express disembarkation

[Tradizney]

On the island princess in Nov. from Panama. We have a 11am flight out of FLL. If we carry our parents luggage should be good to go for express. Just trying to shuffle our party there quickly.

 

Does anyone know the rules for express disembarkation or where to find them?

[Stevesan]

On the island princess in Nov. from Panama. We have a 11am flight out of FLL. If we carry our parents luggage should be good to go for express. Just trying to shuffle our party there quickly.

 

Does anyone know the rules for express disembarkation or where to find them?

 

The rule is simple: You carry ALL of your luggage off the ship.

If you can handle both parties bags, you're good to go.

 

Be forewarned; The actual experience can be nightmareish.

There are rules for express, but no one either follows or enforces them.

If you can manage some chaos, it's a good way to get off early.

[NeurosurgeryNP]

An be prepared to carry all of the luggage down the stairs! Elevators are VERY hard to come by on disembarkation day.

[paul929207]

Check with the Purser's Desk to sign up for self debarkation.

 

Do NOT put your bags out the last night.

 

Make sure that you will be able to carry your luggage from your cabin, off the shp, thru the terminal to your ground transportation.

[Toto2Kansas]

This express debarkation works very well for those traveling light that can handle ALL of their luggage without difficulty. It does not however work if you are trying to carry your luggage and someone elses. It can be a madhouse when some do not realize that they must be able to carry the luggage part of the way and can not just 'wheel' it off as they would in an airport. Best of luck!

[Tradizney]

Our parents pack pretty light, thus with a luggage roller extension tied to another suit case I think this is do able.

 

Does anyone know if there are any restrictions for wheel chairs? I think we may be renting on onboard and should still be good to roll off.

[Toto2Kansas]

Our parents pack pretty light, thus with a luggage roller extension tied to another suit case I think this is do able.

 

Does anyone know if there are any restrictions for wheel chairs? I think we may be renting on onboard and should still be good to roll off.

 

I honestly don't think I would even think about trying this with a wheelchair. Self embarkation is more 'zoo like' than anything we have ever seen. Getting a chair off through those crowds will be almost impossible. And then there is the wait for the elevator.

I think if you would talk to the pursers desk and make sure you will be the first group off, you will have a lot more luck than what you have planned. IMHO!

[DanJ]

There is the wait for the elevator on the ship, and there is also the wait for the elevator in the terminal to get down to ground level. I'm a little torn on this one. I was leaning towards saying you should try to get in the early group for regular debarkation, given that you are on a 2000 pax ship, not a 3100 pax one. Self debarking is a zoo, as toto says. But on the other hand, regular debarkation is no picnic, and you still have to manage the elevators with a wheelchair. And time will be ticking to be at the airport in enough time for an 11am flight.

 

If you guys go with the self debarkation, plan to be ready a lot earlier than what the notice says. In our case, it was between 715 and 815am. When we left our cabin just after 7, the elevators (the ones that weren't already shut down for other uses) were packed. After 15 minutes, we managed to stuff our luggage and my wife into an elevator and I ran down 12 decks to meet her.

[BigGuy25]

We did it once and I don't think that I would ever do it again. If you're traveling light, and your stateroom is on a lower deck, it might work out fine. But our experience wasn't a good one. Forget about the elevators. They are totally jammed ... it only takes a couple of people and luggage to fill one. And, some people purposely walk down to insure they get on, then ride the elevator back up, so when the doors open on your floor it's already filled with people. Walking down 5, 6, 7, ??? flights of very crowded stairs (we were on the Lido deck), with a 50 pound bag, should be an Olympic event ... it's about as strenuous. Then, you have to go back up up through the crowd, like a "salmon swimming upstream" to get your next bag. And, once you're done with that you need to start all over with your DW's bags. It all sounded like a good idea at the time ... but it wasn't. I'm sure some have had good experiences ... but not us!

[Casshew]

I'm pretty sure you have to be able bodied to participate in express disembarkation, people with limited mobility probably shouldn't attempt it. Honestly, it is so chaotic that morning.

[CruiseBumm]

Is there any advantage if you choice princes air package with your cruise? Does it give you a better shot at geting off early if they have the booked flight?

 

Robert

[Colo Cruiser]

Our parents pack pretty light, thus with a luggage roller extension tied to another suit case I think this is do able.

 

Does anyone know if there are any restrictions for wheel chairs? I think we may be renting on onboard and should still be good to roll off.

 

 

As far as an 11:00 am flight if you get off ok during the express walk off and p/u a taxi you will be fine for time. :)

[DanJ]

Is there any advantage if you choice princes air package with your cruise? Does it give you a better shot at geting off early if they have the booked flight?

 

Robert

 

No. Whether you book the air or they do, you have to notify them of your early flight time to get the early tags. Cruise air is also no advantage with express walk-off. You just line up in the designated area, with your luggage.

[JRarey]

We have a 11am flight out of FLL.

Does anyone know the rules for express disembarkation or where to find them?

 

Tradizney,

 

Perhaps consider requesting early normal disembarkation for early flights (red luggage tags). Your luggage goes out in the hall the night before, as usual. The process is controlled in that staff will check the tab you tear off your tags at the exit door. No one but the correct color is allowed to get off, and all the luggage is segrigated in the terminal by tag color. Then a porter to the taxi and at FLL you will be at the airport in minutes.

 

I think this will be easier and way less stressful than trying to wrestle all that luggage through the ship yourself. We have done this every time we have cruised Princess and have always been on the way to the airport by 8:30.

 

Enjoy!

[ggprincess2004]

I second the recommendation to do the first tagged group to disembark, as self-sidembarkation will be nearly impossible to manage with a wheelchair.

If you are in one of the first regular groups off the ship, and take a taxi to the airport, you should make the flight without a problem, especially if someone in your party requires wheelchair assistance and you can breeze through security as a group.

[monalloh]

What about using EZ Check? We just used it in Alaska. Princess provided the luggage tags; we placed our tagged luggage outside our stateroom at 7 p.m. the night before disembarcation, then picked it up the next day off the luggage carousel at our home airport on the east coast. It was so easy and definitely worth the $16 charge. Princess also provided airline boarding passes so all we had to do was arrive at the airport and go through TSA security before boarding the plane home--very easy!

[madjohn]

The rule with me is when you go anywhere you have to be able to carry all your luggage. if you cant you are taking to much.

 

(nobody flame me. This only applies to my wife and she is young and able bodied. but it does cut down on what she takes.;) )

 

John

[ggprincess2004]

The rule with me is when you go anywhere you have to be able to carry all your luggage. if you cant you are taking to much.

 

(nobody flame me. This only applies to my wife and she is young and able bodied. but it does cut down on what she takes.;) )

 

John

 

That is fine for you, but please do not tell my husband. He might like the idea.......:eek: !;)

[Pam in CA]

An be prepared to carry all of the luggage down the stairs! Elevators are VERY hard to come by on disembarkation day.

 

This express debarkation works very well for those traveling light that can handle ALL of their luggage without difficulty. It does not however work if you are trying to carry your luggage and someone elses. It can be a madhouse when some do not realize that they must be able to carry the luggage part of the way and can not just 'wheel' it off as they would in an airport. Best of luck!

I agree. It's a complete zoo and anyone not able-bodied and carrying their own luggage won't be able to manage it. Remember, not only do you have to carry ALL of your luggage and carry-on stuff but also move at the same pace as everyone else plus be able to go down an escalator with everything. You will have literally hundreds of people trying to do the same thing you are: rushing off with lots of luggage that's sometimes hard to manage. It's not people's finest hour as they will push you aside if you are in the way.

[DanJ]

There are a couple elevators in the Port Everglades terminal. You don't need to manage the escalator with all your stuff. In fact, security wouldn't let anyone use the escalator unless they had one hand free when we did the walk-off in January.

[DanJ]

There are a couple elevators in the Port Everglades terminal. You don't need to manage the escalator with all your stuff. In fact, security wouldn't let anyone use the escalator unless they had one hand free when we did the walk-off in January.

[DanJ]

There are a couple elevators in the Port Everglades terminal. You don't need to manage the escalator with all your stuff. In fact, security wouldn't let anyone use the escalator unless they had one hand free when we did the walk-off in January.