Leaving the ship at the end of a cruise?

[tgmg00a]

I am sure this will be the saddest part of the cruise. However, it does end and you have to get off. Some background first. This is my DW and I first cruise. The good part is we live in the SF Bay Area and are getting on and off the Star at Pier 35. So we have no planes to catch or transportation issues. So to my question. How long can we stay onboard before we must depart? Can we take our luggage off with us or do we have to have it transported to the dock? Do we go through customs in SF or does happen in Victoria on leaving Canada? Thanks again for all your help.

 

 

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[MauiLvrs]

It depends on a number of things, one variable being CBP.

 

Last week on the Crown ... We opted to disembark at 11:15 and actually left the ship at about 11:50. We not allowed to walk-off with our bags at that time. The latest walk-off time was 8:20. We we went to claim our bags it was easy as were almost the last to leave the ship, there were only a dozen bags in our group.

 

In January on the Sapphire we were allowed to walk-off with our bags at 10:15.

Edited April 25, 2014 by MauiLvrs

[chrysalis]

You must be out of your cabin by 8am

[Pam in CA]

I am sure this will be the saddest part of the cruise. However, it does end and you have to get off. Some background first. This is my DW and I first cruise. The good part is we live in the SF Bay Area and are getting on and off the Star at Pier 35. So we have no planes to catch or transportation issues. So to my question. How long can we stay onboard before we must depart? Can we take our luggage off with us or do we have to have it transported to the dock? Do we go through customs in SF or does happen in Victoria on leaving Canada? Thanks again for all your help.

One of the nice things about Princess is that once you check in and board the ship, you can go directly to your cabin. Not all cruise lines allow this and several make you go directly to the buffet with all your stuff and wait until 2-3pm. In order to do this, Princess asks that you be out of your cabin by 8am.

 

You'll receive a disembarkation form a few days before the end of your cruise. On the form, you can select one of several disembarkation options. You can opt to carry everything off without assistance, including going down an escalator, which is called "walk-off" or self-disembarkation. Those disembarkation times are among the first off the ship.

 

If you wish to disembark later, you would select the appropriate box and you'll be assigned a time between 9-10am. You'd put your luggage out the night before and pick it up on the dock after going through Immigration. Luggage is sorted and put into sections by disembarkation color so you're not searching an entire warehouse for your luggage. I've found that it takes me perhaps two minutes (if that) to find my luggage and I'm on my way.

 

You go through Immigration and Customs in San Francisco.

 

Here's a copy of my disembarkation form in LA last month. San Francisco would be similar:

 

[pegpowell]

Almost all passengers are off the ship by about 10. You can carry your own luggage off. You probably won't even realize you have gone through customs for the Alaskan cruise. You will turn in your papers and it will happen behind the scenes. No customs or immigration after you get off the ship in SF.

[Pam in CA]

No customs or immigration after you get off the ship in SF.

This must depend on the itinerary since I've never heard of not going through Immigration when arriving at your first entry point into the US after a non-US port. SF was the worst disembarkation nightmare I've ever experienced due to going through Immigration and Customs, causing me to miss my 12:30pm flight. But that was after a cruise from South America. Edited April 25, 2014 by Pam in CA

[AKman2495]

Leaving the ship is not as sad as you might think. It had been our experience that as the cruise progresses you move from a "sail away" mode to cruise mode to packing and leaving mode.

 

Of course, the shortest cruise we've taken has been 10 days. I suppose one might feel different after a 3 day cruise.

 

Anyway, we have always been ready to leave the ship at the end. Feeling great, knowing it is time to move on...and getting ready for the next one....

[Colo Cruiser]

Between 9-10, they need everyone off so that they can prepare for the next passengers and have to have a 0 count onboard.

It just delays there turnaround duties the longer you stay. :)

[Treven]

... You will turn in your papers and it will happen behind the scenes. No customs or immigration after you get off the ship in SF.

I agree; this was all there was to my Alaska cruise which ended at SFO (The City in general, not the airport).

Edited April 25, 2014 by Treven

[pegpowell]

The OP cruise count down clock indicates an Alaska cruise. I have done several from SF and have never seen a customs/immigration officer. I just turned in our papers.

 

Yes, the ship coming from South America was an entirely different process.

[cb at sea]

Staying on the ship that last morning is no fun....any of that great service you've come to expect is conspicuously missing on the last morning....they want you gone! And, you do have to be out of your cabin....sitting around a public area...I'd rather hop in my car and be done!