Ahoy there, Morgan! It’s my pleasure to welcome you to planDisney!
I’m so excited that you’re going to be sailing on a Baja Cruise from
San Diego! I’ve sailed this itinerary myself and loved every bit of it! The stunning Mexican coastline, picturesque Port of San Diego, the perfect California weather upon embarkation and debarkation—it remains one of my most memorable Disney cruises to this day!
Speaking of embarkation and debarkation, I can see that you’re asking about what time you should be on and off the ship on each of those days. I can absolutely help with this and shed some magic on your flight booking choices!
On Embarkation Day, Guests can
embark on board the beautiful
Disney Wonder after 11:15 AM, according to the Port Arrival Time given to you during
Online Check-In. Over the years, my Port Arrival Times have run the gamut from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
When scheduling flights before cruise embarkation, I always prefer to arrive the night before, to ensure that I make it aboard on time. This is always my top recommendation to anyone trying to schedule their flights before a Disney cruise. You want to ensure you get there before all the fun and magic begins! If you must schedule your flight for the same day as embarkation, you should schedule it for as early as possible that morning, to give you plenty of time to get your luggage, leave the airport, and head over to the ship.
For Debarkation Day, the ship will generally arrive back at the Port of San Diego around 6 AM. Once the ship is cleared for debarkation, Guests may begin leaving. I suggest giving yourself ample time to eat a good breakfast, pack up your things, and then disembark. So that Cast Members can ready the ship for the next cruise, Guests are asked to disembark by 8:00 AM at the latest. Since it’s about a 20-minute drive to the airport from the port, I would suggest not scheduling a flight before 12 PM, just to be safe. This is to give yourself plenty of time to do things like pick up your luggage, get through the Customs process, plus any possible traffic to account for. When I sailed from San Diego, my flight was after 12 PM and, although we had a little extra time to relax in the airport, I wasn’t stressed debarking the ship. Nobody wants to end a perfectly relaxing Disney cruise on a stressful note!
If you would also like some help booking flights and/or scheduling
Ground Transportation to and from the port, Disney Cruise Line can streamline the process and help you with this!
Morgan, I hope that I was able to help you make an informed decision on scheduling your flights before and after your cruise. I wish you the most WONDERful memories aboard!
Bon Voyage,
Rana