Sunday, October 16, 2022

20 for 40- Debarkation

90 Miles an Hour from the Sunrise 
Debarkation- Galveston, TX 
Thursday, September 8, 2022 

Morning
We woke up before our alarms went off to the motion of the Carnival Breeze pulling into the Galveston terminal. We looked out our Cove Balcony and sure enough, they were starting to tie the ropes and the cruise was now officially over. We were sad but knew we had to get back to reality. And this time, the reality was a RUDE AWAKENING. Usually we cruise during breaks or summer and have some time before we have to get right back at it... not this time. We got off the ship and then had to get back home real quick to be ready to pick up the kids from school and a full afternoon/ evening of volleyball for Natalie Grace. 

We got ready and then went and had breakfast in the Main Dining Room for the port express breakfast. This was only offered from 7-8:30AM and we arrived at 8:15AM. This was pushing it just a bit but they seated us and we were able to enjoy somewhat of a chill morning. 

Despite arriving into Galveston before 7AM, the ship was still not cleared from customs at 9AM when we got done with our breakfast. This seemed really odd to me but we went back to the room to finalize our packing before vacating the stateroom. As per the usual, we were kindly asked to vacate the room shortly after 9AM and we obliged. 

Debarkation Information 
Passengers can choose to carry their own luggage off the ship, or they can send their luggage the last night of the cruise and have a more relaxed morning getting off the ship. If you choose to do the "regular/ relaxed debarkation" you have to go to the Lido deck on the last day at NOON and get the ZONE TAGS- Zone 1-30, and that is how you will get off the ship on debarkation day. We got zone 26 at 3:30PM on the last day at sea. Get there earlier if you want a better zone number! *Rookie mistake... and we are anything but rookies! Set an alarm on your device to get a better zone number! 

The Carnival Breeze uses MUSTER STATIONS for the Debarkation process instead of the traditional DECKS. (We learned ALL Carnival ships now use musters instead of decks now). This means that if you choose to do "Self-Debarkation" and take off ALL of your own luggage, you will be called by your muster station. We realized several years ago that the "self-debark" option is not as fast anymore as so many people are using this as a means to get off the ship. (It's like that secret from Disney World, you want to share it but then EVERYONE will do it. That is "self-debark" nowadays. Approximately 75% of the passengers use this option). This means that 3K+ people are walking around the ship with EVERYTHING they brought on board and often times MUCH MORE. It is a HOT mess. 

We waited in the Casino Annex area for a while and then got off the ship with the "Self-Debarkation" group when they called our muster station. We had our carry-on suitcase so we fit the part. It was a HOT MESS due to the delay of customs clearance and we really needed to get off the ship quickly. 


One of my favorites (and least favorites because that means its over) signs of the cruise! 

We were off the ship and BREEZING through customs, literally, by 10:15AM. The customs process is a BREEZE now... LITERALLY. The US government has really stepped up their game and has tablets that do facial recognition for US entrance. That means no papers to fill out and literally just walk up to the tablet and SMILE... Then you're done! TIP- This is only a valid option if all guests in your party have PASSPORTS. If anyone is traveling with a birth certificate, they will need to complete the paperwork and meet with an agent. We didn't realize it at the time of boarding and check in but they created our facial recognition right then and there. It is REALLY COOL and easily one of the best changes since COVID. 

The line for those without passports (birth certificates) 

The line for passports! 
If I was only given ONE TIP for cruising after the pandemic It would be GET A PASSPORT! The facial recognition software is AWESOME and it is SO WORTH IT! 

10:15AM was VERY LATE per the usual cruise debarkation times. This also meant that the oncoming passengers would feel this delay. As I mentioned in the embarkation post, we opted to park at a new facility that offered a shuttle so we had to wait for the shuttle and this, too, was a slight delay. We were at our car and headed north around 10:50AM. 

Afternoon
We got to our home in The Woodlands around 12:30PM and unloaded the car and started to unpack. Jackie and Oxford were right there waiting on us! THANK YOU SO MUCH JACKIE for taking care of not only the kids but the dog too! We appreciate you more than you'll know! 

After unpacking and starting a load of laundry, we were out the door to go and get Luke from school early so we could make the drive to Barbers Hill South for Natalie's volleyball game. This was about 1 hour and 15 minutes from our home and just at an hour from New Caney. We grabbed Luke and were on our way to Barbers Hill. We arrived around 3:30PM and were able to have a nice sit-down meal with Jackie before the game. 

Natalie's team ended up losing this game but she had a REALLY good game with 4 aces, 2 AWESOME hits and even a block up front! Way to go Natalie Grace! We didn't get back to our house until about 8:30PM and we were exhausted but what a day it was! 


Thank you Jackie for coming to take care of the kids
AND support Natalie and Luke at all their events! 
You are seriously the BEST CHEERLEADER EVER! 
We appreciate you! 


We love you Natalie Grace! 
And we are SO PROUD OF YOU! 

This was an INCREDIBLE cruise and it was so fun to get to celebrate the BIG 4-0 onboard a ship. I never thought I would be able to do that with a mid-year birthday! Thank you Chris for a great cruise! 

Thank you for following along! 

Up Next... Adventure of the Seas (with the kids)
February 2023





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