Disembark Without Distress

If you can’t walk off, you’re bringing too much stuff, says my suddenly wise travel companion.

The backstory: his big black bag—which looks like hundreds of other big black bags—was nowhere to be found in the cruise terminal on Disembarkation Day.

By the time we hooked up with the bag-taking couple, they were already at the airport. Our stuff nearly ended up in Maryland. We live in Florida.

Your bags could end up in Maryland too. Or Timbuktu. If you think it can’t happen to you, just peruse the forums on cruisecritic.com. It seems no matter how many pink pompoms or ruby red ribbons you put on your luggage, some folks can still think the bag is theirs.

And so, we’ve begun to, as the cruise lines call it, “walk off.” For the unfamiliar, this means that instead of letting the crew take your bags the night before the cruise’s end and delivering them in the terminal, you take them all with you when you leave.

What we’ve discovered is that there are many joys to walking off, such as:

A peaceful night before. The evening hours before Disembarkation Day used to be, for us, a panicky packing marathon, as we scrambled to get the bags into the hallway by the deadline. Now there’s no deadline and much less stress.

Smiling through the Disembarkation form. That dreaded form seems to show up earlier and earlier in the cruise—you know which one I mean—it asks how you’re going to get home so you can be scheduled for departure. It’s wonderful to check off the “walk off” option.

Leaving when we want. You don’t have to gulp down breakfast, drag your carryon to the theater and sit around impatiently waiting for your number to be called. You can just eat and get off the ship.

App it and it’s even faster. If you’re leaving from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades or Miami’s Seaport Cruise Port, do the Mobile Passport. Simply download it before the cruise from Play Store or Apple’s App Store to do part 1. You do part 2 when you’re about to leave the ship. It’s easy and you’ll breeze right through Customs.

Once you do walk off, you’ll always walk off. It takes some of the edge off what is already distressing—the end of your wonderful cruise.

Setting Off in Calm Seas

It may be counterintuitive, but going on vacation is stressful. There’s so much to remember, so much to do. And if it’s your first cruise, not knowing what to expect can ratchet this up a notch. But here are a few tips to ensure smooth sailing before your ship leaves the pier.

See when you need to show up at the port. This will vary by cruise line and port; check your cruise documents or the cruise line’s website. Usually, you have to be at the ship at least 60 minutes before departure.

Research the port and pier. You might want to see where in the port your ship will be and if anything’s going on there you should know about. For example, Ft. Lauderdale’s Port Everglades has been undergoing major construction for quite a while, and some of Princess and Celebrity’s ships are at the far end of the port. Which can mean a very slow trip and you’ll need to build in extra time. Here are links to the major Florida ports: PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay, Port Canaveral.

Plot out your path. The best way to avoid panic to the port is planning: where to stay the night before, how long you need to get to the port and where you’re going to park. Check out forums like the one on cruisecritic.com for ideas on where to stay. And know the route to the port in advance. Our first trip, we put the port street into the GPS and ended up on a road with the right name--but in the wrong town. By the time we discovered what went wrong and made it to the port, we were one of the last on the ship.

Bring seasickness medicine. That’s the surest way to not need it. 

Pack the right stuff in your carryon. When you get to the port, you’ll have to relinquish your

luggage, except your carryon. So, you should keep anything you’ll need for the next few hours in your carryon (the luggage may not show up in your cabin for hours—sometimes as late as 6 p.m.). Keep in mind, though, that if you’re planning on getting onboard before about 1 p.m. (when the cabins are usually ready to receive you), you’ll be stuck carrying around that carryon while you’re going to lunch or checking out the ship. You might consider one with wheels.

Don’t leave home without it. Before you leave your home, make sure you have your passport and driver’s license with you. Then check again. Have both, as well as the boarding passes you printed up after online check-in within easy reach because you’ll need it when you get to the port.

Securely fasten luggage tags on each of your bags. You need to print these up at home, and staple or tape them closed around luggage handles. (We bring a small stapler with us and do it just before leaving for the port. Or, you can always ask to borrow one from the hotel front desk.)

If you’re taking Celebrity and do the online check-in enough in advance, you can order luggage tags on their website. Color-coded stickers will come in the mail, and you can easily fasten them with their own adhesive.

Don’t bother eating on your way to the port; lunch is waiting. Enjoy the hunger—it’s the last time you’ll feel it. Then when you get onboard, you can enjoy a leisurely first meal in the buffet. Some ships have the dining room and other restaurants open, too.

Set aside some ones for the luggage guys. Tipping the guys at the port who take your luggage is not just customary—it’s essential. If you don’t, you should have a back-up plan for your luggage, like prayer.

Breathe deeply and relax. You’re on vacation!

Musing’s Tip: They won’t provide info, but they’re fun just the same—follow these webcam links to live feeds from the ports: Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, PortMiami