Rusty2727 Posted December 19, 2022 Report Share Posted December 19, 2022 For our upcoming cruise, our flight home doesn’t leave until later in the evening. We are a family of 4 with two small kids and want to take our time on disembarkation and eliminate stress. We plan to grab breakfast onboard before leaving, but wondered what you all would recommend for disembarking between traditional (set luggage out night before) or self carry. Whats easiest / gives most time onboard? Thanks for any suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted December 19, 2022 Report Share Posted December 19, 2022 I would focus on maximizing your time off the ship (post-cruise excursion, resort for a day, etc) until your flight instead of maximizing your time on it since the latter will only save you 30-60 minutes. CruiseGus and RCIfan1912 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloatyBoaty Posted December 19, 2022 Report Share Posted December 19, 2022 32 minutes ago, Rusty2727 said: We are a family of 4 with two small kids and want to take our time on disembarkation and eliminate stress..... recommend for disembarking between traditional (set luggage out night before) or self carry. Whats easiest / gives most time onboard? Thanks for any suggestions! I think that if you have 2 small kids, then it is much easier and less stressful to set luggage out the night before - it can be a long walk/challenge negotiating the ramps, etc, with all your luggage and keeping track of the kids. Also, people can be really impatient on the way out - I've had my heels and toes run over by barely-managed luggage. Just make sure to keep things out in your carry ons for sleeping and departure day. I self carry when I cruise solo. When I cruise with my husband we put our luggage out the night before as he has some mobility issues. As far as giving you more time, it's as @smokeybandit says - there's just not a big enough difference in terms of taking up the day before your flight. As anxious as you are to get on the ship and start your vacation, that's how anxious they are to get you off so the next passengers can start theirs! Jolly Ogre, Neesa and stevendom57 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrimsonCruiser Posted December 19, 2022 Report Share Posted December 19, 2022 Whether you choose self-assist or luggage valet, you are not required to get off at whatever time pops up on the screen. Those times are simply the earliest you could leave but you have until I think 9:30 or 10 AM to actually get off the ship. As for what I recommend....I would think, with the fact that you have small kids don't use self assist. I'm just me and my mom (both of us healthy adults) and I hate the idea of trudging my suitcases down the ramp and through the terminals, around the many crowds and porters. Plus you also don't have to worry about dragging your suitcases to breakfast since you have to be out of your stateroom by about 8 something. I also agree with @smokeybandit that it may be a better use of your time to do things off the ship. The ship is pretty much shut down the morning of debarkation with maybe 2 or 3 breakfast venues open. There's not much to do to entertain the kids and there's a general sense of rush in the air as people bustle along their way. You could always take advantage of the debarkation day excursions offered by Royal which will take you and your luggage to the airport afterwards. RCIfan1912 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted December 19, 2022 Report Share Posted December 19, 2022 The first cruise we ever did with kids was with a kid who turned 3 during the cruise. We did self-assist and it was awful. Though that was 7 years ago now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolly Ogre Posted December 19, 2022 Report Share Posted December 19, 2022 I don't cruise with children and I put my luggage out the night before and then I get a porter to take it to the shuttle bay. The less I have to carry the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattycruise Posted December 19, 2022 Report Share Posted December 19, 2022 Typically everyone must be out of their cabin by 8 am, and people are stopped from entering dining at 8:30 (various venues onboard have varying times). If you are already seated when the venue closes to entry it seems like no one throws you out. My experience on different ships is exit the ship by 9:00 to 9:15. You can ask for the latest disembarkation time and the associated luggage tags. The tags identify where you pick up your luggage in the terminal. Dragging luggage can be cumbersome, maybe drag on a carryon and see how that goes. The carpet makes it difficult pull and if the elevators are full you’d have to keep waiting with your luggage to find something with enough room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted December 19, 2022 Report Share Posted December 19, 2022 2 hours ago, smokeybandit said: The first cruise we ever did with kids was with a kid who turned 3 during the cruise. We did self-assist and it was awful. Though that was 7 years ago now. We cruised with our 31 year old and his new wife back in August/September, did self-assist, and it was awful. stevendom57 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike n Ky Posted December 20, 2022 Report Share Posted December 20, 2022 2 hours ago, teddy said: We cruised with our 31 year old and his new wife back in August/September, did self-assist, and it was awful. What ship? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted December 20, 2022 Report Share Posted December 20, 2022 18 minutes ago, Mike n Ky said: What ship? Liberty. It wasn’t bad because of Royal Caribbean, it was because of people Jolly Ogre 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike n Ky Posted December 20, 2022 Report Share Posted December 20, 2022 12 minutes ago, teddy said: Liberty. It wasn’t bad because of Royal Caribbean, it was because of people We were on Liberty the first week of September and it was total chaos and it was because of the people and RC. The former because they did not follow their assigned times/directions and the latter because they had almost no one directing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted December 20, 2022 Report Share Posted December 20, 2022 we did self carry on odyssey last week and bolted downstairs around 6:45 ahead of our 7am departure time to try and beat the elevator crush. to our surprise, they let us waltz right off the ship and we blitzed through customs. i think we were off the ship and outside the terminal BEFORE 7am. never had anything like it in my life. but i would 100 percent NOT do this if i was traveling with kids. it’s too much to manage; way too many moving parts. we also did not get breakfast or anything before we departed. just said goodbye to our stateroom attendant and whisked off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxrunner Posted December 20, 2022 Report Share Posted December 20, 2022 If you are sailing out of a port like Seattle they have a luggage valet service that takes your bags to the airport. It is wonderful because you can spend the day in the city without your luggage. With littles it would be even better. If it is available and call Royal the fee is nominal. We like to have breakfast in the MDR on the last day. Fuel up for the day of travel. Be sure to relax on your cruise, with the littles you are going 24/7. Don't make your cruise too full of activities. The simplest things like being at the pool will be a treat to your children. Go grab an ice cream for lunch, they will love it. Try not to over program, freestyle a day or two. If you can plan a date night with your spouse, take time for yourself as well. Have a great vaca! VirtKitty 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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