Security nightmare

[CtheW0rld]

interesting article about passengers being detained in the US:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/8559732/Cruise-passengers-tell-of-seven-hour-security-revenge-nightmare.html

[karlth]

Read it too and it didn't surprise me.

 

In New York and Los Angeles, US immigration considers tourists to be a nuisance. Given the choice I try to avoid travelling there. :(

 

Was though pleasantly surprised on how courteous the officials were in Washington. Might have something to do with fewer tourists arriving there from abroad.

[soraya]

Glad I'm off to Norway - no worrying abut volcanoes or US immigration.

 

Just hope we avoid the icebergs at Spitsbergen:)

[Dugald Drummond]

interesting article about passengers being detained in the US:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/8559732/Cruise-passengers-tell-of-seven-hour-security-revenge-nightmare.html

 

They've lost the next port as a result. I'd have thought it would make more sense to abandon LA. It's a dreadful place.

 

However, and most importantly, don't ignore this part - it makes a lot of sense....

 

"A spokeswoman for the company insisted that passengers were kept on the vessel to prevent them queuing for more than about an hour. She added: “The delay in immigration procedures was largely to blame on issues with the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) computer systems, not aided by the verbal approach that a minority of our passengers, clearly frustrated by this delay, took with the local immigration officers"

[ROSEBASKETS]

Were they scared that someone was going to steel the ship and ram it into Hollywood? There's a movie plot in there somewhere:D

 

2000 Alan Bennetts complaining about the toilet, lack of tea, lack of seats, the heat and how terrible the Americans are....... I might have made them wait too!

 

Moral? Never cross a dentist!;)

[jmkennett]

Our customs and immigration folks obviously think they have nothing better to do than harrass a bunch of tourists. You would think there are other areas to concentrate this heavily on other than a cruise ship. Not saying don't look at it, but this is a bit extreme. Our visitors deserve better. Sorry this happened to them.

[Aquaphobic]

This angers me. As an American who has traveled abroad frequently to Europe and Asia, I can report that I've never been treated rudely by customs and immigrations officials except when returning to my own country. Inexcusable.

[kevinyork]

We endured the woefull processing by US Customs when we docked in New Orleans on Ventura in December. Instead of clearing the ship as a whole they wanted every passenger and crew to present themselves at the Customs desk in the terminal. It took over 9 hours to process everyone by which time many had missed the oppotunity to explore New Orleans.

 

Cruise ships are cleared en masse in almost every country and port in the world and ultimately are a low risk for security and immigration and yet the US want to check and see everyone. Have they not heard of risk assessment? The computer system failed on that day too adding to the delays. Talk about miserable, personality void people too.

 

Clearly they take themselves far too seriously too if they reacted to angry comments from passengers on this cruise. Maybe the US Goverment should look to make cuts in their numbers to help reduce the US deficit given that they can afford to waste their time checking and rechecking elderly cruise passengers.

[jeanlyon]

This surprises me, but only slightly. As an ex Flight Attendant, travelled to the States many times and to many places. Yes the officials aren't very smiley normally and they do ask some questions, but never saw anything as bad as that. I will report back after my US/Canada cruise on 31st August on Arcadia!!

[silver service]

well people! i have FLOWN into the us many times east coast, west coast, and into las vegas. never had any problems with imigration. after hearing several reports like this, concerning cruise ships, i have decided NEVER to enter the united states via a cruise ship. it aint worth the hassel!:(

[MattyBarlow]

Sounds delightful. I hope P&O learn from this episode!:mad:

[capasamari]

When we went to New Orleans on Arcadia in December some years ago we had to present ourselves to US immigration officials at an allotted time on the ship the day before; they had boarded and sailed up the Mississippi with us. We expected a glum reception but were met by a smiling man who asked us what our plans were and wished us a pleasant visit.

 

Unfortunately the weather let us down: we arrived from 30c+ in the Caribbean to 25c in New Orleans, and the following morning the temperature was 5c!

 

Carol x

[bazzaw]

Our visits to San Francisco and Honolulu earlier this year on Arcadia went off with out a hitch. We had been warned of delays - but it all went very smoothly and quickly.

 

Barry

[Texasbloom]

I, for one, am outraged at the treatment that the elderly British received from the ****-like customs officers. I can't believe this was not a national incident, barely a blurb in the media on this. There is no excuse for this kind of treatment from federal union thugs. What kind of person disrespects the elderly? What a sad state of affairs. I'm definitely writing my congressman.