Horizon ABC: Debarkation Day

By
Saint Greg

September 30, 2024

This is a crazy morning. I remember last night the captain saying we’d be arriving at 5am. I woke up at some point and thought, I bet we’re parking. I looked out they window and we were going down the canal. I look at my phone and it’s 4:36am. I was just hoping I could get back to sleep. I think I was awake for 20 minutes.

The next thing I know Dedy is knocking on my door. I forgot to put my do not disturb sign out last night. I look at my phone and it’s 7:45. I’m supposed to be in the lounge for priority debarkation now. I didn’t hear a sound. I didn’t hear an announcement. I didn’t hear people. I didn’t hear anything. It’s quiet and the best cruise room for sleep I’ve had. I highly recommend this location.

I jump up and start getting ready. All I packed yesterday was my stacks of clothes from the laundry. 8am is the first announcement I hear. It’s in the rooms reminding us to get out by 8:30. Also saying we’ll be notified by hub app notification when we can go down to the gangway. That came at 8:14 for me. But I headed out at 8:20.

I have to skip coffee and breakfast today to make my flight but I did step out on the “secret deck” for some final pictures of Miami before heading down.

That elevator wait was the worst. When I got there three of us were waiting. But it took 12 minutes to get an elevator and when it came we had 30 people waiting.

If I wasn’t up on the 10th floor with my big suitcase, I would’ve walked down. Then this was the scene when I got off the elevator.

The line moved pretty quick. I got off of the elevator at 8:37. I was off of the ship at 8:43. It’s hard to believe I was asleep an hour ago.

Just before this point was an elevator option for people who need it.

Since I have a passport and all of my luggage I can go right.

I breezed through with facial recognition and was outside at 8:53.

I’m trying to find where Uber/Lyft is. A guy approaches me about a shuttle. I ask how much. He says $10. I ask when it leaves. He says 10 minutes. I ask how long it takes to get there. He says 10 minutes. I check Uber/lyft and decide to try the shuttle.

I’m starting to get slightly annoyed because it’s been 10 minutes and he just said it’ll be another 5-10 minutes. I could be cutting this close if there’s a long line at the airport.

This is where the van is sitting.

This is the driver.

I’m starting to consider switching. I check Uber/Lyft again. But I still don’t know where they pick up at.

I end up sticking with the shuttle. We pull out at 9:13 which is about 20 minutes after the guy told me 10.

We have to drop people off at Southwest first. We left the port at 9:13. We’re stopping here at 9:30. Not exactly the 10 minute drive he said.

I was dropped off at 9:37. It’s about 25 minutes later than I was promised but I have two hours until my flight which is the target.

I don’t see signs for bag drop so I ask security. He says it’s downstairs.

The kiosk kept saying it couldn’t find my reservation. I had to go to the line. I think I was going to have to go there anyway since I don’t see a self bag drop line.

That took 10 minutes.

Now I have to go back upstairs where I came from and walk down to door 17.

Those are the door numbers. I started at 32. It’s going to be a long walk to 17.

That was about a 15 minute walk.

I’m getting bad vibes. The line starts way past the line starting point. You can’t even see it from here.

The girls behind me are saying the doors close on their plane in 30 minutes. I have an hour. Hopefully the line moves fast. I can at least see the starting point now. It’s 10:20. I’ve been in line for 10 minutes.

I’m in the actual line at 10:22. I’ve been in line for 12 minutes.

The TSA pre-check is pretty long. But not as long.

I’m close enough now to see what is holding the line up. They have a guy with a dog. They’re making everyone walk in pairs side by side along this one walkway. If you don’t do it right you have to do it again. That holds the entire line up.

I’ve only seen this once before. That was at Houston IAH May 2021 when I flew to Cozumel.

The girls behind me are from Houston. I told them about the time I had to do this in Houston. They say they’ve never seen it before so I don’t think it’s common practice there. It may have been a Covid thing.

I am through security 10:48. It was a little different. You have to take everything out of your pockets and put it in your bag. No trays. We didn’t have to take our shoes off. I didn’t have to take my tablet out. They had a body scanner but I didn’t have to go there. It would be nice if what TSA wanted us to do was standardized. Every airport is different.

Just as I approached the gate they called zone 2. I haven’t eaten or drank anything today and that’s how I’m going home. But I made it.

This guy still has the sticker on the bottom of his shoe.

Apparently one girl who boarded had just got off of this plane. The crew remember her because she was in a rush to get off of the plane to make her connection. She gets off and finds out she’s going right back on the same plane.

They kept saying we were early with everything. I didn’t get it until we got on the ground and my time changed to central. I booked this to get in at 2pm and I was off of the plane by 1:20.