Disembarkment Explorer of the Seas

[gaylemh]

My next cruise will be my first as Emerald C & A. If I remembered correctly from my last cruise, I thought I read that Emerald gets a low number for disembarkment along with Diamond. I'm trying to get an approximate time for car service to pick me up.

[PLEIKU68]

My next cruise will be my first as Emerald C & A. If I remembered correctly from my last cruise, I thought I read that Emerald gets a low number for disembarkment along with Diamond. I'm trying to get an approximate time for car service to pick me up.

 

If you need a low number just ask your room attendant for one. :)

[cruiserdudebobby8]

My next cruise will be my first as Emerald C & A. If I remembered correctly from my last cruise, I thought I read that Emerald gets a low number for disembarkment along with Diamond. I'm trying to get an approximate time for car service to pick me up.

 

Ive seen explorer dock at like approx 7:45 am a few times

[cruzinlady1947]

We just got off the Explorer on Dec. 22nd. and it was utterly chaotic. They were letting the higher # tags off before the lower ones. We are D+ and had tag #3 and we didn't get off until going on 11am. They kept saying there was a 20 min. delay and they said that 3 times, meaning an hour delay. When we finally got off, there were all kinds of higher tag #'s already in line for customs. We were pretty upset. I emailed Royal about my disappointment and just received a reply the other day. They didn't have an answer for me, but hopefully you will not run into the trouble we had. We have cruised from there about 10 times and this was a first. If I were you, I would try to get off at the time that your paperwork tells you to get off. We were supposed to get off at 9:30. I guess that is what the higher # tag people were doing. Don't know how all of us with tags 1,2, and 3 were about the last off the ship. We normally arrive home here in South Central Pa., around 11-12 noon. We did not get home until 4pm. When we got off the ship, there was another fiasco trying to get our shuttle. People were butting in line in front of us. Bayonne is a bad port to begin with (IMO), but this time took the cake.

 

Better luck to you. And have a great cruise.

 

Gwen :)

[lovetocruiserccl]

You can always change your departure color to what is convenient for you. Just go to guest services and change your tags to the time you need.

 

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Edited January 5, 2014 by lovetocruiserccl

[lovetocruiserccl]

We got off December 28th. Last week :). And we were #5. It went very smoothly. Off ship at 10:15 because we chose to leave later. 5 was called at 9:15.

 

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[Clarea]

We cruised twice on Explorer last year, both times on the 5 day itinerary to Bermuda. We had departure luggage tag #2 (D+). One time we were ready to be picked up at 8:45am, the other time it was 9am.

[Tony O]

On Explorer now waiting to disembark. Number 5 is for Diamonds and Emeralds for 9:45 am disembarking

 

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[lovetocruiserccl]

On Explorer now waiting to disembark. Number 5 is for Diamonds and Emeralds for 9:45 am disembarking

 

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Tony O welcome back to the winter wonderland.

 

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[avazah]

I have friends who got off Explorer on Dec 29. I don't know exactly what tag number they had, but their estimated disembarkation time was 10:15, and their number was called at 9:45. They chose to head to get off at 9:45. They were off, cleared customs, and waiting their chariot (aka my car) to pick them up at 10:10. Super smooth and efficient.

 

They did, however, say embarkation was a mess around 1pm when they got there. I can report back in a week how embarkation/disembarkation is, as I'm heading to port in about 30 minutes!

[PLEIKU68]

We just got off the Explorer on Dec. 22nd. and it was utterly chaotic. They were letting the higher # tags off before the lower ones. We are D+ and had tag #3 and we didn't get off until going on 11am. They kept saying there was a 20 min. delay and they said that 3 times, meaning an hour delay. When we finally got off, there were all kinds of higher tag #'s already in line for customs. We were pretty upset. I emailed Royal about my disappointment and just received a reply the other day. They didn't have an answer for me, but hopefully you will not run into the trouble we had. We have cruised from there about 10 times and this was a first. If I were you, I would try to get off at the time that your paperwork tells you to get off. We were supposed to get off at 9:30. I guess that is what the higher # tag people were doing. Don't know how all of us with tags 1,2, and 3 were about the last off the ship. We normally arrive home here in South Central Pa., around 11-12 noon. We did not get home until 4pm. When we got off the ship, there was another fiasco trying to get our shuttle. People were butting in line in front of us. Bayonne is a bad port to begin with (IMO), but this time took the cake.

 

Better luck to you. And have a great cruise.

 

Gwen :)

 

 

 

Well, it's quite obvious that you are D+ and should receive a free cruise. I am surprised that Goldstein did not reply to your e mail. :eek::eek:

[cruzinlady1947]

Well, it's quite obvious that you are D+ and should receive a free cruise. I am surprised that Goldstein did not reply to your e mail. :eek::eek:

I do not expect any compensation. I just wanted them to be aware that there was a problem with debarkation. If you don't say something, they will think all is well and it wasn't. And I didn't email Mr. Goldstein. He doesn't need to be bothered by such trivial details. And as I said, that was a first. I have been to that port lots of times before and this was the first time with this kind of problem. I was just warning the OP that sometimes things don't go as easily as it does other times.

 

Have a great day.....

 

Gwen :)

[138east]

I experienced the same thing that cruizinlady1947 (Gwen) experienced on Dec 22 and I'm glad she posted to let everyone know what happened. She emailed RCL about the experience and got a reply. The Dec 12 disembarkation had similar issues.

 

The fact that they did not call numbers in order ended up causing me to be a late arrival for my bus. I was eligible for two disembarkation numbers - D+ and Entertainment bus tours. D+ was supposed to be 15 min ahead and I was assigned to that category. I assumed that I would get off a few minutes before my fellow bus travelers, but the bus group was called 30+ min before the D+ group, so I was just about the last person to arrive at the bus and they were waiting for me.

 

My gripe is that if RCL is not going to call the numbers in order, everyone on a bus should be assigned to the bus group instead of the "entitled" C&A group they belong to.

[lovetocruiserccl]

Sometimes you have to realize that there may be problems behind the scenes. And we are not aware of what's going on. Most of my embarking and disembarking at Cape Liberty has gone smoothly. Your response to the issue depends on what side of the fence your on. Getting off your agitated- vacation over. Getting on not a care in the world- vacation starting. When we embarked on the 22nd we were wondering what the hold up was on the ship but really didn't care because we were getting on. Ship happens. :)

 

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[allentownahoy]

This has been an ongoing problem this season with disembarkation. They are not calling the numbers in the same order in different lounges, if you are meeting a bus that is not through Royal they do not care when you need to be off the ship, though apparently even the sanctioned buses have problems as Carol posted.

 

Also, it is not true that you can just go to guest relations and ask for a different number luggage tag. I have tried it as recently as for Dec. 12 disembarkation and tons of other people have tried it. They do not do it. If someone has been able to get a change that is the exception, not the rule so please do not expect that this will not be the problem.

 

I love sailing the Explorer but I hate how they handle disembarkation.

[Lady Hudson]

Just off EX today -- as a Diamond member. Our time to disembark was 9:45. We were called a few minutes early. We were off the ship, through customs, and in our car in a bit under an hour. I thought that was very good. Freezing rain and all, the staff, in my opinion, did a great job with disembarkation. Hope this helps.

[gaylemh]

Thanks for all the replys. This will be my 6th time out of Bayonne, and I never had a problem. In all my cruises once my number was called, I was off the ship in a couple of minutes, on the shuttle and through customs in less than 20 minutes. This is the first time as Emerald, and I was just wondering if you get off a little earlier.

 

I must be very lucky, because I never had a wait to get on the ship either. I have always arrived at the port between 11:30 and 1:00 and it's never been more than 30 minutes from when I enter the port on Route 440 until I'm on the ship.

Edited January 6, 2014 by gaylemh

[lovetocruiserccl]

This has been an ongoing problem this season with disembarkation. They are not calling the numbers in the same order in different lounges, if you are meeting a bus that is not through Royal they do not care when you need to be off the ship, though apparently even the sanctioned buses have problems as Carol posted.

 

Also, it is not true that you can just go to guest relations and ask for a different number luggage tag. I have tried it as recently as for Dec. 12 disembarkation and tons of other people have tried it. They do not do it. If someone has been able to get a change that is the exception, not the rule so please do not expect that this will not be the problem.

 

I love sailing the Explorer but I hate how they handle disembarkation.

 

I won't say if it's a rule or not. And that they do not do it. They are in the business to accommodate passengers if they didn't they would be out of business. But they will accommodate request made in a timely manner. They will change your color it you have a issue with it causing a conflict with other connecting transportation. We have done it on several occasions when members of my group have had different colors and are using the same transportation. For instance that would mean if I get off the ship at 9 am I would have to wait until 10 am for gold. We come as a group we leave as one also. Just speaking from my personal experience with Royal and Cape Liberty.

 

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[allentownahoy]

I won't say if it's a rule or not. And that they do not do it. They are in the business to accommodate passengers if they didn't they would be out of business. But they will accommodate request made in a timely manner. They will change your color it you have a issue with it causing a conflict with other connecting transportation. We have done it on several occasions when members of my group have had different colors and are using the same transportation. For instance that would mean if I get off the ship at 9 am I would have to wait until 10 am for gold. We come as a group we leave as one also. Just speaking from my personal experience with Royal and Cape Liberty.

 

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Look, I am glad it has worked that way for you but it has not worked that way for me and others I know. They should be in the business of accommodating passengers but they do not always. And I do approach them in a timely fashion and in a polite and calm manner and to imply that I did not approach it properly is just not true.

It is heartening to hear that things went smoothly on yesterday's disembarkation and I hope this continues. Corporate received many complaints in December about the issues already discussed and about leaving people standing outside for 20-30 minutes in freezing temps waiting for non-existent shuttles. I actually got a very concerned response from corporate so perhaps the Explorer guest relations staff has been instructed to clean up their act. BTW, I did not ask for, nor was I looking for or received any compensation. I just want the problem cleared up for the future.

[davsarmom]

Can you carry your bags off and leave early? If so when would you likely be of EOS. We have a long drive home and were hoping to get an early start.

[Clarea]

Can you carry your bags off and leave early? If so when would you likely be of EOS. We have a long drive home and were hoping to get an early start.

Self-disembarkers were leaving the ship around 8am when we cruised Explorer last year.

[charluch]

Can you carry your bags off and leave early? If so when would you likely be of EOS. We have a long drive home and were hoping to get an early start.

 

Just got off the EOS yesterday and YES you can carry your bags off and from what I remember I think they started self carry around 8:30 am.

[allentownahoy]

Can you carry your bags off and leave early? If so when would you likely be of EOS. We have a long drive home and were hoping to get an early start.

 

Yes, walkoffs are usually between 8:30 and 9:30 depending what time you are assigned. Even walk offs get times.

[slugger27nj]

If you are physically able to carry your own luggage off, then self-disembarking is absolutely the way to go. My wife and I did it last March with 2 full size suitcases, 2 carryons, a garment bag, a regular size backpack, my briefcase, and a 3 y/o pulling his own carryon (and belly-aching the whole way)…haha. It was a little tricky, but definitely worth it! We were called about 15-20 minutes before our scheduled time, and once off the ship, we were through customs, in my MIL's SUV and headed out in under 15 minutes. As much as I love being on the ship, all that waiting around at the end is not for me :)

[lovetocruiserccl]

Look, I am glad it has worked that way for you but it has not worked that way for me and others I know. They should be in the business of accommodating passengers but they do not always.

It is heartening to hear that thing this continues. Corporate received many complaints in December about the issues already discussed and about leaving people standing outside for 20-30 minutes in freezing temps waiting for non-existent shuttles. I actually got a very concerned response from corporate so perhaps the Explorer guest relations staff has been instructed to clean up their act. BTW, I did not ask for, nor was I looking for or received any compensation. I just want the problem cleared up for the future.

 

@allentownboy

I was not speaking of you personally when I made that statement. It was generic. I was speaking from my past experience on how I was able to change tags. I'm glad you got some satisfaction from Royal.

 

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