getting off in port (non-tender) Royal

A quote from a reviewer currently on the Royal on the same cruise I will be taking in 12 days.

"A word about disembarking: it seems to be pretty happenstance. For Cork, we docked pretty much at 9:00 am, instead of being docked at 9:00 am. This makes a world of difference in getting off the ship to meet any planned adventures. We went to our assigned disembarkation area, which I think was the Symphony dining room, about 8:50, and were not able to disembark until 9:25. This would become problematic other days as well, so please be aware when making reservations on your own for tours that timing may be dicey. Have your tour guide’s number, or any phone number dealing with that tour, available, as you may be making a call to ensure them that you really are there, the process is just running long."

We are new to Princess and never on a ship over 2000 persons.

I thought you could just walk off in any non-tender port, as we have always been able to do on previous cruises. (smaller ships)

Are you assigned a place to sit and wait to be called?

I guess it would be ridiculous to assume 3000 people are waiting in line to use one exit (in a very long line!)

How well does Princess handle getting off in port. How much time should I allow?

We do have priority boarding and disembark priviledges from our MS.

A quote from a reviewer currently on the Royal on the same cruise I will be taking in 12 days.

 

I thought you could just walk off in any non-tender port, as we have always been able to do on previous cruises. (smaller ships)

Are you assigned a place to sit and wait to be called?

I guess it would be ridiculous to assume 3000 people are waiting in line to use one exit (in a very long line!)

How well does Princess handle getting off in port. How much time should I allow?

.

In over 20 Princess cruises we have never, ever been told to meet in any location prior to a normal disembarkation. Maybe the poster you cited got confused because they were describing the tender disembarkation process. When the ship is docked and all the arrival paperwork is completed, a general announcement over the PA system will be made that disembarkation is beginning on deck X. Rest assured that 1) not everyone disembarks at the same time and 2) the process is actually very quick - the security staff just scans your ship card, looks at the picture to make sure it is you and you walk off the ship.

Have a great cruise! We've spent a total of 46 days on the Royal Princess including 25 days last fall and love it.

A quote from a reviewer currently on the Royal on the same cruise I will be taking in 12 days.

 

"A word about disembarking: it seems to be pretty happenstance. For Cork, we docked pretty much at 9:00 am, instead of being docked at 9:00 am. This makes a world of difference in getting off the ship to meet any planned adventures. We went to our assigned disembarkation area, which I think was the Symphony dining room, about 8:50, and were not able to disembark until 9:25. This would become problematic other days as well, so please be aware when making reservations on your own for tours that timing may be dicey. Have your tour guide’s number, or any phone number dealing with that tour, available, as you may be making a call to ensure them that you really are there, the process is just running long."

We are new to Princess and never on a ship over 2000 persons.

I thought you could just walk off in any non-tender port, as we have always been able to do on previous cruises. (smaller ships)

Are you assigned a place to sit and wait to be called?

I guess it would be ridiculous to assume 3000 people are waiting in line to use one exit (in a very long line!)

How well does Princess handle getting off in port. How much time should I allow?

We do have priority boarding and disembark priviledges from our MS.

I have never seen this at a port where the ship is docked. I have been to Cork a few times and the last time was on the Royal. We had no restriction. When the announcement came that the ship was cleared we could just disembark. We never rush to get off because there is usually a line right away. We never had to report to a waiting area. It must be an attempt to control the crowds and to give Princess tours a window.

Your priority boarding/disembark will not matter.

In any case I would never schedule a tour immediately at the scheduled port time.

Thank you for your reply. We are very excited to try Princess and the Royal! We have heard great reviews from family and friends. I am a bit leery of such a large ship, but I am sure we will enjoy it!

This does not describe our docked experience on any Princess ship at any port on any continent. It has always been "announcement, go to the gangway." Princess excursions do have priority in getting off as a group, and those on Princess excursions do have meeting places.

Peculiar, because Cork (Cobh 15 miles away, actually) is listed as a dock port, not tender. And it is not a disembarkation port.

The whole post leaves me confused.

For Cork, we docked pretty much at 9:00 am, instead of being docked at 9:00 am. This makes a world of difference in getting off the ship to meet any planned adventures. We went to our assigned disembarkation area, which I think was the Symphony dining room, about 8:50, and were not able to disembark until 9:25.

So, scheduled to arrive at 9:00, and off the ship at 9:25...

Is this supposed to be a complaint?

That seems pretty normal to me, and not something I would complain about.

The biggest delays are arriving someplace around mid-day.

Like Grand Turk at 13:00. Absolutely everyone on the ship is ready to go.

That's a delay!

In most cases a ship will dock and be cleared by the local authorities by the time that the schedule (itinerary) says. However, "life happens". Ships are delayed by weather or currents, several ships arrive at the same time and there are not enough dock workers to land all of them at once, the local authorities are late, there is some question about the documents the ship presented, there is a medical emergency, the list can go on and on. The best thing to do is not schedule a private tour for the exact time of docking.

The scenario presented by the poster seems to read more like a tender port. In that case the ship's tours have priority. Also note that most ship's tenders hold 150 or so passengers and it takes quite a while to get them all loaded. It's much faster to get 150 people off the ship when they are "walk-offs" than when they are tendered.

I have been to Cork in 2016 and we just walked off the ship. When the ship first started letting pax off, there usually is a line sometimes long so you just get in the back of the line. Thankfully it usually moves fast.

Regarding private tours, the tour operators are well aware that things don't always happen on schedule and wait for their clients. When we landed in Rio de Janeiro, the authorities did not clear us to exit the ship causing us to be several hours late. Our private tour operator waited for the ship to be cleared and the pax get off the ship. Don't worry about getting off the ship and meeting your tour guide. They know you are coming and they will wait.

I’ve sailed on the Royal (and other Princess ships as well as on other lines) and been to maybe hundreds of ports all over the world. When the ship docks at a port, I have never seen or heard of a meeting place for disembarkation in the port. Yes, I’ve experienced delayed disembarkation due to a variety of circumstances but never a “meeting place” for any port on the itinerary, including Cobh.

Either this was a final disembarkation port or the ship was tendering. Only two possible scenarios.

I was on the Royal last month, docked in Cork while having breakfast and once finished, we walked off the ship, avoided photographers and got on ecoach bus for our tour. Since we missed Guernsey, we docked a bit earlier than anticipated. I did see passengers leaving the ship a few minutes after it tied up.

The only time we were ever directed to one of the dining venues was to pick up tender tickets.

Darcy

I’m on the Royal now, you just walk off except the two tender ports and for those you go to the dining room to collect tender tickets.

We had no problems at all. But just a word of warning , the lines to return back to the ship on the tender are long if you wait until closer to all aboard time to return. This was the case at Guernsey and South Queensferry, although that delay was due to high currents.

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Thank you for all of the replies.

I have been on 11 prior cruises (none on Princess)

I had only seen meeting points for disembarking for tendering or final day. I was confused by the prior posters description.

I think she may have been at meeting spot for a specific Princess group tour.