Leaving the ship

[LindyWebb]

We are on the Magic in December and have a later flight home so we are in no hurry to get off the ship. Is the only place to eat that morning the assigned dining time? I don't really want to get up at 7 for breakfast. What is the latest we can chill and relax in our stateroom or on the ship?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are on the Magic in December and have a later flight home so we are in no hurry to get off the ship. Is the only place to eat that morning the assigned dining time? I don't really want to get up at 7 for breakfast. What is the latest we can chill and relax in our stateroom or on the ship?

You must be out of your room by 8:00 and off the ship by 9:00. Remember they need to get the ship ready for the next bunch of cruisers.

If you have early dinner seating breakfast in the Main Dining room (the same one you ate the last night) is generally around 6:45. If you have late dinner seating breakfast is around 8:00. OR you can go to Cabanas. It's open until (I think) 8:00 for service, but you can remain there until around 8:30. OR the last day, pick up milk, sweet rolls, cereal, fruit in Cabanas and bring it all back to your room. That way you can eat while you prepare to leave in the morning.

 

[LindyWebb]

Thanks. I was reading so much about getting on the ship at 11 and 12 I figured they must have to clear the ship quickly. This is our first DC we have cruised carnival before and getting off was a disaster. Huge lines, very hot, grumpy people. I want to avoid that!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I think you might be surprised. DCL disembarkation is not bad at all. You will get character tags with specific characters and colors. Your luggage will be sorted by these tags and you are called to disembark by these characters as well, so its not a big cattle call to leave the ship. Your luggage is also easier to find.

 

[kiford]

Your luggage will be sorted by these tags and you are called to disembark by these characters as well, so its not a big cattle call to leave the ship.

We've never had them call the characters to leave the ship. There is a call early morning when you can walk off the ship with your luggage if you have a particularly early flight. Then they just divide by early or late breakfast and let you leave when you're done eating. It tends to spread people out so there isn't a need for calling for groups. Obviously, it was more crowded with the Dream over the Magic but still done the same way. That's what we experienced at Port Canaveral, Dover and Barcelona. I can't comment on any other ports where it may be done differently. We've always found it reasonably efficient. You may have a bit of a wait due to customs but it's always been easy to find our luggage and disembark in those ports.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

our luggage will be sorted by these tags and you are called to disembark by these characters

We've never had them call the characters to leave the ship.

It varies by ship and port. Some terminal's baggage areas are not large enough to hold all luggage at the same time, and so they call characters to spread out how many people are in there trying to claim bags.

Other terminals, they plenty of room to have all the bags off at the same time (lots of smaller claim areas) and you just go to the area that has your character whenever you get off the ship.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

All I can say is that I have sat in the Promenade Lounge waiting for them to call my character before as recently as Alaska. They showed them on the projection screen there. But, sometimes, by the time we have breakfast and collect all of our luggage our character has already been called and we just leave the ship.

Regardless, it has always been an easy process and not disastrous.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

All I can say is that I have sat in the Promenade Lounge waiting for them to call my character before as recently as Alaska. They showed them on the projection screen there. But, sometimes, by the time we have breakfast and collect all of our luggage our character has already been called and we just leave the ship.

Regardless, it has always been an easy process and not disastrous.

Yes for example Vancouver Dover, will have this process and later breakfasts as well.

 

[Jennifer777]

We now eat at Cabanas (or Beach Blanket buffet) on the last morning in lieu of our scheduled dining time. It feels much less hurried to me and there's no waiting. You get your food and then get in line to leave the ship. We let our wait staff know the night before that we wouldn't be dining with them in the morning, say our goodbyes and thank yous and give them their tip envelopes.

In PC, we were able to walk right off the ship. In Miami, the line to get off the Wonder snaked around multiple corners so we grabbed some coffee from Cove and found some chairs by the exit and people watched as we waited for the line to shorten. I don't think we were off the ship until at least 9:30 that day.

 

[Sytrace]

We always sail on Dream or Fantasy out of Port Canaveral which actually owns their own terminal building with LOTS of space for luggage. The process is slightly different because of this in regards to having character luggage tags, but there is no calling of the character sections for guests to collect luggage. The disembark and go (or have a porter go) to get their luggage in the appropriate area. Then they go thru customs and take the luggage outside for you.

All guests still need to be out of their cabin by 8 :00 AM and off the ship by 9 :00 AM. Usually when you are leaving your cabin the room host/hostess has already started the cleaning process on the other cabins where the guests had early dining.