Fort Lauderdale Debarkation Debacle

[travelinjones]

Global Entry - like TSA Precheck - is only for arrivals at airports. Just like NEXUS is only for entry at Canadian/US land borders.

 

Actually, Global Entry is broader than airports:

 

From the US Customs and Border Protection website:

How are Global Entry cards used?

 

CBP accepts Global Entry cards for lawful U.S. entry at land and sea ports of entry. Global Entry cards have radio frequency identification, which enables their use at SENTRI and NEXUS expedited travel lanes entering the U.S. Global Entry cards are not valid for entry into Canada via the NEXUS lanes and kiosks. Global Entry cards are not accepted at Global Entry kiosks, which require passports or U.S. lawful permanent resident cards. Global Entry card holders must follow all program rules for SENTRI and NEXUS when using this card at land and sea ports of entry.

I have been told by representatives of Homeland Security that Global Entry is also intended to be implemented at U.S. cruise ports but it is lower on the priority list to implement and is possibly being held up by concerns of job loss by the Union that represents CBP employees.

 

Regardless, if you travel out of the U.S. by air even once a year, getting Global Entry is an amazing benefit. For only $100 fee (which is good for 5 years) you fill out an in-depth background questionnaire, then go to an approved office for fingerprinting and an in-person interview. Once approved, when you enter the country you skip the immigration line and go to a special kiosk that matches your fingerprints, takes your picture and spits out your "pass" to exit immigration. As a side benefit, you automatically get TSA pre-check, and Global Entry also works to speed immigration in some other countries such as Australia.

[Boytjie]

Actually, Global Entry is broader than airports:

 

From the US Customs and Border Protection website:

How are Global Entry cards used?

 

CBP accepts Global Entry cards for lawful U.S. entry at land and sea ports of entry. Global Entry cards have radio frequency identification, which enables their use at SENTRI and NEXUS expedited travel lanes entering the U.S. Global Entry cards are not valid for entry into Canada via the NEXUS lanes and kiosks. Global Entry cards are not accepted at Global Entry kiosks, which require passports or U.S. lawful permanent resident cards. Global Entry card holders must follow all program rules for SENTRI and NEXUS when using this card at land and sea ports of entry.

I have been told by representatives of Homeland Security that Global Entry is also intended to be implemented at U.S. cruise ports but it is lower on the priority list to implement and is possibly being held up by concerns of job loss by the Union that represents CBP employees.

 

Regardless, if you travel out of the U.S. by air even once a year, getting Global Entry is an amazing benefit. For only $100 fee (which is good for 5 years) you fill out an in-depth background questionnaire, then go to an approved office for fingerprinting and an in-person interview. Once approved, when you enter the country you skip the immigration line and go to a special kiosk that matches your fingerprints, takes your picture and spits out your "pass" to exit immigration. As a side benefit, you automatically get TSA pre-check, and Global Entry also works to speed immigration in some other countries such as Australia.

 

You are right, I forgot that Global Entry also works at SENTRI and NEXUS expedited travel lane and have not seen anything mentioned about using it when entering by sea. Cruising being rather seasonal and the need for it would be in relatively small bursts at spread out terminals it may not be cost effective to install it there.

 

We enrolled mainly to also get TSA PreCheck which is a nice benefit. :)

[DeckLife]

Questions about using Luggage Direct, if you know: Can you use the HAL transfer when you do Luggage Direct? Also, will Luggage Direct take into account airline perks one has such as free checked luggage?

[65 Gator]

Questions about using Luggage Direct, if you know: Can you use the HAL transfer when you do Luggage Direct? Also, will Luggage Direct take into account airline perks one has such as free checked luggage?

 

We have used Luggage Direct several times. Once, they did not give us free checked bag for First Class but did refund the charge. Next time they didn't charge for bags. Last cruise, we couldn't use it since our plane left at 1030 but by leaving with the first group at 0730, we were at airport easily in time for flight. Only glitch was ONE customs person to handle the entire ship (eventually two agents)...

[DaveOKC]

So for a 1230 flight out of Fort Lauderdale, would self-disembarkation be the smart thing to do?

 

Also, can you self-disembark and still use the airport transfer bus? I guess that would just guarantee being on the first bus to leave.

 

Just off in FLL on a Friday (Nov 7). Caught a 12:30 PM flight with over 2.5 hours extra time at the airport. We used the regular disembarkation.

[RuthC]

Yes, you can combine Luggage Direct with a HAL transfer. I've done it.

Remember, with Luggage Direct you are in the first group to disembark following the self-disembark group. It's early!

[freestyling]

you don't however need to disembark with the 1st group do you?

[DeckLife]

Thanks for the info on Luggage Direct. The instructions on our recent cruise were to leave the ship in the first group. I suspect the reason is that those luggage pieces go off the ship first, and usually the authorities want the people that go with the bags getting off around the same time. We did not end up using the Luggage Direct service.

[rkacruiser]

you don't however need to disembark with the 1st group do you?

 

Yes, you do from my experience. It does take some time for the transfer bus to load, so it not a situation where you have to get off "right now".

 

In my experience, I was finishing breakfast in the dining room when my Luggage Direct number was called. I had time to finish, quickly, my meal, get to my stateroom to retrieve my carry-on, and get off the ship and to the bus. Even then, we waited for several minutes before leaving. I recall the shore ops person having a manifest and was checking off people who arrived and boarded the bus.

[Oceanwench]

The airport is a zoo on Saturday and Sunday because of the allure and oasis. I sure hope the don't bring another one of those ships to Fort lauderdale.

 

Well, Regal Princess just arrived last week ... so that's almost 4,000 more pax.

[cruz chic]

Well, Regal Princess just arrived last week ... so that's almost 4,000 more pax.

 

The info I have is 3600.