Disembarkation "Nightmares"??

[Lefty888]

Hello all. We are taking a cruise on the Valor in May. I have read many posts about the disembarkation NIGHTMARES. Can someone explain how this works? Do they still do the original collecting of luggage the night before and then calling your color group for "dismissal" to leave? :confused: That's how we disembarked on our last cruise and it went smoothly. Off the ship at 9am..

 

Thanks!!

[PINEVIEW01]

Yep, you can leave your luggage out the night before. Get off when called. The nightmares are if you are in a hurry to get off and there are hold ups with clearing.

[bluefintuna]

We have been on 20 cruises and two were self disembark. I hated it and dh loved it. I never minded going into the warehouse and locating luggage. Self disembark is people cramming stairs and then waiting at a certain point and waiting and waiting. I feel customs takes their sweet ole time clearing ships, maybe because it is usually a weekend. On Crown Princess in Brooklyn I got a luggage wheel caught sideways on the escalator; not a fun trip to the bottom. On Carnival we got off the elevator on the wrong deck and carted heavy luggage down the stairways with a few hundred others. The real trooper was our 8 year old gd; she had her suitcase and build a bear in a box and this tiny, sweet girl didn't let any of it bother her.

[OhioJeff]

I always extend my vacation at least an extra day. That alone seems to lessen the nightmare. I feel so relaxed, while most realize that their vacation is over and they have to return to reality. If possible try to stay in the port city an additional day.

[arcone]

I always extend my vacation at least an extra day. That alone seems to lessen the nightmare. I feel so relaxed, while most realize that their vacation is over and they have to return to reality. If possible try to stay in the port city an additional day.

I Agree, No S T R E S S on making it to the airport with at least 1,000 of your new found friend :eek: looking for transporation and time being in short supply as everyone seems to need to be off the ship first. Actually enjoying the last moments on the ship not being concern if YOUR color is the last called, Will you be able to get to the airport on time.

At least arrive one day before, for all those just in case something delay before the cruise. C R U I S E, Then stay at least one night to avoid the rush. Now that is STRESS FREE traveling.

[caribbean dreams]

Yes, :eek: Disembarkation off the Valor is a nightmare, doesn't matter if you are doing self or waiting for your color to be called.

If you wait for your color, it usually goes quite fast, its the whole madhouse at the luggage pick up and the mile long line you must wait in to go thru customs, there are people cutting, shoving, it's hot & sweaty. No kidding, i have seen the line wrap almost twice around the wherehouse with people trying to get out.

 

Self disembarkment was like a bunch of cattle headed for slaughter, the elevators are closed so the stairwells are backed up, people that are not leaving the ship are asked to stay in their cabins until the halls clear.

 

I don't know if this always happens on the Valor but this is just what i have seen in my experiences.

[TennisLover]

My only "nightmare" is when I can't find my luggage. In fact, once (I think it was when we were getting off the Valor), another family had claimed one of my bags -- got upset when I started taking it until I showed them the luggage tag.

 

Now, I make sure that every bag has a unique strap or something (some use colored duct tape or you can find straps of varying prices at luggage stores).

 

RCI in Miami had the same kind of carousels that you see in airports. That made life a lot easier. Last month, the porter there told me that Carnival was being made to incorporate that system too. I have no idea of the time frame (or if it's true) -- just passing along what I was told.

[keishashadow]

posed related Q on tampa port board...

 

Someone was kind enough to post Carnival's guidelines as to the earliest flight you can possibly book.

 

Believe for Tampa it was in the area of 11:30? Not to second guess; but wondering if all the planets need to line up to make it so.:confused: If our hotel shuttle doesn't show up or taxis are in short supply; I can see it happening. AT isn't too forgiving as to missing flights.;) Hate to cut it close; but also hate to wait 5 hours for next flight home.

 

If you have an early flight, assume you can keep your luggage in lieu of setting it out the night before. Just wondering if Carnival has a program where you can produce your flight info & have expedited processing?

[Mz CB]

... but it was when we disembarked earlier this month. We did the color tag thing and totally enjoyed sitting on the Lido until our color was called (around 9:30). However, we didn't get out of the terminal until 11:30! 2 hours of lines (including 45 minutes of lines while dragging suitcases) was not my idea of "easy.":(

 

Since we can't control this, my only thought is to make sure I minimize baggage as much as possible and make sure we don't have anything without good wheels (except maybe a backpacky kind of daypack).

[imacruzinma]

We joined the Carnival Vacation Club on our Valor last year. One of the perks was priority disembarkation....nice, really nice. We were off the boat, through customs, picked up rental car and at our hotel by 9:30 in the morning!

[SunnieD]

Just don't be in a hurry and you will be fine. The only bad thing is that the ship is "shut down" and there is nothing to do as you wait. That last day is depressing enough, without being in the cattle call leaving the ship.

[augie]

I believe most of what makes it so uncomfortable are the folks that think the rules are for others.

 

If they say "don't gather in the stairwells" once they say it 100 times.

 

If everyone would just find a place in a public area out of the way of the traffic flow, and wait until their actual color is called, I think it would go much smoother.

[catlady1971]

I like to stay a night after the cruise so I don't have to be in the herds afterwards. Enjoy a nice breakfast and watch everyone rush off. So relaxing and not stressful. Even when our color is called, we take our sweet time and enjoy every second we can on the ship. Eat their food one last time.

[da_cruisin_bears]

Do they disembark differently each Carnival ship?

 

A couple weeks ago disembarking on the Inspiration was completely different. First they announced all self assist and waited about 45 minutes then announced ALL decks at 9:30am. It wasn't done by color as in the past.

 

This was amazingly easy! We waited about 10 minutes on the Lido deck after the ALL deck call, decided it was time to go wait in line and when we got to the gangway THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOBODY THERE! We were in the car and on our way by 10am!!!

[CruiseCentric]

Do they disembark differently each Carnival ship?

 

A couple weeks ago disembarking on the Inspiration was completely different. First they announced all self assist and waited about 45 minutes then announced ALL decks at 9:30am. It wasn't done by color as in the past.

 

This was amazingly easy! We waited about 10 minutes on the Lido deck after the ALL deck call, decided it was time to go wait in line and when we got to the gangway THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOBODY THERE! We were in the car and on our way by 10am!!!

 

Yes, each ship and each port can do it a little different. Sometimes it can change week to week.