My friend and I sailed to the Caribbean on the Norwegian Escape this past March. It was a wonderful trip, not one complaint. At about 6:30 AM on debarkation day, I was up and dressed, doing my final packing. My friend had just gotten up when there was a fearfully LOUD banging on our cabin door. I opened it to find 4 or 5 fully armed law enforcement officers (Customs, INS??) telling us sternly to get our papers and get out of the room. In the few seconds it took us both to get our stuff together another couple of officers and a K9 had appeared. They had us stand in the hall while they searched the cabin. We were so stunned, and did ask why but the officers wouldn't say...just that this was routine. It sure didn't feel routine to us. It was actually quite terrifying. One can't help but think that they could have taken us off in handcuffs with us having no clue as to what had prompted this!
I'm certain that they were searching for drugs, but again... why us? We're just run-of-the -mill Kentucky girls, having a great time on a great cruise. No drugs, no contraband. We both smoke, and might have had an occasional cigarette on the balcony late at night (in site of the bridge). Could that have been why they chose our cabin??? We are baffled.
Finally, as we disembarked through customs, she was pulled aside again, and taken to customs for questioning. It turned out that we had been "flagged", and they failed to remove her "flag" after they searched our cabin. That doesn't sound really random to me. Has anyone else had an experience like this, and if so, did you find out why or are you confident that it was one of the random searches?
Frightening experience on morning of debarkation...has this happened to anyone else
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My friend and I sailed to the Caribbean on the Norwegian Escape this past March. It was a wonderful trip, not one complaint. At about 6:30 AM on debarkation day, I was up and dressed, doing my final packing. My friend had just gotten up when there was a fearfully LOUD banging on our cabin door. I opened it to find 4 or 5 fully armed law enforcement officers (Customs, INS??) telling us sternly to get our papers and get out of the room. In the few seconds it took us both to get our stuff together another couple of officers and a K9 had appeared. They had us stand in the hall while they searched the cabin. We were so stunned, and did ask why but the officers wouldn't say...just that this was routine. It sure didn't feel routine to us. It was actually quite terrifying. One can't help but think that they could have taken us off in handcuffs with us having no clue as to what had prompted this!
I'm certain that they were searching for drugs, but again... why us? We're just run-of-the -mill Kentucky girls, having a great time on a great cruise. No drugs, no contraband. We both smoke, and might have had an occasional cigarette on the balcony late at night (in site of the bridge). Could that have been why they chose our cabin??? We are baffled.
Finally, as we disembarked through customs, she was pulled aside again, and taken to customs for questioning. It turned out that we had been "flagged", and they failed to remove her "flag" after they searched our cabin. That doesn't sound really random to me. Has anyone else had an experience like this, and if so, did you find out why or are you confident that it was one of the random searches?