Embarking/Disembarking questions

[NoviceCruiser3]

Hi all,

 

Remember, I've never cruised before, so bear with me . . .

 

Embarking:

 

1. We're on the pre-cruise Denali trip, so we'll get to the ship when we get there. But what happens? We just line up and go to our room (after being directed where to go)?

 

2. Is our luggage waiting for us inside our room?

 

3. Will we meet our butler then?

 

4. How soon can we send out laundry?

 

5. When do we visit the excursion desk? How will we know where it is?

 

6. When is the safety drill?

 

Disembarking:

 

1. If we are staying on our own in Vancouver, can't we just take our luggage out with us when we leave instead of putting it out the night before?

 

Many thanks!

[Rally]

Hi all,

 

Remember, I've never cruised before, so bear with me . . .

 

Embarking:

 

1. We're on the pre-cruise Denali trip, so we'll get to the ship when we get there. But what happens? We just line up and go to our room (after being directed where to go)?

 

2. Is our luggage waiting for us inside our room?

 

3. Will we meet our butler then?

 

4. How soon can we send out laundry?

 

5. When do we visit the excursion desk? How will we know where it is?

 

6. When is the safety drill?

 

Disembarking:

 

1. If we are staying on our own in Vancouver, can't we just take our luggage out with us when we leave instead of putting it out the night before?

 

Many thanks!

 

I will take a stab at some of these for you . . .

 

1. When you embark you will pass through security (quick and easy,) be handed a glass of champagne, and then present a credit card (for any charges onboard,) have your picture taken (which is linked to your suite key (actually a magnetic card) for security and then take the elevator to your deck. Once there, someone, either your butler or a room steward/ess will take your hand luggage and escort you to your room. Your luggage will be waiting, on top of the bed. Soon your butler will arrive to introduce yourself (as will your room stewardess if you haven't already met her.)

 

2. Whoops --- see above =)

 

3. Whoops --- see above =)

 

4. As soon as you can get it unpacked, stuffed into the laundry bag, fill out the form, and hand it to your butler (or stewardess) or leave it hanging on your door.

 

5. As soon as you like. It is on deck 5, along with Reception. Every elevator has a list of what is on each deck, and every elevator lobby has an easy to read map (the kind marked, "you are HERE" =)

 

6. The second morning of your cruise, usually around 10 - 10:30 AM (Hint: if you don't put on your life jackets until told to do so at your muster station you will look like an old hand -- new cruisers tend to put them on in the suite, which is just a pain.) Your suite key has your muster station on it, as does the back of your door and your life jacket. Don't worry about it -- when the drill starts just walk out your door and follow the instructions of the crew.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hi all,

 

1. We're on the pre-cruise Denali trip, so we'll get to the ship when we get there. But what happens? We just line up and go to our room (after being directed where to go)?

 

Hopefully no line, but that's essential it. They sign you in, give you your keycards, then send up upstairs to drink champagne and have your picture taken. Then you usually are escorted to, or pointed at your room. If you're early, you just go back upstairs for lunch until the rooms are ready.

 

2. Is our luggage waiting for us inside our room?

 

Your luggage will either be inside your room, or will arrive shortly after (once in a while it's delayed an hour or two.)

 

3. Will we meet our butler then?

 

Your butler should come by shortly and introduce himself.

 

4. How soon can we send out laundry?

 

You should talk to your butler about laundry, but presumably he can take it immediately.

 

5. When do we visit the excursion desk? How will we know where it is?

 

One of the first thing you should do is do a walk through the ship, end to end, top to bottom, so you can see where everything is. The excursion desk will be central, not sure which deck on Mariner. Or ask your butler.

 

6. When is the safety drill?

 

Usually shortly after the ship is underway.

 

Disembarking:

 

1. If we are staying on our own in Vancouver, can't we just take our luggage out with us when we leave instead of putting it out the night before?

 

Yes, you can do that if you like.

[breezepark]

I really enjoy these posts with such detail -- thank you. We are first time Regent cruisers, and frankly after my last cruise on Royal Carribean I didn't think we would ever cruise again. But the Inside Passage of Alaska begs for a ship. I refused to do a large one, so we made the stretch financially to the luxury market hoping for a better experience. We have always been independent travelers, but it sounds like Regent will take good care of us, and it is nice not having to worry about any arrangements.

[NoviceCruiser3]

Awesome info all, thanks!

 

Feel free to add anything I forgot to ask about?!

[egret]

Maybe I can start an argument. Why would you want to drag your lugggage out of the ship when they will do it for you? Maybe, probably, we travel too heavy but the thought of wrestling our luggage down through the hallways and elevators and out the gangway sounds stressful to me.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Egret, I agree with you that there's not much reason to do this, unless you have an early flight out and are worried about getting off in time, or other ongoing travel plans.

 

But to the original poster, if you let them take your luggage, then you simply claim it off the ship, it's very easy. You keep your carry-ons with you of course. If you're staying in a hotel in Vancouver, there's little reason to get off the ship promptly, although I admit there's nothing much to do on the ship other than hang around the lounges and have breakfast.

[NoviceCruiser3]

Egret, I agree with you that there's not much reason to do this, unless you have an early flight out and are worried about getting off in time, or other ongoing travel plans.

 

But to the original poster, if you let them take your luggage, then you simply claim it off the ship, it's very easy. You keep your carry-ons with you of course. If you're staying in a hotel in Vancouver, there's little reason to get off the ship promptly, although I admit there's nothing much to do on the ship other than hang around the lounges and have breakfast.

 

And it's true, we'll be staying in Vancouver for a few days, so we're in no hurry to get off the ship. We are actually looking forward to having a leisurely breakfast & sleeping in a bit later that last day!

 

We weren't sure where we'd retrieve our luggage from - is it toward where we actually get off the ship, is it secure, etc. Can someone please let us know how this works?

 

Oh, and the take-the-luggage-with-you was hubby's idea ;)

[Travelcat2]

And it's true, we'll be staying in Vancouver for a few days, so we're in no hurry to get off the ship. We are actually looking forward to having a leisurely breakfast & sleeping in a bit later that last day!

 

We weren't sure where we'd retrieve our luggage from - is it toward where we actually get off the ship, is it secure, etc. Can someone please let us know how this works?

 

Oh, and the take-the-luggage-with-you was hubby's idea ;)

 

I hate to disappoint you in terms of sleeping in a bit later on the last day. . . .they ask that you leave your suite fairly early. We do have room service breakfast the last morning to savor the last minutes before we have to leave.

 

The luggage is completely safe. I'm trying to remember Vancouver (I'm certain some else will know exactly where the luggage is stored). Luggage is sorted by "color" (you will know the color:-) It is also taken off the ship by color. So, when your color is called, you'll get off of the ship and directed to the area where your luggage will be. There are man people around the area watching the luggage.

 

The only negative to Regent taking care of your luggage is that you have to put it outside of your suite 11:00 p.m. the night before. This isn't a big deal -- just have to plan for it. The first time I forget to leave out my shoes and had to depart the ship in Regent slippers.:o

[NoviceCruiser3]

I hate to disappoint you in terms of sleeping in a bit later on the last day. . . .they ask that you leave your suite fairly early. We do have room service breakfast the last morning to savor the last minutes before we have to leave.

 

The luggage is completely safe. I'm trying to remember Vancouver (I'm certain some else will know exactly where the luggage is stored). Luggage is sorted by "color" (you will know the color:-) It is also taken off the ship by color. So, when your color is called, you'll get off of the ship and directed to the area where your luggage will be. There are man people around the area watching the luggage.

 

The only negative to Regent taking care of your luggage is that you have to put it outside of your suite 11:00 p.m. the night before. This isn't a big deal -- just have to plan for it. The first time I forget to leave out my shoes and had to depart the ship in Regent slippers.:o

 

Thanks for the info.

 

So can we lounge outside our suite for breakfast somewhere on board?

[DaveFr]

Thanks for the info.

 

So can we lounge outside our suite for breakfast somewhere on board?

Here's the disembarkation information we received on our Mariner cruise last November. (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2790486070101716102JsNvgk?vhost=travel) Hope this helps.

 

Dave

[Rally]

And it's true, we'll be staying in Vancouver for a few days, so we're in no hurry to get off the ship. We are actually looking forward to having a leisurely breakfast & sleeping in a bit later that last day!

 

We weren't sure where we'd retrieve our luggage from - is it toward where we actually get off the ship, is it secure, etc. Can someone please let us know how this works?

 

Oh, and the take-the-luggage-with-you was hubby's idea ;)

 

You are asked to vacate your suite by 8:30 AM (so they can change everything for the next passengers.) Once you walk down the gangway you will find your luggage just inside the terminal building. There are porters there if you wish (the doesn't seem to be a charge but the porters --- who do not work for Regent -- expect a tip) and then go through Canadian customs and immigratin (fairly painless) and then you are free to go wherever you want. Regent asked that we have the luggage outside our door by 10:30 PM the night before disembarcation.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Dave's snapshot pretty much says it all. Yes, you can have a nice breakfast in one of several places probably. Then sit on deck, or in a louge. It's kind of boring, but less tedious if you don't have your luggage with you.

 

The advantage of keeping your luggage is, as Travelcat said, not having that dreadful packing deadline the night before--that is the worst part of the cruise, for me. It's nice to get it done before you go to sleep I guess, would hate to have to do it in the morning, but planning the wardrobe is a challenge.

 

The other advantage is that you won't be colour-coded, so won't be called to leave by colour, i.e., you can stay on the ship until the very end about 9:30 or 10. At least I believe that's how it would work--someone else please correct me if I'm wrong.

[NoviceCruiser3]

Dave's snapshot pretty much says it all. Yes, you can have a nice breakfast in one of several places probably. Then sit on deck, or in a louge. It's kind of boring, but less tedious if you don't have your luggage with you.

 

The advantage of keeping your luggage is, as Travelcat said, not having that dreadful packing deadline the night before--that is the worst part of the cruise, for me. It's nice to get it done before you go to sleep I guess, would hate to have to do it in the morning, but planning the wardrobe is a challenge.

 

The other advantage is that you won't be colour-coded, so won't be called to leave by colour, i.e., you can stay on the ship until the very end about 9:30 or 10. At least I believe that's how it would work--someone else please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Dumb question - what happens if our color is called but we want to linger over breakfast? I'm guessing it's color coded based upon flight times, and since we're not flying out, we'd be last anyway???

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Good question, not sure of the answer. The colors are more complicated than that--Regent air groupings, varying privately-booked air, ongoing tour arrangements. If you stay longer than your color, I believe you can just walk off when you like, as long as you don't stay too long!

[cruiseej]

Dumb question - what happens if our color is called but we want to linger over breakfast? I'm guessing it's color coded based upon flight times, and since we're not flying out, we'd be last anyway???

 

Each color represents passengers with specific ground plans -- early to the airport, later to the airport, bus to a hotel, etc. One of the groups is simply independent travelers. When you fill out your disembarkation questionnaire a few days before the end of your trip, you tell them you're on your own, and what time you'd like to leave, and that's what gets you assigned to a particular color. So your color will be called basically when you tell them you want it called, although I don't think it matters if you leave a little earlier or later.

 

-- Eric

[PaulaJK]

Yes, there will be all of the usual locations [Compass Rose, Verandah, cabin] for you to enjoy your breakfast.The times will be listed in the daily newspaper. While you can chat with friends or cluster in lounges while you await disembarking, you might enjoy standing out on deck and watching the bustle of the turn-around process.

 

You can be in the last group to depart the ship [often around 9:30am] simply by requesting same at Reception. I think..but am not positve.. that all guests have colored tags, even those w. independent travel. The luggage is sorted by colors and easily identified, Generally Regent has its land based staff & porters around the color being called. It's an orderly process and may sound more confusing or mysterious to you at this point than it actually is.

 

I also hate that packing on the last night...but find it a 'break' or relief to leave for dinner feeling that I am essenially finished...with only a few items to add...and hence can go out and enjoy my last night on board. To each their own but I would hate to have to do that after I returned to the cabin or very early in the morning.

[cruisebugbit]

I'm with you Paula. I'd rather get it done and go out enjoying the last night on board. Wahhhh!!! Maybe a little bit of late night, last minute cramming before the "in the hall" deadline with a Drambuie on ice to keep me going.

We disembarked in Monte Carlo in the rain last fall and it was basically organized chaos. This is part of travelling, but we were all reunited with our bags as we should have been. The overall mood on the ship is one of "break's over....back to the real world.... let's get on with it..."

Now... enough about the end of the cruise.... it's on to the beginning of the next one!!:D

[cruiseej]

I've always been curious about the early luggage pick-up. On ships the size of Regent's, I'd think they could start later and finish in time for disembarkation. It would make a world of difference to cruisers and the luxury experience if the luggage pick-up was, say, midnight instead of 10:30. We now typically carry a lightweight duffel bag which we pull out of our luggage in order to have a handy-carry bag to use for our clothes and toiletries from the last night, but it would be nice to avoid that without having to rush back to the cabin for an early night on that last night. I want that last night in the lounge to last later! ;)

 

-- Eric

[PaulaJK]

Since many of the 'luggage handlers' are pulled from the diningroom staff, a midnight pick-up might mean an even longer shift for them. You can put your bags minus one out by 10:30 and save the last one for closer to 12. I do see bags out as early as the afternoon and certainly the corridor has many by dinner time. The stewardesses have an investment in cleaning out drawers and cabinets and closets on that evening. I've never witnessed uncollected bags so they must have some system in place for the late folks.

[Rally]

Since many of the 'luggage handlers' are pulled from the diningroom staff, a midnight pick-up might mean an even longer shift for them. You can put your bags minus one out by 10:30 and save the last one for closer to 12. I do see bags out as early as the afternoon and certainly the corridor has many by dinner time. The stewardesses have an investment in cleaning out drawers and cabinets and closets on that evening. I've never witnessed uncollected bags so they must have some system in place for the late folks.

 

Last week (I love saying that becasue soon I will not be able to, which just means we have been home too long =) the stewardess had the bed protector and our luggage on top of it by about 2 PM. Sort of a hint, I think (maybe she knew packing with the two children might take a little longer than normal?) Anyway, we got it done in about 30 minutes (kids learned how to pack themselves =) and that left the rest of the day/evening to enjoy. The luggage disappeared from the hallway about 10 PM.

[cruiseej]

I don't mind packing most stuff early; I just don't like having to end the last night early in order to pack that evening's clothes -- which aren't what we'll wear off the ship the following morning. Our carry on bag is usually somewhat full with a laptop computer, ipod speakers, perhaps some fragile purchase from the trip, etc., and doesn't have room to also hold the last night's clothes (esp. with my size 13 shoes!;)), sleeping clothes, and toiletries. That's why we now carry a small duffel bag in our luggage when we cruise, and pull it out just for this purpose as a second carry-off bag; it just means there's another bag to juggle at the airport, rental car van, or wherever we're going after disembarkation.

 

I also don't like that the early packing deadline turns the last night of the cruise into a pretty dead time on the ship, because the majority of people want to put their evening clothes in their luggage by the deadline, and just stay in their cabins after that. So instead of enjoying a last night in the lounges enjoying the atmosphere and fellow travelers, the public spaces become a ghost town pretty early -- which only adds to my sense of sadness that the cruise is ending. :(

 

Since many of the 'luggage handlers' are pulled from the diningroom staff, a midnight pick-up might mean an even longer shift for them. You can put your bags minus one out by 10:30 and save the last one for closer to 12. I do see bags out as early as the afternoon and certainly the corridor has many by dinner time. The stewardesses have an investment in cleaning out drawers and cabinets and closets on that evening. I've never witnessed uncollected bags so they must have some system in place for the late folks.

 

Paula, I learned, unintentionally, on one cruise -- I think this was on the PG a few years ago -- what happens. I guess we lingered a little too long in the lounge after dinner, and as we returned to our cabin intending to pack our evening clothes and put our bags out, we discovered that all the bags were already gone from our hall. Oops! We quickly changes and put our bags out, figuring there would probably be a second pass of luggage collectors. But when we woke up the following morning, I peeked outside the door and was embarrassed and a little concerned to see our bags still sitting there! I called reception to 'fess up that I had put our bags out a little late the night before, and to ask if I should just lug them with us to breakfast and disembarkation. They said the crew would be making a final pass through the halls shortly to collect any remaining bags. They were still there when we returned from breakfast, but shortly before the time we needed to vacate our cabin, they were collected. I certainly don't recommend this practice -- if everyone did it, the luggage handling process would break down -- but if you accidentally miss luggage pick-up, you'll be taken care of. Because, in the end, they really do want you and your luggage off that ship on time! ;)

 

-- Eric

[egret]

I may be getting senile, I don't remember packing before 10 pm on any of our cruise, PG and Mariner. We often hit the hay before midnight but I don't remember packing up and then sitting in the cabin.

My recollectionis that when returned to the cabin from dinner, the mat was on our bed for loading the suitcase.

My memory may be flawed however.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Egret, that's what I remember too. I thought the time was something like midnight for putting out the bags, but can't confirm that.

[DaveFr]

Wendy,

 

On our Mariner cruise last November, the deadline for putting out luggage was 11 pm.

 

Dave