Latest time you can disembark?

[Zeno]

In general (I know this can vary somewhat but in your experience).

 

Our cruise on the Oosterdam is scheduled to arrive back in Port Everglades at 7AM and we will be in absolutely NO hurry to disembark (flight not until afternoon). In your experience with HAL cruises (does not have to be specifically the Oosterdam), around what time will they expect you off the ship by ?

 

Also kind of related - if we decide to do one of HAL's post cruise shore excursions, how strict are they about flight departures. their website says flight must leave after 3:30. The flight we will probably take leaves at 3:15. (it's to Toronto).

Edited September 27, 2015 by Zeno

[CruiserBruce]

Expect they will be pushing you off the ship by 9:30.

[Kamloops50]

They usually want the disembarking passengers off the ship by 9AM . cabins have to be clear by 8AM. In transit passengers usually go thru their process around 10AM.

[RuthC]

You are allowed to remain in your cabin until you disembark, but expect that to be about 9:30-ish. Unless something holds everything up and people can't be disembarked, they start the "last call" announcements shortly after 9:30.

By the third "last call", they get quite irritated at those still on board.

[YubaSutter]

In general (I know this can vary somewhat but in your experience).

 

Our cruise on the Oosterdam is scheduled to arrive back in Port Everglades at 7AM and we will be in absolutely NO hurry to disembark (flight not until afternoon). In your experience with HAL cruises (does not have to be specifically the Oosterdam), around what time will they expect you off the ship by ?

 

Also kind of related - if we decide to do one of HAL's post cruise shore excursions, how strict are they about flight departures. their website says flight must leave after 3:30. The flight we will probably take leaves at 3:15. (it's to Toronto).

3:15 is before 3:30.

[Shmoo here]

In general (I know this can vary somewhat but in your experience).

 

Our cruise on the Oosterdam is scheduled to arrive back in Port Everglades at 7AM and we will be in absolutely NO hurry to disembark (flight not until afternoon). In your experience with HAL cruises (does not have to be specifically the Oosterdam), around what time will they expect you off the ship by ?

 

Also kind of related - if we decide to do one of HAL's post cruise shore excursions, how strict are they about flight departures. their website says flight must leave after 3:30. The flight we will probably take leaves at 3:15. (it's to Toronto).

I can answer that one. Very strict. We had a post cruise to airport excursion booked, and they changed the length of the excursion by 20 minutes (longer). So those of us whose flights fit with the original excursion end time and now didn't were cancelled.

 

:(

[Topsham]

ALL passengers must disembark at the time posted. ALL PASSENGERS... REPEAT.. ALL PASSENEGRS MUST DISEMBARK AT THE TIME POSTED.

 

 

The reason.... the ship must be 'cleared' and the ship must to do to ZERO. Even transit passengers must disembark at that time. You may come back ONLY if you are a transit passengers. You cannot get board because your old pas will no longer work.

 

This is not something that HAL wants to do... it is Homeland Security that says this. So... when they call... LAST CALL.... everyone must be off. If you try to remain you will be keep calling until you do go the gangway.

[CruiserBruce]

cabins have to be clear by 8AM.

 

 

Don't think this is true of HAL. It is true of Princess, but not HAL.

[Himself]

You will have to be off by 9:30 or sooner!

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have been in our cabin as late as 9:15.

HAL needs to get everyone off the ship between 9:30 and 10. They do have to get the cabins ready for the next passengers.

You will find that the Breakfast is early on disembarkation day. The Lido and Dining Room are closing down by 8 as those areas need to be cleaned as well.

How strict are they about times for shore excursions -- very!!

[Topsham]

Last May in Boston on VEENDAM ... B2B... had to go through immigration then get back on board. Then had to wait on board to get ashore again until the whole ship had gone to ZERO passenger/crew list. During that procedure.... all of the gangways are pulled back... completely. No exceptions. It took another 20 minutes to set all of the gangway again and then get ashore. Any passengers dawdling and taking their own time get off... is a nuisance for EVERYONE!

[3rdGenCunarder]

Last winter on Westerdam, we wanted to linger as long as we could, as our train wasn't leaving until 12:30. But there's nothing to do that last morning, food service closes at 8, so all we could do was sit on our balcony. We felt bad that our stewards could do only so much until we were gone, so we gave up and left the ship around 8:30.

 

We were very graciously thrown off QM2 this June. Platinum and Diamond passengers get to relax in their own "disembarkation lounge," where it's quiet and coffee and pastries are served until 9:30. We could tell from the announcements of baggage tag color/numbers that things were moving along faster than predicted. AT 9:15 one of the World Club ladies (who are also future cruise consultants) announced that someone would walk us to the gangway if we wished. (We supposedly go to the head of the queue if we're escorted there) Then she said "We enjoyed having you sail with us, and hope you had a lovely time. And there still are some cabins available, if you want to stay on for our next voyage." In other words, "Thank you and get off the ship!"

Edited September 28, 2015 by 3rdGenCunarder

[Topsham]

 

 

 

In the good old days in QE2.... usually the Staff Captain was at the gangway to wish everyone a 'Goodbye".

 

 

Saga is one of the ships where you are greeted by the Captain at the gangway when after a long day ashore.

 

All the nice things are disappearing!

[Hlitner]

We usually get off the ship (in Port Everglades) about 9:30 - 9:45. After breakfast we will return to our cabin, check to make sure we have everything, and then (with our carry-ons) go up to the pool deck where we relax in a lounger with our books and some coffee. While folks are waiting in long lines below (and in the terminal), worrying about missing flights, getting taxis, finding their luggage, etc. we are just relaxing...enjoying the view and reading. About 9:30 when just about everyone has left the ship we simply grab an elevator down to the appropriate deck, walk off the ship, quickly find our luggage (its easy since there is not much left) and grab a taxi to the airport or wherever we want to go. No lines, no fuss, no sweating, no anxiety. Because of this technique we prefer to book flight that leave in the early to mid afternoon.

 

Hank

[3rdGenCunarder]

We usually get off the ship (in Port Everglades) about 9:30 - 9:45. After breakfast we will return to our cabin, check to make sure we have everything, and then (with our carry-ons) go up to the pool deck where we relax in a lounger with our books and some coffee. While folks are waiting in long lines below (and in the terminal), worrying about missing flights, getting taxis, finding their luggage, etc. we are just relaxing...enjoying the view and reading. About 9:30 when just about everyone has left the ship we simply grab an elevator down to the appropriate deck, walk off the ship, quickly find our luggage (its easy since there is not much left) and grab a taxi to the airport or wherever we want to go. No lines, no fuss, no sweating, no anxiety. Because of this technique we prefer to book flight that leave in the early to mid afternoon.

 

Hank

 

We usually have lots of time between the ship's arrival and the next leg of our journey. For cruises out of FLL, we take Amtrak, which doesn't leave until 12:30. So we know our connection isn't tight. Last time, it was an hour from leaving the ship to getting out of the taxi at the train station. Next time I'll stay longer on the ship, probably following your advice and sitting on an outside deck rather than our balcony. Much better than a bench at FLL train station.

 

How late/where can you get coffee on disembarkation day?

[Topsham]

I think a few are missing the point. You don't choose the time to get off. They tell you that the ship is closing down you must go. You may well take the extra ten, fifteen, twenty minutes from the time the announcement.... they want you off right there and then... not twenty minutes later. They are trying to clear the ship by the US Authorities. Any extra time you try to keep is a nuisance to everyone else get clear off the ship. The crew are trying to finished up their various jobs and trying to get a few minutes ashore. And everyone else is doing other work and all of that is a delay for their work.

 

Even it takes just ONE person to delay... it delays the whole ship.

[Bailey & Sophie]

Remember how excited you were to get on the ship? Waiting and waiting for those last pokey people to get off so you could get on and get your vacation started?

So get off. Don't dawdle. There are a couple thousand people waiting on the other side anxiously awaiting THEIR vacation to start.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I think a few are missing the point. You don't choose the time to get off. They tell you that the ship is closing down you must go. You may well take the extra ten, fifteen, twenty minutes from the time the announcement.... they want you off right there and then... not twenty minutes later. They are trying to clear the ship by the US Authorities. Any extra time you try to keep is a nuisance to everyone else get clear off the ship. The crew are trying to finished up their various jobs and trying to get a few minutes ashore. And everyone else is doing other work and all of that is a delay for their work.

 

Even it takes just ONE person to delay... it delays the whole ship.

 

I've never been one of the last ones off. Do they actually make an announcement "Everyone off now!"?

[CruiserBruce]

I've never been one of the last ones off. Do they actually make an announcement "Everyone off now!"?

 

 

Yes, in more polite terms. And, personally have seen the people who don't get the message straggle off, after being looked for, and their names called, while we were waiting to re-board on a B2B.

[Topsham]

Yes, in more polite terms. And, personally have seen the people who don't get the message straggle off, after being looked for, and their names called, while we were waiting to re-board on a B2B.

 

Yes and last year I was stuck .... with about another 100 passengers, waiting in the corridor for about 30 minutes because one passenger would not pay attention and ignored calls for her to get off.

[Zeno]

Some people seemed to have missed the point of my questions. I certainly don't intend to delay anyone or interfere with the crew. I just wanted to know the approximate latest time it is appropriate to get off the ship. Too bad about thru strictness concerning flight times. It looks like we will be stuck at the airport for at least 4-6 boring uncomfortable hours.

[Hlitner]

We usually have lots of time between the ship's arrival and the next leg of our journey. For cruises out of FLL, we take Amtrak, which doesn't leave until 12:30. So we know our connection isn't tight. Last time, it was an hour from leaving the ship to getting out of the taxi at the train station. Next time I'll stay longer on the ship, probably following your advice and sitting on an outside deck rather than our balcony. Much better than a bench at FLL train station.

 

How late/where can you get coffee on disembarkation day?

 

Ahhh, it can be hard to find coffee (after breakfast) on that last morning on many ships. But on HAL we have usually found that Explorations was open and was still able to process our cruise card. Since there are always some HAL passengers doing back to backs (we have done a few of these ourselves) Explorations usually operates their normal hours because of the ongoing passengers. And on some cruises we were able to still get into the Lido (which was mostly closed) where they always have at least one of the coffee/tea stations open.

 

Hank

Edited September 28, 2015 by Hlitner

[DaveOKC]

Some people seemed to have missed the point of my questions. I certainly don't intend to delay anyone or interfere with the crew. I just wanted to know the approximate latest time it is appropriate to get off the ship. Too bad about thru strictness concerning flight times. It looks like we will be stuck at the airport for at least 4-6 boring uncomfortable hours.

 

Since there have been a number of responses to the first part of your question, but none addressing the second part, you might try to post another topic just addressing just the shore excursion time. We all tend to get off topic on these posts and sometimes miss the entire question.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Some people seemed to have missed the point of my questions. I certainly don't intend to delay anyone or interfere with the crew. I just wanted to know the approximate latest time it is appropriate to get off the ship. Too bad about thru strictness concerning flight times. It looks like we will be stuck at the airport for at least 4-6 boring uncomfortable hours.

 

I hate being captive in an airport or train station, so I understand how you feel.

 

You might consider looking for a car service that also does some kind of private tours. Maybe the port of call board could help you find something to kill a few hours. Other options are a good book or download a movie to your electronic device (which I'm sure you've already considered). I was going to suggest knitting, but knitting needles might cause problems at security.

[RuthC]

I've never been one of the last ones off. Do they actually make an announcement "Everyone off now!"?

Pretty close to that, and getting ever more insistent as the announcements go on.

 

Remember, some of the people who don't get off when requested are wheelchair assistance passengers waiting to be helped. They can't get off by themselves, and are at the mercy of the available pushers & chairs.

 

On one cruise they were practically begging me to leave (I was second to last passenger to be disembarked; finding the luggage was a snap) so that they could get the ship over to dry dock. Those who were transporting wheelchairs were taking about an hour for each passenger, due to the requirements of that port. It took forever.

On my last cruise they had done the final call several times, and were about to start calling my name when I was scanned off.

 

I'm hoping the next disembarkation goes better, but it's in Ft. Lauderdale, and that's always problematic.