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Disembarkation - "My Two Cents"


MTJSR
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I really dislike receiving that letter in my cabin that sounds like this; “Whilst we do not wish to focus on the end of your cruise, we do need you to select your disembarkation time”

 

I don't understand why Princess waits until we are all onboard and in full cruise relax mode to bring up this question. We are all required to enter our flight numbers and personal details in the Cruise Personalizer, why not indicate our preferred disembark time request as well?

 

That gives Princess plenty of time to organize and we do not have to think about the end of cruise, until the end of the cruise!

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I don't have a problem with it either but I think the OP may feel it is a bit like seeing the Back to School!!! ads while still on summer vacation. Those were always a bit of a mood depressor.

 

On our next cruise, if we had chosen a time to disembark, we would now be changing it as the #@^#!! airline has moved our flight to an unreasonably early departure so we will be requesting to be the first group walking off carrying our own luggage. Due to booking the flight on Delta with Alaska Airlines miles and then having Delta and AA part ways we aren't even able to change it to a later flight. They just say, "Sorry. No way." We port in LA at 7:00 AM (hopefully on time) and have to try to make an 11:15 AM flight out of LAX. At least it will be on a Sunday so there might not be as much hassle from Caltrans projects.

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Then do it during check in.

 

Plans change, sure. But not everyone's plans change. I don't see how it could cause "more work" for anyone by having perhaps 80-90% of the passenger's disembarkation times selected before the ship ever leaves. So 10 or 20% need to change. Big deal.

 

OP has an interesting point.

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I agree Mark, it's a cruel letter to give a happy passenger just getting into relaxation mode! :eek:

But I suspect it's due to the fact that a lot of people don't fill out that part of the Cruise Personalizer. Maybe they could make it mandatory and save themselves some paperwork. ??

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This is one of the few "statements" here on CC that actually makes sense. When you plan your cruise one of the mandatory things is your destination home. Don't we all have that said and done way before we board the ship. Yes, we could put it in our personalizer, right after we enter our flight home time. Maybe they would just have to make a new "section" to be able to enter our vehicle home and the time, and then our preferred disembarkation time. Seems so simple once you think about it. Princess are you listening

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This is one of the few "statements" here on CC that actually makes sense. When you plan your cruise one of the mandatory things is your destination home. Don't we all have that said and done way before we board the ship. Yes, we could put it in our personalizer, right after we enter our flight home time. Maybe they would just have to make a new "section" to be able to enter our vehicle home and the time, and then our preferred disembarkation time. Seems so simple once you think about it. Princess are you listening

 

It won't accept my flight time as they say it is way too early to make the flight. The Princess site just freaks out.

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It won't accept my flight time as they say it is way too early to make the flight. The Princess site just freaks out.

 

 

It accepts it. It just gives you a warning that it may be outside the parameters that Princess suggests.

Have done it a few times. No big deal.

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When I see that letter in our cabin, I simply fill-up what's needed. Being used to it, I don't have to read the instructions anymore and get it done quickly. I doesn't affect my mood. Doing it on the Cruise Personalizer will neither affect me.

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I really dislike receiving that letter in my cabin that sounds like this; “Whilst we do not wish to focus on the end of your cruise, we do need you to select your disembarkation time”

 

I don't understand why Princess waits until we are all onboard and in full cruise relax mode to bring up this question. We are all required to enter our flight numbers and personal details in the Cruise Personalizer, why not indicate our preferred disembark time request as well?

 

That gives Princess plenty of time to organize and we do not have to think about the end of cruise, until the end of the cruise!

 

What I dislike is that they ask me to select a time but then put me in a disembarkation group that isn't even remotely close to the time I selected!!!

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Then do it during check in.

 

Plans change, sure. But not everyone's plans change. I don't see how it could cause "more work" for anyone by having perhaps 80-90% of the passenger's disembarkation times selected before the ship ever leaves. So 10 or 20% need to change. Big deal.

 

OP has an interesting point.

 

So if you didn't have to reassign/change disembark times for 15% of the people (average of your estimate of changers), that isn't less work? How is that not less work?

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The closer you get to disembarkation the more accurate the pool of information. It's a good system that does not require any major changes. Maybe with the medallion system passengers will be able to complete the disembarkation request on a smart device or cabin TV.

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People's plans change plus you can decide to book a post-cruise tour onboard. I have absolutely no problem filling out the form a few days before disembarkation.

 

Exactly the example I was thinking of. I like the fact we have up to the last minute (before luggage is put out for pickup) to request a change in departure times. We have had to do this a couple of time when it was absolutely necessary to depart the ship as early as possible.

 

This process works well and isn't broken.

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I feel the same way as you.:)

Tony

Yeah, I understand that but they are trying to space out the departures so the crowds are minimalized and so they make arbitrary decisions based upon the information given in the booking information.

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I don't have a problem with it either but I think the OP may feel it is a bit like seeing the Back to School!!! ads while still on summer vacation. Those were always a bit of a mood depressor.

 

Or Christmas sales starting after Halloween.

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I'm sorry this bothers you. I guess we all have little quirks. For me it is when I encounter the self centered mind sets - the rush to get on the ship, the cattle like push to disembark, failure to follow dress code because it is my vacation, I paid for it and I am gonna wear what I want...etc.

 

I will take a note from Princess any day over a rude passenger.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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I am a little surprised by the amount of approvals for the current system. Having disembarkation details booked ahead of time, would limit the amount of onboard paperwork and hassle. This could really just be an optional selection online, but like booking a flight time, you could at least get it done ahead of time. For those onboard that have not selected, then they get to fill out and submit the form onboard or for those that want to change it...change it!

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I'm sorry this bothers you.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

My overly dramatic intro to this thread was only for fun, I could really care less what Princess does.

 

But in reality, everything else in life is online and paperless, why not this one? Just sayin!

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I didn't used to mind it, but it seems to be earlier and earlier lately. I think we got it on the 2nd day of the cruise on my most recent cruise. I sure don't want to think about getting OFF the ship when I only just got ON! If they are going to do it that early, they might as well do it online before the cruise, or as part of check-in at the port.

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Getting the notification on the 6th day of our 7 day Caribbean cruises didn't bother me. But when we took a 3-day California Coastal Getaway, waiting for us in the room the day we got aboard was the "When do you want to disembark form". Now THAT was kind of a downer... but only for a few minutes. ;-)

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