disembarking-carrying off luggage?

[jeast]

I don't really want to wait to get off the ship that morning. Is it true that if you choose to carry your own bags, you are the first off the ship?

 

DH and I are taking 2 bags and can easily manage them ourselves.

[IBEEMOM]

Yes it is true, you will be allowed to leave the ship before all of the other colors are called. Just keep it in your cabin and do not put it into the hall the night before.

[Longin2cruise]

I carried off my bag this past December & it's a great idea. However, EVERYONE ELSE thinks it's a great idea & the lines are really lonnnng & crowded. I'd still do it again, but just be prepared for the long lines & crowd.

[Laurab23]

Even with the long lines waiting to get off, once they start moving it's very quick. This is a great idea and we loved being able to do it,however next time I'll bring a smaller suitcase.LOL

Laura

[bombero]

We tried it on the Glory last April.. It's great. :) . "Self-Assist" was called at 07:15 and we were driving out of the parking garage at 08:00.. We think it's great, only wish all the other lines would adopt it. :) .. Bombero

[robsvacation]

Please remember that the express debarkation (ie carrying your own bags off) is available only to US citizens with nothing to declare (ie not over your $ allowance or bottles/per person allowance) Non-US citizens must wait for their color to be called. It appeared to me that the traditional color coded debarkation was significantly delayed (45 min-1 hour) by the express process. Also, be prepared for the possibility of hauling your luggage down the stairs, not all the elevators were accessable or available or available for use.

 

You need your sail and sign cards at the door to scan one last time before you leave. Most people seemed to be hunting for theirs at the door significantly delaying the line.

 

I'm Canadian and was in the first color group called. Using Carnival's transfers, a 1PM flight out of FLL was really tight for time, something to keep in mind.

[jeast]

Good news! Thanks for the info, everyone. We'll be sure and have our SS cards handy so as not to hold up the process.

[Bakmmo]

Actually we just came off the Glory on Saturday and did the self debarkation. I also thought we would be first off, NOT. First they called a few different floors beginning at 7:30am as they promised, but then they called hte priority tours, then the priority early flights. Then they actually called people who put out luggage who's luggage had come down on the corousel. Finally we were called at @ 8:30am. After many others were. We saw some one from our floor at he airport who put out luggage the night before and they arrived only 20 minutes after us. Definately not worth it. Getting an elevator then taking it down two escalutors. Just my opinion/

[countercast]

So as Canadians, robsvacations, should I now be worried about my FLL flight of 12:45pm?? We were TOTALLY fed-up with waiting at the airport for a 4pm flight from Tampa last cruise.......

[KWW]

My family of 7 just got off the Paradise in Miami last Sunday. They were clear on what Express Disembark was and that it started at 7:45 AM while the first colored or port-tour groups started at 8:30 Am. We lugged our bags down to the elevators about 8:20 and had no lines to contend with at all. It might have been busier right at 7:45. Saw one other person is all and it was smooth and hassle free as customs and the Carnival staff allow. Had one staffer yell at us when we did not carry each our own passport, yet a minute earlier another staffer told us a parent coudl hold them for the whole family?? We delcared nothing more than $50 in souvenir t-shirts so went right out fast. Elevators everywhere though they were not huge ones.

Went outside and waited 10-15 min in the hot humid air for a Hertz rental shuttle to take us to our car. Customs would not allow my family to wait inside the cool A/C'd waiting area just inside the doors... that would be too easy!

Got to the car at their downtown location and were off to Ft Lauderdale for church then to fly home. We made it to the FLL airport by 10:30 Am so that might help you guage what flights you can make with express disembark. We went to 3 hours of church in Ft Lauderdale and still easily made a 2:55 Pm flight.

PS: If you had to wait for a shuttle bus to take you to FLL it might take longer. For speed and convenience, We rented a 1-way Hertz minivan for $88 going from Miami to FLL, and it cost us $65/day for a Budget minvan coming from FLL to Miami. Cheaper for us all than two taxis and we were able to drive to restaurants, WalMart, etc. along the way on our own.

[phroggie]

We returned a couple of weeks ago aboard Ecstasy to Long Beach. We rolled our own luggage off.

 

As soon as the ship was cleared for debarking, I think they simultaneously called the first three colors. The line to leave the ship was about three people long. Once we were in the dome, we had to wait for two families to clear immigration. We took the elevator to the ground floor. There, we by-passed the lines of people who were waiting to get into baggage claim and proceeded right to where the bored customs agent collected the customs declarations and left the dome. It took us about 12 minutes to get from the cabin to the curb.

 

By noon we were at the North Hollywood subway station. (Yes, we just said "no!" to the LA freeways and took public transportation. Yes, there is such a thing in LA and it rocks.)

[seajan]

We are a family of four in one cabin. Is it possible for one family member to do the self debarkation and the others wait for colors to be called?

[Decali]

Is this something done only on a few ships or is it fleet wide?

[Muumuu]

Customs requires that each family get off together as they are all on one customs form. Grandson sharred a room with his aunt and had to embark with her. He had to debark with his parents and younger brother due to the customs rule.

[serene56]

Karen: I see you are flying out of FLL but where are you sailing from?

 

We did the Voyager last year out of Miami but flew from FLL. We were one of the last off the ship and arrived at the airport about 10:30. Hopefully all will go well in getting your people off the ship.

[robsvacation]

Countercast

 

12:45 was pretty risky timing to begin with I'm afraid. My last cruise was a little late debarking, and I was on the top deck (getting my last lay in the sun) so took me a while to make it down to the floor of the atrium to debark.

 

I suggest the following:

1) early on the last day of the cruise bring bring your flight res to guest services, tell them you are not an American Citizen and they'll give you baggage tags in the first group called.

 

2) Hunker down in the public lounge closest to the floor of the atrium on debarkation morning after immigration and breakfast. This is usually the bottom floor of the main lounge, near the back.

 

3) Arrange your own transfers ahead of time. A reputable limo service will come when you call on the cell phone. Carnival Transfers will wait for the bus to fill up before they leave, so it could take 2 minutes, it can can take 30 minutes, before you even leave the port

 

Good luck, you'll make it, it will be a hussle though!

 

Next time the best way to kill time is to rent a car for the day. Costs less than <$40 us, you get a free transfer to the car pick-up location (often the airport anyways) you can either check in early or throw your bags in the trunk. Either way you'll have inexpensive transport for the day and can tool around miami all day until your flight.

 

Rob

[serene56]

Countercast

 

3) Arrange your own transfers ahead of time. A reputable limo service will come when you call on the cell phone. Carnival Transfers will wait for the bus to fill up before they leave, so it could take 2 minutes, it can can take 30 minutes, before you even leave the port

 

 

Good point Rob: do NOT take the cruise lines shuttle no matter how cheap it may seem.

[modnar]

We weren't planning on carrying our own luggage off the ship, but I don't remember hearing anything about this on the Conquest in July 2004. I had read about it on this forum before the cruise, but I don't remember hearing or reading anything about it while on the cruise.

 

Are they offering this on all their ships?