Wonder inaugral Miami sailing Dec. 23, 2012

[Dogsambam]

Being the inaugral sailing out of Miami and being the Christmas sailing, do people think the check in may be a complete disorganized mess? Also, does anyone think there will be a huge production in the port due to the first Disney sailing. From my understanding there are some billboards up about the Disney arrival, and the local news programs had something on last week about the arrival of Disney to Miami.

[jdb in AZ]

Is the ship sailing from an established port? I assume lots of other cruises have left from the same berth at the same terminal, and the cruise agents are experienced. Here's hoping.

[neg58]

I do expect some confusion. I don't know if the CMs in the terminal will be used to the 'Disney way' or if it will be their first day too. I've read some reports of the Galviston first sailing and I think it was a little slower but not horrible. There was extra news coverage but I think they were just a little annoying, not really causing a delay.

Because the departing passengers have been on board for 2 weeks, I think they might have more than the average amount of luggage, so it will take longer for them to get through customs and just to shuttle them away. Few of them will have cars at the Port since they boarded in L.A. so lots of shuttles and taxis.

It wouldn't surprise me if boarding doesn't happen until noon or later. Hope I'm wrong!

Nancy

[lbgraves]

Just a warning about the guests getting off that first day in Miami, whenever the ship does a repo cruise it always takes longer for the ship to clear customs. It also will depend on whether or not the terminal's luggage area has enough room for everyone's luggage or not. If it doesn't then guests will have to wait to be let off the ship by character luggage tags since they will put each character's bags in the pickup area seperately -- like they do in Vancouver. In 2008 we did the EBPC repo to PC and we did not get off the ship until way after 9 a.m. We sat on deck 4 in the loungers while the kids hung out because it was wall-to-wall people in the atrium and down all of the hallways leading up to it.