Keeping bags with you on last day...

[hart6066]

We travel light and will each have a carry on rolling suitcase and a small personal bag each. Our car will be at the port--if we keep the bags with us, can we just walk off ship when we're done with breakfast? What time do we "have" to be out of the room (we're on the Dream)? We have early seating, so we'll go to Cabana's for breakfast and just take the bags with us (they are light and small) and our thought was just to walk off ship and go thru customs and be on our way. If we don't rush, but leave after breakfast, about what time will we be on our way? Thanks!

 

[kcashner]

Your choice...any time from about 7:45 to 9:30 if the ship clears normally. Assuming 7:30 clearance, you'll need a few minutes in the line for Customs and then you're finished. You can eat any time up to 8:30.

Carrying your own bags off might save your the 5 minutes it would take to locate them in the terminal.

 

[sissy_ib]

We travel light and will each have a carry on rolling suitcase and a small personal bag each. Our car will be at the port--if we keep the bags with us, can we just walk off ship when we're done with breakfast? What time do we "have" to be out of the room (we're on the Dream)? We have early seating, so we'll go to Cabana's for breakfast and just take the bags with us (they are light and small) and our thought was just to walk off ship and go thru customs and be on our way. If we don't rush, but leave after breakfast, about what time will we be on our way? Thanks!

You have to be out of your room by 8 am. You can leave the ship as soon as they make the announcement that the ship has been cleared by customs. Taking your own bag will save you 5 minutes at most. We found our bags with no problem and had one of the porters help us. What took time was waiting in the line for customs. We waited about 10 minutes but right after us a ton of people came and the line got long fast. We left the ship around 8 so we were after the early breakfast people and before the late seating. So it really depends on how long the line is when you get in to the customs warehouse.

Edit:I think the ship was cleared around 7:30 because we heard the announcement then went to Topsiders for breakfast, then got our bags from the room and left.

 

[Justacruiser]

Here's my take. You can carry off your bags but deck 3 is crazy before they start off-load everyone. Let them open the doors and then give them a good 20-30 minutes and you can walk off the boat and get through customs easier. I one who takes 20 bags so I don't do the same, but just don't try to squize yourself and your bags with everyone else in the lobby. You can find your bag in 5 minutes, but you have to find your section first.

 

[hart6066]

Thanks--maybe we'll rethink taking the bags with us--especially if that generally doesn't take any time and the lines are mostly for customs. So would you recommend leaving the room right around 8, then leisurely having breakfast and heading out around 8:45/9 or is that right in the thick of things? Our flight isn't until 2:30, and since we don't check anything, we don't need to be at the airport that early. Our thought was to go to one of the WDW hotels for lunch and then head to airport.

Thanks!

 

[sissy_ib]

Thanks--maybe we'll rethink taking the bags with us--especially if that generally doesn't take any time and the lines are mostly for customs. So would you recommend leaving the room right around 8, then leisurely having breakfast and heading out around 8:45/9 or is that right in the thick of things? Our flight isn't until 2:30, and since we don't check anything, we don't need to be at the airport that early. Our thought was to go to one of the WDW hotels for lunch and then head to airport.

Thanks!

Why have such a late breakfast if you will be having an early lunch at WDW? You need to be at the airport at least an hour early and it is about a 30-45 minute drive from WDW. So you plan on eating breakfast at 8 then lunch at 11ish?
I would not go all the way to WDW if my flight was at 2:30. Maybe get off the ship early and find something closer to the port to do for a few hours.

 

[kcashner]

Thanks--maybe we'll rethink taking the bags with us--especially if that generally doesn't take any time and the lines are mostly for customs. So would you recommend leaving the room right around 8, then leisurely having breakfast and heading out around 8:45/9 or is that right in the thick of things? Our flight isn't until 2:30, and since we don't check anything, we don't need to be at the airport that early. Our thought was to go to one of the WDW hotels for lunch and then head to airport.

Thanks!

That's exactly how we play it. Just remember that you'll want to be back at the airport 2 hours before your flight and that you'll have a 30 minute drive. WDW restaurants don't start serving lunch till 11, so you will want an 11 am ADR or plan to eat somewhere that doesn't need a reservation.