Let's break down everything you need to know about debarking a cruise ship so you know exactly what to expect. So is this local time or EST?? For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Related: Should I buy my flights through my cruise line? has spent more than 15 years writing about travel, with particular emphasis on cruises. This procedure has its inconveniences. Although most people report no problems, there is the opportunity for theft, so you might want to put TSA locks or cable-ties on your bags to secure your belongings. In a lot of cases, it can begin around 7:00am. Powered by Invision Community. How can I find out more about getting on or off the ship. Depending on traffic and how the port authority regulates it can take 1 - 1 1/2 hours to get to the airport. I recommend nothing earlier than 11 a.m. for most sailings later if you're flying internationally. Also, you will receive an As You Depart guide that will provide detailed information on timing, where to grab breakfast and other important instructions. Or are Captains so powerful they can decide which side of the ship is port? A. Most cruise ships are cleared for passengers to debark between 7 and 9 a.m., depending on their arrival time. Your time is assigned according to your flight times (which you provide a few days prior to disembarkation day), stateroom category, and even loyalty status. For the staff and crew, disembarkation begins their turn-around day between one cruise and the next, making it one of their most difficult work days. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Then have to get to the airport, which may involve navigating through heavy traffic, and waiting in security lines along with hundreds of other cruise travelers, fresh off their ships. Not everyone gets off the ship at the same time (or at all), so once the initial rush has passed, it doesn't take long to swipe your cruise card and head ashore. Next, everyone will have an assigned departure lounge and time that corresponds with your tagged luggage, detailed in your As You Depart guide. When you book your cruise and it says Grand Cayman 7:30am -4pm & Cozumel 10am - 7pm. The buses will run again and again until everyone gets a lift. You will typically be asked to vacate your cabin by 9 a.m. (or even 8 a.m.) on disembarkation day so that the crew can prepare for the next passengers. Carefully wrap them in your dirty clothes. Would the ship be on St. Thomas time when in port? If a ship arrives later whether a late arrival is scheduled ahead of time or due to . Here are a few key pieces of advice to help you avoid mistakes when disembarking a cruise ship. Think of disembarkment syndrome like this: You hear people talking about getting their sea legs during the first days of a cruise. Just like guests carrying their own luggage off the ship, the exact time luggage pickup begins will vary, but it usuallybegins 30-60 minutes after guests carrying their own luggage are able to start walking off the ship. She is the author of several cruise and travel books, including 100 Things To Do In Alaska Before You Die." I hope this example explains it better. A very common misconception among first time cruisers is looking at the scheduled time a ship returns to port and assuming that is the first opportunity to disembark their Royal Caribbean ship. You can also read more about disembarkment syndrome. That's not including the time spent waiting for your transport from the pier to airport. Among the passenger shipping companies leaving from Seattle are CCL-Carnival, Celebrity, HAL-Holland America, NCL-Norwegian, Princess, RCI-Royal Caribbean, Oceania, Lindblad-National Geographic. Guests who elect to carry their own luggage off the ship will be required to take their luggage from their stateroom, and take it all the way off the ship and through customs. From packing to. You'll need to stay in a Grand Suite or higher for this benefit, and suites are far from inexpensive. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. The result is usually a wait onboard the ship for a spot on a tender, followed by a wait for the tender to proceed to shore. If you chose to have Royal Caribbean take your luggage off the ship for you, then you'll need to wait for your group number to be called. What time do I disembark a cruise ship on the last morning? A beginners guide to picking a cruise line, What to wear on a cruise: Cruise attire and cruise line dress codes, The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. If so, we have, Planning your first Royal Caribbean cruise? If you have a passport, you'll be able to get through the cruise terminal much faster than if you have just a birth certificate. There are two main groups who can disembark from a cruise once it is over: guests carrying their own luggage and guests picking up their luggage. Staff will be on hand to direct you to a bus that is going to your specific airline and terminal or that does a circuit to several terminals at the airport. Answer: It depends on the ship, and then within that, some other factors. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. However, no matter what the ship does, keep your watch set for the ship's time. Just because the ship returns at this time, does not mean it is ready to let passengers off the ship. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. If you're paying with a credit card, all you have to do is make sure that all the charges on the bill are correct. You are welcome to give additional tips for outstanding service at any time during your cruise. From the time your color-coded departure group is called, you can be off the ship in 15 minutes. Made life ashore very easy with no need to worry about any time differences. If you leave any items behind, it's difficult to recover them once you're off the ship. Anything you don't put in the checked bags -- nightclothes, toiletries, and so on -- must fit in your carry-on. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Then you have to be able to physically carry everything without any assistance off the ship. Should I buy my flights through my cruise line? If it's a port day and you've booked a ship-sponsored shore excursion, your meeting time will be marked on your ticket. Princess MedallionClass FAQ. With RC, a couple of days before the end of the cruise, you will have a c. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. There are a few important steps you need to take care of on the last day of your cruise to ensure you have a successful departure. On your Serenade cruise it's easy, you never leave the Atlantic time zone while on your itinerary so ship's time = local time.:D. You will drive your room stewards crazy if you linger in your cabin beyond the recommended clear-out time. Luggage Pickup To make things easier and simpler for guests, Royal Caribbean offers to deliver guest luggage to the terminal for pickup. You can book bus transfers via your cruise line, either before your trip or onboard, that will either take you directly to the airport or combine a city tour with an airport transfer. The procedures for getting off a cruise ship, as well as cruise ship disembarkation times, can be confusing to first-time cruisers. Combine both for an epic 18-night vacation through two countries and several northern mountains. Cruisetours also are available in many European ports like Madrid, Paris and Rome. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. We added an hour, then subtracted an hour etc. In deciding if you can be somewhere for an excursion if you dock at 10am you know you can't be there for 10am but if its really 9am local time you could be there for 10am. There will be plenty available. airport transfer, taxi or awaiting family, Which Room on Icon of the Seas Is Right for You, 5 Ways Royal Caribbean Practices Sustainability, The Best Things to Do in Greece and the Greek Isles, 8 Hours in Royal Caribbeans Perfect Day at CocoCay, Icons Captain Henrik Shares The Top Things to Do on The New Ship, Wave Season: The Best Time To Score Deals. This is a very popular option, and most guests elect for this option. The good news is that by the last day of your cruise, youll be feeling rested and headed home with stories from your adventures abroad (as well as on board). Voyager stayed on a set ship time (EST since we sailed from Miami) all through the 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise we were on. The day before disembarkation, staff will deliver color- and number-coded luggage tags to your cabin, along with an approximate disembarkation time. Feeling ambitious? How do I find out about the disembarkation procedures on my cruise ship? As stated earlier, the exact time of when self-assistbegins will depend on certain factors, but usuallyit will commence around 7:00 or 7:30am. I did a southern itinerary on Royal Caribbean and the ship kept its clocks on San Juan time. If you think you'll have questions, send one member of your group to the talk. The time needed to walk off the ship is usually pretty steady, especially at Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship terminals. If you want to meet your teens later on shore, they will need an adult with them to disembark the ship. You can bring in more, but youll have to pay the taxes. Ship time may or may not stay on the time of the port of origin, and may or may not change to be identical to port time. With 26 ships in the fleet sailing to destinations around the world, it can, If you are planning your first cruise, you are in store for a great vacation experience with lots of activities, fun, Planning your first cruise is always exciting, but it can be difficult to know what to expect. Self assist early walk off is the first to leave the ship after clearance from local authorities. To make things easier and simpler for guests, Royal Caribbean offers to deliver guest luggage to the terminal for pickup. NCL offers priority disembarkation as part of an add-on bundle that includes priority embarkation and other perks. You can carry your own bags off the ship at the end of your voyage, work your way up to elite status in your cruise line's loyalty program, pay for an add-on package (such as Carnival's Faster to the Fun, Royal Caribbean's The Key or Norwegian's Priority Access) that gives you the privilege, or pruchase a ship-sponsored shore excursion with an early departure time. Do not worry if your number seems high because you can always go to Guest Relations and get a lower number if you need to be one of the first off the ship. On Explorer last week we changed time 4 times. Most often, the Express Departure option is preferred by guests who want to depart as early as possible due to travel plans, work requirements, or other needs. Have more cruise questions? Do you know about when you'd like to sail? You will need to scan it any time you exit the ship (and also when you return). We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. From, Ever wonder what lessons someone new to Royal Caribbean might be able to pick up from veteran cruisers? Note: Times listed are approximate and will vary by sailing and disembarkation location. Once the ship is good to proceed the next question is your ship docking at a pier or shuttling guests off via tenders? Cruisers don't have to be back on the ship until "all aboard," which is usually about 30 minutes prior to the ship's scheduled departure time. LEARN MORE. Be forewarned about one thing in particular Ship time is at the Captain's whim! Note: If you're taking advantage of a luggage shipping program, you may have to claim your bags at Customs and personally deliver them to the shipping representative. Does that mean if we arrive in Grand Cayman at 8am ship time it is actually 7 in GC? Packing for kids is a lot likeany cruise packing list, but any parent will tell you that kids come with their own set, Happy 2020! A benefit of being a guest that purchases Royal Caribbean's VIP program, The Key, is you'll get a special luggage tag. In my experience, this means the concierge will walk you past some or all of the line leading up to the check-point where you scan your SeaPass card. 5 Things You Need to Try Aboard Wonder of the Seas, World's Biggest Cruise Ship and Royal Caribbean's Newest Ship in the Caribbean Carnival's 50th Anniversary Cruise 'Sailabration' Voyage: Just . Captain Marvin's is assuming that the ship will be on EDT and Grand Cayman is on EST, so the ship is one hour behind. Always go with ship time. While most cruise ports do not have rental car agencies onsite, you can arrange for some rental car agencies to send a van to take you to their office. Was it something we said? It definitely depends on the Captain AND the sailing so always check your Compass and just make sure to follow ship's time. for example, Day 1 you are in Quebec, Day 2 you will be in Halifax. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. .css-18jw8gc{-webkit-appearance:none;-moz-appearance:none;-ms-appearance:none;appearance:none;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;position:relative;white-space:nowrap;vertical-align:middle;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;line-height:1.2;border-radius:var(--chakra-radii-md);transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-normal);height:auto;min-width:var(--chakra-sizes-10);font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);background:none;border:0;color:black;display:inline;margin:0px;padding:0!important;font-family:var(--chakra-fonts-Roboto);font-weight:500;padding-top:0.625rem;padding-bottom:0.625rem;-webkit-padding-start:1rem;padding-inline-start:1rem;-webkit-padding-end:1rem;padding-inline-end:1rem;}.css-18jw8gc:focus-visible,.css-18jw8gc[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}.css-18jw8gc:disabled,.css-18jw8gc[disabled],.css-18jw8gc[aria-disabled=true],.css-18jw8gc[data-disabled]{opacity:0.4;cursor:not-allowed;box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-none);}.css-18jw8gc:active,.css-18jw8gc[data-active]{border:var(--chakra-borders-none);background:none;}.css-18jw8gc:hover,.css-18jw8gc[data-hover]{border:var(--chakra-borders-none);background:none;}.css-18jw8gc:focus,.css-18jw8gc[data-focus]{border:var(--chakra-borders-none);outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-none);}Cookie Consent, Hidden in the Fine Print: 16 Things You Need to Know About Your Cruise Contract, Celebrity Cruises' Magic Carpet on Celebrity Edge, How to Navigate the Airport on Cruise Turnaround Day, 10 Things You Should Never Do on a Cruise Line Private Island, What to Expect on a Cruise: Getting Off the Ship (Photo: Cruise Critic). In many cases, you'll have the option to prepay gratuities before your trip. Before anyone can get off a cruise ship, the country you are visiting needs to clear the ship. Most lines will automatically add tips to your final shipboard bill; some (like luxury lines, whose gratuities are included in the cruise fare) require no tipping. First things first: breakfast will be available on the ship, so you can fuel up. If being the first off your ship is important to you, there are several ways to ensure you won't have to wait around for too long. On disembarkation day, an announcement will be made once the gangway is opened and cleared by local authorities, and at that time, guests carrying their own luggage may depart the ship. Trying myself to figure out when we get to St. Thomas in November if we will be on the same time or different. Still need help? PROTOCOLS UPDATE: VACCINATION & TESTING NO LONGER REQUIRED FOR MOST GUESTS. When you get to the cruise terminal area where thousands of bags have been placed, it helps if you know exactly what your suitcases look like. On voyage-conclusion days, also called turnaround days, passengers are asked to vacate their cabins between 8 and 8:30 a.m. so stewards can begin cleaning them for the next round of cruisers. They give you as much info as you need to keep on the correct time. Do I need to tip crew members before I disembark? The longest wait for this is from other people wanting to be among the first to walk off the ship, and there can sometimes be a line of guests waiting to walk off the ship in the morning. There also will be a family zone, so younger guests can enjoy toys and games while waiting. How long it will take authorities to clear the ship? In preparation for, Have a Royal Caribbean cruise planned for September 2022? 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Special Event: Q&A with Rudi Schreiner, President, Co-Founder & Co-Owner - AmaWaterways River Cruises, Q&A with Avoya Travel: Learn How to Turn Your Passion into Success by Becoming an Independent Travel Advisor. Be aware that these lines can be long. Keep all receipts because you could be asked to report the value of all goods purchased abroad; if you go over the limits, you face taxes on some of your items. Royal Caribbean will build the 161,300ft terminal and then lease it from the port for the initial period of 20 years with four ten-year options. The day we left Bermuda, there is a big notice at the top of the Compass that says, set clocks back one hour before retiring.Maureen. Usually, the deadline is sometime between 10 p.m. and midnight. In most environments the latest time to leave the vessel will be between 10:00am and 11:00am. How do I finalize payments for things I've bought onboard my cruise? Canadian cruisetours can be added to Alaska cruises too, with six-night stays in Alberta and British Columbia, where you can relax in natural hot springs and ride through the Rockies in a vintage railcar. TPG has answers: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. (An exception is if you only have a light carry-on, in which case, go for it.). Anyone who has their bags offloaded by the ship's porters will be called to leave the vessel according to their designated luggage tag color or number; the tags are usually distributed a couple of days before the end of the voyage. "Royal Caribbean will no longer allow cruise passengers to pre-plan early debark or late embarkation for any of our ships. You may also have to clear customs. Royal Caribbean offers two departure types: Regular and Self-Assist . You obviously can't disembark before the ship docks. Porters will be available to assist during this process. The 24 hours before you disembark your cruise -- the point at which you get off the ship -- comes with a flurry of instructions. I have have done an eastern itinerary once on Carnival and the ship keep its clocks on Miami time. At the same time, leaving a packed carry-on bag in one corner, out of the way, while you go to breakfast may be acceptable. Whether youre headed home or on to the next destination, heres everything you need to know to prepare for getting off the ship. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. Kind of a bummer because we want to do 7-mile Beach too, but it might be tough depending on the time. If you're settling up with cash or traveler's checks, ship personnel will tell you when and where to close out your account. In general, bags must be out by 11 p.m., but the dedicated team on board your ship will inform you of the exact time. The gangway remains open throughout the day; passengers can disembark on a rolling basis, at their leisure. As long as there's no delay in the cruise terminal backing up the line, you should be able to walk off the ship in a matter of minutes since all you'll need to do is scan your SeaPass card to indicate you are off the ship. Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line. Ships that terminate in U.S. ports may require passengers to fill out Customs forms and show their passports to border control in the cruise terminal. That makes following disembarkation instructions even more important. Of course, this means you have to lug all your belongings out of your room, down the hall, and into an elevator. Do a careful check of closets, drawers and even under the bed to make sure you have packed everything. Find the right card for you. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Ship Time!!! Head to the buffet or main dining room to enjoy a leisurely breakfast unless you are in a rush to get to your flight. It's nearly impossible to get cruise line land staff to fix onboard billing mistakes. Announcing Our 2023 Cruisers' Choice Award Winners! For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Once your group is called, our crew will be on hand to show you the way, and will direct you to your luggage, your Royal Caribbean airport transfer, taxi or awaiting family. Once your number is called, then you proceed to the gangway area and scan your SeaPass card as you leave the ship. No matter which method you have to disembark the ship, you'll need to scan your SeaPass card to show you're off the ship. Whether or not the ship adjusts its clocks to local time is another question. Disembarkation at the conclusion of a sailing is almost always more organized, though it can feel chaotic. To at least half of you it is obvious that ship time IS ship time, but a lot of people still don't seem to comprehend this. BE CAREFUL, Do not change your watch, otherwise you will be watching your boat leave from the dock, very scary I am sure. If you're to cruising, you want to know how long does it take to get off the cruise ship. The ship first must be cleared by Customs and port authorities before anyone can disembark. Dress Code and What to Pack for a Cruise. Cruisers who have booked shore excursions through the ship also get priority. Last year on the Mariner Western route the ship stayed on ship time even though it was up to 2 hours different than local time at one point. Do I need to go through Customs and immigration at the cruise port? Disembark means getting off of an airplane, bus, train or almost any other vehicle or vessel. If youve paid your cruise line for an airport transfer, dont get stressed about missing the bus. Hi Hazmatt, I remember you from the Filthy Infidel thread! Reservations are strongly recommended. But what is that last day like? (The last one is particularly helpful in ports where tendering is required.).
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