Debarkation
(aka Back to Reality Day)
Saturday, May 5, 2012
(aka Back to Reality Day)
Saturday, May 5, 2012
IT'S OVER :(
We set the alarm to get up nice and early so we could hopefully beat the rush at breakfast. If there is ever a rush at breakfast, it is on debarkation day. We got up there around 7 and had no trouble finding a place to sit. As we walked back to the room, we were walking across the pool deck, and we spotted a couple stuffing several little cereal boxes into their tote bags. Really? Has it come to this? Are you kidding me? Heaven forbid they get hungry later today, or have to actually (gasp!) pay for food! Sadly, I realized that probably was not the only item they were stowing away.
We ran into our cabin steward, Jose outside our room. We let him know how happy we were with the service. On paper we are first time cruisers (first with Carnival) but we told him we have been on other cruises and his service was the best we have ever had. He was so proud! Tom indicated we would hurry and get out and he told us to take our time and not worry about it. They were already calling zone numbers but we were in Zone 34, with such a late flight, so we were just going to take it easy. The only thing I worried about what was the Customs line, because we had one cruise where once we got off the ship we were stuck in a Customs line that was literally hours long. If it weren't for a Port employee having pity on us and our flight schedule, we would have missed our flight (and that time our group included two children under the age of 3, which is maybe what earned us the special treatment). That memory is also why I booked a late flight home.
We eventually did go to Deck 4 where they have lots of cushy benches overlooking the Atrium, where we found a spot to sit, with a bird's eye view of the line of cruisers clamoring to get off the ship. We read our books and waited for our zone to be called. We soon noticed that Cory, the Assistant Cruise Director (picture a young Drew Carey) was motioning people into the line when the line got short enough, and he soon motioned to us. It was only slightly ahead of our zone actually being called, but nevertheless, we jumped up and followed his instructions, heading down the stairs to Deck 3 to join the "fun". While in line, my phone rang (I had already ceremoniously taken it out of Airplane Mode) and it was the shuttle service I had booked to take us to MCO. Nice! He just wanted to know if we were off the ship yet, I gave him a report and he told me to call him back when we got out of Customs. This is ATC Shuttle Service, for anyone looking for a recommendation. This is the second time I have used them to go between Port Canaveral and Orlando, and they are very dependable!
The line moved quickly, as did the Customs line. We retrieved our bags and called the shuttle driver, who instructed us to go to Zone B, and within a few minutes we were on our way back to Orlando! When he learned we weren't off the ship yet, he had gone to Disney Fantasy and picked up a couple ladies there and then came back, so now with no more stops we were off!
Goodbye Carnival Dream! Thanks for a great week!!
We set the alarm to get up nice and early so we could hopefully beat the rush at breakfast. If there is ever a rush at breakfast, it is on debarkation day. We got up there around 7 and had no trouble finding a place to sit. As we walked back to the room, we were walking across the pool deck, and we spotted a couple stuffing several little cereal boxes into their tote bags. Really? Has it come to this? Are you kidding me? Heaven forbid they get hungry later today, or have to actually (gasp!) pay for food! Sadly, I realized that probably was not the only item they were stowing away.
We ran into our cabin steward, Jose outside our room. We let him know how happy we were with the service. On paper we are first time cruisers (first with Carnival) but we told him we have been on other cruises and his service was the best we have ever had. He was so proud! Tom indicated we would hurry and get out and he told us to take our time and not worry about it. They were already calling zone numbers but we were in Zone 34, with such a late flight, so we were just going to take it easy. The only thing I worried about what was the Customs line, because we had one cruise where once we got off the ship we were stuck in a Customs line that was literally hours long. If it weren't for a Port employee having pity on us and our flight schedule, we would have missed our flight (and that time our group included two children under the age of 3, which is maybe what earned us the special treatment). That memory is also why I booked a late flight home.
We eventually did go to Deck 4 where they have lots of cushy benches overlooking the Atrium, where we found a spot to sit, with a bird's eye view of the line of cruisers clamoring to get off the ship. We read our books and waited for our zone to be called. We soon noticed that Cory, the Assistant Cruise Director (picture a young Drew Carey) was motioning people into the line when the line got short enough, and he soon motioned to us. It was only slightly ahead of our zone actually being called, but nevertheless, we jumped up and followed his instructions, heading down the stairs to Deck 3 to join the "fun". While in line, my phone rang (I had already ceremoniously taken it out of Airplane Mode) and it was the shuttle service I had booked to take us to MCO. Nice! He just wanted to know if we were off the ship yet, I gave him a report and he told me to call him back when we got out of Customs. This is ATC Shuttle Service, for anyone looking for a recommendation. This is the second time I have used them to go between Port Canaveral and Orlando, and they are very dependable!
The line moved quickly, as did the Customs line. We retrieved our bags and called the shuttle driver, who instructed us to go to Zone B, and within a few minutes we were on our way back to Orlando! When he learned we weren't off the ship yet, he had gone to Disney Fantasy and picked up a couple ladies there and then came back, so now with no more stops we were off!
Goodbye Carnival Dream! Thanks for a great week!!
