Many cruise passengers make the mistake of thinking that checking out of a cruise is the same as checking out of a hotel. However, that is far from the truth. The final day of your trip, especially on a big ship, can be a madhouse.

We have compiled a list of passengers’ most common mistakes during disembarkation. We hope we help you avoid them and have a hassle-free embarkation day.

Not Checking Your Bill

On the night before the disembarkation day, a statement of how much you spend on your ship for a spa treatment, drinks, speciality restaurant or any other splurges will be placed on your cabin door. Mistakes often happen with the bills, leading passengers to queue long at the guest services to sort out the issues on embarkation day.

You can avoid the crowd and sort out your bills early by heading to the guest service the night before you disembark. Some ships allow you to correct electronically through your phone or smart TV. Please do not assume you can fix the problem after getting off the ship. It is almost impossible to get the cruise line land staff to deal with any issues when you are on the cruise.

Booking Early Flights Home

Cruise lines do not recommend guests book their home flights before noon. In most cases, it takes a couple of hours to clear the ship of passengers, and you may also want to clear through customs.

Getting to the airport may also involve navigating through traffic since many ships disembark on the same day. There are also long security lines of other cruise travellers fresh off the ship going through the same process. You can avoid unnecessary hurry and heart palpitations by booking afternoon flights.

Not Checking Your Luggage Tags

On the embarkation day, your staff will deliver color and number-coded tags to your cabin. The tags will also have the approximate time you will get off the ship. You must put the tags on your luggage since they will be necessary to find your suitcase at the pier.

Do Not Forget You Group Color

The luggage at the pier is sorted in numbers and colors. Since there will be thousands of luggage waiting at the pier, take a photo of your bag with the tag to make sure you know what your luggage looks like.

Not Packing Up Your Liquor Purchases

If you bought liquor from any of your destinations, you must pack the bottles in checked luggage if you are flying home. Make sure you carefully wrap them in your dirty clothes. Remember that US customs allow you to enter the country with one litre of alcoholic beverage per adult duty-free. You can still bring more alcohol home but must pay taxes for it.

Packing Your Keycard, Passport Or ID

You might think you are done with the keycard once you vacate that cabin, but you will need it when getting off the ship. When going home, you must also show your official identification or passport to the customs officials at the cruise terminal.

Not booking for safe parking

It is essential to ensure your parking is safe and secure when going on your cruise. If you plan to drive to Miami to catch the cruise, consider saving and securing parking for your car. We recommend booking your parking space early to avoid inconveniences due to the upcoming spring break.

At Safe Cruise Parking, we ensure your vehicle is safe while on vacation. You can book your slot early to save some cash. Safe Cruise Parking is at 189 NE SECOND STREET, MIAMI, FL 33132. Check out some directions to get to our lot below.

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