PDA

View Full Version : Debarkation ????????



TinksPixieDust
06-16-2007, 09:28 AM
how does debarkation work? Does everyone need to go through customs? Or is it just non-US citiznes? and people who buy stuff on the islands?

TammiMcMan
06-16-2007, 11:16 AM
Non-US citizens meet very early in the morning for customs, along with those that have anything to declare. Everyone else still has to pass through a customs check point after exiting the ship, so you should have your documents in hand. Usually you are just waved through, but they do have the right to stop anyone at that point and check their passports.

angedeaile
06-16-2007, 04:33 PM
The whole customs and disembarking seems just so confusing to me...that and what happens when embarking on the boat.

I guess it is like for folks that never fly. They don't know the whole song and dance routine like those that have flown when it comes time to get through security.

Same can be said for landlubbers like me when it comes time to get on and off a ship :blush:

I just hope they state clearly what we need to do. I have read what you do so many times, but I just feel I don't get it! I know I am going to be one of those that hold up the line because I am lost.

TammiMcMan
06-16-2007, 05:53 PM
I just hope they state clearly what we need to do. I have read what you do so many times, but I just feel I don't get it! I know I am going to be one of those that hold up the line because I am lost.Trust me, you'll be fine. The toughest part is trying to figure out what you want to do that morning, because Disney gives you so many options and doesn't force you off at a certain time (just by 9am).

The last night of your cruise, you'll receive a "Welcome Home" navigator in your stateroom that defines your options for the following morning. It will also include customs documents and luggage tags.

#1. Remove all your old luggage tags and put on the new ones provided. Leave your luggage outside your stateroom door prior to going to bed.

#2. Fill out the Customs allowance form (also provided by DCL), only one person per stateroom has to fill it out. If you exceed your allowance, you'll need to see the Customs Inspector on the morning of debarking. Usually they're in one of the lounges between 6:30 and 7am.

#3. Are you a US Citizen?
A. If yes, you are all set. Proceed to breakfast options.
B. If no, you'll need to meet in the Walt Disney Theatre at 6am on the morning of disembarking.

#4. If you choose to have a full breakfast:
A. You eat at the same restaurant you were assigned to for dinner the previous night.
B. Your time is based on your seating, ie 1st seating or 2nd seating.
Example, dinner in Tritons, 2nd seating = breakfast in Tritons at 8:15am.

#5. If you choose to do breakfast on your own:
A. Coffee drinks are available in the Cove Cafe
B. Coffee and pastry is available at the drink station on Deck 9.
C. Coffee and pastry are available in Topsiders/Buffet.
D. Snag some cereal boxes, utensils and milks from the Topsider the day before and store them in your room. Have breakfast in your room before debarking.

#6. Once the ship is cleared, disembarking begins (around 7am). This is a general disembarking, you are not given a specific time or number. You'll be directed downstairs in the terminal to get your luggage. It's arranged very well and easy to find on your own, or there are porters if you'd like to enlist their aid (tips are expected). When you've collected your luggage, you'll get in line to pass through customs. Just have your passports and/or ID's readily accessible. You may be waved right on through, or they could ask to see your ID. Having it handy will make it much easier on you and the people waiting in line behind you.

Everything is clearly spelled out in your Welcome Home guide and there is an informational channel on the TV in your stateroom that you can watch.

tarzan_rocks
06-17-2007, 09:51 AM
#1. Remove all your old luggage tags and put on the new ones provided. Leave your luggage outside your stateroom door prior to going to bed.


Does this seem unusual to anyone else? You just leave your luggage unattended out in the hall? That's not very secure. For those who fly, they have to say whether they have left their luggage unattended. Besides, you’ll have more packing to do in the morning when you get up. Are there other options?

tr

TammiMcMan
06-17-2007, 10:02 AM
You don't see a build up of luggage in the hallway if that's what you're concerned about. They constantly sweep the area's they're assigned to and remove the luggage almost as soon as it's left out. To date, I've not heard of any situations arising from this procedure. It's not that different from you giving them your luggage at check-in. It's delivered and left outside your stateroom door until you bring it inside.

If you don't want to leave your luggage, you're free to carry it off the ship yourself. Just keep in mind that your stateroom has to be vacated by 8am. If you are planning on a sit down breakfast, you'll need to bring your luggage to the restaurant and figure out some way to store it around your seats.

My husband and I took our own luggage off on one cruise because we had private transportation and were trying to make a 10:30am flight out of Orlando. We only had 1 piece of luggage each, so it wasn't a big deal. The Atrium and hallways do get very crowded, so it can be tricky to navigate around everyone if you have multiple suitcases.

tarzan_rocks
06-17-2007, 10:25 AM
It's not that different from you giving them your luggage at check-in. It's delivered and left outside your stateroom door until you bring it inside.

Yep, that's just as alarming. I assumed they locked it inside your stateroom.

tr

TammiMcMan
06-17-2007, 10:59 AM
You can always purchase TSA locks for your luggage. That may give you a more secure feeling.

angedeaile
06-17-2007, 02:55 PM
TammiMcMan -I think that one of the most clearly stated instructions about what to do that I have read so far! It sure helps me see, it isn't so scary.

Thank you so much!

I do agree with questioning the security of your belongings sitting out in the open, just because that is burned into our heads to watch our suitcases at all times. However, you are right, nothing a TSA lock can't fix.

tarzan_rocks
06-17-2007, 04:50 PM
I'm not sure what a TSA lock is, but I assume it is something that locks your luggage shut. The problem is that it's very easy to pick up and walk away with an entire piece of luggage. Getting it open later even with a lock on it is pretty easy. Thus my concern is leaving luggage unattended in a public area exposes the opportunity for theft.

That being said, are there other options for handling your luggage? Is there a bell services desk you can pick up your luggage from when you board and drop off your luggage when you leave? Do you really have the choice to just carry your own luggage on and off? I thought you had to drop it off somewhere when you board. Can you have them knock on your door when they come to get your luggage rather than leaving it out in the hall? If they sweep the area as often as you say, can you just wait for someone to come by?

I just asked some friends who have been on Disney cruises and they said their luggage was their stateroom when they boarded. That’s contrary to what TammiMcMan reported earlier. Can anyone else comment?

tr

RobWreck
06-17-2007, 06:05 PM
I seem to recall it being in the hallway when we arrived at our stateroom during our 4-nite trip cruise on the Wonder back in October. On the flip side, don't most people keep their valuables in their carry-ons so that they don't have to worry about any real loss? I can't imagine somebody spending the money to go on a Disney cruise just to steal someone else's random suitcase... :confused:
Rob

TammiMcMan
06-17-2007, 08:35 PM
Thus my concern is leaving luggage unattended in a public area exposes the opportunity for theft.I suggest you speak with your stateroom host then and find out exactly when they will be picking up the luggage in your area. You can be waiting for them and not leave it unattended.


Is there a bell services desk you can pick up your luggage from when you board and drop off your luggage when you leave? Do you really have the choice to just carry your own luggage on and off?There is no bell services on DCL and only under certain circumstances are you allowed to carry your own luggage on board (when you arrive late at the dock and the ship is ready to sail ~ happened to my cousin). You do have the option of carrying it off yourself, but as I mentioned above, that could prove to be a daunting task if you have small children, or more than 1 piece of luggage per person.


I just asked some friends who have been on Disney cruises and they said their luggage was their stateroom when they boarded. That’s contrary to what TammiMcMan reported earlier. Can anyone else comment?It may be contrary, but it's not the norm. What happens, is your luggage is taken either at the airport or at the cruise terminal, depending on how you arrived. It's whisked underneath and loaded into luggage bins. Those bins are transferred onto the ship. Employees pull the luggage and deliver it outside the stateroom door. The ropes drop in the hallways around 1:30pm and as you walk down, you'll see some luggage waiting outside the staterooms and others still being delivered. If your friends found theirs inside their stateroom already, it was because their host/hostess happened to be in that area when it arrived and carried it inside for them. That was a nice thing for he/she to do, but it's not the usual practice, because those doing the deliveries do not have access to your stateroom.

jcshiff
06-20-2007, 09:36 PM
The first time I went on a cruise, the idea of finding my luggage out in the hall the first day and leaving it out the last night seemed like a terrible idea. But it seems pretty standard for the cruise industry, and there can't be too many problems with the practice, or else there would be a Dateline report or something, and the practice would change.