Thoughts on improving debarkation?

[A&Jfamily]

I have read continuous complaints on here about the chaos that can be debarkation. Does anyone have any thoughts that would help a cruiser minimize those issues? Is it ship specific? Related to the port? Connected to the length of the cruise?

 

I am not sure that I can put any connection or correlation between whether the halls will be packed from elevators and stairwells or whether it can be a smooth walk off. But we have learned that it is much better to have a leisurely breakfast and head after the mad rush.

 

It seems to me that it is a people problem, and not a Carnival one; they simply won't follow the rules.

 

How could Carnival improve the process? Here are my thoughts. Shut down most of the elevators for starters just like at boarding, and leave a few open for MONITORED handicapped use only; the people on the elevators create a huge backlog - and you are supposed to either have sent your luggage off with Carnival or be prepared to carry it it. Two, implement the reverse process as boarding - if you aren't in your time slot, you are redirected to the show lounge until your window has been called. Three, use the TVs, and the captains intercom to announce the groups; on our last cruise, we never could hear any groups called despite being in the MDR.

 

Thoughts everyone?

[maldenmusic]

I guess I've been lucky-out of 10 cruises only one bad, very lengthy debarkation. But I agree, it's the people not following the rules who make it worse.

[BoDidly]

People break the rules all the time Embarkation as well as Debarkation. Sure it's a people problem ,however it's an enforcement of the rule problem as well.

 

It's definitely a lack of communication from the Cruise Director to their people not wanting to enforce the rules. They have your money ,get off the ship already kind of attitude.

[RuthlessBoss]

People break the rules all the time Embarkation as well as Debarkation. Sure it's a people problem ,however it's an enforcement of the rule problem as well.

 

It's definitely a lack of communication from the Cruise Director to their people not wanting to enforce the rules. They have your money ,get off the ship already kind of attitude.

 

What would be YOUR enforcement strategy??? Stop each person, check the S&s and tell them they can't get off yet???

[simplelife]

Unless someone has an early flight, as can't understand the made rich to get off the ship. Last cruise DH and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with DB and SIL in the MDR and stayed as long as we could without inconveniencing the waitstaff before making our way downstairs where we waited just a few minutes before our number was called. I want my cruise to last as long as possible

 

 

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[cruisinmeme]

What would be YOUR enforcement strategy??? Stop each person, check the S&s and tell them they can't get off yet???

 

 

Apparently you have never sailed NCL.

[riclop]

They should learn from Princess and MSC.

[pusywillow]

Apparently you have never sailed NCL.

 

No, but I will next year. How do they handle it? Do tell.

 

Sue

[blainesterrr]

If you want to miss the crowds, book Faster to the Fun. Meet at the specified time, and you will walk right off the ship with minimal standing time. Only bad thing is you have to carry your luggage off.

[cb at sea]

Every cruise I've been on, breakfast is MUCH earlier than normal...there is no "leisurely" about it! Any and all service you've come to expect all week is conspicuously missing on the last morning...they want you OUT of you cabin by 8am, and off the ship ASAP!

 

IMO, the cruise is over when you go to bed on the last night.

 

All that said, we've never had "hallways packed with people"...or any long waits. We don't do the "self carry" thing....we leave the ship, pick up our bags (a few times, we have had to wait for the bags to come out, just like after a flight), and then go thru Customs...and head to the airport! Not a huge deal...just part of travel!

[Domino D]

There is no fixing it. It is just part of the deal.

[lazydayz]

I agree it needs to be improved. Some days it works perfectly, like this morning leaving the Magic. Other times, we have waited two plus hours just to get off the ship.

 

Port Canaveral has improved the luggage pick up by dividing the luggage tag number by decks.

 

Also, if there is a long line for customs, see if there is a special porter lane. We have used a porter before just to skip the long lines.

 

If you cruise one line enough, you get priority disembarkment, which speeds up the process considerably. We were told to meet in the dining room by 8:00 and were in the parking lot at 8:20. Love cruising out of PC.

[aladin553]

We have never had a problem getting on or off the ship. NCL concierge escorts us off since we always stay in suites. I always thought that debarkation was color coded, by floor or cabins to make it smooth. Never knew it was a issue. I see long lines when I walk past everyone but I thought that it was organized. Hope they can come up with something better for a more smooth and fast experience for nonsuite guests.

 

 

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[dd likes to cruise]

Shut down most of the elevators for starters just like at boarding, and leave a few open for MONITORED handicapped use only; the people on the elevators create a huge backlog - and you are supposed to either have sent your luggage off with Carnival or be prepared to carry it it off.

Thoughts everyone?

 

Just because people are not "handicapped" doesn't mean they can easily walk down numerous flights of stairs. And even if their bags are sent ahead, most folks have tote bags, shopping bags, possibly liquor purchases, etc that they are still lugging around. So closing elevators will make the situation much worse.

 

I'm a relative newbe in the cruise world, but the 5 I've done since Dec 2015 (3 different cruiselines) all worked good for us. A few we took our bags off, a few we waited till our number was called. I really don't think it's the type thing that can always work to perfection for all people. Too many people, too short of time. Consider it a good day to practice PATIENCE! :rolleyes:

[RWolver672]

If you want to miss the crowds, book Faster to the Fun. Meet at the specified time, and you will walk right off the ship with minimal standing time. Only bad thing is you have to carry your luggage off.

 

I don't quite understand that. We have had it twice now and never had to carry our own luggage off. If you have FTTF, you don't have to carry your luggage off. You meet in a designated area, then when they escort you off the ship, you go to where everybody else's luggage is that was set out the night before and pick it up.

[BoDidly]

Just because people are not "handicapped" doesn't mean they can easily walk down numerous flights of stairs. And even if their bags are sent ahead, most folks have tote bags, shopping bags, possibly liquor purchases, etc that they are still lugging around. So closing elevators will make the situation much worse.

 

I'm a relative newbe in the cruise world, but the 5 I've done since Dec 2015 (3 different cruiselines) all worked good for us. A few we took our bags off, a few we waited till our number was called. I really don't think it's the type thing that can always work to perfection for all people. Too many people, too short of time. Consider it a good day to practice PATIENCE! :rolleyes:

 

PATIENCE :confused:

 

That's kind of hard to do when the fellow behind you has his suitcase half way up your arise :eek: :D

[sparks1093]

Apparently you have never sailed NCL.

 

Um, as I recall NCL disembarkation was just as chaotic as CCL's. As for enforcement when you have a handful of people versus thousands of people enforcement is rather difficult if enough of the thousands decide they aren't going to follow the rules.

[tef43]

In 30+ years, have never had any issues.

 

If it's not broken, don't try to fix it.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

This is not a Carnival issue, nor "fill in the blank" cruise line issue. This is people, for whatever reason, wanting to be first off. It's like all the inconsiderates who block your vision at a sporting event or concert as they leave before the game is over or the event is finished because they want to be first to the parking lot.

 

We never have an issue with debarking because we eat breakfast and then congregate as a family in an out of the way area and just wait until the last few numbers are called. Our luggage awaits in isolated splendor, the lines are pretty non-existent for customs. We have lunch at the airport, take an afternoon flight, and always take the day after our vacation concludes to unwind, unpack and get caught up.

 

Why people choose to end their vacation in chaos and "TIME" stress is beyond me.

[okgirl]

The new Silent Debarkation is a joke. There is simply not enough information given out and there are too many people that are new to cruising to make it go smoothly.

 

What would help is if on the forward elevators they would reserve half of them to accommodate handicapped people.

 

My sister broke her ankle on the Breeze Halloween night and was in a WC. It took forever to get an elevator from deck 8 and we had a crew escort. He finally had to call down to guest services and have an elevator sent for us.

 

In the past there has been a crew member in each elevator lobby to control the flow and make people use the stairs if possible or give way to HC people.

 

Another thing that would help is for them to move the tables in the forward dining room to the side and make the midship elevators available to come down to 3. Then you could walk right through the dining room, no stairs and right out the door.

[cruzeluver]

The only thing that needs to change is for the passengers to start paying attention and following the procedures laid out by the cruise line. But no, too many think their needs or desire to be first/last should trump the policy, or that they somehow know better how things "should" proceed, despite the cruise lines doing this day ion and day out. Just shut up and get off when they tell you to get off. Not before. Not after. Simple.

[CruzVinnieCruz]

I like how Princess handles it. They have designated locations (usually away from the disembarkation point) and times according to the color of the luggage tags to meet if you are not self disembarking (even then you are assign a location on the ship at a specific time to meet). Then a Princess employee escorts each group to the security area to be scanned off the ship.

 

If passengers try to congregate near security they are asked to leave the area allowing passengers to smoothly exit the ship.

 

Take care,

Vinnie

[A&Jfamily]

In 30+ years, have never had any issues.

 

If it's not broken, don't try to fix it.

 

You are quite blessed. In 10 years of cruising, I have had everything from smooth walk off to a 2 hour wait after our zone was called.