How long does debarkation take in Buenos Aires

We arrive in Buenos Aires at 5am at the end of our cruise. Does anyone know how long the debarkation takes at this port. We are thinking of booking a flight to the Falls (IGR) that day and there is one at 1.20pm and one at 4pm. I would prefer the 1.20pm flight but not sure if we will have enough time to get to the airport from the port. I have read that the embarkation is chaotic but have not read any information if it is the same at debarkation.

I had the same question before our recent trip on the Celebrity Infinity. Walking off with cases is not really an option, unless you are travelling light, because buses are required to get to the terminal and they are busy. Getting on and off with cases would be very difficult. You also cannot get off the ship until the buses are available, even though the ship gets in early.

We requested an early departure and got an 8.30 slot. We put our cases out the night before and were at the gangway at about 7.30. We were among the first off the ship at about 7.30, getting the first bus. Our bags were awaiting us at the terminal when we arrived.

Once at the terminal, you have to get your bags and line up for immigration. The bags are put through an X-ray, which slows the process further. It was quite a quick process at that time, but the later you disembark, the busier it is and the longer it takes, with long lines (we were on a back to back, so had experienced it being busy on our previous visit). How busy it is also depends on how many ships are in port. The whole process, from the ship, took us about 30-45 mins, but could take a lot longer.

There are lots of taxis and easy to get if you are out early, before the line gets long. They run a cartel though, and are very expensive. We avoided them, having pre-arranged our transport.

For back to back passengers, there is a lot of scope for confusion, as there is a separate exit for them. This is not well marked, so we missed it and unnecessarily joined the long line for disembarking passengers. The fast track exit for in transit passengers leads to a lounge and cafe area where our guide was to meet us (on our first visit, when we were getting back on the ship on the same day). This caused confusion and delay because we had bypassed that area and it took us a while to find it.

The embarkation was not so bad, but there are two problems. Firstly, do NOT get there early, hoping to get on board early (as we usually do). You will have to stand around in the sun for hours if you do. This happened to many people. Fortunately I had read about this on these boards, so we deliberately arrived later, at about 1.30 or 2.00. It looked very busy and chaotic (there were three ships in port). This was the second problem, knowing which line to get in and where to join it. We looked around for people with Celebrity tags on their cases and they directed us to the end of the line, where a representative stood with a sign. Our line was not too long and the rest of the process was fine.

How busy it is, both getting on and getting off, will depend on how many ships are in port. These were our experiences. I hope it is off help to others. It is certainly a port where it helps to be aware of what to expect.

Enjoy your trip. Buenos Aires is a very interesting and worthwhile place to visit. If you need to change dollars into pesos at a good rate and cannot get to a safe cambio, go into a restaurant or cafe and ask if they take US dollars and if so, at what rate. If they speak enough English for this, you will find that you can often get a rate just under the 'blue rate'. You then pay with larger sums (they usually don't take dollar notes less than 20s or maybe 10s) and get change in pesos at a good rate. It is safe and convenient.

:)

Thanks bcscot for your very detailed answers. We will also be on the same sailing as woodley. Our flight is not until 4:30 out of BA, so we have no hurry to get off the ship.

I hate to put our luggage out the night before. We almost always take our luggage with us, it helps to save on the wear and tear of being thrown around.

BCSCOT -thanks for your reply the information was just what I needed to know. I think if we get off the ship early we should easily make the earlier flight.= even if we have to pay the inflated price of the Taxis at the port.

The facility is really capable of handling one ship a day, maybe two if they are small. We were on Celebrity Infinity and the only ship disembaking/embarking that day and it was very smooth. A large Princess ship had arrived the previous day, but had done its thing, so we were effectively the only one in.

The facility is really capable of handling one ship a day, maybe two if they are small. We were on Celebrity Infinity and the only ship disembaking/embarking that day and it was very smooth. A large Princess ship had arrived the previous day, but had done its thing, so we were effectively the only one in.

On the day we left, there were 4 ships in port, Infinity, a Princess ship, an MSC ship and a small German ship, the Albatross. It was very busy! :eek: