0:00 AM Excursion on Disembarkation Day and Customs?

[Been There, Planning That]

We have booked a 9:00 AM excursion on the day we disembark a HAL ship in Fort Lauderdale during the busy spring break week.

 

I assume one must first go thru' customs, especially as we're Canadian. Often we've found the non US citizen line to be longer.

 

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How can one can one guesstimate the amount of time needed to get thru' customs and be on time for a tour?

 

We've never taken a tour on the final day of a cruise.

 

An added complication, we're a family of 16 to manage this feat.

 

Thanks Florida experts,

 

Ruth

[CruiserBruce]

If this is a ship's excursion, the ship will give you priority for getting off the ship, and the excursion will not leave without you.

[freedom750]

Sign up for the earliest self walk out and you will be at the front of the line. Could be close but doable. As long as everyone is healthy enough to carry their own luggage off the ship. We do this on all our cruises and it's never taken us longer than 45 min and usually less than 30 min to be out at the curb. May be we're the lucky ones and others have different experiences.

[Been There, Planning That]

I just noticed my time didn't post correctly -- it's 9:00 AM.

 

CruiserBruce, your reply is reassuring as yes, it's a HAL excursion which is timed for 9:00. I'd rather assumed they knew what they're doing, but since I'm the senior in charge of everyone's holiday, I wanted to confirm with experts.

 

And yes, Freedom 750, while we can manage our luggage, we usually opt to leave our checked bags out the night before as elevators are so busy that day and we couldn't easily lug it up or down several flights. We could manage our cabin bags.

 

Thanks experts, time is on our hands as it's a mid March trip but at the busiest time of year probably.

 

Ruth

Edited January 6, 2014 by Been There, Planning That

[eandj]

If you booked a post excursion thru HAL everything will be worked out for you. :D You will have no problems.

DO NOT sign up for any self-carry disembarkation. You will be instructed with your excursion ticket where to meet that morning and luggage info will be explained.

The only complaint you will have is probably being dropped at the airport too early if you have a later flight. But there's no avoidng that unless you rented a car...not feasible with your large group.

have a wonderful time. And don't worry... about this plan at least.

[Been There, Planning That]

eandj,

 

Thanks for the additional advice. Yes, family flights begin at 4:30 so we'll have to wait, but we'd like one final family event before we fly our separate ways and this tour seemed to offer the best options.

 

For many reasons, HAL has made a killing on the excursions we've booked thru' them, not one independent on on our Partial Panama. As a couple we do mainly independent tours so this will be a 'big bus' experience.

 

Again, thanks one and all,

 

RUth

[eandj]

I agree that HAL does charge what seems to be more for excursions than other lines....if that's possible. :) We too do private tours or do things on our own. But in your case, to enjoy that last part of the vacation together as a family is great. Have a memorable time!

[fishywood]

You should receive specific disembarkation information as to where and when to meet your tour group. Likely it will be in one of the lounges onboard and when everyone has shown up you will be escorted off the ship together. Double, triple, quadruple check that you have been given the correct luggage tag color for your tour bus, and leave your luggage in the hall the night before as usual--it will go directly to your bus. There have been plenty of threads from people who signed up for 9:00 disembarkation day tours but were mistakenly given luggage tags for a later group. The bus did NOT wait for them even though it was the cruiseline's error. And has been said, do NOT do self-disembarkation--the tour group could actually be cleared to go before all the self-carry passengers have finished going through Customs.

Edited January 6, 2014 by fishywood

[Been There, Planning That]

Fishywood,

 

Thanks for the alert to check tags. I assume that with the tour vouchers they tell you the correct ticket colour for which you must check.

 

Typically how many buses do each of the tours offered? We'd sure want to be together as a group.

 

Ruth

[eandj]

.

 

Typically how many buses do each of the tours offered? We'd sure want to be together as a group.

 

Ruth

 

Number of buses varies. Just get to the meeting spot together so when you are assgined the bus you all are together and not waiting for someone. And of course just tell the staff member greeting you in the lounge that you are a group of 15. Same for any other tours you might have booked. All show up together and let the staff know you are in a group. They will assign you the same bus/group.

 

If any of your ports tender, because those are small and people can get pushy to get tickets, you really need to be togehter when assigned tender numbers to assure you will all be together.

Edited January 7, 2014 by eandj

[Been There, Planning That]

Good advice about the tenders which I hadn't considered. There's only one tendered port so that simplifies things.

 

Ruth