Getting off the ship

[neilbuono19]

How do they arrange getting off the ship at port?  I imagine it's not a free for all.

[cb at sea]

If you're docked, you simply walk off when the doors open.  It's not a "mad rush"...not everyone wants to leave at the same time.

 

In tendered ports, generally the early ship's excursions are on the 1st tender...after that, simply get in line and head out on the next tender...they run all day, and again, not everyone wants to leave first thing in the morning!

[leaveitallbehind]

Actually it is pretty much a free for all, but it doesn't realy happen that way.  There are guests - for a variety of reasons (suites, loyalty status, shore excursions, etc.) - that will have priory disembarkation.  The rest will just head to the gangway and form a line through the security exit.  But as mentioned, not every one is in a mad rush to leave immediately and there typically may be more than one gangway open to accommodate those exiting.  Everyone leaving in a few minutes of staggered time makes it a pretty smooth flow.

 

In our experience it rarely takes more than five or ten minutes to disembark. Close to "the all on board" time It can actually take longer to get back on board through security as many people tend to wait until the last minute to re-board.

Edited November 3, 2018 by leaveitallbehind

[Nic6318]

2 hours ago, neilbuono19 said:

How do they arrange getting off the ship at port?  I imagine it's not a free for all.

Hi 

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic

 

I guess you are asking about at the port of calls. 

 

If you are wanting to be one of the first off the ship, be prepared to stand in line. People actually are waiting in lines before the ship even docks. There is really very little reason to do that.

 

If you wait 20-30 min. after they announce you can debark, you will generally be able to get off with no wait. If you have a private tour booked, then I would suggest that you go to the designated deck just at the time they make the announcement. If you do this, you will be coming up to the back of the line of the people who had been standing around for way too long, but the line will be moving, you will be off the ship in 5 min., and you will be getting on the same tour bus with those that thought they had to be off the ship first (so they wouldn't miss their tour).

 

hope this helps

[shipgeeks]

You will need to carry your ship card, and present it at the exit for scanning. Because everyone will be doing this, you will be in an orderly single line.  In some ports you will be asked to carry additional photo ID, such as a drivers license, for reboarding. 

Your onboard daily paper will tell you what deck the exit is on, and signs at the stairways will direct you.

Be sure to be aware of the time to be back on board!

[paul929207]

For docked ports you will just walk off when the ship is cleared by local authorities. There many be a line for getting off. That depends on the popularity of the port. People on cruise excursions often have a separate gangway.

 

For tenders, the process will vary. Ship excursions are handled separately. The usually go to lounge or a dining room. Others may have to line up and wait. Other lines have passengers not on tours to go to a dining room and get a numbered ticket. As tender space is available the appropriate range of numbers is called and led to the tender.

[ldubs]

On 11/3/2018 at 9:26 AM, Nic6318 said:

Hi 

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic

 

I guess you are asking about at the port of calls. 

 

If you are wanting to be one of the first off the ship, be prepared to stand in line. People actually are waiting in lines before the ship even docks. There is really very little reason to do that.

 

If you wait 20-30 min. after they announce you can debark, you will generally be able to get off with no wait. 

 

I think Nic is giving great advice.  For some reason a large number of passengers seem to be frantic to be off the ship the minute it docks.  Wait for half an hour or so and you can generally walk (or tender) off with little or no line.  

 

  

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we first started to cruise, we noticed people weren't in a rush to get off the ship.  Those on tours met where they should and left in groups without having to push ahead of the line.

 

Now with the ships carrying more and more passengers, we have seen people line up in the hallways before the ship has even docked and been cleared by the local authorities.  And we have heard many times the CD ask people to clear the stairwells and hallways.

 

If we don't have a tour, we just wait about 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour before we head down to the gangway.

[MicCanberra]

The queues are very dependent on the ship as some have 4000+ passengers and also the port where some are not as well developed and may only have the one gangway to depart from.

[jlp20]

"On the ship" it is organized. Luggage has been collected from around the ship and semi sorted by deck and cabin number. Every luggage claim Iv'e seen has been a vast empty space with a designated area for our bags. Up to you to go through a thousand bags to collect yours. They try to hold you on the ship until bags for your area are off the ship. We delay disembarking two reasons; reduce the number of bags in the area and since there is nowhere to sit make the process faster.

[MicCanberra]

Debarkation is organised by Numbered groups if having to claim your bags when on shore but if taking your own bags off, there may be a queue but it disperses very quickly.