How to be last off of ship?

[sbell1]

Since we have a late flight out of FLL...could we just lounge on a chair outside on the upper deck? I don't imagine we would hear color announcements, but we would just wander down around 10:00 or so. Is this allowed?

[G'ma]

Since we have a late flight out of FLL...could we just lounge on a chair outside on the upper deck? I don't imagine we would hear color announcements, but we would just wander down around 10:00 or so. Is this allowed?

 

I always find a comfortable chair, take out a good book, and wait until the last call/announcement that everyone needs to leave. I won't wait in those long lines with a bunch of grumpy people and misbehaving chidlren. That's not how I choose to end my vacation.

 

In addition, when you leave near-last, your suitcases are visible and waiting for you.....you don't have to ply through them.

[cruiserbryce]

hang out in one of the public spaces or on the top deck and I am sure they will make some kind of last call announcement...at that point just leisurly walk down to get off

[seasearider]

The last 2 RCI cruises we've been on, both in the last 2 weeks, no announcements are made over the PA system. Instead, we were asigned by color or C&A status to different lounges to wait. A RCI person in your assigned lounge announced when a color had been called. At least on the Majesty and Independence you will not know when colors are called unless you're in the lounge assigned to you.

[wrp96]

One thing, make sure to ask to be assigned to the last color off the ship.

[M&M Hayden]

A few years back when RCCL cruise out of New Orleans my nephew and a friend had a late flight out (5-6 PM), so they took their carry ons and were relaxing by the pool reading.....I believe it was before 9 AM when everyone else was off the ship RCCL personnel came looking for them and said they had to leave. Luckily they were able to get on an earlier flight.

[popeye0429]

:(On AOS..11/9.. announcements were made only to the designated "get out" lounges.. not over the entire ship. We were in the last group so we wanted to go up on deck and relax & watch the mass exodus.. sorry.. no can do.. most areas were blocked off by doors or stanchions. We waited in the lounge until the end of the line was in sight.. and then we were graciously asked to get in line... vaca is over..NEXT.....

[Toddcan]

I've only been on 3 cruises, so perhaps my experience is not typical...

 

No one has ever checked to make sure I am only taking my own luggage. Part of my motivation to get off the ship is to make sure my luggage is still there when I get to it :)

 

If you are last off the ship, there are thousands of other people who have gone past your luggage, and might mistake your luggage for theirs, or just decide they like the look of yours as well as their own. :D

 

I know.. paranoid. :o

[ehaugen]

I've been one of the last of the ship on my last couple of cruise. Last cruise on the navigator in august, we just sat around in the winjamer untill they made the last call. anouncements were made every 15 min or so. Of course it was important to get the "last" coloured tags for our suitcases. It an awesome way to make the most out of the last day:D

[SliderNc]

We just sailed on the Mariner of the Seas. They had instructions for the tags and mentioned that the announcements would only be made in the specified areas. However, they were announcing all of the colors over the entire ship after about the first 2 since not many people were in the lounges.

[dolfandude]

I've only been on 3 cruises, so perhaps my experience is not typical...

 

No one has ever checked to make sure I am only taking my own luggage. Part of my motivation to get off the ship is to make sure my luggage is still there when I get to it :)

 

If you are last off the ship, there are thousands of other people who have gone past your luggage, and might mistake your luggage for theirs, or just decide they like the look of yours as well as their own. :D

 

I know.. paranoid. :o

 

I agree with you Todd! It's always amazed me how in airports or cruiseports, nobody checks to make sure that you're not stealing someone's luggage! The last time someone checked was 11 years ago in the Atlanta airport! You're not paranoid and neither am I!:D

[Gracie115]

dolfandude & Toddcan-

 

Not to feed your paranoia but we were close to first off on Majesty a few years back and our bag was still picked up by someone else!!! We had to wait for a long time to make sure it wasn't there and then of course there was a bag just like ours left but not ours.

 

When we got home that night we got a call from the person who took it by accident that they were sending it express and were very apologetic, seems the DH grabbed the first bag and they were on their way. Fortunately they just lived across the state so it didn't cost them much!!!!

[mohavemommy]

I agree with you Todd! It's always amazed me how in airports or cruiseports, nobody checks to make sure that you're not stealing someone's luggage! The last time someone checked was 11 years ago in the Atlanta airport! You're not paranoid and neither am I!:D

 

I have that paranoia also.... that's why I choose to roll off my own lugagge.

[Pomperaugrr]

One way to be last off the ship is to hide out somewhere. Then, when they see you have not scanned your sea pass on the way out, they will even give you a personal escort off when they find you. Talk about service! ;)

 

Eric

[mo&fran]

Keep in mind that there are new disembarkation poocedures being implemented, and announcements are supposed to be made on the TV. DW went to guest services and got our color exchanged for one of the last. With the new process, that should work well also.

[moonltnite]

You mention that you can go to Guest Services and ask to be the last "color" group - after already on the ship. How are those departure color groups assigned? If we want to ask about that before our cruise, who do we contact?

 

We're tacking on some days after the cruise - so I'd love to be in the last group off.

[ehaugen]

I think , actually i'm pretty sure, they assign the color tags when you do your online check in. When you do the check in you have to tell them when you arrive in the departure city and when you depart. From that information they deduct who needs to get of the ship first in order to get to the airport on time. If you are leaving late in the afternoon on the day of departure from the ship they usualy give you the last color or "free departure" as in "any time after 8:00 am".

[jjgoo]

I usually hang out on the top deck, fall asleep and let them kick me off.

[Moondawgie]

I've only been on 3 cruises, so perhaps my experience is not typical...

No one has ever checked to make sure I am only taking my own luggage. Part of my motivation to get off the ship is to make sure my luggage is still there when I get to it :)

If you are last off the ship, there are thousands of other people who have gone past your luggage, and might mistake your luggage for theirs, or just decide they like the look of yours as well as their own. :D

I know.. paranoid. :o

 

Todd, you are not paranoid. It happened to me once. My bag was not there and someone had taken it. Luckily it was at the airport in the lost luggage room. Now I do not take black suitcases with me and I always put lots of colored things on top!

 

sbell1, you can wait and not get in the rush on the staircase. I think 10 a.m. may be late, though.

[mo&fran]

I think , actually i'm pretty sure, they assign the color tags when you do your online check in. When you do the check in you have to tell them when you arrive in the departure city and when you depart. From that information they deduct who needs to get of the ship first in order to get to the airport on time. If you are leaving late in the afternoon on the day of departure from the ship they usualy give you the last color or "free departure" as in "any time after 8:00 am".

I think Diamond and suites get priority departure, after that it depends on your post cruise plans. If you want something different, just ask.

[lynn247]

I've only been on 3 cruises, so perhaps my experience is not typical...

 

No one has ever checked to make sure I am only taking my own luggage. Part of my motivation to get off the ship is to make sure my luggage is still there when I get to it :)

 

If you are last off the ship, there are thousands of other people who have gone past your luggage, and might mistake your luggage for theirs, or just decide they like the look of yours as well as their own. :D

 

I know.. paranoid. :o

 

That happened to friends of mine on Carnival last year. :eek:

 

They were one of the last off the ship, and took a piece of luggage they thought was theirs. My friend always checks luggage tags and she saw it wasn't hers. She looked but couldn't find theirs. They found someone from Carnival to help. Carnival figured that the owners of the other piece probably took theirs by mistake.

 

Carnival called the phone number from the luggage tag. They checked and found that they indeed took the wrong piece. Luckily the people were local, and they were able to get back to the pier to exchange the luggage without a problem.

 

She said that Carnival bent over backwards to help them.

 

We were one of the last to get off the Explorer last March, I and almost left a piece of our luggage behind. :eek: The porter (a woman, I don't think a man would have noticed matching luggage) pointed to a piece of blue luggage and asked if it was ours. Boy, were we embarrassed. :o

 

I wonder what happens to luggage left behind?

[wrp96]

You mention that you can go to Guest Services and ask to be the last "color" group - after already on the ship. How are those departure color groups assigned? If we want to ask about that before our cruise, who do we contact?

 

We're tacking on some days after the cruise - so I'd love to be in the last group off.

 

I think , actually i'm pretty sure, they assign the color tags when you do your online check in. When you do the check in you have to tell them when you arrive in the departure city and when you depart. From that information they deduct who needs to get of the ship first in order to get to the airport on time. If you are leaving late in the afternoon on the day of departure from the ship they usualy give you the last color or "free departure" as in "any time after 8:00 am".

 

The departure times are assigned once you are onboard the ship. If you need to get off the ship early, go to guest relations early in the cruise and ask for an early departure time. Otherwise wait until you get your assigned luggage tags at the end of the cruise, and then if it won't work for you, go to guest relations and ask to be changed.

[bigal3967]

I usually hang out on the top deck, fall asleep and let them kick me off.

 

I like that idea!!

[GophersMN]

Just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.....Winston Churchill

[JC in CA]

On the Serenade this past June- we were given a sheet to fill out (I think 4th day) that asked our departure plans- staying in city, flight info, or driving, etc. Then the colors were assigned with that info in mind. For some reason, our daughters (one a minor) who were right next door to us and had a linked reservation with us, were given a different color than we were. It was no problem to take the tags to guest services and have them changed to be in the same color group.

-JC in CA