Self-assist? debarkation

[perkyblue]

I've never sailed on Carnival before, and I keep hearing about "self-assist" debarkation. We didn't have different options for debarkation on my previous cruises. What is self-assist, what's the alternative, and which do you think is better?

[GoinCruisin]

It's available at most ports on most ships, I had heard there were a few ships it was not available on but I'm not sure. You have to be able to carry ALL of your bags off with no assistance (this means down stairs, up stairs, escalators, etc...) You won't put your bags out... There will be an hour window that opens up for self assist, early... you must debark during this hour... Many people really like self assist, I take entirely too many bags to do it :p But it will get you off the ship before the majority of others, although it is becoming more popular it sounds like, so the crowds are quite a bit larger...

[Binney]

The line for self-assist off of the Legend last August was CrAzY!! I got tired just trying to find the end of the line! I will NEVER do it again. We tried it only because we had parked at the pier and wanted to avoid as much traffic as possible in NYC. I gashed my ankle and across the top of my foot trying to drag a suitcase through a tight space.

 

You have to be able to have one hand free to show your customs declaration. So, if you can manage ALL of your luggage with one hand, try it. If not...enjoy the morning and say good-bye to your new friends at "Luggage Mountain.":p

[Perrys100]

We were doing the self debark thingy on the Triumph last December everything was going smoothly, we had all the luggage and were at the elevators and waited and waited. We could not get an elevator to come to or stop on our floor. Our whippy dippy cruise director announced 5 more minutes of self assist. We sent all the older folks and I carried 15 bags down 8 flights of crowded really crowded stairwells.

 

I works ok if you can all handle your own bags and get moving to the lobby rigth away when they say GO!

[perkyblue]

Thanks for the info and advice! I think we'll stay away from the self-assist option!

[jeniceglassman]

It's the most horrid end to a vaction you can invent. Don't do it!

[travel girl23]

We did self assist two weeks ago on the Conquest and as far as I'm concerned it's the only way to go (unless you take a ton of luggage).:eek: There were no crowds, we simply walked off the ship through customs (in about 2 seconds) and were in our car going home instead of fighting the hords of people waiting curbside. What usually took us several hours, this time took about 1/2 hour. This may not be what everyone wants to do but at least it one of the options offered. We will do self assist from now on.:D TG23

[denisey]

We had an early flight out of Houston for our recent Conquest cruise (1:37, Carnival's recommended time is no earlier than 2) The purser's desk talked themselves blue in the face to get us to use self assist. We got Early departure tags. Self assist got off he boat starting at 6:15, we were off and through customs and in our Emerald Limousine Towncar by 8:30. No Problem! We were at the airport 3 hours early for our flight.

 

Conversely, some friends did self assist, got off the ship at 6:15, took Galveston Limousine (shuttle) and got to the airport around the same time as us.

 

Denise

[momofzeke]

Let me see if I'm understanding this correctly: if you do self-assist you have to get off the ship at a certain time? We have a later flight, so will not be in a big hurry to get off the ship. We would not be able to do self-assist and get off the ship at our leisure? (We will, of course, be off by the time they say you must be off)

[GoinCruisin]

Let me see if I'm understanding this correctly: if you do self-assist you have to get off the ship at a certain time? We have a later flight, so will not be in a big hurry to get off the ship. We would not be able to do self-assist and get off the ship at our leisure? (We will, of course, be off by the time they say you must be off)

 

You have approximately an hour window that Customs opens up for self assist... generally somewhere between 6:30AM and 7:30AM (sometime early in other words, LOL)... NO, you cannot get off at your leisure, you must debark when they open up that window of time.

[travel girl23]

Yes, self assist starts at 6:15 and they start calling the floors that can leave. We were on the Empress Deck and they called out our floor along with some others about 6:20. Self assist leaves first and then followed by the people who have flights to catch, etc. etc. If you are not in any hurry, then waiting until your color tag is called would be best however, for those of us who drive, the traffic is horrendous as are the throngs of people curbside so self assist is perfect for us.:D We were on our way home at 7 am.

[GoinCruisin]

Yes, self assist starts at 6:15 and they start calling the floors that can leave. We were on the Empress Deck and they called out our floor along with some others about 6:20. Self assist leaves first and then followed by the people who have flights to catch, etc. etc. If you are not in any hurry, then waiting until your color tag is called would be best however, for those of us who drive, the traffic is horrendous as are the throngs of people curbside so self assist is perfect for us.:D We were on our way home at 7 am.

 

Self assist won't always start at 6:15... it will start when customs clears the ship and opens the window... for example, that started at 7:30AM on the Valor in November... but regardless, it's early...

[momofzeke]

OK, thanks. No self-assist for me. ;) Now, another DQ (dumb question): do you HAVE to go when they call your luggage color? Or can you go later than that if you wish? When we were on the Pride, we had a post-cruise excursion through Carnival, so we had early debarkation. That's why I'm not too sure of how the "regular" debarkation process works. :)

[perkyblue]

Thanks evreyone for all the info--this is exactly what I needed to know. Like momofzeke, I was also wondering whether we really have to leave when they call our color. I don't know when my flight will be yet, but if it's later, I'd much rather wait on the ship than at the airport. On the other hand, I hate people who think they don't have to follow the rules, and I don't want to be the jerk who screws up the system.

[GoinCruisin]

OK, thanks. No self-assist for me. ;) Now, another DQ (dumb question): do you HAVE to go when they call your luggage color? Or can you go later than that if you wish? When we were on the Pride, we had a post-cruise excursion through Carnival, so we had early debarkation. That's why I'm not too sure of how the "regular" debarkation process works. :)

 

I have waited with friends who had a color called later than mine.

[denisey]

I've waited also. The bonus is that most of the other bags have been claimed in your color, and it is easier to find yours!

 

Denise

[Starz723]

For me there is a pro & con.

2 sailings on the Legend out of NYC. One self assist the other I let the porters take them.

 

The first time I self assist on my own was when our ship got in very late. We got off the ship at 7pm.:eek: Lots of unhappy campers. We had a medical emergency and they had to make a stop at Bermuda.

 

Last July I waited and was off the ship at 11am.

 

Now if you need to catch a flight that leaves early, Id say self assist.

 

This July Im on the Valor out of Miami...I have a 1:20 flight. Im going to self assist. I heard horror stories about customs and people nearly missing their flights.

 

Its alot of schlepping and Id rather not do it..but I dont want to miss my flight back, so Im happy they have it.