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Fastest route off Glory in St Thomas

JustFloatN

By JustFloatN,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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tocruzagain

tocruzagain

Posted
Posted
We are going to be pushed for time for our excursion . Could anyone help with some tips on the best way to get off the ship the fastest ?

 

We also have a tour scheduled with Godfrey while in St. Thomas and he's supposed to pick us up on the pier at 10...same time the ship is scheduled to port in. Can we just "slide" in with the Carnival excursion group of people to get through the crowds in a hurry?

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boaterette

boaterette

Posted
Posted

Sure justmake sure to put your towel on a lounge chair before you go.

We also have a tour scheduled with Godfrey while in St. Thomas and he's supposed to pick us up on the pier at 10...same time the ship is scheduled to port in. Can we just "slide" in with the Carnival excursion group of people to get through the crowds in a hurry?
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marktac

marktac

Posted
Posted

Well, I don't know about towels on deck chairs, but knotted sheets over the balcony was my idea of the fastest way to get off the ship. Don't know if they will let you back on, though.

 

Seriously, just go to the tender area and let them know you have a commitment time. They do let you on, trust me. We've done it with no problems.

 

Mark T

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Chexmix

Chexmix

Posted
Posted

Be one of the first to get in line for your customs sticker. If you are not you could be there a LONG time. If they say they are going to start giving them out at 9 am be there by 7 or 730. Trust me even being there this early others will still beat you there.

 

Once they have customs officers in place the process moves quickly. If you have a tour scheduled with Godfrey or Sunny Liston they WILL wait as they know how it all works. Both of the gentlemen also have GREAT tours too.

 

Hope this helps. I was on the Valor in December.

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jdcml

jdcml

Posted
Posted

Wow - do you have that different of an experience or save that much money that its worth spending 2 hours in line before it starts? Thats starting to sound like the day after Thanksgiving shopping! :)

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Chexmix

Chexmix

Posted
Posted
Wow - do you have that different of an experience or save that much money that its worth spending 2 hours in line before it starts? Thats starting to sound like the day after Thanksgiving shopping! :)

 

I was just explaining the FASTEST way off the ship. We went down about 8 am (starting time was 9 am) and there were at least 200 people ahead of me. We took turns in line. One went to breakfast while the other stayed in line then changed places. After about 8:30 I would say there were about 1000 people in line. Once it starts moving it is fast but it has to start.

 

I don't do the day after Thankgiving shopping because I really don't want to waste my time in lines. Knowing that I am getting off the ship to see something new and exciting is WORTH standing in line for. :D

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Cherami

Cherami

Posted
Posted

We had 10 AM scheduled time to be picked up by Sonny Liston. I printed confirmation from him and we went down when they started calling first Carnival 's excursions. It took us probably 5 minutes to get thru and get our sticker.

At the port talk the day before Mark Price mentioned early scheduled Carnival excursions and private excursions, but they don't call private excursions down. Just go as they start and show your confirmation e-mail if asked. No problem. We were on the pier by 9:30.

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Hootsie

Hootsie

Posted
Posted

We arrived late to St. Thomas on our cruise a couple weeks ago and had booked with Godfrey. Immigration was awful due to the fact everyone wanted off the ship two hours earlier than planned. But, we got off and he was waiting as I got off the ship with no problem. They did announce thru the ship that people with early tours should meet in one of the lounges, but I swear, 90% of the ship went there. There is really no easy way thru this process but it really isn't that bad. We were off within an hour and I'm sure yours will go quicker.

 

Godfrey's tour was awesome, btw. You will have a great time.

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LornaT

LornaT

Posted
Posted

We had our own excursion planned in 2003 with Godfrey also as such went to the early tours part of the line with a copy of my reservation e-mail from him....no problem getting in the early line.

 

Tips:

1. Everyone in your party MUST present themselves to Immigration (not Customs) or none of you get off, Carnival has stickers with your name and cabin numbers on them, you don't get them until Immigraction has checked you all off.

 

2. Have a Passport. The Passport line was way shorter and much faster than the line with all the families and their assorted Birth Certificates and documents.

 

The non-US Citizens have to clear Immigration first before they will start clearing US Citizens, and if all of the Non-US don't show up on time, it backs everyone up..............and this also happens on debarkation day back in the home ports.

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serene56

serene56

Posted
Posted

2 hours to get off the ship?? hoardes of crowdes getting off the same time???

 

Is this just a problem ojn the Glory-- coz i never encountered nothing even remotely close to this?

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JustFloatN

JustFloatN

Posted
  • Author
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Hey Big Duck,

 

Exactly the point I was making. All of these "special people" are one of my biggest pet peeves.

 

Well my "pet peeve" is people who use someone elses thread as a soapbox without anything constructive to say for the OP. I dont condone cheating to get a deck chair or get off the ship without due process. Im not sure who these "special people" are your talking about but lets flip it around . I dont think that just because someone books a tour through Carnival makes them any more "special" than me.

I do appreciate those that attempted to help.

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Hootsie

Hootsie

Posted
Posted

 

The non-US Citizens have to clear Immigration first before they will start clearing US Citizens, and if all of the Non-US don't show up on time, it backs everyone up..............and this also happens on debarkation day back in the home ports.

 

On the Valor two weeks ago, the non-US citizens went to the Ivanhoe Theater to process and the US citizens went to the Eagles lounge all at the same time. The way yours went sounds like a mess.

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kabux

kabux

Posted
Posted

I just got off the Glory on Sat (review to follow), the line for immigration moved pretty quickly, about 20 minutes. You do have to bring everyone in your cabin with you as you each get a sticker. We went out on our own and were off the ship by 10am and we weren't rushing by any means.

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GoinCruisin

GoinCruisin

Posted
Posted
Well my "pet peeve" is people who use someone elses thread as a soapbox without anything constructive to say for the OP. I dont condone cheating to get a deck chair or get off the ship without due process. Im not sure who these "special people" are your talking about but lets flip it around . I dont think that just because someone books a tour through Carnival makes them any more "special" than me.

I do appreciate those that attempted to help.

 

You may not, but Carnival does... that is one of the "perks" of booking a Carnival excursion... you get priority in getting off the ship. Which is why they call for Carnival excursions first... if you book third party that is fine, just be prepared to wait your turn... People whine and moan about Carnival's excursions being a little more money, but then whine about not getting the perks associated with them (getting off first, getting a refund if you don't make it, having the ship not leave you, etc etc etc)... YOU may not think that someone booking through Carnival makes them more special, but Carnival sure does... the money is going to them, so of course they would think that!!! :D

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Mom1977

Mom1977

Posted
Posted
Doesnt everyone have to go to immigration before anyone is allowed off the ship?

 

kinda sucks for the people who are not wanting to get off the ship and want to sleep in

 

Maybe I'm totally lost (it's happened before) but what are you all talking about? Were we suppose to go through something at each port? I've never faced Immigrations, or even been asked for my birth certificate (other than getting on the ship the first day and getting off the last day)

 

On the Triumph, in Puerto Rico, we ate a nice dinner, then went down and handed our S&S card and checked out of the ship, then just walked off. In St. Thomas and St. Marteen, we never had any stickers. We did have a morning tour in one of them, and we met in the lounge and walked out together. But the other one we had an afternoon tour and we just hung out on the ship until we were ready to walk off.

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L2J

L2J

Posted
Posted
Maybe I'm totally lost (it's happened before) but what are you all talking about? Were we suppose to go through something at each port? I've never faced Immigrations, or even been asked for my birth certificate (other than getting on the ship the first day and getting off the last day)

 

On the Triumph, in Puerto Rico, we ate a nice dinner, then went down and handed our S&S card and checked out of the ship, then just walked off. In St. Thomas and St. Marteen, we never had any stickers. We did have a morning tour in one of them, and we met in the lounge and walked out together. But the other one we had an afternoon tour and we just hung out on the ship until we were ready to walk off.

 

If you visit a foreign port before a US port you have to clear immigration. Puerto Rico is not a foreign port.

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Butterfinger1954

Butterfinger1954

Posted
Posted

Hmmmm....people are saying that everyone is your cabin must go through immigration together, but also saying they do non-US citizens separately. What shall we do? We are two Americans in the same cabin as two Canadian friends. What will they do with us???

 

Kathy in northern Maine

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L2J

L2J

Posted
Posted
What shall we do? We are two Americans in the same cabin as two Canadian friends. What will they do with us???

 

Kathy in northern Maine

 

Do what and go where you are told. You can meet up once off the ship.

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