please explain getting off the ship on last morning....

[ten822]

We are in no rush getting off the boat (late flight). I've heard that everyone needs to be off boat around 9:30 and you need to eat, pick up pictures, get dressed, etc... all before 9:30?? I am a little worried. Also, the whole process w/getting off the boat and retrieving bags somewhere? It all seems very confusing. I don't mind lugging my own bags (car will be in parking garage) if it's not far? Anyone done this?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are in no rush getting off the boat (late flight). I've heard that everyone needs to be off boat around 9:30 and you need to eat, pick up pictures, get dressed, etc... all before 9:30?? I am a little worried. Also, the whole process w/getting off the boat and retrieving bags somewhere? It all seems very confusing. I don't mind lugging my own bags (car will be in parking garage) if it's not far? Anyone done this?

The last night, you place your larger bags outside your room for DCL to take off the ship for you. You will have received luggage tags with a character and color on them. The bags are place in an area in the terminal that is labeled with the character/color indicated.

In the morning, you must be out of your room by 8:00. If you had early dinner seating, you will be assigned to an early breakfast seating (usually around 6:45). If you had late dinner seating, the assignment is usually around 8:00. You will eat in the dining room you had dinner in the last night.

Then, after the ship has been cleared by customs/immigration (usually around 7:45), they start allowing people to debark. First are the people who are lugging their own bags (usually due to early flights/connections). Then they announce open debarkment (this is for Port Canaveral, other ports may be different). By 9:00 DCL is strongly encouraging anyone still onboard toward the door.

After getting off the ship, you go to the baggage area and claim your bags, then line up for customs/immigration check. Then you exit the terminal and leave.

I'd suggest, if you have pictures to pick up, you do so the night before, as Shutters is a madhouse in the morning.

The problem with you taking your own bags off with you, is that you are assigned to depart the ship early. It's a problem when people with bags mix with all the others who don't have bags to wrangle off the ship.

 

[biddlesmith]

If you are getting a car service what time would you recommend?

 

[Sytrace]

If you are getting a car service what time would you recommend?

I would base that on what dining time you had. For example, main dining, you will have breakfast that last morning at 6:45 AM and could feasibly be off the ship by 8:00 AM barring no problems with customs clearing the ship and getting luggage etc.
If you have late dining, your breakfast will be at 8:15 AM and you could be off the ship by 9:00 or a bit sooner.
Do you have a dining time yet?

 

[MickeyD]

What we did was order room service the night prior (except for coffee, which we ran up to Cabanas and got), ate breakfast and grabbed our luggage (we didn't leave it out the night prior) and headed down to the atrium about 7:30. By then they were letting those that used Express debarkation off and we were through Customs and ready for pick up by 7:45. I would think if you wanted to do something like this, even if you had to retrieve luggage, you could have your car service pick up at 8?

 

[Disney_Princess83]

We are in no rush getting off the boat (late flight). I've heard that everyone needs to be off boat around 9:30 and you need to eat, pick up pictures, get dressed, etc... all before 9:30?? I am a little worried. Also, the whole process w/getting off the boat and retrieving bags somewhere? It all seems very confusing. I don't mind lugging my own bags (car will be in parking garage) if it's not far? Anyone done this?

When you go and collect your bags, there are people to help you. They have trolleys that they load your bags onto, they stay with you through the line, through customs and out to your car or transport. They aren't employed by Disney and a tip is expected. Each time, they have been amazing with our luggage, they pack all the bags into the car, last time I had to use their phone to call our driver (my phone wasn't working) They were lovely and deserved every cent of their tip. It was an incredible help to us. You will see them standing around near the luggage collection area.

 

[clten]

The problem with you taking your own bags off with you, is that you are assigned to depart the ship early. It's a problem when people with bags mix with all the others who don't have bags to wrangle off the ship.

They do not know who has and hasn't had their bags picked up and moved to the terminal; they don't keep a list of who is carrying off their bags so they don't assign you to any group. Express walk-off is for people who have to leave the ship early, yes, one of the conditions is that they have to carry off their bags but they also have to be at the gangway to leave at a particular time. So not everyone who decides to carry off their own bags is expected to leave the ship early.

OP, since you are not in a rush, I recommend you put your bags out the night before and allow Disney to move them to the terminal area. The problem that I think PrincessShmoo was referring to was the difficulties of moving around the crowded ship that morning which becomes even harder if you are also carrying off all your luggage -- elevators tend to be very full with very few people because suitcases are taking up all the room, the entry ways to the MDR are cluttered by the collection of luggage because there is very few other places to put it while you are dining (have to keep the walkways near the tables clear because the servers are still carrying heavy trays of food).

That last morning isn't as frantic as it may sound -- unless you need to go to Shutters or if you are like us and don't like getting up early to start with, it's very sad to have to get up early to end vacation! The only timelines you are on is the 8:00 am to get out of your room (that's luggage and everything) and 9:30 off the ship (this should be your target, for the smaller ships this is about when the last guests are leaving; for the larger ships, there seemed to be many guests still making their way off at that time). You can go to your assigned breakfast in the MDR or you can get breakfast from the buffet. As a pp said, once you make it into the terminal to get your luggage, there will be porters that will assist you with your luggage.

 

[CinderellaDreamer]

Clten, we have early dining and will be assigned to the early breakfast. Are the buffets open also? Could we eat a little later there? I have teens who are tough to get going in the morning, and we don't have a rush that morning.

 

[AndreAggie]

Yes, Cabanas is open for breakfast too. It might not be the full buffet, but there is still plenty of options.

 

[mevelandry]

We ate at Cabanas the last day. If I had to do it again I would go to the MDR instead. Both menus are limites anyway.

 

[lanejudy]

Clten, we have early dining and will be assigned to the early breakfast. Are the buffets open also? Could we eat a little later there? I have teens who are tough to get going in the morning, and we don't have a rush that morning.

Cabanas serves until 8:00am, I think, with seating allowed until 8:30am. They won't restock the buffet after 8am and I'm not sure when the start to clear it, so I recommend arriving a bit earlier.

Another option is to debark and grab breakfast somewhere on land; though you'll still have to be out of the stateroom by 8am but it may allow your teens a few extra minutes of shut-eye before you roll them out of bed.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[belac]

The best way I can describe it is, it is the saddest day of the year and rushes by so quickly, I absolutely hat it.
On a more serious note:
The only addition I have to what has been stated above is look at your bill the night before as well, preferably after diner so that all your charges are on there and get a printout copy, and take that with you to match up to your CC bill.

 

[RedSox68]

If you are getting a car service what time would you recommend?

We always have them pick us up at 9:15. We never do the restaurant on the last morning because we find it too sad and rushed. And since we are late dining, we'd have to bring all our luggage with us, which is a pain. Usually my DH and DD run up to Cabanas and gets drinks and bagels/cereal and we eat in the room while we get ready and finish last minute packing. We leave straight from our room at about 8:45 and are downstairs and through customs by 9:15 or so. The car service we use has a 15-minute grace period.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

so they don't assign you to any group. Express walk-off is for people who have to leave the ship early, yes, one of the conditions is that they have to carry off their bags but they also have to be at the gangway to leave at a particular time. So not everyone who decides to carry off their own bags is expected to leave the ship early.

OK. I was figuring it was like on the other cruise lines I've been on where, if you are carrying your bags off, you must be in the first group off. It seems that Disney doesn't go that way.

Thanks for the correction.

 

[over50visits]

No idea who said you can't carry off your bags, you certainly can, any time of departure. Sorry you're getting bad information.

But..I agree with those who suggest you put it outside your room and get it in the departure area of the terminal. Easy, the only way you can leave, you can't miss it. One big room easy to find yours, one line to get in. Plenty of porters there to help you carry if you want. Since you are in no hurry you can get off as late as they'll let you (about 9:30).

We always eat at Cabanas. We like to leave as late as we can, and we found the MDRs crowded and rushed. When we peek in now on our way to the topside buffet it looks the same. Up in Cabanas there is a wonderful selection of foods, and an outstanding view that helps relieve the crowded feeling. Take your time, sample the various offerings, have coffee, and wind your way down to the exit when you are ready. If you don't have too late, we have found the sweet spot seems to be 10-15 minutes after the second MDR seating. The first seating folks have mostly cleared off the ship, and the second seating are still in the dining rooms eating. But, if you want as late as possible, just stay in Cabanas until its obviously time to leave, and away you go.

Easy. Only one way to go, follow the lines and you'll have your luggage and be prepared to get on your chosen transportation right away.

 

[ceecee]

We planned on staying after the cruise but have since changed and are staying before. What time would a good flight out of MCO be? Our airlines have 1:00 and 6:00 pm. MCO is a nice airport but I don't want to have a long wait!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We planned on staying after the cruise but have since changed and are staying before. What time would a good flight out of MCO be? Our airlines have 1:00 and 6:00 pm. MCO is a nice airport but I don't want to have a long wait!!

1:00 is a good time. DCL recommends flights after 11:30, so 1:00 will work fine.

If you opt for 6:00 (for whatever reason) you could get a day room at the Hyatt in the airport. That gives you a place to rest (remember that's an early wake up that morning), use the pool, repack anything that needs to be.

 

[The Sasquatch]

we have dont it all ways and just this past time we decided to take our time. We let them take our bags the night before and we had breakfast in our mdr with our servers and it was a far better experience. we walked out of the dining room and right off the ship. no crowd at all.

 

[Frwinkley]

Am I understanding this correctly?

Early dinner means early breakfast in MDR on last day (6:45 a.m.)

If you'd like to linger a bit, go to Cabanas for breakfast (around 8).

Can you get room service on the last morning?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Am I understanding this correctly?

Early dinner means early breakfast in MDR on last day (6:45 a.m.)

If you'd like to linger a bit, go to Cabanas for breakfast (around 8).

Can you get room service on the last morning?

No room service after midnight the last night.
Early dinner seating means early breakfast seating the last morning (usually around 6:45)
Cabanas is open (food service until 8:00, but you can "linger" until 8:30).