At Home with Tech

The last day of any cruise is arguably the worst. Your vacation is over, and now you’ve got to slog back home. That said, here are a few tips to squeeze the last drops of joy from those last hours on board your ship.

There would be no sleeping in on the last morning of our cruise. Indeed, the final day of our Royal Caribbean vacation wasn’t much of a day at all. It lasted a mere few hours. All passengers had to be off the Independence of the Seas by 10am. Breakfast in the Windjammer Café closed down at 8:30.

There was no option for a late check out. It was pretty much…buh-bye.

Or was it?

Here are four ways I was still able to extend the ‘vacation experience’ on that last morning for me and my family.

#1
Show Up for the Grand Finale
This may seem counterintuitive, but I actually woke up earlier than I needed to. Why? I didn’t want to miss the grand finale, which was arguably experiencing my ship’s triumphant return to PortMiami. (I know I’m being dramatic, but that’s how this traveler viewed the end of his glorious voyage.)

Plus, I was able to snap some cool photos! (Even in the pre-dawn dark, my iPhone did just fine capturing the Miami glow.)

#2
Experience the Moment
But the opportunity here is more than just taking photos. Watching my ship’s impressive maneuvering during this final leg of our journey was entirely worthwhile. As the massive Independence of the Seas approached PortMiami at 5:40am, I walked quickly up the stairs to the top deck at the bow to experience the moment.

A stiff wind was blowing. I had passed by a couple industrious joggers, but that was it. It was just me and the boat.

I watched the Independence of the Seas move through the narrow channel, passing by two other docked cruise ships on our port side.
Next, we entered a wider body of water. Then we did a 180-degree turn as easily as if I were on a toy boat.
We then headed back to the Royal Caribbean building on the immense cruise terminal.

As I witnessed this nautical dance by our floating city, I expect most other passengers were still sleeping… or at least unaware of this maneuver (their loss).

#3
Book a Later Shuttle to the Airport and Enjoy Breakfast
We were originally booked to depart our ship on a 7:30am shuttle bus to the airport. I reviewed our shuttle tickets when I received them, and my eyes squinted to confirm what I saw. And then I did the math…

We had a 2:30pm flight out of Miami. There was no need to leave that early. So, I went to the guest services desk on deck 5 and changed our shuttle time to 9:30am.

We hit breakfast in the Windjammer Café at 7:45am and had a leisurely meal till 8:30am, when the buffet officially closed.

But it wasn’t time to leave. No, not yet.

#4
Hang Out on the Pool Deck One Last Time
We planned to join the line to exit the ship at 9:10am for our 9:30 shuttle. And we had forty minutes to burn.

The ship was mostly closed up. We couldn’t return to our room, because we had been instructed to check out by 8am. (The ship’s crew needed to turn things around for its next group of several thousand cruisers.)

So, we walked out onto the empty pool deck and decided to sit down on three inviting lounge chairs. This spot was ordinarily packed with hundreds of people. Now, it was a ghost-town housing a few others with the same clever idea.

No crowds. No noise. Just the sun and the breeze.

It was as if I had rented the entire ship for half an hour. Serenity achieved.
I took it all in and exhaled… ahead of the hustle and bustle for our return trip home.

You Can Do a Lot before 9:30am
Before our vacation, I read lots of advice about how to maximize the first hours of a cruise before you can get into your room. But there isn’t a similar focus on the best exit strategy.

For me, it’s all about taking your time and not cutting corners. Enjoy those last minutes the same as your first hours.

Unless you’re taking an early flight back home, there’s absolutely no need to rush out and miss breakfast.

There’s no prize for being the first off the boat.

Would you rather be at your airport gate earlier than necessary with nowhere to sit… or soak in happiness on your ship’s pool deck in quiet solitude for the better part of an hour?

How was my last morning on the Independence of the Seas?

Perfect.