How long does it take to get off a cruise ship on disembarkation?

Bottom Line: Time to leave the ship can vary widely. If everything goes smoothly and there are automated kiosks for immigration, it can be as little as 15 minutes. However, delays and thousands of passengers leaving at once can lead to longer wait times of 1-2 hours until you are outside the cruise terminal.



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The length of disembarkation varies, based on several factors, but typically the process takes a few hours to get everyone ashore. The larger the ship, the longer it takes. The timing also depends on whether we're talking about disembarkation in a port of call or disembarkation at the end of a voyage.

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Overview of the Disembarkation Process It takes several hours for all the passengers to leave the ship, once the ship docks at its final destination. But, when the time comes for each individual to exit, the disembarking process only lasts about 15-30 minutes (assuming no glitches).

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Linger Where You Shouldn't Want to drive the crew crazy? Staying in your cabin past when you've been asked to leave or lingering in the atrium before your debarkation group has been called will do both as these will slow down the entire disembarkation process, delaying everything.

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Disembarkation day is the day your cruise ends and you step off the ship, to journey home or perhaps on to another adventure. Disembarkation tends to happen in the morning, just after breakfast, and is over by lunchtime, so the ship's crew can ready everything for new guests to board in the afternoon.

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Strategy #1: Opt for the “Self Assist” program. There will be no porters onboard or ashore to assist with your luggage, and since you're the first group called, you can often be off the ship by 7:15 or 7:30 am. If you don't mind an early departure and can handle your bags, it's a great way to get a jump on the crowds.

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Go to breakfast Room service may or may not be available on disembarkation day. Head to the buffet or main dining room to enjoy a leisurely breakfast — unless you are in a rush to get to your flight.

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Royal Caribbean crew members will take your luggage and have it ready for disembarkation so that you the only thing you'll need to carry off the ship is a small bag with things you cannot pack. You will head to the luggage pick up area once ashore.

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Passengers carrying their own luggage ashore are allowed to leave as early as they wish, once the ship is cleared to begin the disembarkation process.

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If you are a U.S. citizen and your cruise embarks or disembarks in a foreign country, including Canada, you will always need your passport for the cruise (in some cases a passport card will suffice). You'll also need a passport for a cruise that begins and ends in different U.S. ports.

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What happens when someone goes overboard on a cruise ship? The ship goes into emergency mode. The bridge will contact the Coast Guard and a search will begin. The ship will stop and the crew will try to pinpoint where and when it happened so they can start a thorough search in that area.

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Do You Have to Get Off The Ship on a Cruise? Guests taking a cruise, do not have to get off the cruise ship at any point if they don't want to. If a passenger wants to stay on the cruise ship for the entire cruise, there is no reason why they can't. Many guests enjoy staying on the ship for a variety of reasons.

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Typically, disembarkation starts with express walk-offs who are willing to carry all of their baggage with them off the ship at 7 AM (although this depends on whether the US Coast Guard and US Customs have given the ship clearance to start disembarking).

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Guests may also bring non-alcoholic beverages as carry-on items on boarding day. Non-alcoholic beverages may not exceed 12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom. Milk and distilled water brought on for infant, medical, or dietary use are permitted.

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We always eat lunch at the MDR on embarkation day, and never once has anyone on the crew encouraged us to do anything different.

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What do you wear on embarkation day? Comfort is key on embarkation day, and it's okay to keep it casual on the first day of your cruise. Many people wear bathing suits underneath their clothes or pack their suit in their carry-on so they can head to the pool right away.

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Getting on your ship means a lot of choices on how to begin your vacation, but many guests elect to start things off with lunch. Embarkation usually begins in the late morning to early afternoon, so lunch is the first opportunity to sit down for a bite to eat.

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9 Acts of Degeneracy That Will Get You Kicked off a Cruise
  1. Bringing drugs on board. ...
  2. Being excessively vocal whilst in the throes of carnal love. ...
  3. Throwing an object (or yourself) overboard. ...
  4. Buying a minor a drink on board. ...
  5. Refusing to attend the muster drill. ...
  6. Missing the cruise ship. ...
  7. Stealing anything. ...
  8. Reckless picture posing.


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