Departation

[gevans]

If your ship on the last day arrives at 8:30 a.m., what time would be best to catch an airplane flight back home. I do not know how long it takes to get off the ship and still have enough time to catch a plane home. Help!!!

Also, are the cabins with the balconies really worth the extra money? I can't decide whether to get an inside cabin or one with a balcony. Decisions!! Decisions!! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif[/img]

[Karen Knowlton]

Rule of thumb, never book a return flight that departs the cruise port earlier than 1 PM. Noon might be ok, but I wouldn't advise it. Usually you are off the ship by about 10:30 AM, but occasionally there are immigration delays that hold everyone up.
As far as balcony cabin vs. less money - that is your decision. If you are sailing in the Caribbean with at least 3 at-sea days in a 7-week itinerary, it might not be worth it from a scenic point of view. HOwever, perhaps you or your travel companion(s) prefer an extra bit of privacy and quiet time, in which case the balcony might very well be worth the extra cost.
If you are sailing Alaska or the Norwegian fjords, a balcony is DEFINITELY worth it!
Karen [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[gevans]

Karen, thanks so much for your input. Have you ever traveled on the Royal Carribean Enchantment of the Sea?

[Sue]

Just returning from Celebrity Constellation with disembarkation in Dover, England, an 11 AM flight was more than enough time to make. Dover is the easiest place in the world to disembark. So much depends on where you've been, what cruise line, and where you'll be disembarked. I believe that Dover will become a model of disembarkation. How about porter's that are paid for by the city. We left the ship's Atrium, went through custom's (there wasn't any, as we filled out forms before we boarded, and they had all our information reviewed), picked up luggage, and boarded the bus in less than 20 minutes. 2,100 people were going to be offloaded in less than 2 hours. Give me an idea where you'll be coming in, and ports involved, and I might be able to tell you better.