Late boarding due to previous cruise visiting Belize

Just received an email from Carnival stating our cruise on Sat will be running behind due to increased document screening because it stopped in Belize. Email says not to show until 1.

I normally get there around 10 - 10:30 and usually don't have a long wait before boarding. I'm not sure if this is a CYA measure on their part or if I can honestly expect to not start the boarding process until 1. Know it's a gamble either way, but like to get on the boat as soon as possible, yet not looking forward to sitting in the terminal for a 2-3 hours if they really don't board until 1. Have FTTF for the cruise, so guess my wait won't be long if I show up later than my original time.

I just read another thread about this same thing. One poster on one if the late arrivals said they weren't even off the ship until 10am due to this same issue. I personally would not want to sit around the terminal for hours waiting in a crowd to board. I would rather arrive a little later and only have a small wait.

Are you on the Dec 7 Dream cruise?

~Sailor's Momma~

Nope, Dec 7th Liberty

Ok. Thanks! The Dream is going to Belize too.

~Sailor's Momma~

We definitely had a full immigration inspection after returning from Belize in August. We are Platinum and even with priority debarkation we got off much later than normal. The lines in the terminal to go through immigration were very long. If you had a passport you got off easier since they scanned the passports. But, they had to type in all the info for those with Birth Certificates. It took them 15 minutes to clear the family ahead of us. The CBP agent typed with 2 fingers. Then, when she was finished typing she seemed to play 20 questions with them.

We have been on the other end as well when we cruised on the next cruise after a Belize sailing. We got an e-mail to not arrive until 1pm. We heeded the warning and it was a good thing. There were still people getting off the ship when we arrived at 1pm. We went through VIP check-in and Platinum boarding started about 1:30pm. The people who disregarded the e-mail had been waiting in the terminal for hours and they were not happy campers.

Is this something new? We have been on two cruises that stopped in Belize and neither time did it result in any delays for us or the cruise after ours.

It has been happening lately.

We were on the Dream in October and boarded about an hour later than normal due to this.

Are you on the Dec 7 Dream cruise?

 

 

~Sailor's Momma~

The Dream alternates western and eastern itineraries, our 12/7 western cruise will be the one with a stop in Belize, might mean that we'll be delayed a bit when we get back getting off the ship though.

This past Sunday on Magic out of Galveston. Lines were no longer than the past 2 cruises. BUT did have a loonnnnggg wait due to a computer glitch in our lane resulting in the family ahead of us being held up nearly 40 minutes. The Customs Agent confirmed this.

Didn't see anyone being excessively searched & didn't even see a drug dog in the Terminal. We were kicked out of our room about 9:00, went to Lido & ate, our floor was called (we did self-assist), we exited the ship, & were cleared to leave by 10:20.

The cruise after my Liberty cruise had the same issue last year, but we were back early and off the ship with no issues

No issues with customs or late debarkation after our 10/12/13 Dream cruise which stopped in Belize. I was actually quite impressed with the speed of debarkation due to the government shutdown ending the week we were on the cruise...