How is embarkation/disembarkation on Carnival?

[solsticebride]

We are planning a cruise for January on Carnival (Glory) and am just curious how smooth embarkation is. We've cruised with Princess twice and both times we were on the ship in under half an hour.

 

How does Carnival handle it? How early should we arrive at the port?

Thanks for your input...

Solstice

[punknhead]

I've heard mixed stories, but our experience last Spring was a 2 hour embark (we were at the port early-part of that wait was parking!) and an hour debark.

 

Not much fun!

Hope they get it together in the next 6 weeks!

 

 

Punk

[GoinCruisin]

I think it depends ALOT on the port... I have done it in Tampa and NOLA... Tampa was a breeze, NOLA was a nightmare...

[solsticebride]

Probably...we've cruised once out of NYC and the other out of Fort Lauderdale. Both were extrememly fast and easy...hoping Port Canaveral will be the same!!!???!!!

[cruznon]

I've been on three earlier Carnival cruises--all departures were unpleasant. They call luaggage tag colors--Rose, yellow, orange, black , etc. and you depart that way. You must sit in public lounges, areas UNTIL the lottery comes your way! On our last cruise on the PRIDE there were a only two colors left when our color was called. It was NOT a pleasant experience after such a glorious 7 days. The one good thing about being called last--very little luggage to go through at he end. :rolleyes: The bad thing---getting a porter to help with luggage!:mad:

[K.T.B.]

I've gone through 3 different ports, all 3 were definitely different.

 

Embarking in Galveston was easy, but very little in terms of signage as to where you drop luggage off and trying to find someone to help you out. However, once you found out where to put your luggage, it was a breeze. Disembarking was equally as easy.

 

New Orleans, as someone already mentioned, is a nightmare. Has absolutely nothing to do with Carnival or any other cruiseline, it's the port. Once you get get past the surliness of the port authority and get your bags checked, you're doing ok. When you disembark and you're actually off the ship, welcome to hell. I will NEVER sail out of New Orleans again. Period. Even if the trip is free. (Yes, it is that bad...)

 

Miami is super, super easy. Lots of security to go past to actually get into the port though. Once you get there, guys are there to collect your luggage, direct you where to go and generally help you out. Disembarking in Miami was the easiest experience I've ever had as well.

[PINEVIEW01]

I think it depends ALOT on the port... I have done it in Tampa and NOLA... Tampa was a breeze, NOLA was a nightmare...

I think it depends on the sailing. First Tampa a breeze second time a night mares NOLA was a breeze for us. Miami has been good and bad also.

[robsvacation]

I've been through Miami 7 times on carnival, Orlando and Miami on RCCL, Miami once on NCCL and regal cruises out of NYC once. It just depends I'm afraid.

 

Carnival basically handles checkin no different than everyone else with long snaking lines and dull waiting areas. The only difference is you line up at a separate desk to get your room key and Sail and sign card, a 5 minute process at the most.

 

Check-in has taken me anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 1/2 hours. If I happen to arrive with a huge surge of other passengers or if the ship was late clearing immigration then it can be bad with long lines. The way I look at it is that it's like combining the check-in for an international airplane flight with check-in at a hotel. I'm not exactly sure how you make that fun.

 

RCCL was alot of cattle herding with extra bins. While you get your room key when you check-in, there was an extra waiting area before you could proceed to check-in that was like musical chairs or the DMV.

 

My one NCCL embarkation experience was a complete disaster of missing documents and uninterested and uncaring staff. Combined that with them bumping me off my originally planned cruise and I will not sail them again, at least not for a long, long time.

 

Debarkation is the same on RCCL and Carnival, and largely out of their control. If Joe Smith decides Immigration really doesn't need to see him, we all wait. If all the passengers don't listen to the annoucements and crowd the hallways, it's not so good. Usually I just go up on deck, pull out a deck chair and rest. If you need to get off the ship early get to pursers desk the afternoon of the last day. They just give you color tags for the first color called, but if you wait you might get tags for the 2nd group. NCL lets you wait in your cabin until you need to leave, so I really have to give them a nod for that.