Luggage/debarkation question

[kpaulson]

Hi there, I have been reading about the debarkation process and you have to leave your luggage outside your door the night before you get off the boat...and people say the next time they see their luggage is at their home airport....

k well that doesn't work for us Is that mandatory? We are going to be spending an extra night in Houston, so how would I go about getting my luggage after we are off the boat? And do we have to put our carry ons outside the door as well? Or just large luggage?

Thanks!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi there, I have been reading about the debarkation process and you have to leave your luggage outside your door the night before you get off the boat...and people say the next time they see their luggage is at their home airport....

k well that doesn't work for us Is that mandatory? We are going to be spending an extra night in Houston, so how would I go about getting my luggage after we are off the boat? And do we have to put our carry ons outside the door as well? Or just large luggage?

Thanks!

You place your large (checked) bags outside your door the last night. You don't have to be flying out to do this. It saves you from having to wrangle your bags to breakfast and off the ship the next morning.

You will claim your bags in the terminal and go wherever your trip takes you next.

Do not place your carryons (the stuff you want to have with you in the morning) out. And don't forget a change of clothes for the next morning. Yes, people have been seen leaving the ship in their PJs and high heels because they didn't think of this.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Hi there, I have been reading about the debarkation process and you have to leave your luggage outside your door the night before you get off the boat...and people say the next time they see their luggage is at their home airport....

k well that doesn't work for us Is that mandatory? We are going to be spending an extra night in Houston, so how would I go about getting my luggage after we are off the boat? And do we have to put our carry ons outside the door as well? Or just large luggage?

Thanks!

That's only if you sign up for the onboard airline check-in, and take the DCL bus directly to the airport, which you obviously won't be doing.

Setting your large bags outside the door is easier than schlepping your bags off the ship the next day, tho you can do that if you want. But there's so many people and so much luggage, it's more convenient to collect your bags in the ship terminal.

 

[kpaulson]

Ahhh thank you both Yeah...I would definitely be one wearing pjs off the boat good to know it has a terminal like airports...that would be much easier than hauling around ALL the luggage Thank you again!

 

[GNG2WDW]

OK this poses a question that my type-A mind had not planned for....We are scheduled to do 5 days at WDW after our cruise. We have the DCL bus paid for and booked to take us directly from Port Canaveral after the cruise to Animal Kingdom Lodge, where we are staying.

How does the luggage work then? We place our luggage outside our room (with tags?) the night before and when will we see it again? Does our luggage make it onto a DCL bus without us having to bring it? Or do we bring it on whatever bus we end up on? Do we personally take it off the bus with us when we arrive at AKL?

Thanks!

 

[mmouse37]

WELCOME TO CRUISE BOARD!!! Glad you joined us!

OK this poses a question that my type-A mind had not planned for....We are scheduled to do 5 days at WDW after our cruise. We have the DCL bus paid for and booked to take us directly from Port Canaveral after the cruise to Animal Kingdom Lodge, where we are staying.

How does the luggage work then? We place our luggage outside our room (with tags?) the night before and when will we see it again? Does our luggage make it onto a DCL bus without us having to bring it? Or do we bring it on whatever bus we end up on? Do we personally take it off the bus with us when we arrive at AKL?

Thanks!

You will leave your bags outside your room the night before and then claim all your luggage in the terminal and bring it through customs with you. Hint...get a porter. they will load up all the luggage on a cart in the terminal and escort you through customs...worth their tip. The porter will take your bags to your bus and the bus driver loads the bags under the bus you are taking. At WDW the driver unloads the bags but then it is your responsibility after that (unless you have bell services take it at the resort). DCL transfer is $35 pp.

MJ

 

[cruisinwithmaandpa]

For my family it has always been easier to take our luggage off the ship ourselves. You can be one of the first ones of the ship if you so desire that way and you don't have to look for your luggage in the terminal. We have found this to be the easiest.

 

[NC State Tigger]

For my family it has always been easier to take our luggage off the ship ourselves. You can be one of the first ones off the ship if you so desire that way and you don't have to look for your luggage in the terminal. We have found this to be the easiest.

How early can you get "off the ship"?

 

[SamandWill1921]

For my family it has always been easier to take our luggage off the ship ourselves. You can be one of the first ones of the ship if you so desire that way and you don't have to look for your luggage in the terminal. We have found this to be the easiest.

Okay good I'm glad this is an option. When we get off the Wonder we will be headed to DLR and we do want to get off ASAP so as to maximize our park time. If I do this, do we still have to go to guest services and request the first set of tags to be let off? If you are taking your own luggage out does it matter what time you are scheduled to get off or what tags you are given? I ask because I don't want to be given the last tag (I think it's goofy...) and then show up shuffling luggage first in line to disembark and then be told I have to wait an hour because of the tag I was assigned. I don't have that kind of time. Splash Mountain is already calling my name, can't you hear it?
I'm thinking of joining the "Over planners anonymous" thread....

 

[lbgraves]

If the terminal you are disembarking at calls groups by tags to leave the ship, then you only have to wait for your group to be called if you put luggage out the night before and have to claim it. This is done when there is not enough room to put all the luggage out in baggage claim at one time, so they do so by character tag. If you have your luggage with you and do not put it out the night before, then you can walk off the ship at any time after the ship is cleared and they open the door.

 

[m&m123]

Just returned from the Dream and they now offer something called Express Walk-Off.
"Guests now have the option to take your luggage off the ship at your leisure once the ship has been cleared by the local authorities. You do not need to wait for your luggage to enter the terminal and there is no need to claim it inside the terminal building. Please note that no assistance with luggage is provided with this option."

We saw lots of people with their bags all left outside of Enchanted Garden, so that they could eat and go.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Just returned from the Dream and they now offer something called Express Walk-Off.
"Guests now have the option to take your luggage off the ship at your leisure once the ship has been cleared by the local authorities. You do not need to wait for your luggage to enter the terminal and there is no need to claim it inside the terminal building. Please note that no assistance with luggage is provided with this option."

We saw lots of people with their bags all left outside of Enchanted Garden, so that they could eat and go.

Leaving their luggage unattended while they eat? And how far out of the way was the luggage area? I mean, so it isn't in anyones way while they are waiting their turn to disembark if they opt for "regular" disembarkation?

 

[lbgraves]

We have always seen luggage stacked in the hallway outside of the MDRs on the last morning. They will let you take carryons into the MDRs, but regular luggage must stay in the hallway.

 

[m&m123]

Yes, we saw it on both sides of the hallway outside of the restaurant-unattended. I myself would have just left it in the stateroom with the privacy sign on the door during the time I was at breakfast.

 

[lbgraves]

The only thing about that is that they ask you to take everything with you when you leave the room. The stateroom hosts have a short time to turn over the rooms and not being able to access rooms of guests with early seating puts them behind.

 

[patches4me]

Yes, we saw it on both sides of the hallway outside of the restaurant-unattended. I myself would have just left it in the stateroom with the privacy sign on the door during the time I was at breakfast.

That is not really a good idea. They have a very short time to turn ship. We always take our bags with us into the restaurant...no problem...everyone does it.