Packing to Leave the Ship
The ship will require you to pack and leave your luggage in the hallway
outside your cabin on the last night of the cruise before you retire. You will want to keep your bathroom toiletries and of
course, something to wear the next day, along with your valuables and medications. You can pack these articles in your overnight
bag. It is surprising, but almost every cruise there will be at least one poor couple that packed all their bags and went
right to bed without leaving out something to wear the next day. What a shock to have to run down to the Purser’s desk
in the morning in your underwear to search for your luggage, which is probably in a pile of bags stacked to the ceiling in
one of the lower decks. Don’t let this happen to you.
Disembarkation & Breakfast
It is VERY IMPORTANT that you attend the Disembarkation Talk that is usually
held by your Cruise Director the day before disembarkation….please don’t miss this talk, the information in this
talk will make your disembarkation go much more smoothly. When the ship arrives back in port on the last day of your cruise,
breakfast will be served earlier than usual. It normally requires one to two hours for Customs Officials to clear the ship
after it has docked. Keep in mind that there are 700 – 2,500 people - (depending on the size of the ship) all leaving
the ship at the same time. RELAX, DON’T RUSH, EVERYTHING WILL GO SMOOTHLY! You may be required to go through Customs
prior to disembarking the ship. There will be plenty of time for you to do this, there is no need to disrupt your scheduled
breakfast seating. Don’t stand in the hallways waiting to disembark. Relax on deck or in one of the uncrowded lounges.
Let the majority of guests disembark first (unless, of course, you have a very early return flight). For some reason disembarkation
day seems chaotic, passengers are unusually eager to get off the ship so they crowd in the hallways near the exit. Take your
time, listen to the announcements, and leisurely exit the ship. Remember…you’re still on vacation.
