Holland leaving San Diego

Just back from the 30 day cruise on the Westerdam to Tahiti.

The Hotel Director announced to the passengers in good morning Westerdam interview exchange that Holland will be leaving San Diego out of disgust with the port stevedores and the customs/border patrol unusual requirements.

Anybody have any further information on this???

Big Green

We need to hear more about this! If HAL leaves San Diego, so will I leave HAL.

Huh??? I'm booked on a 12 day cruise out of San Diego next April on the Zaandam. Where did you really get this information from?:confused::confused::confused:

Be good to hear from HAL on this.

Huh??? I'm booked on a 12 day cruise out of San Diego next April on the Zaandam. Where did you really get this information from?:confused::confused::confused:

Just last week on the Westerdam from the Hotel Director--many people heard this from him---he did not say when it will happen.

BG

Actually, some officers were discussing it on the Zuiderdam last April because of so many hassles with customs etc. But as far as I know nothing official had been decided. I'm booked on a cruise of out San Diego next April..... I will be quite happy if HAL switches to Long Beach or San Pedro, so much easier for me to get there!

This is not surprising...

We have sailed into San Diego a couple of times and the customs/immigration experience was awful. Took forever, and not pleasant at all. Felt bad for HAL each time as they were trying to finish everyones experience on a high, and that was not what happened!!!

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Most of the cruise lines - including my employer - have already pulled out of San Diego for the very same reasons.

On my final visits there:

The stevedores were shouting obscenities at the Captain and crew upon arrival.

Several fork lift drivers had to be removed as they were too drunk to drive.

Nearly every week they allowed an entire cage of suitcases to drop into the harbor.

When the stevedores came onboard to assist with loading they all had to be searched upon exiting as they were stealing so many things from the ship.

San Diego Immigration is habitually late and understaffed.

San Diego Immigration has a bunch of really rude officers who treat visitors like criminals.

San Diego is one of the few ports on earth where passengers must line up and go through immigration onboard the ship; the delays cause many passengers to miss their flights home.

San Diego could not get it's act together to build a proper cruise terminal. After Carnival gave them the money, they built a terminal that is too short for most ships to safely tie up there - and the harbor is too shallow in that area for most ships to call at low tide.

The cruise lines are always worried about PR. They do not want to have difficulties with major US ports. So it is far easier to blame violence in Mexico for ships pulling out of San Diego. That's what most of us did. Only Carnival remains, wth occasional stops by Holland America and Princess.

Every time a cruise ship visits a US Port, passengers and cruise line leave a total of between US$1 Million and US$2 Million behind in the local economy as we sail away.

In 2011 there were over 300 cruise ship visits to San Diego.

In 2012 there will be around 180 cruise ship visits to San Diego.

In 2013 there will be fewer that 50 cruise ship visits to San Diego.

Welcome back, I had not heard that.

Welcome home - thanks for the info - and Bruce Muzz thanks for outlining the issues for us:D

It has been a while since we sailed out of San Diego.

We did have a stop there on a couple of cruises where some passengers were getting off the ship. These were repositioning cruises. The ship wasn't cleared until after 10:30 AM. Many people missed flights home.

I am sorry that HAL is leaving SD, as it is a great place to visit prior to embarkation. The SD airport is so convenient to the cruise terminal.:(

We were there in Feb. for our 14 day cruise to Hawaii on the Oosterdam. It was horrible until we got on board.

The obnoxious wannabe cops were arrogant twits and I also heard on board from officers that they were considering leaving there due to the many complaints from passengers about rude and arrogant treatment. I had not heard about dropping suitcases in the water. Also not theft.

San Diego itself is a lovely place. The airport is okay too. It is too bad for the businesses who rely on the cruise passengers and therefore, they should have done something about it to improve the service.

The line-ups were horrible as well and again, very rude "security guards" who were rude.

I am really sorry to hear this. Leaving from San Diego is so much easier for us than LA. We have never had an experience such as described here but I guess we have just been lucky. We sail from there next month so we will have to see how that one goes.

I wonder if the Hotel Manager is aware of this new brochure:

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hal/sandiegosailings12-14/

David

I am really sorry to hear this. Leaving from San Diego is so much easier for us than LA. We have never had an experience such as described here but I guess we have just been lucky. We sail from there next month so we will have to see how that one goes.

I am with you. I have sailed out many time from SD and its also been one of the fastest port to embark and debark from. I have always been on board within 20-30 minutes after I arrive and always off by 930am.

The only time I had any trouble was when I was with my niece and her 3 year old and as they were at cumstom they asked they 3 year old if she was with her mommy and since the 2 year old was upset with her mommy she shook her hear no. That started a 2 hour investation between my niece and cumstoms.

Actually, some officers were discussing it on the Zuiderdam last April because of so many hassles with customs etc. But as far as I know nothing official had been decided. I'm booked on a cruise of out San Diego next April..... I will be quite happy if HAL switches to Long Beach or San Pedro, so much easier for me to get there!

I love that little shopping area and easteries at San Pedro if I'm thinking of the right place. Been a few years since I was last there. It's also a lot easier to fly there on a non-stop flight.:)

Love SD, but not having cruised from there I can't comment on the problems. However, if as much luggage was falling into the harbor as Bruce Muzz says, I'm surprised we are not reading about it on CC.

Most of the cruise lines - including my employer - have already pulled out of San Diego for the very same reasons.

"On my final visits there:

The stevedores were shouting obscenities at the Captain and crew upon arrival.

Several fork lift drivers had to be removed as they were too drunk to drive.

Nearly every week they allowed an entire cage of suitcases to drop into the harbor.

When the stevedores came onboard to assist with loading they all had to be searched upon exiting as they were stealing so many things from the ship.

 

San Diego Immigration is habitually late and understaffed.

San Diego Immigration has a bunch of really rude officers who treat visitors like criminals.

San Diego is one of the few ports on earth where passengers must line up and go through immigration onboard the ship; the delays cause many passengers to miss their flights home.

San Diego could not get it's act together to build a proper cruise terminal. After Carnival gave them the money, they built a terminal that is too short for most ships to safely tie up there - and the harbor is too shallow in that area for most ships to call at low tide.

 

In 2011 there were over 300 cruise ship visits to San Diego.

In 2012 there will be around 180 cruise ship visits to San Diego.

In 2013 there will be fewer that 50 cruise ship visits to San Diego.

All you say is true. Chris and I have made many, many cruises from and to San Diego. It has never been a comfortable embark/disembark.transit stop. I recall in particular the nastiness of thne port's "Rent a Cops"...AWFUL. I did manage to get one nasty woman transferred o the cargo piers after I complained of her yelling at passengers, grabbing an elderly man and dragging him away from a spot OUTSIDE the terminal she refused to allow him to stand on to wait for someone; grabbing passenger baggage, and sadly for her, trying to start a quarrel with me. I didn't fight. I just told her, "You sound like you don't like your life." She said "NO, I don't". I told her politely that she had no right making HAL's passengers suffer for her unhappiness. I kept cool, and spoke to the Hotel Manager and the boss of San Diego's private security But I am happy to avoid the port of San Diego!

Hate to hear this....San Diego is my old hometown...have sailed from there 4 times...we usually sail out of the east coast these days....

All of our embarkations have been okay...and I have had worse elsewhere...absolutely hate Miami....almost got run over by someone with a huge forklift...got yelled at too:eek:

We have cruised all 7 continents and have sailed from San Diego once. That city has the distinction of being the only port where we would be very happy to never embark there again. The city is wonderful. The port location is very convenient. However, the embarkation experience at the port... :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: Disembarkation was better, but that isn't saying much.

Igraf, I think what BruceMuzz is referring to is the new terminal, which is rarely used for the reasons he cited. Not the old terminal.

Was in San Diego for 6 days in April, staying near the cruise ship terminals. Went by the terminals every morning just after 7am, and back at 5ish. Every day I was there there was a ship in port, and on one day there was three.

Very sorry to hear this. We love San Diego too, and lived there a few years in our Navy days. Love the convenience of the port to the airport too.

I know we would not take any cruises leaving Long Beach or anything close to LA, no thanks.

We have had two cruises out of San Diego, both to Hawaii, and we did not experience any serious situations that would cause us to not want to travel through that port.

I've sailed into the port of San Diego many, many times. It is the most painful port to deal with when getting off the ship. Would like to see HAL move to San Pedro.