To the Pier Early? Pros? Cons?

[sevenseasnomad]

We've always arrived in the port city a day or two prior to sailing and reach the ship early.  We never minded standing in the line, as we met fellow passengers who were as excited as we were.  We'd often compare excursions or alternative dining options.  Before we knew it, we were inside and among the first to check-in.  

 

Now that we are 4-star, I don't feel the pressure to be first in line anymore, nor can my older body endure the strain of standing for an hour or so on hard concrete.  We get to the ship later now, but still in time to be among the first onboard, after suite passengers.  We drop our carry-on items in the cabin, check dining reservations/tours (as others have said), and go to the MDR for lunch.  Yes, the menu is limited, but we've always found something to entice us.  We much prefer the quiet and being waited on.  Afterwards, we check back to our cabin.  Sometimes, the luggage is there, often it isn't, so we explore the ship.  Usually we return to the cabin to discover the luggage, and I may have time to unpack everything prior to muster drill.

 

OP, I think you should arrive early or late depending on what makes you happy.  There's no right or wrong way.  Enjoy your cruise.

Edited November 24, 2018 by sevenseasnomad

[scamper]

We've always arrived at the pier around noonish, but I think we're going to to arrive around 2:00 for 5:00 sailings in the future. I like the idea of being able to basically walk aboard after checking in. We'll have had lunch already and by 3:00 the rooms will be ready. We can drop carry-ons and we can take a circuit around the ship, be on deck at sailing time, back to the room where bags have most likely arrived and we're set.

[kazu]

I've only embarked from San Diego once and if I had it to do all over again I would have arrived at 2 pm.  Once the mob was gone.  

 

I think it's improved from what David has said in the past but our experience was horrific unlike any other port we have been to.

 

In Europe, we may be later.  In FLL, we come earlier.  San Diego?  No thanks.

 

In San Diego we arrived around 11:00 AM and we were in lineups, waiting for porters, etc. For nearly 2 hours.  It's a whole different set up.

 

Now, if there is only one ship in port, it will help, but when we were there, there were few porters.  There was no convenient drop off spot)  You basically stood there and tried to get their attention.  No biggee as you were going to be waiting outside for a while and then the snake crawl starts inside.

 

I hope it's much better, but seriously, if I WERE to embark from that port again, I would go at a later time.  Just for the sake of my sanity. 😉. 

 

To be fair, this was two years ago but once was enough for me.  It was so backlogged that the ship opened the crew's entrance and we went in that way.  Seriously 😞 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Kazu 

 

You got on the Westerdam in San Diego the day we got off.  It was a total disaster.  There was only 1 elevator working and the line to get on it was horrible.  My wheelchair pusher picked me up at 8:15.  We finally got to the luggage claim area at 9:30 and then cleared immigration after 10.  

 

We watched people trying to take larger than normal carry-ons down the steps and falling.

 

Also things were slowed as we had a man die the evening before in the dining room and they had a hard time getting him off the ship.  They finally took him out the crew area -- we got to watch the entire thing as we waited in the long line for the 1 elevator.

 

We have sailed and disembarked in San Diego quite a few times and the majority were all bad.

[DAllenTCY]

This Thursday there are 126 wheelchiar requests for disembarking alone.  Should I expect it to be a slow process?

 

Signs are posted, and shoreside staff attempt to enforce the escalator rules.......but many guests choose to ignore them.

Luckily this person was not injured......and when questioned, said that they were in a hurry to get to the airport!!!!

 

People die on cruise ships.....die in rest homes.... die on freeways.....and elsewhere.  How is it an issue that you wish to point out about this port?   The Port Agent handles that unfortunate circumstance and not Holland America.

 

David

 

P.S.   I'd rather pass away at 3 am in my sleep on disembarkation day than any other way.  With luck, my bank would have cancelled my credit card charge privileges at midnight.

[Copper10-8]

Couple of my cents; The goal on turnaround day is always to get the last disembarking pax off the ship by 0930 at the latest. Doesn't always happen because some pax, for various reasons, ignore the repeated requests to:

a. see U.S. CBP

b. settle their bill at/with Guest Services, or

c. are in no hurry whatsoever to leave the ship for the final time

 

If you show up in the terminal at 10:00 am, you'll be waiting at least one hour to an hour and a half before you will be allowed to board. Please keep that in mind.

 

Deaths on board; as has been stated by others, do occur. When a death happens on board, and I'm talking a natural death, and not a suspicious one, the ship's doctor will write a preliminary death report with a provisional opinion as to cause of death which is only part of the required documentation that has to be prepared by ship staff. The remains are placed in the ship's morgue under a regulated temperature. The preliminary death report is forwarded to the local medical examiner's office (of the jurisdiction where the body is planned to be disembarked) The medical examiner's office, depending on the circumstances, may defer to a local mortuary for the pickup of the remains. The ship's security officer will conduct an investigation and will prepare a report as a result.

 

Depending on where the body is disembarked (anywhere from large ports like Ft. Lauderdale, Honolulu or San Diego, to a foreign port like Papeete, Tahiti) a local investigator (or investigators) will board the ship and conduct his/her/their own investigation. From persobal experience, this has included investigators from the Broward County Sheriff's Office, San Diego Port Police, the French Gendarmerie in Papeete, the city and county of Honolulu medical examiners office, various private mortuaries, etc.

 

When it's time for the remains to leave the ship for a final time, it will be done via the crew gangway (unless logistically impossible and/or if there is only a combined crew/pax gangway in use) with the utmost of dignity. In large ports like San Diego, Port Everglades, Vancouver, etc. where a jet-way-type gangway is used for passengers, the separate crew gangway will be used for the disembarkation of human remains.

 

On HAL, crew entrances from places like the Crew Mess, Petty Officers Mess, O.B, crew cabin corridors, etc. that all lead out to, what's known as "I-95," (the A-deck corridor that runs from bow to stern) will be temporary blocked off by security guards until the stretcher with the remains has passed that particular corridor entrance. Similarly, the gangway will be blocked off by security until the remains are disembarked and placed in the medical examiner/mortuary van.