Why is Disney debarkation so special?

[time4u2go]

Hello,

I keep reading how happy Disney cruisers are with the debarkation process. Can somebody tell me what is it that makes it so good? Do they have some magical way of getting 3000 people off a ship faster than other cruise lines?

 

Thanks!

[MrPete]

It was so easy, I don't remember getting off the ship either time!:confused:

[time4u2go]

It was so easy, I don't remember getting off the ship either time!:confused:

 

What do you mean by easy? Do they do anything different than call groups of people to get off, like the other lines do?

[jcanino]

What do you mean by easy? Do they do anything different than call groups of people to get off, like the other lines do?

 

I have to agree with the OP. It was like a normal day at home (for some). Got up, everyone got dressed, went to breakfast, back to the cabin to get our carry ons, walked off the ship, found our bags and was on a shuttle to the rental car office before 8:00. I don't know how they do it, but it was the easiest debarkation that I have ever had.

[Capt_BJ]

I've had it easy ... and I've had it as stressful and long lined as any other cruise.

 

The real secret is to no allow yourself to be booked on a flight that makes your trip to the airport a Hertz dash.... You can betcha' that there will be 25% of the passagers that know they must be the first one off the ship. Not a situation unique to DCL.

 

The easy offs were when I was living close enuf to drive and could wait until the mad rush was over having had breakfast as late as possible.

 

But I will admit that the Disney terminal in PC is a breeze as compared to the rigors of Port of Miami and Miami International!

[mom x4,grandma x4]

We have always had an easy time getting on and off the Disney ships, however we have friends who have used other cruise lines who have had quite different experiences. Some have taken an hour and a half just to figure out the check in process. In Vancouver BC our friends said no one offered to tell them the procedure of which window to go to, so they asked and the person wasn't sure and sent them to the wrong place. The person there sent them to another window, and agin this person wasn't sure which documents they needed to see. Everyone in the termnal was in total confusion. After almost 2 hours of waiting in lines and much frustration they boarded and had a good cruise. Finding their luggage at the end of the cruise was just as bad. It took forever and nobody there seemed to want to answer questions to help people to find their luggage. I have read many cruise threads where this happens a lot. That is why most people are so impressed with DCL. It runs very smoothly and there are several people to answer all your questions before you get in any lines and the lines are clearly marked, they go very quickly The luggage is stored so it's pretty easy to find. There are plenty of porters to help if you need it and a information desk you can go to if your having a problem.

mom x4,grandma x4

[mrsfuzzmo]

We have actually had better. DCL Magic was an absolute mob scene for those of us who had to get off the ship early to catch flights. There were about 2000 of the 3000 passengers all waiting in the lobby until they opened the doors and then it was almost crushing to get to the double doors. I prefer having to wait until my number/color is called to disembark. I don't know if this happens all the time....sounds like it does not. But basically they just open the doors and let you leave.

 

The COOLEST part about the DCL disembarkation, though, was that once you've retrieved your luggage and gone through customs, there are airline reps right there at the port checking in you and your luggage for your flights!

That was the smartest thing DCL could have done. Once we checked in for our flight, we boarded the bus, got to airport with our boarding passes in hand and never had to touch our luggage again! It ROCKED!!!

[time4u2go]

I have to agree with the OP. It was like a normal day at home (for some). Got up, everyone got dressed, went to breakfast, back to the cabin to get our carry ons, walked off the ship, found our bags and was on a shuttle to the rental car office before 8:00. I don't know how they do it, but it was the easiest debarkation that I have ever had.

 

When you say you "walked off the ship", had they called your group already? Do they even do groups? Or do they just let everybody leave the ship whenever they want?

 

I have been on 3 Carnival cruises, and on all 3, they called a group every 15 minutes or so. On one of the cruises, we were in one of the first groups, so we got off quickly and were on our way. On another one, we were in a middle group...not too bad. On our most recent cruise, we were in one of the last groups, and it took a long time. Does DCL do it any differently than this?

[time4u2go]

I've had it easy ... and I've had it as stressful and long lined as any other cruise.

 

The real secret is to no allow yourself to be booked on a flight that makes your trip to the airport a Hertz dash.... You can betcha' that there will be 25% of the passagers that know they must be the first one off the ship. Not a situation unique to DCL.

 

The easy offs were when I was living close enuf to drive and could wait until the mad rush was over having had breakfast as late as possible.

 

But I will admit that the Disney terminal in PC is a breeze as compared to the rigors of Port of Miami and Miami International!

 

I definitely agree with this! We live in Orlando, and have cruised out of Tampa, PC, and San Juan. There was certainly a much lower stress level for the Tampa and PC cruises, since we knew we just had to hop into our car and drive an hour or so. San Juan was another story. The terminal is a mess, the airport is a mess. But the actual process of getting off the ship was the same at all three...groups called every few minutes to get off. Is this the same as DCL?

[mrsfuzzmo]

Not on ours. Just had eveyone standing around (or sitting or laying in the lobby) and then the doors opened and we got off.

[Govac24]

If you have the early seating at dinner you are supposed to go to breakfast for the early seating the day you disembark. When finished you wait in the lobby until the doors open. Once opened you're off to the baggage claim area where you bags are in a color coded area. the color matches the color of the tags they left in your room the night before to place on your bags. After collecting your bags you wait in line to exit thru customs. Both time we found this to be very quick - steady. Once out of the building the buses are there & several airlines are also there so you can check in for your flight home. They take the bags & your onto the bus (if you have bought a transfer).

If you have the later dinner seating then you go to the later breakfast seating & then follow the same process.

We've never cruise with anyone else but DCL so we have nothing to compare it to but we find it very smooth way to end a great trip!

[Boomer TG]

One thing you have to keep in mind is the difference in the terminal facilities. At the RCCL terminal in Miami and the terminals in LA, Long Beach and Seattle their set up is similiar to that of an airport where all passengers go through the immigration process at a booth in the terminal. This can delay the disembarkation process versus the officers doing it onboard the ship where they don't do any computer checks.

[TheWog]

When you say you "walked off the ship", had they called your group already? Do they even do groups? Or do they just let everybody leave the ship whenever they want?

 

I have been on 3 Carnival cruises, and on all 3, they called a group every 15 minutes or so. On one of the cruises, we were in one of the first groups, so we got off quickly and were on our way. On another one, we were in a middle group...not too bad. On our most recent cruise, we were in one of the last groups, and it took a long time. Does DCL do it any differently than this?

 

We grabbed some breakfast from the buffet and brought it back to the room and waited for the announcement that the ship was cleared. We then gathered our stuff and walked right off. There are no colors to be called or such. There was a small line, but that was just to get through the doors. DCL organizes the luggage into areas and each area is indicated by a character. We had Donald Duck. They will then have your bags together in that area by your stateroom number. So it was easy to find. We had a porter help us and he brought our bags to the USAIR Rep and we checked our bags and received our boarding passes right there. We were out and waiting for our ride before 8:30 a.m. (This was before they changed to the guest having DCL transfers in order to check bags with the airline). For us the process was simple and a lot better than the RCI process of waiting in a hot Solarium for your color to be called and then going all the way down to the lobby and wait in line there. It wasn't terrible, but much preferred DCL's process.

[time4u2go]

So it sounds like kind of a mixed bag. Most people seemed to have had a good experience, but I think it really depends on what your plans are after you get off the ship. If you are catching an early flight, then there might be some stress. If you are catching a later flight, or if you have some other (later) transportation arrangements, then things are probably easier.

 

 

Thanks for all the feedback!

[Capt_BJ]

that one time, when we'd driven, the LINE to get off went on and on.

 

This was close to 9-11 so I guess all would understnd there were new proceedures to adjust to, but we sat in chairs in the atrium for hours waiting for the line to clear......annoying since all we needed to do was get to the parking lot!

 

This was the same trip I had to get my son, who'd come down with Montazuma's Revenge, out of bed to visit the gents from customs and INS on our arrival in USVI. Folks gave him a wide berth since he was carrying a trash basket!!!! :eek: Fortunately he recovered in 24 hours and it was a 7 day trip! :D

[Yvonne]

On our Disney cruises we just "walked off the ship" when we were ready. The area where the luggage is put is large enough that ALL the luggage can be coded by room numbers so there is NO waiting. No sitting around waiting for your "number" or "color" to be called to debark. When you're ready you walk off, get your luggage and GO.

 

On our Carnival cruise we had to wait quite awhile in the show lounge for our "color" to be called before we could get off the ship. It wasn't bad for us, but I felt sorry for families with young children/babies who were bored and cranky.

[deborahjo]

Disney was SO easy. Once docked youjust get off. Puff no more ship. No waiting on your color to be called or standing around gripping.

 

That is the main thing I liked about DIsney. They made alot of things very simple.

[callajl]

It is easy, easy, easy!

 

You get off the ship, all the luggage are placed together in small areas that are tagged. Get a porter, and off you go through immigration. EASY EASY EASY!