Tips for Debarkation on your Disney Cruise

Disney Cruise Disembarkation Procedures

Disney Cruise Line really does a great job of preparing guests for disembarkation. On the last evening of your cruise, Disney Cruise Line will provide you with instructions about each step of the debarkation process.

You will find a letter in your stateroom the last night of the cruise. This debarkation letter will detail exactly what you need to know about the disembarkation procedures.

When determining your disembarkation time, you will have a couple of different options depending on your travel schedule.

What time do guests need to be out of their rooms?

Since the stateroom attendant needs to clean the cabins for the next guests, Disney Cruise Line asks that your family is out of the room by 8:00 am. Depending on which breakfast option you choose, you may want to vacate your room prior to this.

Do I eat Breakfast on Debarkation Day ?

If you want to enjoy breakfast on debarkation morning, your options are limited. Most families choose to eat in the main dining room during their assigned breakfast time. The debarkation letter will specify what time you are assigned for breakfast. Typically, if you attended the main dining time during your cruise, you will attend the early breakfast (6:45 am or 7:00 am) on disembarkation day. Guests assigned to the early breakfast time may choose to leave their luggage in the stateroom while dining. You will have to make sure you are back to your cabin by 8:00 am to collect your things. If you attended the second seating dining time for dinner, you will attend the second breakfast time ( 8:00 am or 8:15 am). Since you need to be out of your stateroom by 8:00 am, you will have to bring your luggage with you to breakfast. You will not be able to go back to your room to collect anything.

It is also important to note that room service is not available on debarkation morning.

Disney Cruise Disembarkation Time

Guests must disembark the ship and make their way through U.S. Customs by 9:15 am

Express Walk Off

Express Walk Off is the disembarkation option that allows you keep ALL of your bags with you. When it is time to disembark, you carry your luggage off the ship.

If you choose to take part in Express Walk Off, Disney Cruise Line will give you a place to meet onboard the ship on debarkation morning. Once the ship has been cleared by U.S. Customs, you will be permitted to walk off the ship with your bags. This option is great for those guests who need to be off the ship to catch an early flight time.

Debarking with Luggage Tags

If you would rather not have to carry your own luggage on debarkation day, you can choose to have Disney Cruise Line pick it up the night before. You will find luggage tags with the debarkation letter. If you choose to have Disney Cruise Line handle your luggage, you just attach the luggage tags to your bags BEFORE placing them in the hallway. If you choose this option, it’s a smart idea to keep a carry-on bag with items you will need on the last night of your cruise AND on debarkation morning.

Once you are ready to debark the ship, you wait for the announcement of the Disney character pictured on your luggage tags. Once your character is called, you may disembark the ship and find your luggage in the cruise terminal.

U.S. Customs

As mentioned above, once you disembark the cruise ship and enter the cruise terminal, you will see tons of luggage sorted into sections by character. Disney Cruise Line has made it super easy to find your luggage. Guests just need to look for the Disney character that was pictured on their luggage tags. Once you narrow down the section your bags are located in, it’s really easy to find your suitcases.

After you collect all your bags, you walk to the U.S. Customs and Immigration line to officially get cleared to enter back into the country. This is very similar to the experience of U.S. Customs at the airport, and it shouldn’t take very long for your family to be cleared.