@@pepperidgefarmremembers6350 Never been on a cruise but would really really like to. But few ships have solo cabins (Norwegian is the only one I have seen but not on all their ships). Otherwise you end up paying double the price.
In Seattle, one thing to check out is Port Valet, a free service provided by the Port of Seattle. It takes care of your bags, your boarding pass for the airline. You can then enjoy the city and go to the airport closer to your flight. Kudos to the port commission for a win-win situation for passengers and the tourist industry.
Tx from Portland. We’ve been looking at the Alaska cruises because a last minute deal is so easy and inexpensive just riding the train from Portland. Definitely going to look into this too.
Port Valet also makes getting off the pier much easier also as you don't have to stop in the baggage area and hunt down your luggage, lug it to the bus/taxi yourself and then handle it at the airport. You leave your bag(s) outside your room the night before and the next time you see it/them will be at your destination airport! Just make sure that you have your airline tickets on your person or in your carry-ons! Check to make sure before you put your bags out the night before! Tom
1) I find packing the *afternoon* before disembarkation day is helpful. Not only does that mean you can relax on that last evening instead of rushing to pack your bags in time to put them out, it means you can start doing drawer-checks earlier. 2) Since I'm packing in the afternoon, I usually plan that what I wear for dinner that last night is what I'll wear on disembarkation day. (Or, at the very least, they'll do until I get my bags in the morning.) 3) I generally go by the rule of "only one kind of ticketed travel per day". I've been on flights that were delayed by a number of hours. I've also picked up friends from a cruise that wasn't able to release passengers until almost noon. So, to avoid needing a vacation after the stress CAUSED by my vacation travels, I prefer to include a stay in a hotel or with family on either end.
I take a simple nylon tote bag, rolled up in a corner of my luggage. Goes in my handbag if shopping in ports en route, if I have a beach trip on the cruise it carries towel, flipflops etc.,, then for disembarking, as the video suggests, it's emergency packing for anything that hasn't fitted into my main luggage.
I’ve been binge watching all your videos in preparation for my NCL cruise for my 22nd birthday in January. Your vids are always so informative and helpful, thank you!!!
Instead of a passenger cruise, I'm looking into cargo ship travel. Sure, there's no entertainment, no crowds, and no stops in tourist trap ports. However, there are meals with the officers, plenty of time to read, watch movies, and just enjoy the time on the open ocean without all the noise and distractions of a cruise. Voyages can range from a week to a couple of months. Perfect for an introvert like me.
I've heard about those. There are even some foreign ships that will let you do minor chores with the crew in exchange for a trip to an exotic destination. Sure, you'll pull into Bermuda on a cargo ship but hey, you paid only $40 for the entire thing, learned about how a ship works and still get to your destination. And for some reason, I feel that they would be more reliable than a cruise ship. A cruise liner worries about passenger comfort more and will likely turn back if the ship runs into very bad weather. If you wind up on a cargo ship, it likely can take a serious beating so you are probably still going to be at your destination while the other travelers are stuck at the departure city, waiting out the mega choppy seas. I read about this tip in an old cruise liner guide and you might be surprised how modern and comfortable some of these cargo ships are. Most (not all) will have a decent cook, a full kitchen, microwave in the employee break room (in this case, you ARE allowed access since you're a temporary member of the crew) and your room will usually have a closet and bathroom installed. Be aware however, that it will NOT be the same size as on a cruise ship. Everything will be designed to maximize squeezing beds and chairs into a tight space. But those trade-offs don't deter everyone when they get the bill along with a small tip (yes, sometimes, it can be the other way: they tip YOU for helping the crew.).
Watch out for personal security issues traveling this way. If you are assaulted or robbed at sea you may have no protection or recourse under the law. These ships sail under the flags of foreign countries and subject to their legal systems in international waters. You could be very much on your own.
Cruised out of Tampa, FL. On disembarkation day, fog closed the harbor. We got to the dock at 6pm, 10 hours late. We were very glad we did not have a flight that day. One never knows what could delay disembarking.
Best thing to do is fly on one day early and fly out the day after disembarkation. If you can afford the cruise, you can afford two nights in a hotel. Great for the peace of mind.
Traveling in Asia, I found it best to fly out the day after I arrived back in the main city. That way I had time to rest, shop, wash and dry clothes, and have a few good clean meals before I hit the next hectic travel time the following day.
Gary, 12 noon flights could be disastrous for any number of reasons. We suffered from a horrible disembarkation today in Miami. Multiple layers of incompetence by a host of players could leave you holding a worthless plane ticket. IMHO 2pm would be better choice.
We stayed an extra day after the cruise in Ft. Lauderdale. The taxi driver got pissed because we didn't go to the airport so the fare was only $5.00. He didn't even help with our bags so he got no tip.
I always love your videos. They are clear and concise and full of valuable information. And, with this video, I had to chuckle because point #2 Something To Wear happened to me many years ago. All was packed and luggage left outside our cabin, just before we retired for the night. I set my 'disembarkation' clothing on a chair BUT hung my blouse in the closet. Disembarkation day arrives to find that my blouse is no longer hanging in the closest. My husband advised that he packed it because he thought I forgot it. WHAT? He finds out that all luggage is being held in the bowels of the ship & was invited to go & find the bag. Miraculously he located the bag & brought me my blouse. How he found my bag with thousands of other pieces of luggage, I'll never know but he did. Be rest assured, we will never make that mistake again, so when you identified this in your video, you brought a smile to my face.
Last cruise l hung disembarkation clothes in bathroom. Grankids and l already showered and in bed. My husband then showered and turned on water full force. All clothes soaking wet. Not dry by morning. We had to wear dirty clothes off ship. Left bags out night before. When time to collect bags at port l stayed with kids while he got bags(4). Well he got 1 that was not ours. Didn't notice til home. We had to mail to another cruiser. He also had wrong bag but was not ours. Ours was left at port. Had to pay port to ship our bag. Lot of money wasted. Experienced cruisers but ship didn't clear for some reason and late letting folks off. Next cruisers standing there waiting to board. Real mess. I no longer travel with black suitcases. Have bought bright blue hard metal ones because when we finally got ours back one had razor cut in side (was not locked). Boy l hope that never happens again. Still gonna cruise.
Our first cruise debarkation mistake was to schedule a flight on the day of disembarkation. Let’s say the cruise ends at XXX city which was part of the cruise itinerary. You want to see XXX but unless you’ve thought this through, you are hampered by all of your luggage in tow. If you intend to go the airport and have a wait, you may not have access to the better lounge based on your level with the airline; if you have to wait more than 3 hours, try to buy access to the lounge. It will be quieter and less anxiety producing even if the lounge has no food or beverage service. The much better approach is to plan on 1-3 days in a nice hotel in XXX; you can make your way from the ship to the hotel, and there check your luggage until your room is ready. I agree with the notion of leaving the ship as late as possible. If your flight is much later on the same day as debarkation, then find a nice hotel not too far from the airport, and pay the hotel a small fee to hold onto your luggage for the day, and then you can stop there to pick up your stuff after seeing XXX, and usually use the hotel shuttle to pop to the airport.
Hi. How do you access staying at the lounge if you want to stay there for say 6 or 7 hours if you can't check your luggage in before 4 hours before the flight?
After having done a lot of cruises (some of our group has been cruising since the '90's), whenever possible, we plan to arrive in our departure city the day before the cruise. That way, we are often able to get the earliest embarkation times, and since most of our group has priority status, at least one of the cabins is ready, even if we're in the first group to board, and we stow are stuff there. Going home is the same thing. We book that same hotel for Debarkation Day, and book our return flight for early the next day. Then we get to spend the rest of Debarkation exploring and sightseeing in Miami, or Cocoa Beach, or Charleston, or wherever. And then, with the early flight home, we've got most of that day to do stuff like laundry, grocery shopping, etc. Actually, my preference is driving....flying is such a pain in the ass. I have found most hotels will allow you to park on their property for $10 or less a night. In some cities, it's cheaper to park at the airport, so I will meet the rest of the group there and ride in the shuttle with them. I was fortunate in that I was always able to take 3 weeks off work for the cruise, so I was able to leave Pittsburgh on either Tuesday or Wednesday to meet up with the others, and I could leave the cruise city on Sunday (the usual debarkation day...they would stay over that night...I'd start right home) and take 2 or 3 days to get home (although when we cruised out of Charleston, I drove straight home in 1 day, taking a 2 hr. nap at a rest stop on I-79.) Now that I'm retired, it's even better, because I rarely have to book hotels...I've got retired former co-workers all along routes too and from the cruise city, and we are always able to reunite for an evening.
Many cruises offer pre/post-excursions at rates you can’t beat. When we fly overseas we always do this or arrive early to overcome jet lag. Many times when we disembark we’ve already arranged for a car from the hotel. Speak to the concierge before your trip and you will discover that they are happy to make these arrangements. I’d much rather leave the ship late to avoid the crush of people. I’m also someone who is happy to sit in an airport before and between flights. I have a bad back and limited mobility. Vacation time is no time for stress or drama. Give yourself more time than you need. Have a coffee or tea and relax. Smile at people. Be a blessing.
Black luggage is the most common color. If you are going on a cruise or picking your bags off a carousel tie a specific color ribbon on the handle of ALL your checked bags. Use the same ribbon on childrens bags also! Easy marker.
We use to take the hard samsonite mustard yellow luggage my mom bought for herself back in the late seventies on our trips. They used to advertise the luggage in the gorilla commercial back in the day. Nobody mistook our luggage for theirs. Able to spot that luggage way off in a sea of black or navy bags at the luggage on debarkation day. Those bags were heavy before you even packed them. About six years ago we finally got some luggage with wheels. Yes they are black. I still have the samsonite pieces. Saw that same color luggage on an old Hawaii 5-0 .
Us, too! Grampa's old set of barf green tweed suitcases with giant leather straps, a huge gold buckle, and flip locks. We look like hobos, but nobody would ever mistake them.
Here's the best blunder: Disney cruisers who had the "magical baggage transfers" came from the airport to the ship and baggage had not turned up. Finally, after searching everywhere, the crew member asked them where they last saw their bags. The response; "When we left them out on our front porch". That is wishing for some real magic!
@@naomiowen3015 Never had a problem. Like the walk-off options when I have driven to port, so i can hit the road, but otherwise much more convenient to let others lug my suitcases to the port and get a porter to get it to transfer vehicles. (Only trick is to make your bag as identifiable as possible to spot it in the claiming areas. We have purchased off-the-norm-colored bags and on others us visible markings and colors on the top, handle, areas that will be visible in a room full of bags that all look alike.)
Tips for going ashore: - Take a picture of the paperwork they give you the night before going ashore. - Take a picture of your arrival time aboard the ship from what is posted on the gangplank when you leave. - Set not just one but two or three alarms to remind you to get back aboard ship on time. - Take a picture of all documents such as passport, drivers license and any other ID document. - If you send your bags down to be picked up on shore or the airport be sure to take a picture of those bags and the tags that are on your bags. This will help remind you in case you have a lack of remembrance. It would be a good idea to etch your name and address on your bag if possible so if the tag gets torn off at least you can still identify your bag.
My husband accidentally packed his going home outfit and didn't realise until after the cases had gone. I had to go down to the luggage room in my bathrobe and get them to find his case. Luckily it was a small ship and they found it easily.
I disagree with the too late of a flight theory. In my experience, “go home day” is hectic and unpleasant. One goes from being pampered to being shewed off and clambering about in a warehouse looking through mountains of luggage before going through customs and then heading out into the heat of Florida (where we typically cruise out of) to navigate over-crowded sidewalks looking for a bus to go to the airport which is very busy with other cruisers. Then there’s TSA and the long walk to sit in uncomfortable seats at a gate, waiting to be herded onto a plane with too narrow seats for the flight home. On our last cruise, my wife and I opted for a later flight. So the early part of the nightmare was better in that we were in no hurry to get to the airport, so unexpected delays were not exacerbated by a deadline. Once we got to the airport, we rented a car and went to the beach. We also visited a museum and enjoyed a leisurely walk along tree-lined streets in a nearby town. We had a pleasant lunch and later in the afternoon returned to a much less crowded airport. Of course we still had TSA, uncomfortable chairs and too narrow seats in our coach accommodations on the plane, but the pace and the enjoyable experiences more than made up for the time we “lost” in getting home.
@@markej4801 We always plan to arrive the day before the cruise, and leave the day after. We've had too much experience with air travel delays (and cruise ships can be delayed too!) to want to plan same-day travel. We also like to budget for a couple of extra days of sightseeing in a cruise port, given the time and money we've already invested in that holiday.
Steve Rosengren I’ve, of course, heard about it, but is it much hassle? And, whatever the process, does a flight every few years justify the time spent?
When planning a cruise, I decide early whether I will be walking off the ship early with luggage or leaving later and picking up luggage at the disembarkation / customs area. When walking off early, I limit what I being on the ship to make my carry-off luggage as light as possible. Re-use of clothing for multiple situations and use of ship laundry services make this possible. Other passengers and security crew often comment on how little luggage I have when disembarking in this way. Good pre-planning and forethought really are key to make this approach successful.
My wife and I have one medium sized suitcase and one carry-on each. We cruise 14 to 28 days so far. As you say there is on board laundry service or some people, us included, just wash our clothes every few days in the sink and let them hang dry overnight. Not hard to do. We laugh at people coming aboard with 5 suitcases each.
We always fly the day before the cruise, so we can relax and do something fun. We book our flight for the day after we disembark. This gives us the rest of the day to relax and sight see.
We like to front load an extra day and also back load one. Makes concern over missing a cruise departure, or missing a flight home, a thing of the past. More civilized and relaxing indeed.
Great ideas Gary! One other tip I learned the hard way, don’t wait til the last minute to pack. Normally the last day is a sea day. My suggestion, right after breakfast go back to your cabin and pack. Like Gary said make sure to leave an outfit out and whatever toiletries you will need for the next day. Last cruise I waited until after dinner and it got late and I was so tired. I didn’t get my bag out until 2 minutes to 11:00 pm when they had to be outside the cabin. That was a painful lesson learned. Has anyone else ever done that?
Sometimes the only flight directly to my home country is 10 pm but we use the day to do an excursion. The cruise ship takes your bags and stores them, you get to have an extra days holiday. You are given a meet up time and they drop you directly to your airport with your luggage. If we are still too early ... buy a lounge access pass.
Great elevator tip, use it often. On embarkation when I have checked my large bag, we walk down a flight of stairs and grab an up elevator. Shhh, don't tell anyone!
I went on one cruise 4 years ago. I contracted Shigella and was very unceremoniously disembarked from the ship in a pair of underpants, a pajama top and a robe from the ship. Very embarrassing, but I was too sick to care. My husband was given 10 minutes to pack up our cabin and meet us for disembarkation. Everyone in line for their excursions were extremely upset when the tender came and my husband and I were put on it ahead of them, and they had to wait for the next one. But there was an ambulance waiting and we had to get there as fast as we could. I will never in my life ever go on a cruise again.
Nice list. My husband and I make a game out of making sure we have cleared everything out of the cabin. I do the packing and its a challenge for him to find something I may have missed or overlooked. This makes me pay more attention and makes it fun altogether. Thanks for sharing.
I generally don't put anything (or very few things) in the drawers. If it's not in the safe, closet, or the bathroom, I keep everything in my suitcase. Most cruises we take are about a week long...that's all. This way you never lose anything.
one thing I can add, we have strips of white and red yarn that we tie to the handle on our luggage to help identify our luggage, there's a lot of luggage out there that looks the same
One time I had green luggage with black and yellow caution tape on them, and there was somone else who had done the same exact bags the same exact way. It was incredible.
I made the late flight mistake on my first cruise. Got off the ship quickly with self carry. got t the airport at like noonish for an 8PM flight. Airports can be great to explore...but not from outside the security area. Next time I plan to stay an extra day to make my trip longer. :P
oldedude51 you raise very fair and salient points and the smaller ship focusing on destinations, natural history, scuba diving etc would definitely interest my wife and I . I’ve never likes large oversubscribed tourist destinations neither but maybe in the future trying one of the bigger ships might be an option, I’d always keep my options open.
Two traveling tips I go by, and they aren't specific to any way of flying is: 1) I don't use the safes in general. They can easily be screwed up (plus it's been shown that safes in hotels can have a master code if you accidentally lock your stuff in that the staff can use, not all, but some, so you never know. 2.) Instead of the safe, I generally bring some luggage locks. They won't stop someone from cutting open your bag, but it will at least keep the honest people honest. I generally put my laptop and/or tablet into my checked-bag when I'm not in my room, and also other valuables, and if possible, I put the bag out of sight, in a closet or something. But I at least make sure valuables are locked inside so they aren't seen by cleaning crews. I generally get locks that don't have a master key hole that TSA can use to open them. Or if I need to (and am really paranoid) I'll use TSA approved locks until I get the bag into my room, and then I use non-TSA approved locks while I'm in my hotel room or whereever. Keep your valuables with you too. This includes a camera, laptop/tablet, phone, money, etc. The thing about TSA approved locks is that it is possible for people (anyone) to buy the master keys to some of these locks and open your bags if they so choose. Harder if you use a lock that is NOT TSA approved, but again, don't put it on when you go to turn your bag in for check-in as they may cut it off to check the bag contents (happens more on flights, and I had that happen a few times because I used non-TSA Approved locks). Again, once I get to where I'm going, I then use the non-TSA locks which don't have the slot for a master key. Doing double (or triple) checks is good. I always pack my bags up the night before and set out clothes I'll wear the next morning so that way I'm not late for check-out. I'll usually do one last check on the room and dresser drawers to make sure I didn't forget anything. I also check the night before while I'm packing things up too. About passports, one travel tip I heard once was to photocopy the front page of your passport (which shows your name, and picture, etc). I would make a few copies really, and keep one with you (in your carry-on) and another in your checked bag in case your passport gets stolen or lost. It's easier to get a replacement passport if you have a photocopy to show you had one. It's not a guarantee but a simple step you can take. I'd even go as far as to copy your driver's license as well and do the same thing.
When I was flying from NZ to Manila I had a stopover at Melbourne airport for 6 hours, and I was not allowed to leave the airport at all. So I just spent the hours relaxing with a good book, eating at a cafe, and I had a sleep as well on a row of chairs where I was able to lie down. No waiting period is a bother to me as long as I have a book and access to coffee and tea.
And also sometimes if have no status to get into airline lounges it can be worth paying for a lounge to have comfy seats, often showers and food / drink
@@tipsfortravellers I once traveled with a wealthy bf and he was a member of the Koru Club which did have a lounge for the richies, but it wasn't that great. At Melbourne airport I got to check out all the shops and chat to people from different countries. I love traveling alone. I went to Japan twice on my own and to Manila to stay with friends there. Other people just get in my way and slow me down. I always know where I want to go and what I want to do and don't have to consult anybody.
Would you consider making a short series geared toward someone who hasn't traveled much and is a complete newcomer to cruising? There are so many amazing tips scattered throughout your videos it would be so helpful to have them all together in one playlist. This video especially is really so helpful and greatly appreciated.
It can seem like a lot, but I'd say cruising is still worth it. Really, the hardest days are embarkation and disembarkation. But this kind of knowledge will greatly improve those experiences. And between those two days, it's great. It's probably the closest you can get to being a carefree kid on summer holiday. You get to travel around while someone else "drives", someone else brings entertainment to you, someone else cooks, someone else cleans, and all YOU have to do is make sure you're on the ship on time.
Now I did a round trip from Miami. So what I did was I booked my flight for 8:55 back to Newark NJ where I live. And as soon as I got off the ship I went to the airport and stored my stuff there and went out into Miami and met up with friends from New Jersey who live there now. Then after we got done hanging out I Ubered back to the airport and got my stuff and checked in and caught my flight back to New Jersey
Yes, please check the safe! We once took a cruise where someone left $2000 in the safe! I had a dream that night where my hands were cut off for theft. We turned it in to guest services but I bet Carnival just pocketed the money.
Going on my 1st cruise in 1 day. Your uploads have been not just informative but also positive. I am Looking so very foward to my first and your uploads have helped settle the nerves and encourage my excitement. Thank you so very much.
12 o'clock seems like that would be cutting it pretty fine if the ship gets in at 8am and you don't get off until 9:30 Seems like 2 o'clock would be a better choice. A luggage tip I can give is to customize your bag, somehow. There could be 30 bags which look similar to yours. Maybe colored tape around the handle. I made some colorful stickers I could put on the top and bottom of my bag with my initials. This also works for air travel, when 20 identical looking bags are coming on the carousel.
Great tips! I do have an interesting story about bag forwarding though. After a great Alaska cruise with Norwegian earlier this year, I disembarked in Seattle. My flight to Chicago was much later in the day which gave me lots of time to wander around and see Seattle on a nice sunny day. Norwegian offered me a service that would forward my two bags directly to Seattle-Tacoma airport for the exact cost the airport would charge for checked bags. This seemed perfect because I did not want to lug two bags all over the city for the better part of a day so I paid for the service. This ended up great for me . . . until I arrived back at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Only one of my two bags made it back to Chicago. The other one, which contained most of my clothes, was missing. Eventually Delta Airlines found my missing bag and sent it home to me - 24 days later. While no personal items were missing and Delta refunded both bag fees plus gave me a small gift bag, it was a really disappointing experience. Has anyone else tried luggage forwarding and had problems? I'm going on another Norwegian cruise in a few weeks with a late flight back from San Juan, PR on disembarkation day and I'm nervous about trying this again.
I’ve used Luggage Concierge twice, both times out of Rome/Fiumicino and returning to U.S. Bags arrived on time, no damage, in good shape. It is somewhat costly, but in both cases it was well worth it.
LOL, what you said makes perfect sense, but FOLKS, remember to take your Passport in the beginning! Drove to Newark, NJ, caught the shuttle to the airport. Uh Oh, no Passport. 3 hr. drive home, 3 hr drive back, another load the shuttle and going through the airport. New flight arrangements, hope we get there in time...It was a fiasco, but we did it and all went well. Story in a nut shell but one lesson we'll never forget. We thought we were SO prepared.
Love your videos. Never been on a cruise but did pick up family members at terminal. One of the times when I was doing a pick up, there was a major accident on the highway leading to the terminal. I was lucky to get through before the road closed. While waiting for my family member to disembark, I was watching people disparate to get an UBER driver. the Uber drivers were canceling do to the road being blocked. There were lots of hotel shuttles and airport buses who came early and were already at the terminal. I was able to use sideroads to go around the closed exit. It did take a while longer. It got me thinking about the UBER drives. If the pick up is going to take them too much time do to traffic they may cancel since they get paid so little and its not worth their time. Plus if you have thousands of people all trying to get Ubers at the same time there area only a limited amount of drivers in the area you might have issues. I would have a back up plan if things go wrong.
Have only been on one cruise but, staying in hotels, I don't even use the safe on the last night. If you're scared of someone coming in while you're sleeping and stealing anything, put it in the bed with you. Your passports and money will slide under your pillow just fine.
My advice is not to over pack and pack if you need to fly. As cruise ships can breakdown, delayed by weather etc, and therefore you might have to take a cruise arranged flight home. Any car park tickets, tags I photograph them to my phone. Always carry a pack away holdall. So if you do need an extra bag you have fold out bag to go.
Not so sure about booking a flight too late being a mistake. I always book a flight for the next morning anyway so that I'm not in a rush. Also, depending on your status with an airline you can always go to the lounge where it will be a little more comfortable if you still want to fly out on the same day.
I never intend going on a cruise either but am also transfixed by this Ben Kingsley looky soundy like guy who with his partner go on numerous cruises a year and they take their Mums. I love him!!!
Thank you so much for the information, I've never cruise before as im about to cruise in December but due to this covid 19 lockdown I'm not sure whether the dates will be postponed or not. So im watching this information at least to have a clue, what to expect, what is needed. Well done and keep the good work.
Suggestion: Can you go more indepth on cheap cruises. Things to avoid if youre trying to save money. Best bang per buck activities on a cruise. Maximizing the use of free activities. Having a satisfactory OVERALL experience 300-500 dollars might be pushing the envelope in 2020...
Thanks for the advice we really appreciate your tips we like to leave later so we can get breakfast and don’t have to hurry and it is less congested and since I use a walker less people run over me bc they are in a hurry
Relation to No 6, I once checked our room over upon arrival and had found a pack of smokes tucked in with the life preservers in the room. I guess the previous guests were hiding a smoking habit 🤷🤷
The major blunders are not due to the passengers, but customs/immigration attitude and the port authority. 2 hours for embarkation in Miami 3 weeks ago and 4 hours to disembark. Just not enough personnel and agents, slow computers...etc
Going on my first cruise in a couple of months, on NCL. Great info here. I gather that if one only takes a carry-on, as long as you are willing to carry it down multiple flights of stairs the next morning you can just keep it in your room until you are ready to disembark?
Another tips is to make sure that you keep your customs duty form with you to show to Customs and to not put it in your suitcase. I made that mistake once and had to dig through my carry-on for the form while everyone watched.
That's why we moved to Florida to be near the cruise ports, and we take a ride service to and from the port. No hassle, we get off when we want and never have to wait for an elevator!
I would try to do this at the last minute, like before they actually physically take the bags from you. That way, you have a time/date stamp on the picture's file to prove that you didn't take it the day AFTER.
@@largol33t1 I think you you missed the point. Take a picture before embarking, then if they are damaged, take a picture of the damage. I take mine, at home, the day of departure. Too busy at the terminal/airport, likely to forget.
my cousin always utilizes the service where once they check in to the airport, they don't see their bags until they are on the ship and in their rooms [same thing when they leave]. he swears by it BUT I DO NOT TRUST IT. Too much of an opportunity for your bags to come up missing especially if your bags don't make it on the plane. its never happened to them but I know of one couple where it did happen and they were pissed!!! Let me carry my own shit, please and thanks. LOL
Another suggestion is staying in your cabin until close to the time you must leave it. We stayed in our cabin until about 30 minutes before we had to leave and pretty much every cabin door was open. Most people had already left.
On Regent, you can see your bill on the TV in your room and check it every day if you want to. Since they’re all-inclusive, the only extra things would be spa/salon services or things you buy on the ship. Or if you get an extremely expensive bottle of wine that’s not in the “included list.” Then they leave a printed copy in your cabin the night before you leave. You do need your key card, and I saw several people who forgot theirs!
We’ve done the Anchorage port valet where our bags magically went straight to the airline. Unfortunately, at least back then, the system wasn’t smart enough to recognize our frequent flyer level with free bags, so we paid for the convenience AND paid baggage fees that should have been waived.
Re point 5 and the cabin bill, I find it useful to use a section of your wallet or a ziplock bag/envelope to store any onboard receipts in. Sometimes they don’t show on the bill as the description you would expect them to and it makes it easier just to check them back to the cabin bill at the end of the cruise to confirm the final amount is correct.
I use Baggie that I had my toiletries in for the flight...even if I drive to the cruise city (my preference), I put my stuff in a Baggie, in case of leaks.
The last cruise I was on, there was a bus to the air[port. ( almost always, there is a cruise bus ).When a couple went to get their luggage off the bus, the employe!e wasnt checking tags. He had given their bag to someone! I have no idea how you would go about getting your bag back
When leaving a hotel I open every drawer closet and cabinet and take a photograph of them empty helps when I wake up at 2 am wondering if I checked an area.
This is very different from getting off a ferry, where you still are sent to wait if a foot passenger but only for about 10-15 minutes or so. (Last time, on the Dublin Swift, the lower car deck was emptied, the upper car deck was not. I also notice the Swift has a lot more foot passengers than the slower ferries, I think because the fare difference is minimal for foot/rail passengers but is high for car passengers.)
We always pack some clothes in our hand luggage, so if we want to get change into something else we can do, we do this in the cruise toilets. we stay on board until it is our turn to disembark as we can grab a drink and have food
We went on an optional city tour of San Diego on the way to the airport on disembarkation day. Great time with multiple stops. A lady realized that she wasn't going to make her flight. That cut the tour short. Inconveniencing all of us because one person didn't get the time right!
hey Gary, I've never ever, wanted to do a cruise, but after watching many of your very helpful and informative vids, I may, just may do one! Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your content, as do others
Time for flight also depends on how the close the airport is to the port. A 1 1/2 hr drive to airport Noon is not good. My first cruise customs was so slow we almost missed a 2:30 pm flight at LAX. They were boarding when we got to the gate. We prefer to wait to the next day so if the ship gets delayed due to medical or Jumpers, no need to scramble, I don't want to end a peaceful cruise with a stress filled return home.
We have to fly to Canada and have no choice as there is only one flight per day. From Fort Lauderdale we can fly same day 2:40 p.m. but from Miami we had to spend a night as the flight left at about the same time the ship docked. 8 a.m.
Buy different funny, amusing stickers and sticker you luggage to death. With all your stickers you can instantly identify your luggage amongst the thousands Gary mentions. Do this even on snooty cruise lines as well. Makes your trip much simpler.
This. All of this. I take pictures of everything and put the images in a PIN protected folder on my phone. This has saved my hide so many time. Pictures of luggage, paper work etc.
one thing I do is empty a drawer and leave it open until until all the drawers are open and empty, the safe is empty and open. Then I close the drawers, checking again as I close it.
Can I just stay onboard in my room and watch tv while everyone disembarks and then go later on when the crowd has thinned? Or, maybe go to a cafe on the ship?
We made a big mistake in NYC getting off the QM2. We were going to an Airbnb in Brooklyn however none of the taxis in the queue would take us. Why? Well it’s because they wanted the $100 fares to Manhattan. We couldn’t book an Uber as we hadn’t yet purchased an American SIM for my phone! Eventually the man supervising the taxi queue felt sorry for us (we were stuck for 2 hours after disembarking having queued and failed to get a taxi). The guy phoned a ‘friend’ for a $20 tip……
