Hi Andrea,
Welcome to planDisney! Before you know it, you will be sailing away on a Disney Cruise Line ship with Captain Mickey and the crew.
The times that you board and leave the ship can vary by port and destination, but generally, the ships arrive back in the ports around dawn. Guests can begin departing after the ship has cleared customs and gotten approval from authorities. Passengers usually start leaving the ship around 7:30 am with debarkation complete by around 9 am.
I am guessing that you may be trying to plan your post-cruise transportation based on your arrival time back in port. You can find the list of
recommended flight times and other ground transportation suggestions for each port here on the Disney Cruise Line website.
It might also help to know about your options for handling your luggage on departure day.
If you are in a hurry, you can choose Express Walk-Off Departure and can leave as soon as you hear the announcement that authorities have cleared the ship. Express Walk-Off is possible if you have kept all of your luggage with you in your stateroom rather than putting it outside your door the night before for luggage services. We find Express Walk-Off works for us only if it's a short cruise and we have a minimal number of bags.
Or you can let the crew lug your bags ashore for you. A day or two before your cruise ends, you will be given luggage tags with a picture of a Disney character. You can put those tags on your bags and leave them outside your door the night before the ship docks. (You'll want to keep a small bag with overnight essentials with you.)
The character on your tag designates your departure group. When you hear your group called, you are then welcome to make your way off the ship. You will pick up your luggage in a designated area once you have disembarked.
Thanks for your question, Andrea, and I hope this helps with your planning. If you need more information about a specific port or any other part of your cruise, please check back with us.
Happy sailing,
Wilma