Please share disembarkation tips (night before, morning of...)

[truck1]

Usually what we do is most of what has been posted.
When we get to our cabin and unpack, we leave 1 bag somewhere accessible. We put our dirty clothes etc in there each night. A mesh bag that you bring yourself will work also. At the end of the cruise, simply take the bag(s) and drop them into your luggage. Leave 1 bag for your carry on and what ever you have left.
The last day onboard, as you get time, place anything you might need, like clothes the next day, passports, meds etc in 1 specific place. Anything else, pack it up. Go thru the cabin drawer by drawer, door by door methodically. Open the bottom drawers first, then the ones above it. Once you have cleared every drawer, and every door, (dont forget the seats by the desk as some of them may open, or steamer trunk if there still there) have someone else close the doors and drawers. Don't forget to look under the bed, balcony, shower, bathroom. Now your ready to leave your bags outside your door that night.

Making a list of what you will need to disembark also helps. Take all that stuff, put it in your carry off bag, as you check your list so its separate from the luggage going outside.

 

[SCSL]

Is there an order as to who get off the ship first on the disembarkation day? My DH believes we had to wait till they called our "group name" last time... is that true?

 

[Dug720]

Is there an order as to who get off the ship first on the disembarkation day? My DH believes we had to wait till they called our "group name" last time... is that true?

If you are in Port Canaveral, then no. You may leave once the ship is cleared.

Other ports may do a “call by group” system. I know Miami does.

 

[SCSL]

If you are in Port Canaveral, then no. You may leave once the ship is cleared.

Other ports may do a “call by group” system. I know Miami does.

Ah ha.... that explains why cos last time we cruised, we port at Miami (so my DH was right... hahaha)

 

[mcd2745]

It would really help make the last night (and then, debarkation morning) more pleasant if they gave you a couple more hours to put your luggage out in the hallway. If you had to get your luggage in the hallway by 12 or 1am instead of 10pm, that would go a long way to letting you enjoy that final night. The ship essentially shuts down for the night by 11pm every night anyway. So if you were able to head back to your room at that point (basically, after whatever performer wraps up in the lounge) , pack up and get your luggage in the hallway, (channeling my inner Bill Lumbergh)...that would be great.

 

[LeiaOfAlderaan]

We don’t find disembarkation morning to be hectic at all, just depressing! Maybe it helps that we have late dining so we can sleep in a little? We wake up around 7 or 7:15, are out of the room at 8, then head to breakfast. Next time we might try cabanas since we usually eat in the MDR. Our only carry-ons are backpacks so we don’t have to lug suitcases around.

I will say there was a world of difference disembarking from Alaska & Miami vs. Port Canaveral. Our first 2 cruises we waited in loooong lines to get off the ship and figured it would always be like that. We were shocked when we left breakfast on the Dream and could walk right off—it was awesome.

 

[disneylove69]

If I could just add a question onto this thread....you can walk off with your luggage on your own in the morning, right? You don’t have to give it to them the night before?

That's correct.

 

[CamColt]

Great tips everyone! I have to admit I have never really given much thought to what we do/how we do it, but this has me rethinking some things.

IMO, the only way to make the last night not painful is to book Back to Backs! It's such a great feeling seeing all the poor people putting their bags out when you know you don't have to. Unfortunately, it happens eventually though.

 

[hcox31]

If you have younger kids, have them sleep in their undies and/or clothes the night before. that last morning is EARLY and if your kids are like mine, they're awful to wake up after being so busy and tired all week long.

I also pack one suitcase/carry on with anything we will need between getting off the ship and getting home. Any toiletries, clothing etc goes in there so the only bag we need to open between the ship and home is that one.

 

[DIS_MIKE]

So many great tips already mentioned, but I agree that Cabanas in the AM is the new DCL best kept secret. More choices, less hectic etc.

I had a really long wait getting through customs at the end of my last cruise so be prepared for that. If you have a lot of bags, get a porter as these guys know the ins and outs of getting through customs.

Triple check your cabin and verandah to ensure you are not leaving anything behind. Don't forget to take the free pen and post cards in the desk. Those pens write so smoothly.

Mark your luggage well and ensure it's tagged with your cell #.....because you never know. I had someone mistake my bag for his and he took it to MCO.

 

[LovesBelle]

I once left behind a toiletry bag that I had stashed on the shelves with the lifejackets. I called DCL and they found it and shipped it back to me within days! Disney magic...

 

[DIS_MIKE]

I once left behind a toiletry bag that I had stashed on the shelves with the lifejackets. I called DCL and they found it and shipped it back to me within days! Disney magic...

Was it shipped COD or did Disney cover the shipping?

 

[squirk]

I'll just echo a few things that have been already said:

1.) Don't try to square up your folio or visit Shutters at the last minute. It will take forever because everyone else will be doing the same exact thing.
2.) Don't forget OBB. Even if you're not 100% certain you want to sail again, get a placeholder anyway. And like #1 above, don't do it at the last minute or you will have a very long line to wait in.
3.) Re-pack your stuff as your trip progresses. In other words, once you know you are done with something for the duration of the cruise, pack it. It's pretty depressing to have to set aside a huge chunk of time on your last night to start packing from "square one". Packing-as-you-go makes that last night a little less onerous.
4.) Tip your servers the night before and hit Cabanas the morning of disembarkation. We used to do the MDR, but we liked having the flexibility of sleeping in a little bit and still not having to schlep our bags to the MDR.
5.) This is actually something that you need to do pre-cruise - if you are parking at the terminal, pay for the premium parking right next to Customs. I know an extra $20 to save 3-5 minutes seems extravagant, but it's like ripping off a band-aid. Once you are off the ship, ain't nothing magical anymore. Get it over with ASAP.

 

[leannak]

I've heard people say Disney pushes people toward the main dining rooms (away from Cabana's) on the last day of the cruise - anyone know why? Isn't Cabana's easier for them?

 

[squirk]

I've heard people say Disney pushes people toward the main dining rooms (away from Cabana's) on the last day of the cruise - anyone know why? Isn't Cabana's easier for them?

While I have never felt "pushed" to go to the MDR for breakfast, I admit that our MDR attendance has always been treated as a "given" by our servers. And it's true that we have never been informed by CMs directly that Cabanas was an alternate breakfast option.

I would guess that the 6:45 a.m. "set" dining time for half the ship gets those people off the boat that much quicker vs. people sleeping in and dawdling at Cabanas until 9:00.

Honestly, if I liked our servers, and we tipped them the night before, they probably don't mind if we went to Cabanas, giving them one less table to tap-dance for at breakfast.

 

[71 Truck]

Maybe it is because they have to get ready for the lunch for new guest getting on the ship.

 

[kkayluvsdis]

5.) This is actually something that you need to do pre-cruise - if you are parking at the terminal, pay for the premium parking right next to Customs. I know an extra $20 to save 3-5 minutes seems extravagant, but it's like ripping off a band-aid. Once you are off the ship, ain't nothing magical anymore. Get it over with ASAP.

^^So true! We drove to the port for the first time on our most recent cruise and my husband chose to park in the "premium lot". We were headed to Universal after the cruise so, you are right, even though it is not that much of a time saver, it was so nice to be able to get loaded up and on our way quickly. Nothing worse than after a cruise when everyone is already feeling sad, to have to spend time waiting for a shuttle or bus ...ugh!

 

[dvcgirl1]

I always dread debarkation, afraid I will leave something, but it has always turned out fine, just BUSY and focused (after a whole week of just milling around with hardly any schedule, it makes it seem more daunting!). Just do like so many others said, stay calm, go to Cabanas in the am (especially if you are not normally a 5 30 am-type of riser), and dont rush to get off of the ship unless you have a flight or other reason to get off quickly. The lines will be very long, and you can just sit for a little while in the lobby, off to the side, breathe, double-check your stuff, and take some time to let many of the crowd get out of the door. Have at least one extra tote bag to leave out for those last-minute things you might find it your cabin after you think you've already packed up that morning, and then if you dont need it, it can just be crammed into your other carry on bags. We've found flip-flops or a toiletry bag as we are leaving the stateroom, or now we cant get DS 's pj's to fit into the regular carry on bag. Who's dress shoes are these? This actually takes stress off of me, because I know I can just cram in whatever we find and someone can carry it off . Also, take pre-printed address label stickers from home if youve got them, and this takes out the (possible) laborious effort of writing all of your info onto every Disney luggage tag the night before. Super time saver for multiple suitcases!

 

[daisyx3]

I tried to steer DH to Cabana's on our last morning, but he liked our server so much he insisted on that 8AM breakfast in the MDR. In all honesty a LOT of people were not there. I told him some of them had to leave early and others went to Cabanas. I'd still like to try to go there on our debarkation morning; maybe next time.

 

[Trera]

We always bring a carry on when we get on board so we have access to anything we might need prior to getting our luggage.

Then we use said carry on to pack our pajamas, toiletries, gifts, etc that we didnt want to pack in our luggage that got put out the night before. It means we walk off with one rolling case and that is it.