Mobile dis-embarcation

[cruisinmeme]

Debarkation (at any port) got significantly worse (the standing in line part) when Carnival started the self assist (where folks carry their own luggage off).

 

Now that is wonderful for Carnival crew who don't have to unload and stack all that luggage in the correct zone number.....but it did create a lot of standing in line since a HUGE percentage of cruisers use that option.

 

BEFORE self assist....you did not get off the ship any faster, BUT you were sitting on Lido eating breakfast or sitting in the theater or on Promenade....

the bottom line is that while you were still waiting...you were sitting and talking until your color (back then) was called....not standing in a line.

 

Some ports are better than others. I don't see why these new Customs guys could not have been trained on their own time...instead of using the cruisers to practice on.

 

We get Platinum Self Assist and are usually the first ones off the ship....but even that is a toss up from time to time...depending on who is running debarkation.

 

we will be platinum this coming cruise and did our first self debark out of mobile. we had a cabin in ship empress deck and thought we would just come out of our cabin and hop in line (line was on our side of ship) well every tom, dick, and harry was in the line (every deck) and they had not even called anyone yet, much less all decks. so my question is once you are platium do you just in the first group, getting in line with who ever is there at the time. we are going out of mobile in january and will again be on empress (1st group to be called) so it probably isn't an issue.

we have had vip due to suites before and i was not overly impressed with anything other than maybe the ck in. after that we were turned into the cattle call. that was galveston and a cat. 12 suite.

[LHP]

we will be platinum this coming cruise and did our first self debark out of mobile. we had a cabin in ship empress deck and thought we would just come out of our cabin and hop in line (line was on our side of ship) well every tom, dick, and harry was in the line (every deck) and they had not even called anyone yet, much less all decks. so my question is once you are platium do you just in the first group, getting in line with who ever is there at the time. we are going out of mobile in january and will again be on empress (1st group to be called) so it probably isn't an issue.

we have had vip due to suites before and i was not overly impressed with anything other than maybe the ck in. after that we were turned into the cattle call. that was galveston and a cat. 12 suite.

 

 

Debarkation (as far as getting off the ship....BEFORE you get to Customs) varies greatly from ship to ship.

 

It truly depends on who is running the Debarkation .....

 

Noortje did an excellent job a couple of weeks ago. You will receive a letter in your cabin that says to meet in the Lobby at 7:00AM IF you want to do the Platinum self assist.

 

We got there at 6:46AM. And we were some of the first folks off the ship....which made Customs a breeze because there was no line....

 

However, if you don't do the self assist....you will have to wait for all the self assist to clear before they start doing the Platinum regular debarkation. And self assist is VERY popular.....hence the line at Customs.

 

You are correct....it is frustrating when grown adults refuse to follow even the simplest of instructions. They think they are above the rules.

 

It is more difficult with the Fantasy class ships since there are cabins on the debarkation deck. Just once I would love to hear an announcement.....

 

"self assist...leave your luggage in your cabin until your deck is called.

Luggage tags will be checked as you debark.....

Anyone coming early or blocking the hallways and stairways will be held and not allowed to debark until everyone else is off!"

[jetskier]

When self-assist was first introduced, only a small percentage of the passengers utilized this feature. Now you have at least 50-60% of the ship trying to get off. This has caused massive backups in the atrium because everyone thinks they can get off FIRST.

 

Some ships are really good at ensuring only those that have been called are allowed off. They will send Social Hosts and other through the lines turning people around. Others get overwhelmed and it becomes a cattle drive.

 

So for those who turn in their luggage, their times become later and later as they cannot start until self-assist is completed. So the next time they cruise, they will use self-assist. This further delays those who turn in their luggage later down the road. Do you see a pattern starting to develop here? Thusly we have the vast numbers trying to do self-assist.

 

Dave

[LHP]

When self-assist was first introduced, only a small percentage of the passengers utilized this feature. Now you have at least 50-60% of the ship trying to get off. This has caused massive backups in the atrium because everyone thinks they can get off FIRST.

 

Some ships are really good at ensuring only those that have been called are allowed off. They will send Social Hosts and other through the lines turning people around. Others get overwhelmed and it becomes a cattle drive.

 

So for those who turn in their luggage, their times become later and later as they cannot start until self-assist is completed. So the next time they cruise, they will use self-assist. This further delays those who turn in their luggage later down the road. Do you see a pattern starting to develop here? Thusly we have the vast numbers trying to do self-assist.

 

Dave

 

Hopefully, in November (when we get off the Liberty and can't get into the terminal for the Destiny until 10:30AM) debark will be VERY slow.... LOL

 

For the first time, we intend to hear those words...."will you get off the ship" !

 

:D

[jetskier]

Hopefully, in November (when we get off the Liberty and can't get into the terminal for the Destiny until 10:30AM) debark will be VERY slow.... LOL

 

For the first time, we intend to hear those words...."will you get off the ship" !

 

:D

 

Or seeing that you are the last numbers on passenger count side of the A-pass system.

 

Dave

[LHP]

Or seeing that you are the last numbers on passenger count side of the A-pass system.

 

Dave

 

THAT will be us !!! :D

 

Then we will have that LONG walk to the Destiny! ;)

[katb85]

I was on the Sept. 2 sailing. We got to the cruise terminal around 11:30. The lines were awful.... you could see cars backed up all along the side road. We were told that customs checked everyone getting off the ship, so that backed all of us up. We didn't sail until 4:15. When we returned to Mobile it went quickly for us. We were off the ship and in our car in about 20-25 minutes. I have sailed out of Mobile 3 times, and never had a problem before.