Self-Disembarkation

[eyelovcrusin]

If you want to be one of the first off the ship, how much earlier than the posted time would we need to get in line?

[nngardener]

If you want to be one of the first off the ship, how much earlier than the posted time would we need to get in line?

 

 

 

To be safe - an hour.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jeremiah1212]

I know it will vary by cruise, but at 7am on our cruise last week there were only a handful of people waiting to get off the ship. The whole process moved very quickly until the escalator in the terminal broke.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[amcco]

I would go with an hour. We went 30 minutes prior for our Miami disembarkation in December on the Refelction and the line wrapped around itself. Once it started moving we were still off the ship and through customs in about 35 minutes

 

There were also two separate lines - no difference just crowd control

[easyboy]

An hour earlier is better. You will be schlepping your luggage and if you need to use an escalator, one hand should be free.

[CABINET]

I do wonder whether this is going to get out of hand.

 

When travelling recently on a P & O ship we noticed people lining up for the show 45 minutes to an hour beforehand to be sure of getting seats. It seems to be becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy situation with people arriving earlier and earlier to be sure of being at the front of the queue.

 

Soon it won't be worth going to bed at all!

[BosoxI]

It used to be a relatively easy and calm procedure. Once it became popular, it is more trouble than it's worth for us. People exiting elevators and trying to break into lines, people attempting to move luggage they really can't handle in crowds, and the lack of taxis early in the morning. We've tried it and liked it, but that was then and this is now. We take a later flight and fetch our luggage in the port. I would recommend self disembarkation only if your best flight choice is early and the next one is late in the day.

[Hlitner]

It used to be a relatively easy and calm procedure. Once it became popular, it is more trouble than it's worth for us. People exiting elevators and trying to break into lines, people attempting to move luggage they really can't handle in crowds, and the lack of taxis early in the morning. We've tried it and liked it, but that was then and this is now. We take a later flight and fetch our luggage in the port. I would recommend self disembarkation only if your best flight choice is early and the next one is late in the day.

 

 

When we did self (express) disembarkation on the Eclipse, we were told to report to a public meeting area (one of the dining rooms) by 6:15am. Once the ship was cleared, disembarkation started from that specific area. There really was no speciifc queue and folks just waited around the dining room (they had some coffee and pastries) in seats until they started disembarkation. At that point, we just headed to the door, had to wait in a short line (no more then 5 min) and then was off the ship.

 

Hank

[zoncom]

They usually allow self disembarkers off 7:15-7:30 I just went down..Not that many in line.

[ECCruise]

It used to be a relatively easy and calm procedure. Once it became popular, it is more trouble than it's worth for us. People exiting elevators and trying to break into lines, people attempting to move luggage they really can't handle in crowds, and the lack of taxis early in the morning. We've tried it and liked it, but that was then and this is now. We take a later flight and fetch our luggage in the port. I would recommend self uonly if your best flight choice is early and the next one is late in the day.

 

Totally agree. We've self-disembarked dozens of times but it keeps getting worse each time. Absolute worst was a recent disembarkation after a TA. An hour before the line was several hundred pax long. And people either cannot read or are idiots. You must be able to move your luggage ON YOUR OWN. One pair of clowns had SIX large bags (plus carryons) that they wrestled along, telling everyone, "oh, the crew told me they would assist us if we needed it." Move 2 bags, go back, get 2, move 2 bags, move their carryons, while the line backed up behind them. In a crowded portion of the dining room so couldn't even pass.

 

If you can't handle it, tag your bags, put them outside your door and go to sleep.

[scrabble6]

Our recent experience on the Reflection was great. Feb 18, went down a few minutes before 6:30. We were in a cab at 7:01 and at the airport at 7:20 or so. Made our 10:55 flight with plenty of time. Didn't seem nearly as crowded as last year on Silhouette.

 

The luggage valet program--where you check your bags on board all the way to your destination--was available. I wonder if people took advantage of that instead of self disembarkation....

[Hlitner]

We would reiterate, that self disembarkation (express disembarkation) has changed in the past few years. At one time, there were just a few folks who would line up at the exit and walk off the ship. Now, there are often hundreds of passengers who want to use this option...and most want to be the first off the ship. It is still a good option for those who must be off the ship early, but be prepared to wait in an assigned area with several hundred other folks...and then go off with this growing group. Personally, we do everything possible to avoid this awful way to end a cruise...and prefer to be among the last off the ship (so we can relax on the pool deck with a book and coffee while others are fighting their way off). But sometimes, one must book an early flight or have other reasons why they must be early off the ship. But be prepared to head to a lounge before 6:30 am...and wait for some period of time (with hundreds of others) until they start to herd folks off the ship.

 

Hank

[Shadow9612]

I do wonder whether this is going to get out of hand.

 

It seems to be becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy situation with people arriving earlier and earlier to be sure of being at the front of the queue.

 

I was surprised to see the number of people lining up early.

 

The few times I used self walk off, the exit was always mid ship, just next to gelato. The line up started near the gelato and extended all the way down past the photo gallery.

 

Then, this past December on the equinox, I luckily found out at Al bacio that the line up was all the way forward just outside the equinox theatre. So we went there and were about 10th in line (about 30min early). When we exited, the took us out on deck, then we walked all the way back to midship on the deck where we then entered to the terminal!

 

I was a bit disappointed since the whole reason we went early was (I) to avoid a lot of people on elevators with luggage and (ii) to be near the exit and off the ship quick, ....not to have to circle half the ship to end up at the same spot for exiting.

 

Soon it won't be worth going to bed at all!

[emoji1]