Debarkation Day - How long can we stay?

[jrzebird]

Although you can specify one of the latest times (10:15 / 10:30), there's little benefit. If you have a whole day to kill, leave early and get on with whatever plans you have for filling the day.

 

Not because of etiquette or whatnot. It's just not a relaxing conclusion to the trip. They start knocking around 8am checking the cabin's minibar, then every 15min thereafter asking when they could get in to start cleaning.

 

Though there is room service, there is no breakfast after 8.. If you are thinking you can let them clean the room while you eat your last relaxing meal in the cafeteria hall ~8:30-10am, that won't work either.

 

 

I agree with your assessment. The last two trips, on debarkation day we went down and had breakfast and then sat in our cabin, waiting to be called. Although I know they do it differently now, just sitting around and waiting to leave is very stressful, IMHO. Just go! The ship is a beehive of activity that morning and there's nothing relaxing about it.

[the_dylaness]

Along the same lines, could someone explain what "special disembarkation service" for suites is supposed to entail? We were in an SC this past week and did not receive any notice of our special disembarkation service.

[FireIce0010]

I try to get off as soon as possible so that they can turn the ship around. I know that when I arrive on embarkation day, I like to be able to board so I try to give that same consideration for the passengers coming on the day that I leave.:)

[martinimadam]

I guess I'm one of those who likes to stay til the last minute. I usually do a post cruise hotel, and they're usually not ready for me til noon-ish. In deference to those who are anxiously waiting to embark, I let the cabin steward know that he can start my room. I leave my carry-on, etc., in the closet so it's out of his way. Then, after as leisurely a breakfast as possible, I usually go up to the Lido deck and enjoy my last minutes on board. Hope this doesn't offend anyone. I just see it as getting the most out of the trip. It's also nice to go to the luggage pickup area and not have a lot of other bags (and milling people) around. I do have to say, though, that I've never been so late that they've called my name; so, I think I'm still playing by the rules.

[boilermaker98]

Just giving this a bump. I'm a first time cruiser and trying to arrange my pick-up time for our car service. We're in no hurry to get off as we have a red-eye flight. Hopefully we will be able to use Signature Baggage Service (that's the plan anyhow). If our boat is suuposed to dock at 7 am (Amsterdam in Seattle), would a 9:00 pick-up be good? 9:30?

 

We'd like to have breakfast on the ship, then avoid the first big rush of people leaving since we will have enough toddler gear with us that I'd rather not be pushing a stroller, lugging a carseat, etc through the crowd. I am trying to keep in mind that others are waiting to get on, but I think there must be a good balance here.

[lka1012]

I've always stayed on board until they drag me out from under my bed, pry my fingernails from the doorframes and haul me off kicking and screaming.

 

Actually, when I have departed from FLL, my flight leaves at 4:45, but for each cruise, the departure day excurions do not have enough to make, the signature baggage is not available for me that day. So I get dumped at the airport at 11ish. I cannot even check my bags until after 1 pm, then go thru security until 2 ish. So I HATE that day. I've even considered checking in a hotel and leaving a day later.

[ChrisYMQ]

We were on that swine flu cruise on ms Ryndam (swinedam). We had signed up for disembarkation in San Diego around 9h30 - 10h00.

 

I had set a wake-up call for 8h00 a.m., thought by 8h45 we both would be ready for breakfast, have breakfast on Lido followed by a last visit to the bathroom in our cabin and then we would leave as planned around 9h30.

 

At 7h20 however, they woke us up knocking on the cabin door as they wanted to do some inventory checks (minibar bathrobes etc.). The "do not disturb sign" didn't help... They made us feel rushed all morning long and eventually we were out an hour earlier than what was initially planned ...

[mnsawyer]

I think that your last morning is far from relaxing. Stewards want you out of your cabins and in public areas. I would say 9:30 at the lastest. For the OP who has an 8:00 p.m. flight out of FLL, I would look into a day room at the airport. It would be too long of a day in my opinion, to do anything else. Not sure if they are available but I would be making some calls. Even if it's just relaxing at the hotel, napping and showering before your flight would be way better than sitting around an airport for hours especially if you can't check your luggage in early.