Why is US customs so crappy

[hsmcruise]

Passport control rankings (at airports)

1. Barcelona- understaffed, unorganized and hot. So much so that someone fainted.

2. Vancouver- thorough, well staffed but slow. We also got randomly pulled to

A separate room for an interogation

3. jfk- NYC - slower than in the past, but organized with a new system ( u take a photo for facial recognition

4- New Orleans port- couldn't understand the accent (at the port)

5- miami (port) - the passport officer yelled at my autistic son for not looking at him. When he was talking to him.

Final analysis- stay home, don't leave the usa and then no complaints. But if u are lucky enough to be able travel there may be some inconvenience ( although a 4 hour wait is slightly more than inconvenient) I just hope they keep the bad guys out!

[upwarduk]

Final analysis- stay home, don't leave the usa and then no complaints. But if u are lucky enough to be able travel there may be some inconvenience ( although a 4 hour wait is slightly more than inconvenient) I just hope they keep the bad guys out!

 

For a few years, I avoided visiting the USA after a very butch lady at Galveston, pressed so hard on my finger that I thought she had broken it.

However, my husband really wanted to visit Hawaii, which entailed us entering USA, even though we were transiting at LAX. The customs agent asked me if I had arthritis, before pressing on my finger, after first asking me to moisten it on a sponge pad( for some reason my fingers don't give finger prints easily)

What a different attitude!

Edited November 2, 2014 by upwarduk

[Karynanne]

We were also on the Reflection T/A and were delayed by about 90 minutes. I attribute it to 1) understaffing 2) there were four other cruise ships in port yesterday....so I'm assuming they also had to go through customs too.

 

 

On a side note - to the gentleman in the Reflection Theater waiting to disembark who made the comment to the staffer while they were doing the drill -- "You could get us some coffee while we are waiting". Really - have some class. Comment totally uncalled for.

 

We too were disembarking from yesterday's Reflection cruise. Even though there were other ships at the port in Miami, each of them has their own terminals and customs facilities.

 

From what we were told, everyone disembarking was told to go through one line, once in the customs facility off the ship itself. After a long while, they divided everyone into lines. One form U.S. citizens, and one for non U.S. citizens. This really made a huge difference.

 

Before this decision was made, the back-up of passengers onboard was really long.

 

We weren't affected, due to a late afternoon flight out of Ft. Lauderdale, but many were.

 

We waited in Tuscan Grill and then finally got in line, and it did move swiftly at that point. This was around 10:00 am.

 

This people I felt sorry for, were those waiting to board for the next cruise. We heard they had a long wait.

 

IMHO, Celebrity did nothing wrong. This was purely a onsite Customs issue, following a Transatlantic.

[FloatSomeMore]

"Hope you had a nice cruise...

What time did you disembark? Do you know when the first group was able to walk off?"

 

We had 7:00 a.m. walk off schedule. When we arrived at 6:50 the line was unbelievably long. We walked off at approximately 7:50 and then began the line for immigration. We left the pier around 8:30, arrived at the airport around 8:50. There were six ships in port but Reflection appeared to arrive first. Unlike the other poster, we only received one announcement from Josh the Cruise Director who happened to be walking by and thought it would be around 15 minutes, this was around 7:15. Not sure how the other guests received their information.

 

We made our flight but with very little time to spare. Heard that others were not so lucky,

[Wiltonian]

My friend they are not rude.

They just try their best to keep our country safe from terrorists.

 

You were at JFK at that time in 1971 then, when the only terrorist threat was from the IRA? Knee-jerk defence is understandable but quite illogical.

[joandian]

My friend they are not rude.

They just try their best to keep our country safe from terrorists.

 

Yes they are rude, depending on who you are. I'm an Aussie living in TX. Before we had our green cards we had to do the 'everyone else' line and 99% of the time the agents were rude and Unwelcoming. Since we received our Green Cards we receive a smile and a 'Welcome home'. We now have global entry and just breeze through without really having to talk to anyone, which is great at the airports.

[OCruisers]

Gosh, we've always found US Customs to be very nice! :)

Even on international flights into Atlanta or LA we've never had a problem.

Once, with our first US arrival in Hawaii from SE Asia, they just ask a couple of extra questions but no real problems.

Never ever coming back from the Caribbean on a Caribbean or Panama Canal cruise! :D

LuLu

[upwarduk]

i just wonder if there are arrangements for fast track if you are booked on an Everglades Tour, which then drops you at the airport afterwards.

I was wondering about booking one, as we don't fly back to the UK until late evening after next year's TA on Reflection.

Edited November 3, 2014 by upwarduk

[Adidas4fun]

The worst customers officers I have struck (repeatedly) are Australian. As an NZer I dont need a visa or anything and they are still pricks.

[Wiltonian]

Yes they are rude, depending on who you are. I'm an Aussie living in TX. Before we had our green cards we had to do the 'everyone else' line and 99% of the time the agents were rude and Unwelcoming. Since we received our Green Cards we receive a smile and a 'Welcome home'. We now have global entry and just breeze through without really having to talk to anyone, which is great at the airports.

 

And that, of course, is a major reason for different experiences - US nationals and green card holders are very often in a different queue/line and are treated far better than 'foreign aliens'.

 

As for security staff at US airports, did I mention when I visited soon after 9/11, and was routinely pulled out of queues/lines for further questioning, in one case being the last on the aircraft as they waited for me, the only possible reason being that I have a beard- -despite it being well trimmed and me being a WASP?

 

US nationals just don't see (literally) how representatives of your country treat people from other countries. They should be your ambassadors; they make people think twice about visiting; they give your country a bad name.

 

Stuart

[wallie5446]

Thank you so much....I have been driving my husb crazy..we have a 12:15 flt out of FLL and hope to walk off...even better if we get luggage valet.

 

hope you enjoyed the cruise

 

It is much different when leaving and returning from a US port than from a TA that originated elsewhere.

[Sloop-JohnB]

It is much different when leaving and returning from a US port than from a TA that originated elsewhere.

 

Agreed.

 

Once the ship & crew have been cleared after a TA, then things will be relatively "good to go for the Caribbean season". Cruises then, will be listed as closed loops out of the USA, so will run a lot smoother for all involved... Ship, crew & pax.

 

If anyone has ever spent anytime studying or living abroad, and then returned to their home country... The process is similar. You have to jump thru hoops for the country you are going to (ie Visas) as well as upon returning home for good there is a lot of red tape / paperwork to complete in regards to bringing home the household goods you left with / importing new things you accumulated while away etc. Once you are back home again for good, if you then leave the country on a holiday... None of that other stuff comes into play again. Things go back to normal

 

And so it goes with cruise ships too...

 

Once they are back to being officially "home based" in the USA, then things will run a lot smoother from there on in.

 

Cheers!

[joandian]

The worst customers officers I have struck (repeatedly) are Australian. As an NZer I dont need a visa or anything and they are still pricks.

 

Funny, I was about to say the same about the agents in NZ ;) With the new chip passports you don't see an agent but yes, I have heard some yelling as I whiz through.

[dodger1964]

Why don't they pick some agents (would 4 be enough??), give them a free trip on the TA, and then they can pre-clear the crew and passengers on the way into the US...On last sea day they can work and enjoy a relaxing TA cruise!

[upwarduk]

Why don't they pick some agents (would 4 be enough??), give them a free trip on the TA, and then they can pre-clear the crew and passengers on the way into the US...On last sea day they can work and enjoy a relaxing TA cruise!

 

I have been on ships where this has happened.

a) prior to entering Israel from Egypt.

b) prior to entering New Zealand from Australia.

c) prior to entering UK from Amsterdam.

 

I'm sure these agent love these 'Jolly's'

[tomsafrica]

Why don't they pick some agents (would 4 be enough??), give them a free trip on the TA, and then they can pre-clear the crew and passengers on the way into the US...On last sea day they can work and enjoy a relaxing TA cruise!

 

That wouldn't work. They'd be fraternizing with the enemy for two weeks :eek: How do you give someone a hard time when you've slumped over a martini together? :rolleyes:

[dodger1964]

That wouldn't work. They'd be fraternizing with the enemy for two weeks :eek: How do you give someone a hard time when you've slumped over a martini together? :rolleyes:

 

:):):rolleyes:;)

[Quincy126]

Why don't they pick some agents (would 4 be enough??), give them a free trip on the TA, and then they can pre-clear the crew and passengers on the way into the US...On last sea day they can work and enjoy a relaxing TA cruise!

 

 

This happened on a TA from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton last year. We were given a time slot to be seen by immigration during final sea days, and on arrival in Southampton everyone just walked straight off the ship.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[uktog]

This happened on a TA from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton last year. We were given a time slot to be seen by immigration during final sea days, and on arrival in Southampton everyone just walked straight off the ship.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Same on Infinity going back to Harwich - I think UK customs see the benefit of taking such steps

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Guess you've never landed at Heathrow in the morning with all the other overseas flights then.

 

 

The difference is we are on flight from Toronto part of the Commonwealth

They just like us better :D:p

[travelberlin]

I have been in several transatlantics arriving to Europe in which the migration officers were onboard. Never on a Transatlantic to USA, did I see this procedure.