How long can you stay on the ship on the last day before you have to debark? I'm in no rush since my flight is not until 1:40pm. I was thinking of enjoying a nice breakfast and using their gym.... What would be the best time to go for breakfast and avoid the crowds?
The morning of debarkation is the most depressing time on a cruise.
You generally must be out of your rooms by 8:30am so that they can be made up for the next guests. You are assigned an area to go to depending on the time you will leave the ship and you have to stay there. Breakfast will be cut off early and a lot of the hospitality that is the standard during the first 6 1/2 days of the cruise will be absent.
From my experience since you will probably be one of the last off the ship you can look forward to sitting on your carry-on luggage for a couple of hours in a lounge with very little to do.
While it's great to be able to get on the ship early to start your cruise its also better to get off early to get some fresh air and beat the crowds.
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February 1998 - HAL Westerdam E. Caribbean
January 2000 - Carnival Ecstasy - Mexican Riviera
February 2002 - Costa Atlantica - W. Caribbean
February 2004 - Grand Princess - W. Caribbean
March 2007 - RCI Voyager of the Seas - E. Caribbean
May 2007 - RCI Voyager of the Seas - Western Mediterranean (Mrs. E. & daughter only - I had a medical emergency)
October 2007 - RCI Adventure of the Seas - Southern Caribbean
Facilities like the gym are closed on debarkation morning. Really, everything is closed except for the buffet and dining rooms for breakfast. The goal of the ship's crew is to get you off the ship as fast as possible so they can get ready for the new passengers. The rule is: eat breakfast and wait for your color to be called.
When you get your documents there is a form to fill out which ask for your return flight plans. You can also fill this information out through online registration. You will receive a certain color luggage tag which will be for early departure. They will also have a disembarkation talk on the ship where they go over the information for those with early departure.
My flight doesnt leave until 5:45pm!!!!! What am I going to do all day????? HELP! (Orlando Airport)
Quote:
Originally posted by kj_connections:
How long can you stay on the ship on the last day before you have to debark? I'm in no rush since my flight is not until 1:40pm. I was thinking of enjoying a nice breakfast and using their gym.... What would be the best time to go for breakfast and avoid the crowds?
I wanted to say that it depends on how well you hide. It truly is the most "un-cruise" like part of the entire cruise. You awkwardly sit with a bunch of other unhappy people with luggage and booze boxes in the same place you may have been enjoying a cocktail the night before. Ideally you start talking about your next cruise.
I always thought it would be fun to someday do a back to back cruise, where you start in Ft. Lauderdale or Miami and then do an Eastern Caribbean, back to Miami, Western Caribbean. This thread brings up an interesting thought, if you are doing one of those back to backs, do you have to disembark? I can imagine it would be a strange feeling to stay onboard while the ship is disembarking, embarking.
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