Support|1-888-227-6482

Search

Advanced SearchOpens new dialog
Search Tips

Preparing for Debarkation Day

Published 03/11/2015 10:43 PM   |    Updated 08/01/2023 01:23 PM

Debarkation Options
Guests may consider two options for debarkation day:

Option 1 - Carry Off Option: This allows you to carry your own luggage off the ship. If you choose the Carry Off option, you do not need to put your luggage outside of your cabin the last evening of your cruise. Keep all your belongings with you and on the last morning of the cruise we will begin to call Carry Off guests by muster station within the first hour after we clear customs. You will be getting off the ship first. Please know that in addition to carrying off your own bags, there may be escalators, stairs, and lines to contend with. If you have oversized luggage or multiple pieces of luggage, you will not qualify for this program. This option is a great for anyone with an early flight back home.

Option 2 - Checked Luggage Option: This is where we will be calling you to the gangway based on the zone number you have placed on your luggage. Zone tags will be available for pick up the last day of the cruise at a designated location listed on the Debarkation Flyer. You will need to select either early or late zone numbers according to your desired debarkation time (subject to availabitly). Guests with early flights home need to register with Guest Services in order to ensure they are assigned the proper zone number. 

  • Early zone numbers will be called (appoximately) between 8:30am and 9:15am
  • Late zone numbers will be called (approximately) between 9:15am and 10:15am
For those guests who have signed up for a shore excursion in the home port, guests sailing on back-to-back cruises, Faster to the Fun guests, guests staying is suites and Diamond and Platinum guests, you will  receive separate debarkation information delivered by letter to your stateroom the last evening of the cruise. 
 
All original Carnival luggage tags need to be removed. Each zone tag needs to be filled out and attached to every piece of luggage. The tear-off section needs to be kept as reference. Place your tagged, packed luggage outside of your stateroom the last night of the cruise between 9:00pm and 11:00pm. Your luggage will be collected by our staff and placed into a secure area on board for offloading upon arrival in the morning. Do not pack medicine or other important documents in your luggage. Ensure you keep out your Sail & Sign Card, your U.S. Customs Declaration form (if you have exceeded your allowable amount) and proof of citizenship. Also, make sure you leave out an outfit for the last day. In the morning, you will be called to the gangway by your zone number, which is the number that appears on your luggage tags. Your luggage will be waiting for you in the baggage claim area of the terminal building, separated by zone number. You must personally locate your luggage and either carry it out or seek the assistance of a porter. The customary tip is $1 USD per bag.


Homework For the Last Day of Your Cruise

  • Watch our debarkation talk by your Cruise Director. You can find it on channel 14 on your stateroom TV. A must see!
  • Cash out any casino chips or slips as the Casino Cashier Desk is closed on debarkation morning. 
  • Complete your Customs Declaration form (one per household) only for households who have exceeded the allowable amount; instructions will be provided during the debarkation talk.

 

Debarkation Day - Morning of Departure

Taking Care of Business

  • Sail & Sign Account: Your statement will be printed at midnight and delivered to your stateroom. Any purchases made after midnight will be added to your total owed. You may check your statement on our Sail & Sign Kiosks, on your TV or the HUB App. 
    • If you registered your Sail & Sign account with a credit/debit card, your account will still be active on the morning of debarkation. For credit card accounts, billing is submitted to the your credit card company.
    • For cash accounts, any refundable overages greater than $10 USD will be refunded via check mailed within 7 days after the cruise to your home address on file. Overages less than $10 USD will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (excluding Australia ships). If you wish to have the full overage in cash, you may retrieve it from one of the Sail & Sign Kiosks or Guest Services. If you have exceeded the amount of your cash deposit, you must pay the outstanding balance at Guest Services by the last evening of the cruise so you can disembark the ship without any delay. 
  • For cruise durations 6 days and more, liquor purchased from the Gift Shop or from ashore that was held for safekeeping will be delivered to your stateroom after 7:00pm, the evening prior to debarkation (some exceptions may apply). For cruise durations 5 days and less, liquor will be available for collection in a designated lounge on the morning of debarkation. Guests cruising back-to-back will collect all items at the end of the 2nd cruise.
  • The Photo Gallery is open for last minute purchases until 9:00am.
  • Debarkation Morning Purchases: You may use your Sail & Sign card or personal credit card for purchases. 
  • Carnival airport transportation tickets are available for purchase on the Carnival HUB App or at the Carnival Adventures or Guest Services desks until arrival.

 

Waiting for Departure

  • We kindly ask that you vacate your stateroom before 8:30am. Please double check and make sure you have removed all valuables from your stateroom safe as well as personal items from closets and drawers.
  • You may enjoy one last breakfast or relax with a cup of coffee.
    • The main dining room serves breakfast 6:30am-8:00am (open seating)
    • The lido restaurant serves breakfast 6:00am-9:00am
    • Promenade Cafe is open 6:00am-9:00am
  • You will need to select a location on the ship while waiting to be called for departure. Each ship will provide a list of designated areas (lounges and outdoor space) for guests to wait; in the interest of safety, guests should not wait in the stairwells or lobby area.
  • Once the ship has cleared Customs, Carry off guests will be called by muster station number  Guests will proceed to the gangway with their luggage. 
  • Zone numbers will be called over the PA system in numerical order, approximately every 15 minutes, contingent on the flow of guests and luggage off of the ship. Luggage will not be available in the terminal until the specific zone has been called.
    • Guests with early flights who have pre-registered with Guest Services will be assigned and called as one of the early zone numbers.
    • Guests with disabilities and special needs requiring wheelchair assistance should proceed to the lobby area when their zone number is called. Wheelchair assistance is provided from the ship to the terminal area for those guests who are not traveling with an able bodied companion. Due to limited service, the approximate wait time may be 45 minutes.
    • Guests who have pre-purchased a shore excursion that includes return transfers to the airport will meet in a designated area and guided to the gangway as a group.
  • We generally clear the ship of all guests approximately three hours after the published arrival time in the home port.

 

Debarking the Ship

  • Prior to leaving the ship, guests will need to have in hand:
    • Sail & Sign card
    • U.S Citizens will need Travel Documentation (passport, birth certificate and photo I.D, etc)
    • Non-U.S Citizens will need Travel Documentation (passport) and required forms and documentation required by U.S Immigrations.
  • In order to 'check out' of the ship's security system, each guest will need to present their Sail & Sign card as they leave the ship.
  • U.S Customs Border and Protection (CPB) Interview: After leaving the ship, U.S Citizens and Non-U.S Citizens will show CPB officers their travel documentation. Note: Depending on the home port, the process for Non-U.S Citizens may be conducted on board immediately following the ship’s arrival at the terminal.
    • In nine U.S homeports, guests debarking the ship at the end of a closed loop cruise will pause at a kiosk with a camera and take a photo. Within seconds, the image is biometrically compared to their passport or visa photo to verify the guest’s identity. U.S travelers and select foreign nationals who prefer to opt out of the facial biometric process can simply request a manual document check from a CBP Officer. 
    • The U.S homeports using this secure, streamlined technology, include Miami, Port Canaveral, Tampa, Jacksonville, New York, Baltimore, Mobile, Galveston and Long Beach. 
  • Baggage Claim: Guests will proceed to the baggage claim area of the cruise terminal. Please wait for your zone number to be called otherwise you luggage will not be available in the terminal. Luggage will be grouped by zone number for easy location. Guests should double check to ensure they have claimed their own luggage as well as all of their bags.
  • U.S Customs Border and Protection (CPB) Luggage Inspection: Prior to exiting the cruise terminal, guests will proceed to the CBP area - this is a formal but brief check of luggage and an oral declaration of merchandise purchased.
  • Transportation Back Home: 
    • Guests who have purchased our optional transfers must proceed to the buses outside the cruise terminal with their luggage for transportation to the airport.
    • Taxis and other alternative transportation services will be located outside the cruise terminal.
    • Guests who purchased shore excursions must ensure their luggage is on the same bus on which they are traveling.

 

Damaged, Lost Luggage, or Luggage Left on the Ship or Cruise Terminal - check here

Lost & Found (Missing Items) - check here

 

Was this answer helpful?