Hey Anna-Kate!
Welcome to planDisney! We are so happy to have you onboard with your question. One thing I love about Disney Cruise Line is that they take care of us from start to finish, from the moment we set foot onboard until our final “Sea Ya Real Soon'' breakfast. No one wants to think about having to disembark, but to keep things light hearted, our family likes to take a final photo at the character statue in the Lobby Atrium, holding onto it and pretending like we aren’t going to leave!
So let’s talk about that “tragical” moment, also known as Debarkation Day. I’m not sure what ship you will be sailing, so you’ll have to check the
Ground Transportation link and select which destination will be your arrival port. Under that tab, Disney Cruise Line will have recommendations about the earliest time you should schedule your flight. Generally speaking, they suggest not flying out any earlier than 11:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. But I encourage you to check the ground transportation link because departure ports vary on what is recommended. I know I would rather give myself a bigger buffer to get to the airport, even if it means waiting a bit once I’m there. The last thing I would want after a blissful, relaxing cruise is to be stressed out about making my flight home!
Just to give you a timeline for the morning of Debarkation: typically Guests are expected to be out of their staterooms by 8:00 A.M. and off the ship by 9:00 A.M. They may choose to have breakfast before disembarking, and the times are set based upon their seating for rotational dining. Main Seating Guests will be expected to eat breakfast around 6:45.A.M. to 7:00 A.M. Guests assigned the Second Seating for dinner will have a later breakfast time, typically 8:00-8:15 A.M. The exact time will be listed on your disembarkation paperwork in your stateroom on the last night of your cruise. Once you are off the ship, you'll have to claim luggage at the port (if you left it outside your stateroom the night before) and get through Customs. Usually, we are through customs and on our way around 9:30-10:00 A.M.
If your travel arrangements must be earlier, then you could do the Express Walk Off which usually is around 7:30 A.M. If you choose this method, then you are responsible for carrying off all your luggage. So if time allows, I suggest that you go enjoy that final meal on the ship and savor that “See Ya Real Soon” sendoff. Plus, it’s a great time to say goodbye to your
rotational dining team, who feel like family after all the time you’ve spent together!
Anna-Kate, don’t say goodbye to planDisney anytime soon. We hope you will instead say "hello" many more times as you send in more planning questions. Have a wonderful cruise, and say hi to Captain Mickey for me!
Sherry