Carnival Pride 8-15 Dec Debarkation - is this the new norm?

[ODA 564]

Just finished our first Carnival cruise since January 2010. Carnival Pride out of Baltimore to Port Canaveral, Nassau, Freeport. Debarkation was a goat rope.

 

Admittedly we've never sailed out of B'more before. The ship does dock lateish (9:15 AM) and the crew has to turn the ship around for 1:30 - 3:30 boarding / 5 PM sailing (we had snow on the 8th and left late).

 

The written debarkation instructions completely failed to mention that passengers had to vacate cabins by 8:30 AM. This was mentioned once in the debarkation video (my wife watched it twice and caught it the second time, then called guest services - our traveling partners didn't watch the video and wouldn't have known if we hadn't told them).

 

So, 2,000 some odd passengers milling around on decks 2, 3 and 9 before we docked. Our previous Carnival cruises we waited in our cabin until our group was called.

 

Debarkation took until after 12 (we got off at 12 and there were people behind us).

 

Is this the new normal or situational to B'more and the Pride?

[Keith Esposito]

Been the same each time I've been(3). Out of the cabin early. I hit the main dining room and do a sit down breakfast(that seems to take longer than milling around the buffet) and then head out to the waiting area. BTW. Breakfast seems to eat up about one and a half or two hours. I'm usually in no big rush though because I only live 10 mins from the port so for me it's like driving downtown for a mid morning brunch and then home again.

[Cruizinman]

That's the normal procedures ,these days.

How long did it take that snow to melt on lido :) .

Edited December 16, 2013 by Cruizinman

[jenng1976]

The 0830 time to be out of the cabin was written in the debarkation letter we received on Friday on Imagination.

 

After a leisurely breakfast in the MDR we waited in Serenity and it was very relaxing!

[arush5268d]

The 8:30 time is normal for an early morning arrival but that should be delayed about for a later scheduled arrival, IMHO.

[SweetPea0517]

Is this how it is handled in all ports or just Baltimore?

[Cruizinman]

Is this how it is handled in all ports or just Baltimore?

 

Mostly all debarkation ports, there may be a delay depending on arrival time.

[dolphins76]

It seems the self disembarking slows everything down!

 

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[RuthlessBoss]

It seems the self disembarking slows everything down!

 

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Just got off Ecstasy on the 12th, it was ridiculous with the self debarking. It never ended. Our platinum group never got picked up till after 9 and found the baggage area/customs area flooded. So much for special perks.

[dolphins76]

Yeah I personally think they should do away with it!

 

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[RuthlessBoss]

Yeah I personally think they should do away with it!

 

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Not sure how to rectify this. It's out of control. It's actually forcing those with early flights into carrying their own luggage whether they want to or not. I drive to the port, so my time isn't important, but after that fiasco on Ecstasy on Thursday, it put my doubts into platinum debarking. Sat in the lounge for almost one hour, then found the mess in the customs area that caused more delay.