What is Disembarkation Day?

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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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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On disembarkation day, Guests are typically asked to vacate their staterooms by 8:00 a.m. so the Crew can begin preparing for the next cruise. You will have the option to enjoy one more magical meal before you leave the ship—the location and time of your breakfast correlate to your Rotational Dining schedule.

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First of all, “embarkation” refers to the act of boarding a vessel or airplane; “disembarkation” is the act of getting off the vessel or airplane at your destination.

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Disembarkation is a carefully choreographed procedure. Even though the ship usually arrives in its final port before dawn, it will be hours before you get off. The ship first must be cleared by Customs and port authorities before anyone can disembark.

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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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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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Absolutely! Check in and get your sea pass, drop off your bags, and you can leave and come back up to 1/2 hr before sailing.

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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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Assuming a ship remains punctual, the time at which passengers can disembark depends on how long it takes for local authorities to clear the vessel. Most cruise ships are cleared for passengers to debark between 7 and 9 a.m., depending on their arrival time.

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In some ports you can take advantage of our Easy Walk-Off. This means you can leave the ship as soon as it is cleared by local authorities, carrying all your luggage off the vessel.

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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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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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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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Yes, a few select bars and restaurants will be open on that first afternoon, and all will be in operation in the evening.

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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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