Self Disembark Procedure?

[keishashadow]

Can someone walk me thru the process? At the risk of sounding very dim, on DCL (our only other cruise), you just strolled off the ship whenever you wanted after breakfast (we waited until 9:30 a.m.), a porter met us before we went thru customs...so easy.

 

As for Carnival's self-disembark -

 

*I assume we keep our bags (as opposed to setting them out the night before)

 

*what's next?...at this point I'm lost. Have read a few posts about 'waiting in the casino to be called:confused: '

 

Trying to book a flight home, TPA's aren't look very hospitable as to departure times for us unless we really hustle; otherwise we'll drive to MCO in order to avoid a long connecting flight.

 

We'll be in a cat C, is there a special 'pecking order' or can we indicate pressing need to catch a flight & be processed quickly?

[CruiseCentric]

Can someone walk me thru the process? At the risk of sounding very dim, on DCL (our only other cruise), you just strolled off the ship whenever you wanted after breakfast (we waited until 9:30 a.m.), a porter met us before we went thru customs...so easy.

 

As for Carnival's self-disembark -

 

*I assume we keep our bags (as opposed to setting them out the night before)

 

*what's next?...at this point I'm lost. Have read a few posts about 'waiting in the casino to be called:confused: '

 

Trying to book a flight home, TPA's aren't look very hospitable as to departure times for us unless we really hustle; otherwise we'll drive to MCO in order to avoid a long connecting flight.

 

We'll be in a cat C, is there a special 'pecking order' or can we indicate pressing need to catch a flight & be processed quickly?

 

It can vary week to week and ship to ship. When I did it on Liberty they gave everyone doing self-assist a "window" to leave the ship. I was off and in a taxi within 15 mins. I have heard sometimes they call it by decks.

 

Yes, you would need to handle all your luggage

[keishashadow]

umm...when you say "call by decks"; would this be via a P.A. system in the hall/cabin?

 

ok, so i tell Carnival when I check in @ port or is this something you take care of before-hand with TA/Carnival?

 

Or, do i need to handle while on board (if so who/where)?

 

Lately, I've been limiting all members in our family to 1 large wheeled bag & a messenger one ONLY anywhere we travel - a good thing!

[CruiseCentric]

umm...when you say "call by decks"; would this be via a P.A. system in the hall/cabin?

 

ok, so i tell Carnival when I check in @ port or is this something you take care of before-hand with TA/Carnival?

 

Or, do i need to handle while on board (if so who/where)?

 

Lately, I've been limiting all members in our family to 1 large wheeled bag & a messenger one ONLY anywhere we travel - a good thing!

 

Yes, over the PA system.

 

You arent required to let them know that you are doing self assist. Sadly, many decided to do it at the last min and have far too much luggage to handle. They are the ones that really end up just getting in the way.

 

I just have a bag and backpack, so its rather easy for me to get off the ship.

[keishashadow]

thanks a bunch for explaining, doesn't seem so intimidating now!

[CruiseCentric]

thanks a bunch for explaining, doesn't seem so intimidating now!

 

Well I should add that since so many people are doing self assist it has become a madhouse. Mainly because people dont follow instructions. Also dont count on using the elevators during this time.

[Darlipoo]

And don't count on being able to hear or understand the P.A. announcements. They do NOT come over the speakers in the cabins.

[dewatson12]

Did self debark on Triumph in Feb 07. Worked great. Couple of issues, you can't hear the announcements and the elevators are full. What we ended up doing was once we found we could get on an elevator, we just rode it up and down until the debark deck was starting to move. You walk out of the terminal through the main entrance (not through the luggage warehouse). You do not have any capability of getting to your luggage. There was a family in front of us that decided that they would put their luggage out the night before, then use self-assist and then go get their luggage. Once they got to the card scanner to swipe their cards and get off, the security person and the cruise staff person asked where there luggage was. They said they put it out and they found out they couldn't get off. Kinda funny, people trying to game the system got caught.

[Peto]

hurry up an wait.

[bluefintuna]

All of the above and elevators: forgeddabout it! It is indeed a madhouse with people bouncing suitcases down the staircase and at least on our cruise stuck on the stairs for a long, long time (customs wasn't ready for us).

[keishashadow]

being stuck on the stairs is a disturbing thought

 

trying to figure out which deck would is the one you self disembark from on Spirt class then...

 

deck 2?

 

Is this the same deck you board?

 

I'm on a roll, in the same vein, what deck do you tender?

[RizzoLee]

I've always disembarked from the same level you board on-brain is fried-whatever deck has the purser's/shore excursion deck on it.

 

It's always so depressing getting off a ship... and the madhouse affect doesn't help much.

[jeff33436]

We were on Glory last week and did the self disembark. Announcements start at about 7:30 over the P.A. in the hallway. All you have to do is prop your door open so you can hear. I thought it was very orderly. They announced that they would do it by deck. We were on deck 9 and were one of the first called. We made our way from cabin to the elevators and while some started akwardly going down the stairs with their luggage, we just waited patiently for an elevator. It only took a few missed/full elevators until we got on and down to deck 3 where the exit was. From there it was out to customs, and then to our car. The whole thing took maybe an hour from start to finish, as we were in our car by 8:30.

 

Caution- if you have lots of luggage, it can be tricky. We saw a few who had way too many bags to do it this way and they were really struggling to get around.

[keishashadow]

I've always disembarked from the same level you board on-brain is fried-whatever deck has the purser's/shore excursion deck on it.

 

It's always so depressing getting off a ship... and the madhouse affect doesn't help much.

 

Yep, we did enjoy lingering w/late breakfast & breezing out last time....still plenty of others behind us.

 

conversely, wondering if we should just book a later afternoon flight instead of stressing to make an 11:30 a.m.

 

Anyone know when do they want you out of the cabin & when is breakfast service over) before you get the boot?