I’m not going to lie, debarkation blows harder than the snot coming out of a humpback whale (fun fact we learned from our onboard naturalist). But I know many of you (especially those with early flights out of Seattle) are interested in learning how the debarkation process works, especially post-Covid. I’ll walk you through the entire process beginning the night before debarkation and ending with me crying into a pillow back home in Seattle. As always, feel free to ask questions in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them all.
*This section is specific to my experience on the Carnival Miracle, but it will be very similar on every ship.
The following sheet will be dropped off at your door:
Let’s go over each detail.
There will be a live debarkation talk given by your Cruise Director in the late afternoon on the day before debarkation (check your schedule for the exact time and location). You can also watch it later on your cabin television.
Make sure to cash out your casino chips (if you’re lucky enough to have any left). The Casino Cashier Desk is CLOSED on debarkation morning.
If you have a very early flight out of Seattle, I strongly suggest you select Option 1 (and use the Port Valet service if it’s available on your cruise – it was NOT on ours). With Option 1, you will exit the ship first, but you must carry off ALL your own luggage.
If you don’t have tight travel plans and don’t want to carry your own bags off the ship, go with option 2: Checked luggage. You’ll need to visit a specified area (for the Miracle it was deck 2 midship, starboard side) the day before debarkation and pick up numbered luggage tags. If you want an early zone, go as soon as possible to pick up your tags (as you’ll see in the photo below, all the early times were gone when I snapped this photo at about noon.
Attach a numbered tag to each piece of your luggage and place your bags outside your door between 9pm-11pm. A crew member will promptly collect them and store them until they will be removed from the ship for you the next day and waiting in a designated area of the terminal at Pier 91.
You (mostly final, unless you purchase anything after it’s dropped off) bill will be left near your cabin door the night before debarkation. Be sure to check it right away and very carefully so you can resolve any errors with guest services.
Your vacation isn’t over just yet! Don’t miss the final, beautiful sunrise as you catch a first glimpse of Seattle. Seattle is home to me and I live downtown, but that skyline with Mt. Rainier in the background never gets old! You’ll want to get out on deck by 5:45am to catch it. Bring your camera for some amazing shots!
The buffet area will be VERY crowded on debarkation morning. Instead, I strongly recommend grabbing breakfast in the main dining room. On the Miracle it opened at 6am. It will be relaxed, uncrowded, and the food is better anyway! (I posted the dining room breakfast menu here if you want to preview it.)
This next brief section is specifically for my cruise friends who have tight flights out of Seattle and need to get off the ship as soon as possible. I pretended I was in this situation to test how fast I could get off. Spoiler alert, I was off and walking home at 7:55am. Here’s how to do it:
If you selected Option 2 (checked luggage), you will be called to debark by zone number beginning around 8:30. All self-assist passengers will be called and off the ship by that time.
All passengers MUST be wearing a mask during debarkation and while inside the terminal at Pier 91.
Be sure to have your ship card and passport in hand.
Your ship card will be scanned as you exit the ship.
You will descend down the gangway and follow the signs to “Baggage Claim.”
You will proceed down the escalator or elevator…
Where you can pick up any checked luggage at the bottom (it will be organized by zone number).
Once you have all your luggage, you will proceed to customs (yes, you DO have to go through customs even if you didn’t leave the country).
You will briefly show your passport to a customs officer. They will ask you to pull down your mask to verify your identity. And you’re off!
Once outside, follow the signs for your chosen form of transportation.
Note that if you are using a ride share app, you will either need to take a shuttle or follow the signs to walk to the pick-up area which is a bit of a distance from the terminal. That’s why I recommend taking a taxi for those with tight connections at SEATAC. Taxis are parked directly outside the terminal. Just hop in and you’re on your way!
I was off the ship by 7:55am after one of my fastest debarkations ever. I hopped on the waterfront trail and made it home to my apartment in downtown Seattle just as my audio book ended a bit before 9:00am (how’s that for perfect timing!). Now I’ll watch from my living room windows as some of you sail away on the Miracle later today. I wish you a wonderful cruise! Be sure to drop me a quick note to tell me how it went.
Just as I was getting ready to exit the ship we had to pause for a brief moment so someone (who appeared to have a broken leg) could be removed via stretcher and taken to a waiting ambulance. It was a sad sight and an important reminder to ALWAYS purchase travel insurance. You can purchase it through your cruise line (although it will be much more expensive if you go that route). You can also check to see if you have coverage through your credit card (it might be pretty limited though). I always purchase through this site so I can compare plans and get the best rate for the coverage I want. However you get it, GET INSURANCE!
And with that…
Class Dismissed.
To get caught up on my entire cruise process from planning to debarkation go here:
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