The 2010 Baltic Thread--Cruise Tips and Planning

[CarolAnnC]

Are any folks planning on flying home the day of disembarkation?

I am hoping to do this so I can return to work Monday morning...rough I know, but already taking so many days off work.

I know the first Baltic has a delayed arrival that morning. Would that give us enough time to make say a 3 pm flight out of Heathrow?

 

[scrapycruiser]

Yes, we are flying home the day of disembarkation. British Airways, leaves LHR 5:05 pm arrives Dulles 8:05pm

 

[jilljill]

We'll fly home the day they kick us off. Just have to find flights and figure out which airline and which airport to use.
I'd love to take the 12:35 BA flight to Philly from LHR but there's no way I'd chance a flight that early even tho it would probably not be a problem.

 

[MJGirl]

Are any folks planning on flying home the day of disembarkation?

I am hoping to do this so I can return to work Monday morning...rough I know, but already taking so many days off work.

I know the first Baltic has a delayed arrival that morning. Would that give us enough time to make say a 3 pm flight out of Heathrow?

I hope so ... cause that's when my flight leaves, and I'm on the first Baltic. When I was booking my flight home, DCL said that 3 pm should be okay?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Are any folks planning on flying home the day of disembarkation?

I am hoping to do this so I can return to work Monday morning...rough I know, but already taking so many days off work.

I know the first Baltic has a delayed arrival that morning. Would that give us enough time to make say a 3 pm flight out of Heathrow?

Yes, we are flying home the day of disembarkation. British Airways, leaves LHR 5:05 pm arrives Dulles 8:05pm

We'll fly home the day they kick us off. Just have to find flights and figure out which airline and which airport to use.
I'd love to take the 12:35 BA flight to Philly from LHR but there's no way I'd chance a flight that early even tho it would probably not be a problem.

I hope so ... cause that's when my flight leaves, and I'm on the first Baltic. When I was booking my flight home, DCL said that 3 pm should be okay?

3pm is doable even if the Magic is in at 9.30am, -being delayed due to tidal conditions, 12.35pm is not doable.

You must allow three hours for check in and say two hours to get to London Heathrow and 90 mins to Gatwick, and of course immigration and luggage collection time.

 

[Celestine]

3pm is doable even if the Magic is in at 9.30am, -being delayed due to tidal conditions, 12.35pm is not doable.

You must allow three hours for check in and say two hours to get to London Heathrow and 90 mins to Gatwick, and of course immigration and luggage collection time.

If the ship is full (and many sound as though they should be) I remember getting luggage after the PC was a nightmare & disembarkation took forever. Not sure how it will work in the UK in terms of border agency (customs) clearing the ship/immigration and therefore luggage collection. If the same happens here as in the US, but obviously with non EU citizens passing through immigration & that occurring on the ship before anyone can get off, and if the ship doesn't dock until 0930, even 3pm could prove to be tight, but I may just be overly pessimistic

Celestine

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

If the ship is full (and many sound as though they should be) I remember getting luggage after the PC was a nightmare & disembarkation took forever. Not sure how it will work in the UK in terms of border agency (customs) clearing the ship/immigration and therefore luggage collection. If the same happens here as in the US, but obviously with non EU citizens passing through immigration & that occurring on the ship before anyone can get off, and if the ship doesn't dock until 0930, even 3pm could prove to be tight, but I may just be overly pessimistic

Celestine

Good points, but some reassurance, the port of Dover has many cruise ships calling and starting and ending their trips at Dover, so is very experienced, and therefore I would presume no delays, and dare I say, our immigration works very fast, maybe its because we are Europeans, but Barcelona was fast to get off the ship, with basically no checks on anyone just customs as it was a round trip for me.The 9.30am seems at the moment to be limited to one cruise only due to expected tidal conditions.

I think 3pm is the earliest anyone should consider for a flight, but that as everything has risks. Problem is the majority of USA flights leave in the mornings and early afternoon, due to the time zones and come back over night.

 

[OurDogCisco]

Good points, but some reassurance, the port of Dover has many cruise ships calling and starting and ending their trips at Dover, so is very experienced, and therefore I would presume no delays, and dare I say, our immigration works very fast, maybe its because we are Europeans, but Barcelona was fast to get off the ship, with basically no checks on anyone just customs as it was a round trip for me.The 9.30am seems at the moment to be limited to one cruise only due to expected tidal conditions.

I think 3pm is the earliest anyone should consider for a flight, but that as everything has risks. Problem is the majority of USA flights leave in the mornings and early afternoon, due to the time zones and come back over night.

I was really surprised how easy it was to get off the ship in Barcelona. I wish we flew home that day instead of staying one more day. So, I hope it works for the Baltics.

One thing I noticed on the Disney Cruise website it says guest ashore in Dover at 8 am. So, I'm assuming the ship docks way earlier than that time to clear immigrations, etc.. I've read on many other cruise sites that other cruises dock early like 5 am so, their customers can make the early flights home.

 

[OurDogCisco]

If the ship is full (and many sound as though they should be) I remember getting luggage after the PC was a nightmare & disembarkation took forever. Not sure how it will work in the UK in terms of border agency (customs) clearing the ship/immigration and therefore luggage collection. If the same happens here as in the US, but obviously with non EU citizens passing through immigration & that occurring on the ship before anyone can get off, and if the ship doesn't dock until 0930, even 3pm could prove to be tight, but I may just be overly pessimistic

Celestine

Would another option to be is to carry off your own luggage so that you don't have to find your luggage?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I was really surprised how easy it was to get off the ship in Barcelona. I wish we flew home that day instead of staying one more day. So, I hope it works for the Baltics.

One thing I noticed on the Disney Cruise website it says guest ashore in Dover at 8 am. So, I'm assuming the ship docks way earlier than that time to clear immigrations, etc.. I've read on many other cruise sites that other cruises dock early like 5 am so, their customers can make the early flights home.

Barcelona said it was 7am and I was off at 7am however I am not bothered this time I can linger, Its a one hour drive home, less than WDW from PC.

I would think 8am is it, as they will delay embarkation if its too late.

Would another option to be is to carry off your own luggage so that you don't have to find your luggage?

I have always found my luggage in seconds, we put something bright and distinctive on it and the kids help, I wouldn't recommend carrying it off its so hard.

 

[scrapycruiser]

Just got off the phone w/ DCL. The agent said some of the shore excursions are on the computer now. BUT I checked and didn't see them ??? She said the Copenhagan, Dover and some of the St P were out ??? Do the agents have a separate website ?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Just got off the phone w/ DCL. The agent said some of the shore excursions are on the computer now. BUT I checked and didn't see them ??? She said the Copenhagan, Dover and some of the St P were out ??? Do the agents have a separate website ?

I expected them within this week, I look three times a day twice today, just checking again...


Just checked not out.

But I expected them up by next THURSDAY so maybe they can see them now.

 

[denise]

I don't see anything either.....maybe their crystal ball is not so fuzzy as ours?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I don't see anything either.....maybe their crystal ball is not so fuzzy as ours?

I bet they are on their system now, maybe for advance release to TA's to assist with questions; I calculated if they release the same as the Transatlantic and the Meds, then it will be Thursday 7th.

 

[jilljill]

If the ship is full (and many sound as though they should be) I remember getting luggage after the PC was a nightmare & disembarkation took forever. Not sure how it will work in the UK in terms of border agency (customs) clearing the ship/immigration and therefore luggage collection. If the same happens here as in the US, but obviously with non EU citizens passing through immigration & that occurring on the ship before anyone can get off, and if the ship doesn't dock until 0930, even 3pm could prove to be tight, but I may just be overly pessimistic

Celestine

Good points, but some reassurance, the port of Dover has many cruise ships calling and starting and ending their trips at Dover, so is very experienced, and therefore I would presume no delays, and dare I say, our immigration works very fast, maybe its because we are Europeans, but Barcelona was fast to get off the ship, with basically no checks on anyone just customs as it was a round trip for me.The 9.30am seems at the moment to be limited to one cruise only due to expected tidal conditions.

I think 3pm is the earliest anyone should consider for a flight, but that as everything has risks. Problem is the majority of USA flights leave in the mornings and early afternoon, due to the time zones and come back over night.

Our last Baltics cruise departed and returned to Dover and we didn't have to clear thru customs at the port. We were told we would clear customs at the airport, which is what we did. We had VAT reclaim forms from Finland and Denmark and we handled them at Heathrow just like we always have in the past.
Luggage was very easy to find in the terminal.
Getting kicked off the ship in Dover was so much easier than getting off in PC.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Our last Baltics cruise departed and returned to Dover and we didn't have to clear thru customs at the port. We were told we would clear customs at the airport, which is what we did. We had VAT reclaim forms from Finland and Denmark and we handled them at Heathrow just like we always have in the past.
Luggage was very easy to find in the terminal.
Getting kicked off the ship in Dover was so much easier than getting off in PC.

Yes; I expected that and posted my experience from Barcelona, which was the same, just walk off. Eurostar from Paris is the same just walk off.

Dover is a busy cruise port and has great efficiency there so I wouldn't expect a hold up.

However on ours at 7/30th a Princess ship is in as well which could slow things down ie taxi availability, porters split between the two. Traffic jams

 

[OurDogCisco]

Barcelona said it was 7am and I was off at 7am however I am not bothered this time I can linger, Its a one hour drive home, less than WDW from PC.

I would think 8am is it, as they will delay embarkation if its too late.




I have always found my luggage in seconds, we put something bright and distinctive on it and the kids help, I wouldn't recommend carrying it off its so hard.

You must really be excited that you can just drive home after the trip!

I'm gonna keep an open mind about the luggage. I doubt there will be problems. I'm not too worried. But since we are staying conceirge level, I could always request the earliest time off. Plus, we can eat our breakfast in our room on the last day (I think).

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

You must really be excited that you can just drive home after the trip!

I'm gonna keep an open mind about the luggage. I doubt there will be problems. I'm not too worried. But since we are staying concierge level, I could always request the earliest time off. Plus, we can eat our breakfast in our room on the last day (I think).

Yes, now I know what the folks who live in Orlando feel like about a Disney cruise, just an hour, and home, but it will make the vacation start later and finish quick. Sometimes flying is 'a part' of saying your going on holiday.

So I can get up Sunday morning, have breakfast and be at the port anytime I like!!! No worries. Can take it easy as concierge on mine as well so will be on first thing.

 

[Celestine]

OK, I think I need to clarify - finding the luggage was not difficult, but getting off the ship to the luggage area after the EB repo year before last was time consuming.

I'm surprised that you don't clear customs at Dover especially as the itinery is not exclusively European unless the theory is you clear at the first European port after Russia. Customs is different to immigration which I would expect all non European passport holders to have to go through unless the same logic as above applies.

Like Andrew it is a refreshing change not to be stressing - we are on the coach we've organised to go to both Gatwick & Heathrow.

I also looked at the site today & saw nothing for excursions, but will be checking daily now!

Celestine

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

OK, I think I need to clarify - finding the luggage was not difficult, but getting off the ship to the luggage area after the EB repo year before last was time consuming.

I'm surprised that you don't clear customs at Dover especially as the itinerary is not exclusively European unless the theory is you clear at the first European port after Russia. Customs is different to immigration which I would expect all non European passport holders to have to go through unless the same logic as above applies.

Like Andrew it is a refreshing change not to be stressing - we are on the coach we've organised to go to both Gatwick & Heathrow.

I also looked at the site today & saw nothing for excursions, but will be checking daily now!

Celestine

Repo's for some reason have had there issues on disembarkation, at PC, I have disembarked five times, three normal cruises at 7.30am, and two, the repos, at 8.20am. I was told on our last one 08, there was an 'incident' with a man and that caused the delay as immigration wanted to find him.

Yes there is the point that as we visit non Europe ports that UK could be a little more fussy, a good point, but I think St Petes is where we will see hold ups, and as the ship is closed loop starting and ending at Dover, if you are OK going on, and you don't go missing, and no one else gets on, then why re check at the end.

DCL compliance will confirm the above with a ships manifest, with UK immigration on its last two days at sea and boarder control should give the all clear well before our port arrival.