I guess it surprises me that HAL would want their customers to have such a bad experience to start a cruise. This was my first cruise post covid so I was surprised at the disorganization. I had sailed out of S.D. before and never had this kind of chaos. IF I sail with HAL again, I would definitely know what to expect. After reading reviews of Vancouver embarkation it does sound like this is now the norm.
I did not let the frustrating embarkation ruin the cruise, as we had an awesome time. But, believe me, it was the talk of the ship as it involved everyone in some way.