Infinity Boarding Delayed

[FrankinPA]

Arrived at port in San Diego and learned the passenger boarding is delayed until 1:30. No announced reason but a port worker said there was a delay in off-loading passengers this morning. Ship arrived around 5am according to the web cam. Maybe US Customs issue.

[Christine Frances]

Where was she coming from? San Diego always seems to have problems. I hope they are taking care of you while you wait:)

[FrankinPA]

She just completed a Panama Canal cruise. We're on board now and everything appears to be normal just running 2 hrs late. We do love this ship so no big deal. Another person said what we thought - some sort of problem with Customs.

[Christine Frances]

Fantastic - have a great cruise:D

[Lois R]

She just completed a Panama Canal cruise. We're on board now and everything appears to be normal just running 2 hrs late. We do love this ship so no big deal. Another person said what we thought - some sort of problem with Customs.

 

Hi Larry, have a wonderful cruise:)

[c-legs]

Hi,

Maybe it's just me.....:confused: but SanDiego has ample anecdotal evidences of frequent customs and/or immigration-related disembarkation delays...

I understand that port deals with an inordinate amount of arrivals from ''distant ports'' or '' international ports'' but.....

Just sayin'.......;)

On these boards alone, there are multiple threads over the months and years,relating to unusual or ''unexplained '' delays in processing disembarkations in San Diego...

again, just sayin'....:rolleyes:

 

Cheers

[Project_gal]

Have a great cruise! We shall be on her immediately following her drydock. Knowing she is on the last cruise before ours make it seem so much closer.

 

If you get a chance to post who is on board as HD and Captain [and if they are staying on for our cruise], I would be interested to know. Thanks.

 

Sue

[Keith1010]

This is not unusual in USA ports as many times the prior cruise is delayed.

 

This is why I recommend taking flights of 12:00 Noon or later when arriving to a USA port.

 

Keith

[flagger]

It could be just an issue of a port not able to handle the amount of people and their luggage in a timely manner on a M-class ship. Captain Albert, a HAL captain, wrote about this yesterday on his blog:

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/albert/?p=4940

 

During the night, we were overtaken by the Celebrity Infinity who can maintain a higher speed and she came blasting by with over 22 knots. I am quite happy, that I do not have to pay their fuel bill. The Infinity is arriving about 1.5 hrs. ahead of us at the cruise terminal as she needs all the extra time to disembark double the amount of luggage as we have.

 

Although on a shorter cruise, so in principle less luggage but with 2500+ people on board the total is still much more than we have. On departure they have the same issue with more loading and although they always try to get out at 1600 hrs., they normally never make it and still leave after us, while our departure time is 1700 hrs. and we normally can adhere to it.

[Texed]

Hi,

Maybe it's just me.....:confused: but SanDiego has ample anecdotal evidences of frequent customs and/or immigration-related disembarkation delays

Cheers

 

It is not just you, and San Pedro is even worse.

[c-legs]

It could be just an issue of a port not able to handle the amount of people and their luggage in a timely manner on a M-class ship. Captain Albert, a HAL captain, wrote about this yesterday on his blog:

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/albert/?p=4940

 

I think the current issue under discussion relates to actual / perceived customs and/or immigration-related disembarkation process delays..

What the good master Albert is describing is of course very valid, but simply a sensible corelation between volume ( guests & luggage ) and time needed to process the disembarkation and embarkation. The more of each you have, of course the longer it takes....thus a larger ship generally berthing for longer..at both ends of the sailings. Makes sense.:)

 

We notice the same thing up here in Vancouver. A typical HAL ship such as Statendam will saddle up to her berth ~~ 10-15 minutes after a typical, say, Princess ship ( i-e; Diamond ) and be done with her embarkation ~~ a good 30-40 minutes before the competitor...and generally slacks her lines and sails away before the other one.

Whenever there is an unusual delay, it can be 95% attributed to shore-side issues.....i-e;customs and /or immigration ( although our good friends at the CoastGuard will sometimes pull a fast one on you and ''hit'' a ship for an unnanounced inspection prior to debarkation....then, all bets are off.....:eek:)....

 

Cheers

[boom_boom]

We got off HAL's Oosterdam a couple of weeks ago in SD and there was a delay boarding for the next because Immigration had to process everyone while still on board before anyone could leave the ship. Only had 4 agents for the entire ship. The onshore the same agents were the Customs folks.

[silkhair1]

I don't like being delayed in boarding! I am just so happy to be getting on, I hate delays!!!!!!