Disembarking... clueless first timer??

[fatcat04]

I have read lots of stuff about everything involving our upcoming cruise but disembarkation still confuses me.

 

I know we need to be out of our room by 8-8:30 am.

 

Where do we go??

 

Where does our luggage go?? Do you keep it with you the whole time or pick it up before going into customs??

 

What do you do while you wait?

 

How does customs work when coming off a cruise? I have done customs off an airplane several times. Is it similar?

 

You get luggage tags at some point that tells you when to get off the boat, is that right??

 

Just pretty much any info you can give me would be helpful.

 

Thanks :)

~~Kari

[howard6933]

A day or so before your last day, you'll receive color coded luggage tags to put on your bags. Be sure to take off any old tags that may be on your bags.

You'll also get Customs Declaration forms to fill out. The last night of the cruise, you put your bags outside your cabin door when you're ready to retire for the night. The bags will be picked up during the night by the cruise people. Don't forget to leave out something to wear the day of disembarkation.

On the day of disembarkation, you can go to breakfast (pretty early the last day on some ships) and then go back to your cabin and pick up anything you have to take with you. Then go to any lounge with your stuff and hang out there until your color is called. As you leave the ship and go to the terminal area there will be a US Customs officer who will check your customs declaration form. Your bags will be somewhere in the terminal at a location that coincides with the color tags you were given. Get your bags and you're out of there. ;) On the final sea day the cruise director will probably give a lecture in the show lounge on all of the info you need to know. Most people (especially first timers) attend this briefing and it's a good idea for you to go to it. I believe that they also put it on the TV, so if you don't go, you can see it all day on your cabin TV. Disembarkation usually is quite a simple thing and goes well unless there's some screwup along the way. Don't worry about it. :rolleyes:

[joetrizeo]

disembarking is pretty easy once you know what to do.

 

i would highly recommend going to the disembarkment talk. there they'll explain everything you need to do.

 

first of all disembarkment starts the night before with you packing your bags and leaving them outside your stateroom no later than a certain time, normally midnight or 1am. make sure you do not pack things you'll need! like passport, id, wallet, one set of travel home clothes, toothbrush, hair spray, toothpaste or anything else you'll need for the coming home morning/day. i normally pack my PJ's in my carryon bag or backpack.

make sure, if you are flying back, once you do get your luggage you put any items you cannot take on the plane (any sharp objects or over 3oz liquids, think toothpaste) back in your checked luggage.

 

before leaving the ship you'll have to fill our a customs declaration form and if you like, a questionair to help better the cruise line.

 

by debarkation morning your bags will be picked up by ship workers and transported off the boat. you wont see them again until you are back onland.

 

in the morning you get dressed, pack up the remaining things in your carry on and go have breakfast. you do need to be out by approx 8 or 9 so they can clean your cabin for the next cruise. shortly after 8 or 9 they will call you by luggage color, or deck level (costa did luggage tag color). you can wait anywhere but when i was on costa they had designated waiting areas, say the theater. this is to make sure 3000 exiting people doesnt turn into a cluster mess.

 

its kinda boring, kuz you're tired and depression can start to set in about going home. but you wait till you're called, walk around the ship, there's really nothing much to do. but it only takes until approx 10am. then you exit the ship, swiping out for the final time and proceeded down the gangway to pick up your luggage. you then go thru customs with your luggage and your custom declaration form. once there you take a cab or whatever to the airport or drive home or whatever. and plan your next cruise :)

 

that's regular disembarking. self disembarking is different and where you keep your bags. thats another story i have not done but prolly not much different.

 

hope that helps.

 

-JoeT

[fatcat04]

A day or so before your last day, you'll receive color coded luggage tags to put on your bags. Be sure to take off any old tags that may be on your bags.

You'll also get Customs Declaration forms to fill out. The last night of the cruise, you put your bags outside your cabin door when you're ready to retire for the night. The bags will be picked up during the night by the cruise people. Don't forget to leave out something to wear the day of disembarkation.

On the day of disembarkation, you can go to breakfast (pretty early the last day on some ships) and then go back to your cabin and pick up anything you have to take with you. Then go to any lounge with your stuff and hang out there until your color is called. As you leave the ship and go to the terminal area there will be a US Customs officer who will check your customs declaration form. Your bags will be somewhere in the terminal at a location that coincides with the color tags you were given. Get your bags and you're out of there. ;) On the final sea day the cruise director will probably give a lecture in the show lounge on all of the info you need to know. Most people (especially first timers) attend this briefing and it's a good idea for you to go to it. I believe that they also put it on the TV, so if you don't go, you can see it all day on your cabin TV. Disembarkation usually is quite a simple thing and goes well unless there's some screwup along the way. Don't worry about it. :rolleyes:

 

Thank you howard6933. That was really super helpful for newbies like us!! When travelling with a 5 yo, the less surprises the better!! Really puts my mind at ease :)

[fatcat04]

and plan your next cruise :)

 

hope that helps.

 

-JoeT

 

Thank Joe... great info. I really appreciate it!!

 

We will have our own car there waiting for us so no rushing to a plane for us, thank goodness. I have done that enough times when traveling to know what a nightmare that can be!!

 

Just a long drive (14 hours) but like you say... we can start planning our next cruise on the drive home. :p

 

Cruises must be like potato chips, can't have just one!!

 

~~Kari