of the ship unless we had to take a transfer. Last cruise was the first time my wife was in a wheel chair. They advised us we would have priority debarkation . So we figured we would take advantage of it. We would up on line for 2 hours while other groups with more priority departed the ship. Imagine a bunch of people in wheel chairs jammed in a hallway with no place to go with luggage and carryons banging into them as people forced their way off the ship. It was not a leisurly morning. Never Again

[Jungle Jane]

My TA got me transfers, I thought that sounded like a good idea, now maybe not so...

 

So if you have a transfer is it a certain time, like one big bus that goes one time? Can I skip it and take a cab? Anyone know the average fare from Miami port to the airport? Travel time?

 

Gosh so many questions running thru my mind...

[windjamming]

So that's why I never see you wearing that scarf.:(

 

ROFL!!!

[Sue L]

My TA got me transfers, I thought that sounded like a good idea, now maybe not so...

 

So if you have a transfer is it a certain time, like one big bus that goes one time? Can I skip it and take a cab? Anyone know the average fare from Miami port to the airport? Travel time?

 

Gosh so many questions running thru my mind...

 

 

If it is past final payment I think you are stuck with the transfers, unless you are willing to lose the money. The buses will run when it fills up and that will depend on how many they have for the transfers. You are going to MIA airport? Then it is a flat rate $26 per taxi from the port and maybe about 15-20 minutes.

[Jungle Jane]

Thanks Sue, guess I'm stuck with the transfer.

 

So if I mosey too long ppl waiting on that bus would get ticked probably I gather, right? So I guess I should just go when I'm told to...

 

I can just see myself kicking and screaming and having to be pulled off that ship onto a bus of people who have been waiting... LOL! :o

[buckanear]

OP and anyone else going on the Voyager...

If you are on the Voyager, please make sure that if you want a later color to ask the pursers desk for the right color. The baggage area is comparitively small and they move unclaimed baggage as soon as the next groups are called so as to prevent more congestion.

I hope that helps.

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

The best way to get off last is to be at the end of the first cruise on a B2B cruise.............where you are escorted off and back on!!:D :D

 

I was hoping that they wouldn't do that! I wanted to remain on the boat and claim it as mine...

[pjlee3333]

:p

 

Jane;

Sometime during the cruise, usually the day before disembark, you will be asked about your "travel Home" arrangements. They supply the "color" tags according to when your flight is leaving.

RCI usually provides the white tags (first color called) to the ones with the earliest flights.

If you want to change your color after you see your assignment, go to the pursers desk and they will get whatever you request. (most people don't know this ;))

 

Hope This Helps - - Keep on "moseying" :p

On the Grandeur they have started asking for this information when you fill out your set sail pass (at least on the cruises out of Baltimore). It worked this way for the cruises in 2007 and for the ones I've filled out for 2008. I assume it may be fleet wide. They ask about how you are arriving and departing when the form gets filled out. Since we drive to the port they give us information as to the minimum time necessary to get to the port before the ship leaves and the earliest time to expect to leave.

[OttoCal]

You didn't even have to go to the desk this week on the Mariner- they had a table set up with all the tags and you could just pick whatever you wanted (except the priority ones). The order of disembarking tag colors were listed in the handout put in the rooms on Day 6, so you could figure it out based on what worked for you. And yes, there was breakfast in the dining room and windjammer.

 

We wanted off early so we could go to Kennedy Space Center before our afternoon flights. We were the 2nd group off (after the priority folks) and everything was smooth, quick and painless. We were tired, but had a great visit there.