We will be on the Royal's Explorer in February, traveling the Eastern Carribbean. This will be our 1st time cruising. The brochure says that the cruise line arrives in Miami at 8:30 am. For those of you who have cruised the Explorer, how long did it take to disembark the ship. Need to know so that we can arrange our flight home from Miami AP. Also, what were the pros and cons at any of the ports that you stopped at. Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Stevie,<BR> Just got off the sister ship (Voyager).They make you sign a card which tells them what time your flight is scheduled and your luggage is tagged accordingly. However, I was in the last group(left the next morn)and there were people in our group who had 1 pm flights. Mind you, this was 11:30 and they were still in customs line and hadn't picked up luggage. It might be wrong, but I think I would tell them an hour earlier than my scheduled flight to make sure you get there on time. The later groups are for those who are driving or leaving the next day. If I were you, I'd try to get a flight at least after 1130 to avoid a lot of stress. Customs and security took much longer than I had ever experienced.

Hi Stevie,<BR><BR>Just about all cruise lines will tell you not to schedule a flight before 12 noon. Now with the nw security procedures the time may be even later. Hundreds of Celebrity Galaxy Baltimore passengers never get to the aiport until after 1 PM.<BR><BR>Check with your particular cruise line for any new directives before booking your flight or you may be flying standby.<BR><BR>Paul

No one can give you a "for sure" time. It depends on too many things, the least of which is passing immigration. On our last cruise, the disembarkation process was delayed because there was one non-US cititzen couple who didn't report to customs officials at 8:00 like they were instructed, so the whole ship had to wait on them.<BR><BR>When we sailed the Explorer last November, we were off the ship at 8:45 with luggage in hand looking for a taxi.<BR>RCCL has a very good disembarkation process in Miami compared to others. They use an "airport style" baggage claim system in the new terminal they built to specifically handle the mega Voyager class ships.<BR><BR>The best advice I can give you is to do whatever you have to to get the white luggage tags to assure first off status. This includes going to the Pursers desk and asking for "x" more white tags because you wife spilled her martini on them.

We just got back from the Explorer sailing the western caribbean from 6/22 - 6/29. We didn't get off the ship until 12:00 noon and there was still at least 1/4 of the passengers still waiting to get off. They told us it takes longer than it used to because they now check your identification when you get off the ship just like when you get on. Everyone was getting very frustrated. I talked to several people who said they were going to miss their flight out. Personally, I wouldn't schedule a flight out before 3:00 pm.

Again, the best way is to check with the cruise line for flight times.<BR><BR>When you are on the ship and waiting to get off and you are getting near your flight time. Keep in mind the travel time that it took you to get from the ariport to the ship when you arrived and you should be at the airport at least 1 1/2 hours before your flight .... Just walk off the ship.<BR><BR>Paul

Paul - you're giving some dangerous advice to those who sail the RCCL mega ships out of Miami. All the cruise lines will tell you that if you try to get off before your color is called your luggage may not be in the terminal yet! This is crap, EXCEPT for the mega RCCL ships. All others, your luggage probably made it to is resting stop in the terminal between 3:00 and 5:00 am. With the Voyager and Explorer in Miami, the terminal has the typical airport baggage claim carousels (sp?) and the luggage is stagged by color. So if you are dirty brown (last to get off) and you walk off half way thru the color call, your luggage won't be on the carousel when you get to the terminal. Bad advice!!!!! Get the white tags however you can - lie, cheat, steal if you have to.

Can you just get off the ship whenever you want to on disembarkation day?

No

I'm confused Peter. If the ship does not arrive in Miami until 8:30 AM how did you get off the ship at 8:30AM all cleared by immigration? Also, how does the luggage get into the terminal between 3:00 and 5:00AM - by helicopter?<BR><BR>Again, I attempted to say is, first ask the cruise line what time you should book your flight. If they say 1:00PM they know that all luggage will be in the terminal by 11:00AM. If you are still on the ship at 11:00AM - get off the ship. You will not be denied. <BR><BR>I am not talking about trying to get off the ship at 9:00AM since you booked your flight at 10:00AM.<BR><BR>Paul

Paul - are you sure you've been on 72 cruises? MOST ships will arrive in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale in the wee hours of the morning you're due back; not at 8:30, more like 1:00-2:00am. Anyone who's been on more than one cruise knows that and I'm quite sure the Great One does as well. On one of my cruises a few years ago, we actually saw the lights of Miami in the distance as we went to bed at 11:30. The luggage is the first to leave the ship and most is in the terminal by 3:00 to 4:00. If the U.S. Immigration Service were willing to come to work earlier, the ships could be cleared and ready to disembark by 6:00am most embarkation days.<BR><BR>Now, if you'd like to place a small wager that what I've just said isn't true, name your price! AND, what you mean and what you say are often two different things. People read the words, not your "after the fact" meaning and could make some big mistakes - like Stevie (the original poster) who is on the Explorer and could easily believe you and walk off the ship at 9:00am and find his luggage doesn't appear until 10:30! What a jerk.