Just off Eurodam, new to HAL, a few questions?

[Sarah@Sea]

Just got off the 4-day cruise on Eurodam, overall great cruise, we wanted to relax and that's exactly what we did. We loved both pool areas and the very very nice hot tubs, not just "whirlpools" with luke warm water, but nice hot water and jets. Ate at Pinnacle for lunch one day, and Taramind for dinner the last night. Enjoyed room service breakfast everyday. Dive In burgers and hotdogs...omg...so delicious. Actually never ate at the Lido buffet, but walking through it looked very nice.

 

Had the pleasure of sharing our main dining table with two HAL Mariner suite guests who invited our entire table to an afternoon get together in their suite to show us the amenities HAL offers, very very nice of them.

 

I do have to say the safety drill was very unorganized, and I was told on CC that there is a place for disabled to sit...yes there was but it took me asking 3-4 people and being told to go stand back there (pointing to the rest of passengers) until finally someone directed me to the lounge, once in the lounge I was told by staff that all services were closed and I had to go participate in the safety drill...I stated I had checked in at my station and needed to sit. Another woman came in a bit later saying she couldn't stand that long and was close to passing out. Why isn't the "alternative" location better known by staff, and told to passengers with needs?

 

I do have a couple questions as to if our experience is normal HAL procedure or if we missed getting information. On day 2 or so we were given the customs form and debark information. However, at no time were we given luggage tags for debarkment. Other cruise lines also designate lounges for waiting, we only knew our group number was 24, but there was never mention of a meeting place to wait, so we waited in our cabin and I felt bad because I know the stewards need to clean for the turn around. Also the group number announcements were not being made on in cabin speakers. Once were in line to get off the ship I realized we had never received a final statement, or any statement to that matter, I ask a HAL employee at the gangway if I could just email and request a copy, she said the man at the podium would help me, all he did was offer to scan me back onboard to go to guest services....um no thank you..there was a huge line of people behind me still waiting to get off the ship. Once down in the luggage area we spotted our bags due to the color (purple), once the porter came over with them I saw they had PINK group tags on them...so there are luggage tags, but why were we not given them to put on or told our luggage was in the pink group?

 

And finally this is more the Port Everglades issue...but at POM they porters get your luggage and take you to the front of the customs line, actually the porter at Canaveral did the same...but at PE all porters were waiting in line with the passengers. I finally spotted a place to sit as the line was very long given only 4 agents. Longest debark I've ever experienced....

[iflyrc5]

You should have been given luggage tags with the letter that gave you the information about which group you were for disembarkation. The designations are normally a color and number like pink 2 or green 3. The letter you should have gotten would tell you you can wait in your cabin or any public area. We usually wait out by the Lido pool area and have a second or third cup of tea while waiting.

 

As for the customs line at Port Everglades it is normal for the porters with their luggage carts to just wait in line with passengers. 2 weeks ago getting off the Maasdam they only had 2 customs people checking out US citizens - the line for non-US was much shorter. We didn't get off until 1030 and still had to wait in line for 30 minutes for customs:mad:

[Hlitner]

Lots of interesting issues. Not sure why you did not get your luggage tags or final statement..but that is not the norm. As to Port Everglades making everyone wait their turn in line (including porters) we salute this procedure. If folks are truly incapable of walking or standing, then they can request a wheelchair. But we do not know any reason why these folks should be able to simply cut ahead of everyone else in line (although this is the common practice). For folks that are truly ill and need to be rushed through the process...we say God Bless then and get them through. But just because somebody needs a wheelchair (or scooter) should not give them special priority. (Ok folks,,, so flame me for not being more sensitive).

 

So here is another observation. Just because a passenger is willing to slip a porter a few dollars...does not mean that they should be able to go to the front of the line. Some folks need to just relax and wait their turn.

 

Hank

[RuthC]

But just because somebody needs a wheelchair (or scooter) should not give them special priority. (Ok folks,,, so flame me for not being more sensitive).

Wheelchair passengers don't get priority because of them. They get it to free up the wheelchairs and pushers to go back and get others off the ship. HAL's objective is to get everyone off ASAP. Having the pushers do more go-rounds in less time accomplishes that.

[SeaSharp]

We just got off this same cruise, and we DID NOT receive any luggage tags, either. When we disembarked, someway somehow there was a brown tag magically placed on the handle. The line to get through customs was only about two minutes. It was one of the easiest disembarkations we've ever done with HAL. Good cruise, too!!!

[mamaofami]

The line for customs depends on when you get off the ship. The later you leave, the longer the line. We do luggage direct (hope my new airline does that too) and are off first so no waiting.

[tangerinebunny]

We did Luggage Direct at FLL on 12/14 and faced a long line manned by two Customs Agents. Surely this reflects on Customs and not HAL?

 

Final statements go the the mailbox outside your door; we had to go back after breakfast to get ours this time.

[Sarah@Sea]

Lots of interesting issues. Not sure why you did not get your luggage tags or final statement..but that is not the norm. As to Port Everglades making everyone wait their turn in line (including porters) we salute this procedure. If folks are truly incapable of walking or standing, then they can request a wheelchair. But we do not know any reason why these folks should be able to simply cut ahead of everyone else in line (although this is the common practice). For folks that are truly ill and need to be rushed through the process...we say God Bless then and get them through. But just because somebody needs a wheelchair (or scooter) should not give them special priority. (Ok folks,,, so flame me for not being more sensitive).

 

So here is another observation. Just because a passenger is willing to slip a porter a few dollars...does not mean that they should be able to go to the front of the line. Some folks need to just relax and wait their turn.

 

Hank

 

I walk as much as I can, it's not the walking that is the issue as much as the standing in line...moving it ok, standing still is not...and as for "just request a wheelchair"...why taKe one away from someone who cannot walk at all...also I weigh 400lbs so I prefer not to make anyone PUSH me when I'm capable of walking, I was glad there were seats so I could sit and wait until my BF was at the front of the line, which then I joined him and we went through the agents line. Not everyone who has disability or medical issue needs a wheelchair or scooter. The other ladies sitting with me said the same thing, walking was find but they wouldn't have been able to stand in the line for that long, they too waiting until the rest of their party was at the front of the line then joined them.

 

My expectation of the porter taking us to the front of the line is just because that is what has occurred at POM and Port Canaveral, and also so they can get people through and back to help others.

 

Yes, we were one of the last groups off the ship because BF lives in Miami so we didn't have a flight to catch, etc.

[Sarah@Sea]

We did Luggage Direct at FLL on 12/14 and faced a long line manned by two Customs Agents. Surely this reflects on Customs and not HAL?

 

Final statements go the the mailbox outside your door; we had to go back after breakfast to get ours this time.

 

Yes, it's a port/customs issue, and the fact they are still operating under sequestration....but cruised in Sept from Canaveral, and Oct from POM and didn't experience same issue so it was an unexpected experience.

 

We had breakfast in our cabin, and left at 10 AM, since that was the end time of our group, as we opened the door they were announcing the group numbers...did not notice anything in the box.

[Sarah@Sea]

We just got off this same cruise, and we DID NOT receive any luggage tags, either. When we disembarked, someway somehow there was a brown tag magically placed on the handle. The line to get through customs was only about two minutes. It was one of the easiest disembarkations we've ever done with HAL. Good cruise, too!!!

 

Ok glad to see it wasn't just us. We were group 24 because we weren't catching a flight, etc...I understood that and we were in no hurry to get anywhere, actual time from cabin to curb was an hour, which isn't unheard of...just happened to be our longest experience. But yes, good cruise...I plan to sail HAL again.

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL permits all passengers to wait in their cabins until it is time for them to disembark.

I have to use wheelchair assistance for embarkation and disembarkation. They come for me any time between 8:15 and 8:45. Yes -- they do whisk we wheelchair people quickly through because they do need the chairs for other passengers on the ship.

Don't know why you did not get luggage tags.

When we got off the Nieuw Amsterdam last month, there were only 2 customs officers. This started over a year ago that HAL gets very few customs officers as compared to the other cruise lines.

[TrinaLC]

The reason that porters get to "cut the lines" in most venues is not for the benefit of the passenger, but rather to maximize the porters' income (they can make many trips instead of a few), as well as to make the service more available to those who need it (again, since they can make many trips instead of a few, they can serve more pax needs).

 

I think on that basis it is reasonable.

 

It is similar to wheelchair usage at airports - those pax cut the line, because it is necessary to free up the attendants or they'd have to hire many many more if the attendants were "wasting" time in line.

[sherilyn70]

I walk as much as I can, it's not the walking that is the issue as much as the standing in line...moving it ok, standing still is not...and as for "just request a wheelchair"...why taKe one away from someone who cannot walk at all

 

I appreciate that you did that, but if you know you have issues with standing then I think that is acceptable. I can walk short distances, I can stand for short periods of time. I can walk about one full distance at the fairly large mall down the street from me... but if anything delays me or I end up standing for more time than I intended my leg will go numb and has the potential to collapse from underneath me. For this reason I do have a personal scooter and use it for any event where I may have to stand for extended periods of time even if I think the walking distance is acceptable. I'm still trying to determine how often I'll actually need it on my cruise in June, but I will make sure it's there for me just in case. It will be an interesting experience trying to take a plane for the first time as well since I just developed this disability this year.