Showing posts with label Debarkation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Debarkation. Show all posts

Monday, April 15, 2024

Platinum Pacific Style- Travel Day 2

 "God Bless Texas"

Friday, February 23, 2024 
Travel Day- Long Beach to Houston

Morning 
It's always the worst day of any cruise and it's usually the only day with an actual alarm but the day had arrived and our cruise was officially over. We were up around 7:30AM as we had to be out of the stateroom by 8:30AM. We did our traditional Main Dining Room for our Disembarkation breakfast. TIP- We much prefer the MDR to the Lido buffet as SO many people will be towing their own luggage and in our experience, it is just a little too chaotic for our last day of vacation. The Main Dining Room is so much quieter and peaceful. 


Luke wanted to go all out with his LAST "good breakfast" as he said! 


After breakfast, we went back to our room to get our bags before getting ready to get off the ship; however, around 8:15AM they made an announcement that debarkation was a little slower than usual so we walked around the upper decks one last time before getting in line to get off the ship. TIP- Due to my Platinum status, we were able to debark with the Top Tier group and was off the ship around 8:40AM. We were also able to use the Platinum line at customs which also helped to speed up the process. 


A view of downtown Long Beach


We loved the Carnival Radiance? 


Another view of beautiful Long Beach! 

Our flight back to Houston did not leave until 1:25PM so we did not have any real plans. And that right there, was our mistake. We walked out of the terminal right into Uber and Taxi's asking where we were headed and we had no answer. Instead of prepping and figuring that part out, we got into a large van and had a guy take us to a holding spot at what would be a Dunkin Donuts. TIP- You cannot turn in luggage for a flight more than 4 hours before and you cannot get into the terminal without dropping off luggage first so we had to find something to do. The driver got us to Dunkin and then we opted to get an Uber to the airport around 10AM to drop off luggage and get checked in. It was kind of a mess and in hindsight, I will now always plan the afternoon for our flight home. 

We got to the airport around 10AM and got checked in during a rush of people. We spent the next 3 hours in the small airport of Long Beach enjoying an open restaurant and lunch before boarding our plane back to GOD'S COUNTRY! 

The loaded Italian sandwich from the airport was good... worth the $22 I paid for it, NO! 
Seriously, I need a second job just to pay for the food in the airport! 

Afternoon
The flight was delayed by 45 minutes but that did not bother us too much. The fire alarm also went off as we started to board the plane, which was a little dramatic but made for some memories! The flight itself was painless and rather quick. We ended up not having anyone in either of our middle seats which meant we could all spread out and enjoy the flight home. We got home to Houston around 8PM central time and were back at our home in The Woodlands by 9:30PM. 


Take me home.. To the place, I belong! 

We're riding in comfort today! 

This cruise was one for the MEMORY books and we all enjoyed this cruise so much. We loved being able to try not just new ports but also a new EMBARKATION port. We loved sailing from Long Beach and would sail from there again, in a heartbeat. 

Our next cruise will be this summer, without the kids. Chris and I will be returning to MY favorite cruise line- ROYAL CARIBBEAN and will be heading back to their private island- Coco Cay in the Bahamas. We have been to CoCo Cay in 2015 before it was "Perfect Day at CoCo Cay" and all built up! We loved the gorgeous waters and the private mentality of the island but we are excited to see how much is has been built up during these nearly 10 years. We will be departing from Miami and Chris has never been so that will be fun as well! Just 45 more days... 

BUT... Our next vacation is in just 5 short weeks as we travel to Los Angeles to check off TWO MORE MLB Stadiums on our Bucket List. This will be # 28 and #29 for me and #20 and #21 for the kiddos! It is going to be AMAZING so be sure to check back for updates! 

Once again, we GREATLY appreciate your continued support of our blog. Even just clicking on the blog post links and sharing our posts with friends and family members who may be cruising helps our business! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask! 

Up Next... Royal Caribbean to the Bahamas! 
We are SO EXCITED to finally get BACK TO CoCo Cay! 
Perfect Day at CoCo Cay... Here we come!  

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Allure of the Seas- July 2023





 


Carnival Conquest- 2006 


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Friday, August 25, 2023

The Allure of Royal Caribbean- Debarkation

From the Ship to the Horseshoe
July 9, 2023 
Debarkation in Galveston

From complete rest and relaxation to non-stop professional development...
 BRING IT ON! 

Morning
We woke up to an actual alarm as per typical for the debarkation day. We got ready and then went to eat breakfast in the Main Dining Room. The lines to get a table were not actually too long but it seemed like so since so many people were carrying off their own luggage. We were seated fairly quickly and the service was much better than the previous day. 

Once we finished breakfast, they were still calling off self-assist passengers so we went back to the room to gather our stuff and start to head to our holding location until our Group #7 was called. By the time we got back to our room, they were calling our group so we used the stairs and got in line to debark the ship. There was a very long line to get off the ship and we had to wander through that line for about 25 minutes before we actually got off the ship. Once in the terminal, it was a breeze with the new state of the art facial recognition software. TIP- You a passport when cruising if you can as it really helps speed up the process to board and debark. You can use a birth certificate if sailing a "closed loop" and returning to the same port (essentially a round trip cruise). But we have seen the past 3-4 cruises post-Covid that the birth certificate line is about 10x longer than the passport line. 

We got all of our luggage and made our way back to our parking spot in the Port of Galveston North Parking Lot. TIP- This is easily the best parking lot and location of any cruise we have ever sailed. It is a little pricey but WELL WORTH IT. Check it out HERE!

I was attending a String Teacher Workshop in Columbus, Ohio the following week and my flight left Houston in the afternoon. The original plan was to just hangout in Galveston or south Houston and get to the airport VERY early for my 4PM flight. But during the week we realized that I left a few items at the house so we opted to hurry and get off the ship and drive 80 minutes back to our home in The Woodlands and then drive an hour back south to Hobby airport for my flight. This was a LOT of driving but it was the right thing to do. 

Afternoon
Chris dropped me off at Hobby Airport around 2PM for my flight and I enjoyed a Starbucks treat while I waited for my flight. The flight was easy an uneventful. I touched down in Columbus at 7:30PM EST and made my way to Ohio State University for my workshop. It was SUCH a great week and you can read all about that week HERE!


I have arrived and I am ready to learn! 


THE Ohio State University!

The Allure of the Seas was our first MEGA-SHIP experience. We really enjoyed the ship but there were a few things we missed. I think overall, we would like to try Harmony of the Seas when it comes to Galveston in November 2023 but deep down I think we like the Voyager and Freedom class ships much better. In addition, I LOVE Royal Caribbean and consider myself to be "Loyal to Royal" but in all actuality, I will cruise anywhere and anytime. We just go with the best DEALS or VALUE! However, this was EXACTLY the cruise we needed in our lives as we approach our busy season. The down time, rest, relaxation and mental retreat were just what the Doctor Ordered!

What's Next?
This year I will be transitioning from teaching Middle School Orchestra to High School Orchestra within NCISD. All while Natalie will be a freshman in high school and Luke a 6th grader starting Middle School. We are entering what will easily be our busiest times of our lives and there, unfortunately, will not be as much time to travel as years past. BUT... That will NOT stop us from cruising or vacationing. We are planning to take the kids on a cruise over our February "Winter Break". We are planning a SURPRISE (SHHHH) cruise out of CALIFORNIA! Stay tuned for that! 

Once again, we GREATLY appreciate your continued support of our blog. Even just clicking on the blog post links and sharing our posts with friends and family members who may be cruising helps our business! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask! 

Up Next... SURPRISE Baja Cruise out of California! 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Adventure of the Seas- February 2023




 


Carnival Conquest- 2006 


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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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Sunday, October 9, 2022

Vacation, Vaccination, Vista-Nation- Debarkation

 Back in God's Country
Debarkation- Galveston
Saturday, July 9, 2022 


Morning
We woke up as the alarm went off (I hate alarms on vacations but sometimes they are needed) at 6:30AM. We got up and took showers and got ready for the day and were headed to breakfast by 7AM. Reminder- Still check in on the HUB app... AND you have to be on Carnival Wi-Fi to do so, even if back in range of other Wi-Fi or cell service. 

The service in the MDR was exceptionally fast this day BUT that is to be expected as it was turn around day and the Carnival workers have to work so very hard to get 4,500 guest OFF and then welcome 4,500+ guest back on board within just a few hours. 

Avocado Toast for me... Carnival REALLY knows how to do this well!


Pancakes for Chris! Only my dad can make them better than these! 

After breakfast we went back to our stateroom to finalize our small suitcase of our necessity items and relax in the cabin as most of the passengers were starting to get off. The Carnival Vista cleared customs around 7:45AM and started the debarkation process shortly after that. 

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 snagged zone 16 at 12:45pm on the last day at sea. Get there earlier if you want a better zone number.  

The Carnival Vista uses MUSTER STATIONS for the Debarkation process instead of the traditional DECKS. 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. 

Kyndall Fire called "self Debark" zones for literally 2 hours before any other regular debarkation zones were called. We stayed in our cabin and called the kids around 8:30 but shortly after that, our stateroom steward asked us to leave the room and find somewhere else to hang out until we could get off the ship. We took all of our luggage (UP THE STAIRS since you cannot use the elevators) and then waited in the casino. It took about another hour before ANY of the regular ZONES were called. This did not bother us at all since we live just 80 miles from the terminal and were not in a real rush to get home. But keep this in mind if you are traveling far or have a flight to catch. 

It's time to leave this gorgeous balcony! Bummer... 

Our zone 16 finally got called right at 10AM and we began to move off the ship. However, there were still people from the "self debarkation" that were merging with US as we exited the ship. We were in the Galveston terminal on dry ground by 10:05AM. 


I LOVE this sign... But hate it at the same time, because it means our cruise is OVER. 

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. 

Those waiting in line with Birth Certificates to speak to an agent... 


Vs the line for the NEW facial recognition line. 
TIP- GET AND USE A PASSPORT! 

After we went through customs we walked straight to our luggage waiting for us in the terminal categorized by our zone number. As we suspected, there was not a lot of luggage... meaning most people did in fact do the "self debarkation". 

The walk to our car was HOT and humid, but that is to be expected! We were back in our car and loading up to go home by 10:30AM. But not too soon... We turned on the car and my dash said to air up a tire. I swear it is always something with this Buick. It is definitely keeping me on my toes these days! We were back at home and picking up our dog, Oxford by 12:15PM. 

This was SUCH A GREAT cruise and it feels so very good to be back! We have a 40th Birthday Cruise planned in September on the Carnival Breeze and we cannot wait! 

Thank you for following along and supporting us!

God is Good... ALL THE TIME!  

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020


 


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