New Debarkation Method?

[Tropicalgal]

Hi...

I've been reading as much information as I can, before my first cruise... and came across a new method of debarkation mentioned... "Relaxed Debarkation"...:confused:

 

Can anyone please explain how this is done?

 

Thanks

[Gypsywych]

This past week, it was self assist, those needing special assistance then everyone else. No longer by deck.

[jw4jg1mg2eg1]

I guess this is what we did last year on the Elation. We carried our own bags off the ship rather that waiting on our color to be called. It was all new then & OMG it was chaos...but we still got off early. But I hear they have fixed it now & you get off really quick. Usually you would set your bags out by your cabin the last night of the cruise so they can be picked up & then when your tag color is called for disembarkation, you go out & go through the mountain of luggage with that color tag & find yours.

[MiamiCruiseGuy]

The self assist is supposed to be if you can carry your luggage off the ship, and not have Carnival pick it up and move it to a baggage claim area then you can get off the ship early. The problem, is that people jam the halls and stairwells with HUGE steamer trunks and stuff they are trying to lug off the ship, and it gets way out of hand. The bags I saw as hand carry on a 5 day cruise was unbelievale. These are the same things that people try to cram in an overhead bin on an airplane, which well, that is another issue.

[Tropicalgal]

Thanks for the replies:)

 

So... Self-disembarking is the same as Relaxed-disembarking?

 

I guess I thought that the "Relaxed" was a brand new method being tried.

 

:confused: :confused: :confused:

[MamaParrotHead]

it was a mess. As another poster said, first they let off "self-disembark" pax, then pax who needed special assistance, then EVERYONE else. I, personally, would have rather waited somewhere for my "color" to be called, and gotten off the ship in a somewhat orderly manner. Doing it this way, almost LITERALLY everyone on the ship decided to get off at the same time. It took us about an hour to go maybe 20 yards. People were crammed in the stairways and yet people still kept trying to come down the elevators (the doors would open and there would honestly be nowhere for the people to even get OFF the elevator). This continued once we got off the ship itself, all the way through the port terminal itself...you could not even SEE the end of the line and it was a good 10-12 people WIDE (in addition to the AC in the terminal being on the blink...and all glass walls...like a huge greenhouse). All in all, it took us about 3 hours to get off the ship...numerous variables (too few customs agents, supposedly someone illegal had jumped aboard at one of the ports, etc.) and missed our 2:15 flight (luckily I had my cell phone and was on the phone with the airline as we were in line to switch flights). NIGHTMARE.

 

"Relaxed Dis-Embarking"...that is FUNNY.

[1tonysmom]

While I love to cruise on Carnival, Disney has them beat with disembarkation. On Disney, you have an assigned breakfast time. You leave your cabin, go to breakfast and literally walk off the the ship. It helps that they have 3 dining rooms. Basically breakfast times were staggered so approximately 1/6 of the passengers would be getting off at any given time. Much better than waiting for our color to be called. Our last Carnival cruise, we were the last group called. With a 3 year old, it was NOT fun waiting around until almost noon. We are going to try to self debarkation next time and carry our bags off. That is presuming I can get us down to one bag each. (Hey, there's a first time for everything :D)

 

Joanne

[jw4jg1mg2eg1]

I gues one of the problems on the Elation was that one of the lines went right through the photo gallery...that caused chaos with people wanting last minute stuff. Then somebody in a wheelchair needed through & when my husband stepped back, about 75 got in front of him(actually it was so many people we lost him). Then when my daughter & I finnally got within about 10 yards of the door, we were informed we wouldn't be able to clear customs unless our whole party were together. We had to step back & wait on my husband to finally make his way up after being paged..God Bless the folks who saw it all going on & let us all back in line...I loved my cruise & I'll never complain about any of it. But, that kinda ruffled my feathers a little. BUT, we will try it again on the Conquest...hehehe...

[Kittybork]

While I love to cruise on Carnival, Disney has them beat with disembarkation. On Disney, you have an assigned breakfast time. You leave your cabin, go to breakfast and literally walk off the the ship. It helps that they have 3 dining rooms. Basically breakfast times were staggered so approximately 1/6 of the passengers would be getting off at any given time. Much better than waiting for our color to be called. Our last Carnival cruise, we were the last group called. With a 3 year old, it was NOT fun waiting around until almost noon. We are going to try to self debarkation next time and carry our bags off. That is presuming I can get us down to one bag each. (Hey, there's a first time for everything :D)

 

Joanne

 

You don't have to get it down to one bag each. You can each have a backpack. If you each have a large suitcase on wheels, you can strap a small carry-onto the large suitcase. That leaves one hand free for the rail on the escalator. Just have the little guy hold on to your arm or the suitcase. You guys can be outside looking for a taxi in 30 minutes.

[travel girl23]

We did self-assist disembarkation a week ago off the Conquest and believe me that is the only way to go. :D We each had one big suitcase on rollers and a small carry on, which we attached to the big suitcase with some luggage straps we had brought (in bright colors) so we could see our suitcase easily. Also with my bungee cord which I brought (and never used) for our balcony door. We were able to leave the ship at 6:45, took the shuttle directly to Lot A and by 7 a.m. we were on our way home. I did hear that the instructions for those disembarking later would be called by luggage tag color. That was also mentioned at the disembarkation talk. Maybe the smaller ships let everyone leave at once. Believe me self-assist is the way to go to avoid those huge lines at curbside.:p

[Serangel71]

A new approach would be good. I was pierside, my son called & said their number was called & they would be off in 15 min. Over an hour later, they emerged from the building. We have been on a lot of cruises but 1 hour from when your number was called. Yikes. & they each only had 2 bags that they carried themselves.

This was surprising. I realize the Glory is a large ship but so are some of the others we have been on and it did not take 1 hour to get bags & clear customs.

 

Is this the standard? :confused: I was at the pier from a little before 10 to after 11am. Did like the idea of parking in the lot & out of everyone's way.

[mnsawyer]

We sailed the Glory last April and due to high winds the night before, we were late arriving into PC. Self-assist wasn't called until around 9ish and then by deck. Glad we had a late flight and didn't get to the airport until noon using Mears transportation (Carnival). Once we were off the ship, it was fine but took a long time for our deck to be called and still many other decks left. We didn't rush knowing that we had a later flight. We even went back to our cabin after breakfast just so we were not in the public area and surprised that our cabin steward wasn't waiting for us to leave. Can't imagine that they can turn around so many cabins in just an hour or two. But, we did notice that many cabins on our floor were being stripped and cleaned.

[EmJakeBubbie]

NCL with their famous "Freestyle" have one of the best debarkation procedures we've ever experienced. One must pre-register to be in the first 300 off the ship. You must be able to manage your own bags and be "smart enough" to get to breakfast *early*, back to cabin/collect bags/grab elevator whilst many are still going for breaksfast. Then you line up in an orderly fashion to proceed off,once ship is cleared. Yes, you do find yourself waiting in line to get off, but the rewards are many. No last night fuss to set out bags; no searching masses of bags to collect yours; no hassel to get a transfer. We've experienced horrible debarkations and can't understand why occassionally there are still horror stories. The worse one we ever were in was on a Royal Caribbean ship. Everyone crowded the atrium and refused to move back. The female Customs Agent actually drew her gun and threatened the crowd to move back. It was scary! Took *forever* for her to calm down and only then did we get cleared. To first time cruisers: expect a mess and then if it's orderly you will be happy; if it is disorderly, you won't be surprised. Just remember: the staff wants you off, you want to get off, everyone is doing the same thing at the same time. And, never ever, book a departing flight prior to noon (1 or 2 would be even less stressful). It's worth much for us to first up, first to breakfast, first to the elevator, first off;) - one xtra note: IMHO, Port Canaveral has the MOST civilized baggage retrieval process!

[mgasaway]

We did self-debark off the Elation last month and it went great. We were not in line at 8:am however. We got up, showered and went to breakfast. We were just sitting down to breakfast when they started self-debarkation. We finished eating then went back to the cabin to pick up our stuff. One suitcase each (on wheels of course) and my carry-on duffle bag. It was about 9:45 and they hadn't even started calling the cabin levels for those not doing it on their own. There was no line and it took about 15 minutes to get through customs. Guess we missed the chaos and long lines by going to breakfast first.

[Ehpride]

We did relaxed debarkation. We waited in the Lounge until it was called (set our checked bags out the night before). The new method I think is that it used to be called by tag color and now it's just a general call. If you can, don't get up right after they make the general call. You'll just end up standing in a huge line. If you let those people get going first and wait 10 to 15 minutes, you'll have a shorter line and can leave quicker, which is good when you have small children or older people with you. It was chaos because people were coming from so many waiting places but as long as you're patient and understanding, you should be okay.

[Stircrzy]

I got off of the Elation on Monday, March 6th...kicking and screaming for "more".

 

It was the smoothest debarkation I've had. We set out our checked luggage the night before, got up and took our one bag each to breakfast on the Lido deck by 8:30 AM. We had a leisurely breakfast, lined up when they called our color, and were in the car and headed home by 10:30 AM.

[moni]

I don’t understand why so many some people are in such a rush to get of the ship, I think:eek: maybe they didn’t like the cruise!

They almost have to kick me of the ship LOL

[wanderingjew]

i was first off yesterday no self i am platinum

[wasup254]

Got off today the Imagination, was in the car headed home by 7am. We didnot visit a foreign port as the Mexican ports were closed for high winds and waves and we didnot have to clear customs. It was self disbarkation and it went smoothly

[smceown]

I also got off the Imagination on Monday, easiest and most painless debarkation ever. We did not do self assist, they did call the rest by colours, and we were one of the last colours called. We walked up the stairs to Empress, and walked out the door - no lines, no waiting and we were off by 8:20