Don Herman Article 13 of 13 in our Cruise Planning Guide — how to plan a cruise, one decision at a time.
Leaving the cruise is always a sad day. It’s also a busy and important one. How you handle disembarkation can make or break the end of your trip, so don’t overlook the things that keep your departure smooth and uneventful. Most of the work happens the night before, and it’s easy if you know what to do.
The Night Before: Get Your Ducks in a Row
Settle Your Folio
Your folio is the running account of everything you’ve charged onboard. If you’ve been reviewing it in the app and you see no issues, no worries. Any outstanding charges for extras will go to the card on file, and you’re all set.
If you’d rather have a hard copy, visit the Service Desk the night before, never the morning of. The morning lines are long, and everyone is in a hurry. Settle any questions, and get that Zero-Due invoice before you go. (If you haven’t been checking your spending during the cruise, see Article 12, Onboard Tips.)
A word about gratuities: if you bought a package, check whether gratuities were already included. They often are. If not, they’ll be added to your folio, and you’ll have a total due to take care of. Another reason to look at your folio the night before.
Pick Up Photos and Spend Your Ship Credit
Two small chores worth doing the night before: pick up any photo packages you’ve paid for, and if you have outstanding ship credit, shop for souvenirs to use it up. Both are much easier now than on the last morning.
Choose How You’ll Get Off
The night before disembarkation, you’ll be given a survey asking how you want your departure handled. Mainly, you can choose one of two options:
- Self-assist: You take your own bags off the ship yourself.
- Luggage pickup: You’ll receive a color-coded luggage tag and be told when to have your bags outside your stateroom, ready for pickup.
Timing for luggage pickup: Different groups have different times. On our last cruise, we needed to have our bags in the hallway, tagged with the color-coded tags we were given, between 9:30 and 10:00 pm the night before. The instructions arrive the day before, and they’re clear and easy to follow. Just check yours, and set a reminder on your phone so you don’t forget.
Either way, transfer anything you need to keep with you into your carry-on: medications, documents, valuables, chargers, and a change of clothes for the next day. Luggage does get misplaced during this process, so avoid problems by keeping the essentials on you.
Use a Tracker
Here’s a tip I’d pass along to anyone: I recommend an Apple AirTag or another remote location device. If you choose luggage pickup, your bags will be found off the ship in a large, warehouse-style room, and it can get confusing about where yours are. With an AirTag in your bag, you can pinpoint it right away.
Disembarkation Morning
Eat Early, and Be Ready to Move
The buffet opens early for breakfast, so head up and grab something before your scheduled disembarkation time. You usually have to be out of your cabin by 8 am, so be prepared to be up and at ’em.
Wait for Your Group
There’s a set order for disembarkation. You’ll go to an empty dining room and wait for your group to be called. It can be a bit chaotic, so be patient, and make sure your phone is fully charged for the wait. (If you reach Elite status in Princess’s Captain’s Circle, priority disembarkation is one of the perks. See Article 12 for more on loyalty programs.)
Check the Safe Before You Go
Check the safe before you leave. Passports get left behind in cabin safes so very often! Open it, and check it twice.
Customs
Most likely you’ll be heading to the airport right after the cruise (unless you’ve extended your stay). Keep your passport, flight information, and any customs paperwork in your carry-on, where you can reach them.
You’ll usually go through U.S. Customs as part of disembarking. If your purchases go over the personal duty-free exemption, which is generally $800 per person for U.S. travelers, it’s your responsibility to declare them. Here’s the rub: the cruise line no longer hands you a customs form automatically, the way they used to. Forms are available if you need one, but it’s up to you to know whether you do. If you might be over the limit, ask for one at the Guest Services desk or at the terminal, and itemize what you bought and what you paid. Keep your receipts handy.
If your port supports it, you may be able to skip the paper. The official, free CBP Mobile Passport Control app lets you answer the customs questions digitally on disembarkation morning. It’s available at only a handful of seaports, so check before you count on it.
Getting to the Airport or Hotel
If you haven’t arranged a transfer through the cruise line, you’ll need a plan.
Taxis are always available at the cruise terminal, so that’s an easy one. Collect your bags and wait at the taxi stand. They’re very efficient and speedy, and they’re allowed into the port terminal area, so they’ll take you directly to your airport or hotel.
Shuttles, whether you booked independently or through the cruise line, work just as well. Just follow the instructions you were given, and be at the designated pickup spot on time.
Uber and other rideshares are usually not allowed into the port itself, which can mean a bit of a lug with your bags to reach them. It’s doable, but a taxi is easier.
If you’re extending your stay, see Article 7, Plan Airfare and Pre- and Post-Cruise Stays for how to build in time on either end.
Say Thank You
If a particular waiter, steward, or crew member made your cruise special, track their name on your phone as you go, so you don’t have to remember it on the last night. Consider slipping them an extra tip, as well.
You’ll also often receive a post-cruise survey. Mentioning your favorite crew members by name in the survey is a huge benefit to them.
If You Leave Something Behind
If you realize you’ve lost or left something on board, don’t panic. On Princess, you can report it online. Look up the Princess Post-Cruise FAQ page, where there’s a link to report a lost item. It takes you to a third-party service called Chargerback. You’ll need your booking number, sailing number, and stateroom number, plus an exact description of the item and any idea where it might be.
Be realistic about what comes back. Most lines will not return clothing, shoes, swimwear, hats, cosmetics, prescription medication, toiletries, or items that have been in close bodily contact (like toothbrushes or hearing aids). Cheap miscellaneous items under $50 are also rarely tracked down. Another reason to check the safe and the cabin one last time.
Disembarkation at a Glance
- Review your folio in the app, or get your Zero-Due invoice at the Service Desk the night before
- Check whether gratuities were included in your package or added to your folio
- Pick up any photo packages, and spend leftover ship credit
- Choose self-assist or luggage pickup on the survey, and note your group’s time to put tagged bags in the hall (ours was 9:30 to 10:00 pm)
- Move medications, documents, and valuables into your carry-on
- Put a tracker in your luggage
- Eat breakfast early, and be out of the cabin by about 8 am
- Charge your phone for the wait, and wait for your group to be called
- Check the safe for passports and anything else
- Keep documents handy for the airport and customs, and know your duty-free limit
- Line up a taxi or shuttle
- Note your favorite crew members by name for the survey
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I settle my cruise bill? The night before you disembark. If you’ve been tracking your folio in the app, any remaining charges go to the card on file. If you want a hard copy, visit the Service Desk that night, not the morning of, to get a Zero-Due invoice.
What’s the difference between self-assist and luggage pickup? With self-assist, you carry your own bags off the ship. With luggage pickup, you’re given a color-coded tag and told when to leave your bags outside your stateroom, and you collect them in the terminal. Each group has its own time; on our last cruise it was between 9:30 and 10:00 pm the night before.
What time do I have to get out of my cabin? Usually by about 8 am, so plan to eat breakfast early at the buffet, which opens early.
Are gratuities included? If you bought a package, they often are, so check. If not, they’ll be added to your folio and you’ll have a total due.
What should I keep in my carry-on on the last day? Medications, passports, customs and flight documents, valuables, and anything else you can’t afford to have delayed. Luggage occasionally gets misplaced during disembarkation.
How do I get from the cruise terminal to the airport or a hotel? Taxis are always available at the terminal and can take you directly to either. Shuttles work well if pre-arranged. Rideshares like Uber are usually not allowed into the port.
How can I find my luggage in the terminal? Bags are often in a large warehouse-style room, and it can be confusing. A tracker like an Apple AirTag makes yours easy to locate.
How do I report something I left on the ship? On Princess, use the link on the Post-Cruise FAQ page, which leads to a third-party service called Chargerback. Have your booking, sailing, and stateroom numbers ready. Some items, like clothing and toiletries, are rarely returned.
That’s the end of our Cruise Planning Guide, but not the end of your adventures. Head back to the full Cruise Planning Guide any time to revisit a step, or start planning your next trip.
