Disembark question

[andrencau]

I have read about disembarkation a little bit and have read by some that its a nightmare. So my question is, if you really have nowhere to be in a hurry, do you HAVE to line up with all the others for when the doors open? Can you still shop, enjoy the decks, sleep in or do you have to be herded with all the other cattle

 

[MagicMe]

I believe they want you out of your room by around 8 and off the ship by 9-9:30. You can feel free to roam the ship but the shops, pools, etc. will be closed. You can relax in a common area until the crowds go down so you do not have to get in line.

You will be assigned a breakfast time (based on early/late seating) for the restaurant (always the last restaurant where you ate dinner) but Cabanas is also open I believe until about 8/8:30.

The picture area is always crammed with people getting last minute pictures or picking up their CD's, etc.

 

[NFLDERS]

Pg 2 Title:. Final night, Why put out your luggage?. Has different ideas of similar options.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I have read about disembarkation a little bit and have read by some that its a nightmare. So my question is, if you really have nowhere to be in a hurry, do you HAVE to line up with all the others for when the doors open? Can you still shop, enjoy the decks, sleep in or do you have to be herded with all the other cattle

We get up at 7, get the final odds and ends packed up, and try to be out of the room at about 7:30. I think that our final dining breakfast was 7:45 or something? Which was fine. We got to enjoy a great family breafkast together (instead of buffet which isnt very 'together'), then we bought a photo (you can't shop in port, the shops are duty free so can't be open until they leave the dock, so shop as much as you can the night before!) and we were close to debarking around 9.

We DID leave our luggage out the night before, it was very easy to locate coming off and we didn't have to lug it around all morning until customs. It was a very relaxed day for us because all we had to look forward to was an awful 14 yr drive back home. We wanted to spend as much time with the family as possible. We got back to the car at about 10:00, said our good byes and made sure nothing of theirs was left in our car, and we drove off about 10:30a.

There was definitely no night mare for us.

Also if you have late dining like we did, you get to have late breakfast too. Yay!

edit: we went to WDW on the first cruise after debarking. Still got off the ship about 9, thru customs at 9:30 and made it to EPCOT at 10:30. Given that we were hopping and MK was open til 12:00am, we were really glad we got the extra sleep! We still didn't have to break the door down off the ship to make it too every park (and EPCOT twice!) that day.

 

[andrencau]

I guess I should have also stated that we are staying concierge and its my understanding that we can have breakfast delivered to our room on that day. Will that mean that we have until 9 or 930?

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

They want everyone off the ship by 9 if possible or darn near close to it. I saw a lot of CM running around saying "Is the ship clear? Is it clear?" I would hear them radio that 30 people hadnt checked off yet etc. They were down to the wire. I think its a customs clearance thing, not just cleaning the room thing.

 

[lanejudy]

I guess I should have also stated that we are staying concierge and its my understanding that we can have breakfast delivered to our room on that day. Will that mean that we have until 9 or 930?

Yes, concierge may order room service breakfast the last morning, but I believe it's only until maybe 8:45am. They still want you off the ship preferrably around 9:00am and if you are still puttering about at 9:30am you may not get the "concierge" level service as they hurry you off. The ship cannot be turned over for the next cruise until everyone is off. Just think how soon you hope to be able to board the ship to start your cruise - someone else wants to do that the day you get off. If departing guests delay getting off that means arriving guests are delayed boarding.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[tweis]

I guess I should have also stated that we are staying concierge and its my understanding that we can have breakfast delivered to our room on that day. Will that mean that we have until 9 or 930?

As others have state, all the shops, pools, etc. are closed on debarkation morning. You can still get coffee in the Cove Cafe and purchase photos from Shutters but that is pretty much it. Concierge can still get room service delivered but everyone still has to be off the ship by 9:00.

 

[andrencau]

Not really trying to hold anything up, just wanted to know if there was a reason to stand elbow to elbow for 20 minutes trying to be first off the ship. I understand for those flying out or those that have a long drive ahead of them.

 

[tweis]

Not really trying to hold anything up, just wanted to know if there was a reason to stand elbow to elbow for 20 minutes trying to be first off the ship. I understand for those flying out or those that have a long drive ahead of them.

You don't have to stand elbow to elbow for 20 minutes trying to be the first off the ship. Sunday we did the express walk off that starts at 7:00 because we were in a hurry but there was still no long line of people waiting to get off. However, last time we put our luggage out the night before, went to our scheduled breakfast (6:45) during that time the ship was cleared so when we were finished with breakfast we walked right off the ship and collected our bags. No problems at all and no long lines either. Others have reported chaos but we have had no problems. It has been a very simple and quick process. They want everyone off the ship between 7:00-9:00.

 

[lbgraves]

It was a very relaxed day for us because all we had to look forward to was an awful 14 yr drive back home.

You win the award for the longest distance to travel to reach the ship. Oh TAG FAIRY!!!!

 

[Zandy595]

Just so everyone knows, the shops are only open when the ship is at sea.

Cabanas closes down the buffet line around 8:30am, but you can still sit and eat until around 9am.

Sometimes the line is a lot worse if you wait until 9am to get off the ship.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

You win the award for the longest distance to travel to reach the ship. Oh TAG FAIRY!!!!

And we did it TWICE in two months! Although in fairness, if we didn't have so much stinkin construction, Atlanta spring break, 2 accidents, a stalled semi we had to detour around, and the kicker: a bad tank of gas that wouldn't let me accelerate up the hills in Chattanooga (ever been there?!) and turned OFF my cruise control! (Yuck! No cruise control??!) it would have been 13 hrs from PC. We drive to Orlando first so that makes it an even 12 hrs. This last one of PC was AWFUL AWFUL. We were home at 1:30 EST/ 12:30am CST (our time zone) and the whole time, we were just praying that the car would get us home (because even my check engine light came on because it had no throttle and was concerned that it was a throttle sensor gone bad!) I think if we had known the return trip would be so awful, we would have REALLY actually (almost did) stopped in Nashville and just flown the rest of the way, regardless of what it cost. We had a voucher and air miles and if they would have combined them, we were going to stop and fly. On the way back, we REALLY wished we had! Btw, we filled up at the gas Plaza in the middle of the toll road?! It was either that or the DQ (awful!) combo gas station around Atlanta. Now I'm going to get really nervous about filling up. Maybe only BP from now on as hard is that is...

My poor Jetta. We decided after 2 different round trips, we weren't going ANYWHERE for a while!

 

[dbarker]

I have watched the TV special about Embarkation Day on Destination American (TV). I think the show was called "Extreme Cruise Ship".

Anyway, I have a whole new respect about getting off the ship after watching this show. My family will do our part and leave as soon as possible.

Getting to the "Zero Count" is so critical for the cruise ships to be able to get ready for the next cruise.