Advice on debarkation

[cvjw]

Maybe because people were still under the impression they had to wait and few were walking off?

The line was already long to leave. All thru the atrium and backed up on the stairs. 3600 people on board.

 

[PugsRuleATL]

I can't help you with this, but I wanted to applaud the use of 'debarkation'. A piece of me dies each time a flight attendant says deplane, so long may ships avoid this watering down of the English language.

The word deplane has been used since the 1920s. Merriam Webster defines it as “to disembark from a plane”.

Seems like those FAs are using the word perfectly well.

 

[holula]

They didn't in November(Fantasy) and December (Wish) Guest Services told us they no longer do it. They said everybody can just walk off when ready.

They did it by tags in San Diego in December although that port is a hot mess. I can’t imagine if they didn’t call tags.

 

[Marc D]

They did it by tags in San Diego in December although that port is a hot mess. I can’t imagine if they didn’t call tags.

Historically, tags have always been used in ports outside of PC to stagger the passengers getting off the ship. In those ports, they are usually still getting luggage off the ship while the first passengers are disembarking. We've seen luggage being carted in as we were going through the terminal in Miami, Dover or Copenhagen.

In PC, the ship gets in early enough, and there is DCL staff immediately available to manage luggage in the terminal, so they don't need to use the tags most of the time. They still issue them just in case they are running late, but you'll usually find that all the luggage is already there even if you disembark immediately at 7:30.

 

[happycamper47]

Historically, tags have always been used in ports outside of PC to stagger the passengers getting off the ship. In those ports, they are usually still getting luggage off the ship while the first passengers are disembarking.

That is what I was use to since the Wonder has been our most cruised. Ariel is always called first so since we needed to get off early I went to request Ariel tags in lieu of the assigned tags when on the Fantasy. That's when GS said everybody could get off as soon as the ship was cleared and they didn't call tags so I didn't need to change since all the luggage would be off loaded. When we were on the Wish I didn't ask we just got in iine and walked off and all the luggage was there as well.

 

[kiford]

They do not call luggage tags anymore.

They did on our recent cruise (Wish, debarkation date of Feb 3).

 

[happycamper47]

They did on our recent cruise (Wish, debarkation date of Feb 3).

So I guess like all things DISNEY the only consistency is being inconsistent..

 

[tvguy]

I think Express walk off is a bit of a misnomer, at least at PC. Luggage is ready to be retrieved as soon as they say the ship has cleared customs. They do not call luggage tags anymore. We had breakfast in the MDR, got in line walked off the ship, grabbed our luggage and went through customs and in the garage at 7:30/7/45.

Express walk off is not a bit of a misnomer, it is a huge misnomer. Standing in line for 45 minutes to get off the ship does not fit the term "express" to me.
I never cruise Disney any other way, they never called groups like other lines. Other lines have passengers wait in designated public venue until it is their turn to leave. And every other line I have been on has the public venue stocked with pastries and coffee for people while they wait.

 

[Marc D]

So I guess like all things DISNEY the only consistency is being inconsistent..

Rather, they adapt to the situation and plan for the worst. If they called tags on that sailing out of PC, they didn’t have time to bring out all the luggage before 7:30 for some reason. Maybe they lacked staff that day, arrived late because of weather or some other technical issue.

 

[happycamper47]

Rather, they adapt to the situation and plan for the worst. If they called tags on that sailing out of PC, they didn’t have time to bring out all the luggage before 7:30 for some reason. Maybe they lacked staff that day, arrived late because of weather or some other technical issue.

I would agree "IF" we hadn't been told 2 days prior to disembarkation that they no longer called luggage tags when we were on the Fantasy and everybody could just walk off once it was announced the ship was cleared. As I said that is what we did on both the Fantasy in November and the Wish in December.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

If I remember correctly, they called luggage tags when I last cruised (March 2019)

 

[Cheburashka]

They do not call luggage tags anymore.

On the Magic in Miami, at least, they do. I sailed her last month and luggage tags were being called.

 

[n2mm]

Left the fantasy on Saturday. Sold out ship with 3600 passengers. We ate at cabanas around 8:00 and got in the LONG line to leave the ship around 8:30. We were at Saratoga springs around 10:00 and inside the MK by 10:30.

This was our last fantasy cruise experience. We headed off the ship about 7:45 and got paused on the breezeway. The luggage area lines were so long they would not let anyone go into the luggage area until the lines went down. They held us on the breezeway ramp for 30 minutes. Once we started moving it took another 30 minutes to get down the ramps and actually grab a porter to get our luggage. He directed me to the long line and caught up to me later. The line wrapped throughout the luggage tables. We had 3300 onboard. We didn’t get to boardwalk, via our own car in the parking lot until 10:30. After cruising 7 times since the restart in august 2021, it was the most crowded cruise I’ve been on.