How long does it take to get off the ship in Cuba?

[jfbbarry]

Sailing next week on the Paradise. We have a non-Carnival excursion meeting at 9:00 AM .  What time should we plan to line up to get off the ship?

TIA

[figdu]

It took us about an hour to get through customs in October of 2017.

[tallnthensome]

1 hour ago, figdu said:

It took us about an hour to get through customs in October of 2017.

Following ..... but what was the time when that happened? We are on in August for cuba as well..... I've heard long and late disembarking times ....

[ccd228]

Just got off Paradise this past Thursday and we chose to wait by the stairwell about 20 minutes before they opened it up. We were some of the first off the boat and to go thru customs and to currency exchange. Took us about 30 minutes max. We then had about an hour wait for our 9am private excursion. 

[riffatsea]

IF you are on a private tour they will wait for you.

Don't worry about it. They want your business!!

[jfbbarry]

16 hours ago, ccd228 said:

Just got off Paradise this past Thursday and we chose to wait by the stairwell about 20 minutes before they opened it up. We were some of the first off the boat and to go thru customs and to currency exchange. Took us about 30 minutes max. We then had about an hour wait for our 9am private excursion. 

Where do you get off the ship: What stairwell and what deck? 

What scheduled time is disembarkation in Cuba

[jdemps]

We are scheduling our guide to meet us around 10:30 or 11am.  says we dock at 8am so I'm hoping this is late enough to avoid the madness of all the people that need to be first off.  Hoping to have a breakfast then head on out.  

[ccd228]

You will get off the boat on deck 3 aft stairwell. We docked at 7:15 and by 8 was waiting across the street for our guide. 

[kristinp36]

WE were through in about 15 minutes.  We made sure to get off before the ship excursions started getting off.

[scpirate]

I booked a 10:30 tour to avoid the stampede.we will take our time eating breakfast tour was prepaid in u.s.dollars.im not even going to exchange for CUC if they want a tip I'm sure they will take my greenbacks.

[mdsgu]

We went to Cuba last year.  The disembarkation, from the time we lined up until we walked out of the terminal after exchanging money, was about 1 hour.  

 

CUBA HACK: buy Euros or British pounds from your local bank before you leave.  Exchange those for the Cuban tourist currency.  If you exchange US dollars, they hit you with a 10% "tax" because they are still miffed about that whole little embargo thing.  When you leave and change your money back, you automatically get US currency (no tax).

[mdsgu]

10 hours ago, scpirate said:

I booked a 10:30 tour to avoid the stampede.we will take our time eating breakfast tour was prepaid in u.s.dollars.im not even going to exchange for CUC if they want a tip I'm sure they will take my greenbacks.

Be careful trying to pay for anything with US dollars.  The Cuban government doesn't want US currency circulating around.