The whole process of getting off the ship on the final day of your cruise can be confusing, although the cruise lines have been working on ways to streamline disembarkation.
On your final day at sea, the cruise director usually holds a briefing. It's a good idea to attend, but if you don't, this information will also be detailed in the ship's daily newsletter. Sometimes the session can also be viewed on your in-cabin TV.
Here's a preview of what you'll encounter:
Tipping
On many ships, crew tips are automatically added to your shipboard account, but some lines prefer to do things the old-fashioned way, which means you'll get envelopes the last night of your cruise that you are expected to stuff with cash.
For more information see our article on Tipping Tips.
Paying Up
On the final night of the cruise a printed tally of your onboard account will be delivered to your cabin. If you're paying with a credit card, all you have to do is make sure that all the charges on the bill are correct. If there's a mistake, you have to get in line at the purser's office. Be aware these lines can be long. If you're settling up with cash or traveler's checks, ship personnel will tell you when and where to close out your account. You can get your account information at any time during your cruise by stopping by the purser's desk -- we suggest you check your account midway through the cruise to check your charges and keep track of your spending.
Baggage
In most cases you have to have your bags packed, tagged (with color-coded tags the ship will provide), and available for pickup some time during the night before you disembark. You put your luggage outside your cabin, it is picked up and carried off the ship by the crew, and you reclaim it at the cruise terminal. This procedure has its inconveniences. You have to remember to leave out everything you will need on disembarkation day, including the clothes you want to wear home. And anything you don't put in the checked bags such as nightclothes, toiletries, and so on, has to fit in your carry-on.
Getting Off the Ship
On most ships, you'll know it's disembarkation day because public address systems start bellowing the news rather early in the morning. But don't hurry. The ship has to be cleared by Customs and port authorities before you can actually leave. If you have a particularly early flight home, alert the purser's office at least a day in advance and they will give you priority disembarkation, as designated by the same color-coded tags on your luggage. If you have a later flight, kick back and enjoy another cup of coffee. This is not a process that goes particularly fast. Remember, you aren't allowed to get off earlier than the time designated by your luggage tags, but you can get off later.
Immigration
Immigration authorities used to do a blanket clearance of the whole ship when the time came to disembark at a U.S. port. Only non-U.S. citizens or green card holders needed to meet with authorities. But in recent times, with concern over terrorists entering the U.S. and what not, everyone may be required to appear before authorities at some point during the cruise. If that's the case, listen to the public address announcements for details about the clearance meeting: You usually meet in some sort of lounge, all family members must attend, and you need to bring your passport or ID (details will be given on the ship).
Customs
For cruises disembarking in the U.S., you will have to fill out a Customs Declaration form (one per family), which you'll receive on the ship -- if you get off the ship in Canada, you clear customs when you get to the airport; and for Europe cruises you clear Customs when you return to the U.S. Customs inspectors don't check each and every bag, but you don't want to get caught breaking the rules. There are stiff fines, for instance, for bringing back Cuban cigars. The standard allowance for a U.S. citizen is $800 per traveler (kids count too) in duty-free goods. That can include 1 carton of cigarettes or 100 cigars and 1 liter of alcohol if you are over 21. If you go over the limits you may have to pay a 10% tax. There are of course exceptions to the rules, and you can find more details at www.cbp.gov.
Departure Tax
Something to remember if your cruise ends in a foreign country: Some countries, including Canada, levy a departure tax on everyone leaving from the airport. It's usually, but not always, less than $20. Canada's, for instance, is about $7 U.S. These taxes are payable in cash only.
