Disembarkation questions

[sun&sea]

It was been a long time since I have sailed Carnival. DH and I are taking 4 grandkids mid-March on Carnival Sunshine out of Port Canaveral. I am looking at booking a shuttle service to return to MCO.

 

What can you tell me about the disembarkation process? (we are Platinum, if that matters) What are our options, and what time can we anticipate getting off? Our flight is at noon.

 

Thanks,

Janet

[figdu]

I have been off the ship as early as 7:30 at Canaveral doing self assist and 8:15 using group 1 tags. It depends on how early they are ready to start debarkation.

[satxdiver]

I have been off the ship as early as 7:30 at Canaveral doing self assist and 8:15 using group 1 tags. It depends on how early they are ready to start debarkation.

 

And how fast or slow the US Immigration and Customs is running! Add to this the time it takes for the ship to be cleared for dis-embarkation by the US officials which depends on the current threat level among other things. Noon flights out of MCO can be tight if anything goes wrong. MCO is 45 miles from the port and traffic delays can be encountered.

[sun&sea]

I guess I should have posted my question clearer. I am aware of where mco is located and how the ship must clear customs, etc. I was just curious how disembarkation is handled. Do you get any say in your assigned time? Is it by decks? Cabin categories? Status? Do you HAVE to do self-assist to get a fairly early time? Each cruise line seems to handle things a little differently and I am just trying to get a feel for Carnival's procedure.

 

Any advice is appreciated.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

I guess I should have posted my question clearer. I am aware of where mco is located and how the ship must clear customs, etc. I was just curious how disembarkation is handled. Do you get any say in your assigned time? Is it by decks? Cabin categories? Status? Do you HAVE to do self-assist to get a fairly early time? Each cruise line seems to handle things a little differently and I am just trying to get a feel for Carnival's procedure.

 

Any advice is appreciated.

 

Self assist goes first, usually by floors and having never done it I can't relate how long it takes...but I will say that as a people watcher I find it highly amusing and a great retrospective on how many current cruisers are high on the roles of the ME generation. Priority passengers who have "requested" (and I do believe you have to request it the day before debarkation) are next. Hopefully their luggage is stacked fairly close to the customs lines and easily visible....Zone 1 will find the luggage room stacked to the gills and will still be waiting in line behind the self assist. Beyond that zones are allocated by floors and that is usually bottom up and top down. Traveling on a mid cabin floor usually means I get a fairly high number.

 

Not part of your question but something I recommend to ALL of my cruising Buddies....Just wait until they make you get off the ship. We always stack our stuff at an out of the way seating area on the Lido deck and proceed to have a very leisurely breakfast...many food items and the drinks remain open and don't close between cruises. Once we are "forced" to leave our luggage is sitting waiting for us in isolated splendor, we zip through customs, and we find a nice obscure spot to meet up with our driver or cab.

 

Hope some of this helps.

[figdu]

As a Platinum you will get either zone 1 or 2 tags. I have always gotten zone 1. They have Platinum and Diamonds meet in a separate area and escort you down when they are ready. You will be among the first non self assist off the ship.

[Mscruisin]

If you choose self assist do you have to get off early or can you hang back and leave at a later time?

[D4]

Platinum self assist passengers get off first, then all the regular self-assist people, then Platinums can leave (zone 1.). Many ships have a large percentage of people doing self-assist, so it may be a long time until Platinums in zone 1 are called.

 

With a noon flight and the long trip to the airport, I recommend Platinum self assist.

Edited February 11, 2015 by D4

[Honolulu Blue]

If you choose self assist do you have to get off early or can you hang back and leave at a later time?

 

You don't have to get off early if you don't want to.

[bajangoddess82]

If you choose self assist do you have to get off early or can you hang back and leave at a later time?

 

I always choose self assist but then I just grab my bags and head down to grab breakfast in the dinning room... You don't have to get off the ship right away...

[JulieMcCoy]

If I am taking Carnival transportation to the airport, do I have to get off the ship at my assigned time, or can I leave later? (This is not Port Canaveral but San Juan, if that matters.) Like the previous poster, I would prefer to have a leisurely morning because I have plenty of time before my flight.

[Princess Nancy]

We just got off the Splendor on Sunday. Malcolm our CD was very clear that if you had an early flight ( before 1:00), you could show your travel documentation and get an earlier debark time and tags.

 

In Miami if you were flying major airlines, they would deliver your bags directly to the airlines for you.

[Honolulu Blue]

If I am taking Carnival transportation to the airport, do I have to get off the ship at my assigned time, or can I leave later? (This is not Port Canaveral but San Juan, if that matters.) Like the previous poster, I would prefer to have a leisurely morning because I have plenty of time before my flight.

 

There are shuttles running all the time on disembarkation day, so you can get off the ship whenever and pick up the next available one.

[dmdiver]

When you complete your online check-in, you put your flight time. They will get you off the ship in plenty of time, barring any delays beyond their control.

[sailor_jimc]

Since you are platinum you can pretty much control your own destiny here. For Platinum quests can be first off the ship but doing self assist, but you have to be able to carry all your own luggage off with you as the self assist goes before the luggage has been off loaded from the ship. Go this route and you will most likely be off the ship by 8:30. Next choice is zone 1 tags in which case you are the first off the ship once they open up the luggage area (which does not happen until ALL the luggage is off the ship.) This time can vary depending on how fast the port workers go. But I would expect you to be off by 9 or 9:30 latest.

 

Yes things can happen and delay that but no one can guess those.

 

To be safe I would plan on doing self assist debarkation. If everyone in the family can take a bag or 2 it is easily done. That way you can have plenty of time to get to MCO and you will have a pretty good idea of when to schedule a shuttle. Now having said that.. be careful on the shuttle you pick. If you pick a big one you may end up sitting there waiting for someone else that did not plan as well to get off the ship.

[SadieN]

Day before debarkation you'll get a letter with #1 luggage tags and info on where to meet in the morning.

You have three choices--

Platinum self assist will meet around 7:30a Platinum with Zone tags around 8ish. OR you can walk off when you want (but you'll wait in that line).

If doing the first two options get there 15 minutes before as they can go early. Exact times will be in your letter.