Help past cruisers! Disembarkation time.

[yourvenezolano]

Please help me with timing. What is the earliest you have seen guests with their own luggage leave the ship once docked and cleared? 

 

We are to dock at 7am and hoping to be some of the first off. But looking for guidance as to how long it takes typically. 

 

Thank you in advance.

[I_heart_vaca]

The last time I had just carry on luggage (its been a few years) we docked at 7am and got off around 8:15am.  So long as you don't need any assistance you can ask for the earliest group.

[yourvenezolano]

26 minutes ago, I_heart_vaca said:

The last time I had just carry on luggage (its been a few years) we docked at 7am and got off around 8:15am.  So long as you don't need any assistance you can ask for the earliest group.

Thank you for the info. We're you some of the first off? 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, yourvenezolano said:

Please help me with timing. What is the earliest you have seen guests with their own luggage leave the ship once docked and cleared? 

 

We are to dock at 7am and hoping to be some of the first off. But looking for guidance as to how long it takes typically. 

 

Thank you in advance.

Incomplete info.

 

There are many variables at play: 

 

What disembarkation port? (There are some ports where carrying luggage on and off a steep gangway is ill-advised.)

What time is SCHEDULED for arrival? (You may arrive at a significantly later time.)

What are the Operational policies, practices and hours of the disembarkation port authorities?

 

Which cruise line/ship? (Some have specific time slots for which you sign up [with or without luggage in hand])

[yourvenezolano]

7 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Incomplete info.

 

There are many variables at play: 

 

What disembarkation port? (There are some ports where carrying luggage on and off a steep gangway is ill-advised.)

What time is SCHEDULED for arrival? (You may arrive at a significantly later time.)

What are the Operational policies, practices and hours of the disembarkation port authorities?

 

Which cruise line/ship? (Some have specific time slots for which you sign up [with or without luggage in hand])

New Orleans-NCL Breakaway @ 7a.m Sunday January 8th

 

(I know we can carry off. But i was trying to get a general idea of when passengers are able to be let off.) No idea

 

Thank you.

 

What are the Operational policies, practices and hours of the disembarkation port authorities?

[njhorseman]

5 hours ago, yourvenezolano said:

New Orleans-NCL Breakaway @ 7a.m Sunday January 8th

 

(I know we can carry off. But i was trying to get a general idea of when passengers are able to be let off.) No idea

 

Thank you.

 

What are the Operational policies, practices and hours of the disembarkation port authorities?

Ask your question on the NCL board as posters there will be able to tell you their experience .

[yourvenezolano]

31 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Ask your question on the NCL board as posters there will be able to tell you their experience .

I've tried. Thank you.

[njhorseman]

3 minutes ago, yourvenezolano said:

I've tried. Thank you.

You can also try the Gulf Coast Departures board.

[yourvenezolano]

4 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

You can also try the Gulf Coast Departures board.

Thank you. I was headed that way.

[Mum2Mercury]

We have a long drive ahead after disembarkation, so we like to get up early and get off ASAP.  Well, no, we don't LIKE it, but it's the best thing for us.  My husband gets mean on the last morning, and all he can see is the car and the road.  

 

On our recent Explorer cruise (Miami), we got into line about 6:45 (7:00 was the docking time), and I'd estimate 75 people were ahead of us.  The line snaked through the dining room, and everyone was pleasant ... this was a longer line than we have experienced in the past.  They started letting people off about 7:15-7:20ish, and once the line started moving, we moved fast.  I'd say we were out of the terminal at 7:30.  We were driving by 7:40.  

 

I really don't know if that's the best thing, or -- if we were to wait an hour -- whether the line would've died down.  I sorta think no.  I think we hit the line at the right time.  

 

Rambling comments on self-disembarkation: 

- Assuming you're able to manage your own luggage, it's so much easier than putting out your luggage the night before, hitting the right exit time, then searching for your luggage in terminal.  

- Self-disembarkation is definitely faster.  

- You must be able to manage your own luggage by yourself.  You will have NO HELP /NO CARTS available until ... well, I'm not sure when.  Obviously, this is much more do-able if you pack lightly ... preferably in wheeled luggage and backpacks. 

- We saw one family (with kids) boarding with a collapsible beach wagon ... if you must haul kids and multiple bags, that might be a good choice.  

- Keep your Ship ID in your pocket ... you must "ping out" as you leave the ship.  It's how they know when everyone's off.  Keep your passport, etc. on your person too.  As we were disembarking, we saw a woman standing off to the side with all her luggage ... she was crying; I suspect she had lost her documents, and her significant other had gone back to search for them.  

- Once you're down the gangplank /off the ship, you'll have to either take the elevator OR the escalator down ... WITH your luggage.  The line for the elevator is considerably longer.  

- On this last cruise, we were allowed to choose the elevator or escalator  for ourselves ... but in the past I've seen a cruise employee sending people to one or the other.  I know that (in the past) they've looked at my husband as if they were judging whether he could manage the family's luggage.  

- Don't lie to yourself about whether you can manage your luggage:  When we left Explorer in September, a middle-aged woman and her elderly mother were in front of us -- both were pulling a LARGE suitcase AND a rolling carry-on suitcase.  The mother was having trouble on the flat surface, but the daughter kept saying, "You can do the escalator."  I waited /didn't get on right after her, even though my husband was pushing me (like I said, he's mean on the last morning) ... and I was glad I did: The mother, who was following her daughter, lost control of her suitcases /fell at the bottom of the escalator.  If I hadn't left so much space between us, the escalator would've pushed me onto her.  Since I was way back, the daughter was able to snatch away the suitcases and help her mother up ... but it was a close thing.

- Once we were off the escalator and left the mother/daughter behind us, we walked quickly to Customs.  It was SO FAST that I didn't quite understand we were DONE.  That facial recognition software is good.  

- After that, it was straight to the parking deck and the road home.  Again, I think we left the terminal about 7:30 and had our luggage situated /drove out of the parking deck about 7:40.  

- They do serve breakfast in the Windjammer AND the MDR on Disembarkation day, but it's smaller than the other days' breakfasts and the mood is definitely somber.  I just got a bowl of oatmeal, and my husband stared daggers at me while I choked it down -- did I mention he's mean on the last morning?  Perhaps if you go later in the day, it's different?

- Most people go to breakfast, then return to their rooms for their luggage.  The Windjammer wasn't crowded ... next time I might consider bringing my luggage to breakfast /heading straight to the line afterward.  

Edited November 19, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[navybankerteacher]

Do you really have to get an early start?  I can understand if you are talking about a ten hour drive home and you have to be at work the next day.  Otherwise, why rush?  Why not make the trip back home part of the vacation?

[Longford]

I have just one experience disembarking.  Recently on Serenade of the Seas.  I'd purchased the "Key" which included preferential disembarkation.  I showed up in the MDR as instructed, at 7:30-7:45 a.m. and I identified myself to a member of the crew who personally walked me down to the exit from the ship.  My luggage was outside my door the night before and I had only carry-on now.  My luggage was in a preferred, segregated area.  Locating my checked bag I was asked if I wanted a porter, and I said yes.  The porter and I were allowed to jump the long line of others in the terminal to a no-wait immigration line.  The porter took my bag the 100 foot walk to my car in the adjacent parking lot.  I was off the ship in 30 minutes, and arrived at home 40 miles away at 9:30 a.m.  The "Key" purchase was the best expenditure I made, in addition to the single room cost.  I'm fortunate to live in the Tampa Bay area, close to the port.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Longford

[Mum2Mercury]

3 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Do you really have to get an early start?  I can understand if you are talking about a ten hour drive home and you have to be at work the next day.  Otherwise, why rush?  Why not make the trip back home part of the vacation?

I agree with you!  We're retired now, so we're not hurrying back to a job.  

 

BUT when my husband knows we have a drive ahead of us, he kinda goes nuts.  ALL HE CAN THINK ABOUT is getting behind the wheel.  He lets me pick the ship, lets me plan our island activities, lets me have my way in everything really ... but this is his thing.  MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, GET TO THE CAR.  I think he'd behave the same way if we lived an hour from the port.  

[navybankerteacher]

22 hours ago, Longford said:

I have just one experience disembarking.  Recently on Serenade of the Seas.  I'd purchased the "Key" which included preferential disembarkation.  I showed up in the MDR as instructed, at 7:30-7:45 a.m. and I identified myself to a member of the crew who personally walked me down to the exit from the ship.  My luggage was outside my door the night before and I had only carry-on now.  My luggage was in a preferred, segregated area.  Locating my checked bag I was asked if I wanted a porter, and I said yes.  The porter and I were allowed to jump the long line of others in the terminal to a no-wait immigration line.  The porter took my bag the 100 foot walk to my car in the adjacent parking lot.  I was off the ship in 30 minutes, and arrived at home 40 miles away at 9:30 a.m.  The "Key" purchase was the best expenditure I made, in addition to the single room cost.  I'm fortunate to live in the Tampa Bay area, close to the port.

Did you have so much to do that first day off the ship that you could not have enjoyed a casual breakfast, eased off the ship at 9:30 (without paying anything extra), and gotten home by 11:00 - after an easier drive because it was after morning rush hour?

[Longford]

16 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Did you have so much to do that first day off the ship that you could not have enjoyed a casual breakfast, eased off the ship at 9:30 (without paying anything extra), and gotten home by 11:00 - after an easier drive because it was after morning rush hour?

 

I did enjoy a casual breakfast before disembarking.  As for the timing of my departure from the ship:  I was ready.  It was as simple as that. The Key offers a variety of benefits, just one of which is the early-off option.  

[Hlitner]

Guess we are hard core ship lovers as our normal goal is to be among the first on the ship (at embarkation) and the last off (at disembarkation).  

[yourvenezolano]

On 11/18/2022 at 8:02 PM, Mum2Mercury said:

We have a long drive ahead after disembarkation, so we like to get up early and get off ASAP.  Well, no, we don't LIKE it, but it's the best thing for us.  My husband gets mean on the last morning, and all he can see is the car and the road.  

 

On our recent Explorer cruise (Miami), we got into line about 6:45 (7:00 was the docking time), and I'd estimate 75 people were ahead of us.  The line snaked through the dining room, and everyone was pleasant ... this was a longer line than we have experienced in the past.  They started letting people off about 7:15-7:20ish, and once the line started moving, we moved fast.  I'd say we were out of the terminal at 7:30.  We were driving by 7:40.  

 

I really don't know if that's the best thing, or -- if we were to wait an hour -- whether the line would've died down.  I sorta think no.  I think we hit the line at the right time.  

 

Rambling comments on self-disembarkation: 

- Assuming you're able to manage your own luggage, it's so much easier than putting out your luggage the night before, hitting the right exit time, then searching for your luggage in terminal.  

- Self-disembarkation is definitely faster.  

- You must be able to manage your own luggage by yourself.  You will have NO HELP /NO CARTS available until ... well, I'm not sure when.  Obviously, this is much more do-able if you pack lightly ... preferably in wheeled luggage and backpacks. 

- We saw one family (with kids) boarding with a collapsible beach wagon ... if you must haul kids and multiple bags, that might be a good choice.  

- Keep your Ship ID in your pocket ... you must "ping out" as you leave the ship.  It's how they know when everyone's off.  Keep your passport, etc. on your person too.  As we were disembarking, we saw a woman standing off to the side with all her luggage ... she was crying; I suspect she had lost her documents, and her significant other had gone back to search for them.  

- Once you're down the gangplank /off the ship, you'll have to either take the elevator OR the escalator down ... WITH your luggage.  The line for the elevator is considerably longer.  

- On this last cruise, we were allowed to choose the elevator or escalator  for ourselves ... but in the past I've seen a cruise employee sending people to one or the other.  I know that (in the past) they've looked at my husband as if they were judging whether he could manage the family's luggage.  

- Don't lie to yourself about whether you can manage your luggage:  When we left Explorer in September, a middle-aged woman and her elderly mother were in front of us -- both were pulling a LARGE suitcase AND a rolling carry-on suitcase.  The mother was having trouble on the flat surface, but the daughter kept saying, "You can do the escalator."  I waited /didn't get on right after her, even though my husband was pushing me (like I said, he's mean on the last morning) ... and I was glad I did: The mother, who was following her daughter, lost control of her suitcases /fell at the bottom of the escalator.  If I hadn't left so much space between us, the escalator would've pushed me onto her.  Since I was way back, the daughter was able to snatch away the suitcases and help her mother up ... but it was a close thing.

- Once we were off the escalator and left the mother/daughter behind us, we walked quickly to Customs.  It was SO FAST that I didn't quite understand we were DONE.  That facial recognition software is good.  

- After that, it was straight to the parking deck and the road home.  Again, I think we left the terminal about 7:30 and had our luggage situated /drove out of the parking deck about 7:40.  

- They do serve breakfast in the Windjammer AND the MDR on Disembarkation day, but it's smaller than the other days' breakfasts and the mood is definitely somber.  I just got a bowl of oatmeal, and my husband stared daggers at me while I choked it down -- did I mention he's mean on the last morning?  Perhaps if you go later in the day, it's different?

- Most people go to breakfast, then return to their rooms for their luggage.  The Windjammer wasn't crowded ... next time I might consider bringing my luggage to breakfast /heading straight to the line afterward.  

Thank you for taking the time to write. I certainly appreciate the gesture.

[navybankerteacher]

On 11/20/2022 at 4:13 PM, Hlitner said:

Guess we are hard core ship lovers as our normal goal is to be among the first on the ship (at embarkation) and the last off (at disembarkation).  

Other things being equal, that is our approach. Usually we sail from/to ports far from home, so we spend at least one night pre-cruise in port, meaning we can get an early start to the ship; and at debarkation we are likely to spend at least one night there - so there isn’t any rushing to an airport to catch a flight - or trying to get to a hotel hours before our room would be available

[DCGuy64]

On our cruise with MSC in December 2019, we stayed on until they literally told us "you have to leave." It was close to 11:30 am. What can I say? If we pay for 7 days, we stay 7 days, and we wring every free drink and piece of food we can get our hands on. We also had a VERY long time before our flight (something like 7 hours to kill) so were in no mood to rush. 

[SbbquilterUT]

Also depends on issues at the port itself.  We usually walk off as we fly and have limited flights to get us home.  Off the Symphony in Miami. (5200 passengers that week) there was an issue with the facial recognition software so it was slow and at one point they asked us to stop as they were not moving anyone.  In Miami, Seattle and Amsterdam we were able to walk off and make flights in the 10:30am time window (a bit of teeth gnashing on my part but limited choices).  So the answer is most of the time it works fine but we are prepared for plan B.