Recent Mardi Gras Self Assist Cruisers

[kelkel2]

What time have you been getting off the ship? We are going to attempt self assist and I need to plan our transportation. But I have no idea what time to tell them to pick us up. 
I have this great fear of losing our luggage, so I’d prefer to take it off ourselves, which is what we’ve always done. But this time we have kids. So we’re open to regular debarkation too, I’m just worried about the amount of time it will take us to get to MCO if we do. We have a 12:15 flight. Yes I know it’s early, it’s really our only option to get back home that same day. 

[jimbo5544]

4 minutes ago, kelkel2 said:

What time have you been getting off the ship? We are going to attempt self assist and I need to plan our transportation. But I have no idea what time to tell them to pick us up. 
I have this great fear of losing our luggage, so I’d prefer to take it off ourselves, which is what we’ve always done. But this time we have kids. So we’re open to regular debarkation too, I’m just worried about the amount of time it will take us to get to MCO if we do. We have a 12:15 flight. Yes I know it’s early, it’s really our only option to get back home that same day. 

You will be fine, we did regular debark and were at MCO by 9:15

[kelkel2]

Just now, jimbo5544 said:

You will be fine, we did regular debark and were at MCO by 9:15

How much of a mess is it to find your luggage? 

[jimbo5544]

1 minute ago, kelkel2 said:

How much of a mess is it to find your luggage? 

It was not bad, they lay them out by number broken up well.  If you are worried for that, do self assist..

[iria64]

A lot will depend on what happens in port on the day you arrive.  A pp said they were at MCO by 9:15.  On our trip last month they did not start debark until shortly after 8am (this ship actually got back to canaveral around 2:15am)... at 8:30am they were still calling priority/suite passengers and hadn't even gotten to calling self debark.  We decided to get in line at that time and were pulling out of parking lot at 9:15.

 

Also,  If you want to ensure the quickest debark time make sure you bring your passport.  The passport line leaving the terminal was mostly non existent while the line for those that did alternate id (birth certificate) was extremely long.  I am guessing it was at least 30 minutes in not more.

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, kelkel2 said:

What time have you been getting off the ship? We are going to attempt self assist and I need to plan our transportation. But I have no idea what time to tell them to pick us up. 
I have this great fear of losing our luggage, so I’d prefer to take it off ourselves, which is what we’ve always done. But this time we have kids. So we’re open to regular debarkation too, I’m just worried about the amount of time it will take us to get to MCO if we do. We have a 12:15 flight. Yes I know it’s early, it’s really our only option to get back home that same day. 

The shuttle company will have a good idea of when people get off the ship.

[kelkel2]

12 hours ago, iria64 said:

A lot will depend on what happens in port on the day you arrive.  A pp said they were at MCO by 9:15.  On our trip last month they did not start debark until shortly after 8am (this ship actually got back to canaveral around 2:15am)... at 8:30am they were still calling priority/suite passengers and hadn't even gotten to calling self debark.  We decided to get in line at that time and were pulling out of parking lot at 9:15.

 

Also,  If you want to ensure the quickest debark time make sure you bring your passport.  The passport line leaving the terminal was mostly non existent while the line for those that did alternate id (birth certificate) was extremely long.  I am guessing it was at least 30 minutes in not more.

Thank you, yes we have passports for everyone including the kiddos. 

[CruisingWalter]

On 9/6/2022 at 6:49 AM, kelkel2 said:

What time have you been getting off the ship? We are going to attempt self assist and I need to plan our transportation. But I have no idea what time to tell them to pick us up. 
I have this great fear of losing our luggage, so I’d prefer to take it off ourselves, which is what we’ve always done. But this time we have kids. So we’re open to regular debarkation too, I’m just worried about the amount of time it will take us to get to MCO if we do. We have a 12:15 flight. Yes I know it’s early, it’s really our only option to get back home that same day. 

 

It was a complete cluster getting off Mardi Gras in March. We were told even with self assist we could not disembark until they called our Muster Station. On every other cruise line, self assist meant we were the first ones off the ship, usually starting at 7:15 or 7:30. It makes sense because we have no luggage to claim because it's all with us.

 

On Mardi Gras it was coming up on 8:45am and they had not called our Muster Station yet, so we just left and had no issues exiting the ship. If we sail Mardi Gras again and they do that same deal, we're going to ignore the Muster Station and leave as soon as they call the first group to exit the ship. So you can be off the ship before 8:00am most likely with self assist if you simply leave when they call the first group. 

 

One other tip for Disembarkation day, go UP to Deck 16 (or whichever deck is the buffet and Blue Iguana) to wait. Much easier to get an elevator from the top decks and go down, vs. getting an elevator at the lower decks because so many will be full. We hung out at Blue Iguana and then went to the forward elevators to go down and had absolutely no issue. Literally nobody waiting for the elevators when we left. 

[shof515]

8 minutes ago, WheresWalter said:

 

It was a complete cluster getting off Mardi Gras in March. We were told even with self assist we could not disembark until they called our Muster Station. On every other cruise line, self assist meant we were the first ones off the ship, usually starting at 7:15 or 7:30. It makes sense because we have no luggage to claim because it's all with us.

The muster station self assist is new and i hate it. When i was on the Magic in June, i was in muster station E. That muster station was the last station to be called just like the last zone tag number they called. i didn't get off the ship until around 9:30/10ish. Then in August i went on the Magic again with a similar muster station, i got off around the usually time of 7:30 am and no one checked my muster station. the muster station makes no sense

[CruisingWalter]

4 hours ago, shof515 said:

The muster station self assist is new and i hate it. When i was on the Magic in June, i was in muster station E. That muster station was the last station to be called just like the last zone tag number they called. i didn't get off the ship until around 9:30/10ish. Then in August i went on the Magic again with a similar muster station, i got off around the usually time of 7:30 am and no one checked my muster station. the muster station makes no sense

 

I pinged one of the larger Facebook groups when we were sitting there for an hour. They said 'ignore the muster station and GO!" So we did and we'll do that from now on. I posted about that here in CC and was chastised greatly for mentioning it. But we're going to ignore the muster station rule when we sail Carnival again and do self-assist. 

Edited September 10, 2022 by WheresWalter

[bornin49]

On 9/6/2022 at 6:57 AM, jimbo5544 said:

It was not bad, they lay them out by number broken up well.  If you are worried for that, do self assist..

we always take a photo of our luggage , makes it easier for them to find, we also tie something bright to the handle, so much luggage looks the same.

[jimbo5544]

16 hours ago, bornin49 said:

we always take a photo of our luggage , makes it easier for them to find, we also tie something bright to the handle, so much luggage looks the same.

We have had a busy summer traveling and just went to using apple tags.  Does make finding it easier, but have used a piece of red duct tape as well.

Edited September 16, 2022 by jimbo5544