Suite line for boarding

[rozen]

Is the suite line for boarding the ship applies to Junior suites?

[Clarea]

4 minutes ago, rozen said:

Is the suite line for boarding the ship applies to Junior suites?

 

Yes.

[Miss Studio]

Is there an expedited process for leaving the ship with having a Jr. Suite?  Like a different line to go through Customs?

[Clarea]

11 minutes ago, Miss Studio said:

Is there an expedited process for leaving the ship with having a Jr. Suite?  Like a different line to go through Customs?

 

Not that I've seen.

[BND]

We always stay in a JS.  For boarding, yes, you get to board with suites, but once general boarding starts, it doesn't really matter as you just walk on with everyone else after you check in.  As for debarkation, nope, there is no priority.   GS and above usually get escorted off by the concierge as a group, but that's where it ends. The only way to get through customs quickly is to use a porter who will take you directly to an agent and you don't have to stand in line.  We've never done it, but have seen some do so.  Of course, that requires a nice tip for the porter.  But, customs usually moves very quickly.

Edited December 28, 2018 by BND

[grandgeezer]

25 minutes ago, BND said:

We always stay in a JS.  For boarding, yes, you get to board with suites, but once general boarding starts, it doesn't really matter as you just walk on with everyone else after you check in.  As for debarkation, nope, there is no priority.   GS and above usually get escorted off by the concierge as a group, but that's where it ends. The only way to get through customs quickly is to use a porter who will take you directly to an agent and you don't have to stand in line.  We've never done it, but have seen some do so.  Of course, that requires a nice tip for the porter.  But, customs usually moves very quickly.

This is not true for it's sister line RCL. We were in a Grand Suite, on the Allure, last month. Since we had Luggage Valet and no luggage to pick up in the terminal, the concierge walked us off, the ship, through the terminal, and right to the first available customs agent. Forty minutes after we left the Suite Lounge, we were sitting at our gate at Ft. Lauderdale airport. Would have been a little faster but there was a delay going through TSA at the airport.

[BND]

7 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

This is not true for it's sister line RCL. We were in a Grand Suite, on the Allure, last month. Since we had Luggage Valet and no luggage to pick up in the terminal, the concierge walked us off, the ship, through the terminal, and right to the first available customs agent. Forty minutes after we left the Suite Lounge, we were sitting at our gate at Ft. Lauderdale airport. Would have been a little faster but there was a delay going through TSA at the airport.

"Sister line RCL"?   You were on a RCI ship-the Allure so that doesn't make sense.  That's probably due to luggage valet, but our experiences in a GS was what I said.  Anyway, the OP's question was about JS.

Edited December 28, 2018 by BND

[grandgeezer]

2 hours ago, BND said:

"Sister line RCL"?   You were on a RCI ship-the Allure so that doesn't make sense.  That's probably due to luggage valet, but our experiences in a GS was what I said.  Anyway, the OP's question was about JS.

Sorry, I was just on Celebrity's site. Accept my deepest apology for any pain or angst I might have caused.

If I recall, you are the one that brought up Grand Suites and I was playing off that.

[SRF]

17 hours ago, BND said:

GS and above usually get escorted off by the concierge as a group, but that's where it ends. The only way to get through customs quickly is to use a porter who will take you directly to an agent and you don't have to stand in line.  We've never done it, but have seen some do so.  Of course, that requires a nice tip for the porter.  But, customs usually moves very quickly.

 

If you are GS or above in Baltimore, you get escorted off the ship, past the lines of self debarkers, and straight to s VERY short line for immigration/customs.

[BND]

3 hours ago, SRF said:

 

If you are GS or above in Baltimore, you get escorted off the ship, past the lines of self debarkers, and straight to s VERY short line for immigration/customs.

Have only done GS out of FL once) and NJ(4 times) and the concierge didn't take us to immigration there.  Anyway, OP asked about JS and it's not listed as a perk by RCI.  If it's done, it's a choice of the concierge.

[BND]

18 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

Sorry, I was just on Celebrity's site. Accept my deepest apology for any pain or angst I might have caused.

If I recall, you are the one that brought up Grand Suites and I was playing off that.

Where's the eye roll emoji?  I only brought up GS because they DO get escorted off the ship and a lot of people confuse JS with full suites.

[Milwaukee Eight]

7 minutes ago, BND said:

Have only done GS out of FL once) and NJ(4 times) and the concierge didn't take us to immigration there.  Anyway, OP asked about JS and it's not listed as a perk by RCI.  If it's done, it's a choice of the concierge.

We nearly always travel in GS. I agree, we get walkoff to our luggage but have NEVER been escorted to Customs. After luggage pickup, we fall into line with everyone else to clear customs. 

[RFerrington]

2 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

We nearly always travel in GS. I agree, we get walkoff to our luggage but have NEVER been escorted to Customs. After luggage pickup, we fall into line with everyone else to clear customs. 

It depends on the port.  Whether or not the Concierge can escort you all the way to Customs depends on the port’s rules.  Miami, for instance, does not permit Concierges to leave the ship.  Port Everglades does. This is one reason why I prefer PE to PoM. The “escorted” disembark out of PoM is useless.

[Milwaukee Eight]

4 hours ago, RFerrington said:

It depends on the port.  Whether or not the Concierge can escort you all the way to Customs depends on the port’s rules.  Miami, for instance, does not permit Concierges to leave the ship.  Port Everglades does. This is one reason why I prefer PE to PoM. The “escorted” disembark out of PoM is useless.

Thats odd. We were on Harmony in both April and October. Walkoff only to luggage. 

 

Customs is just right around the corner from Suite/Pinnacle luggage. Concierge was there but it was the land based employees who directed us to a line in customs. 

[Mythbuster]

12 hours ago, BND said:

Have only done GS out of FL once) and NJ(4 times) and the concierge didn't take us to immigration there.  Anyway, OP asked about JS and it's not listed as a perk by RCI.  If it's done, it's a choice of the concierge.

Hmm, in August we were in a GS in NJ.  The concierge walked us off the ship to the suite luggage area and then pointed us to a special VIP customs line directly behind the suite luggage. 

[BND]

15 minutes ago, Mythbuster said:

Hmm, in August we were in a GS in NJ.  The concierge walked us off the ship to the suite luggage area and then pointed us to a special VIP customs line directly behind the suite luggage. 

Hmm, never said it was recent.  We haven't been in a GS in a 4 or so  years, but as you can see above a couple of people reported different port, different experiences and as I said, probably depends on concierge too.

[SRF]

Are these ports still doing a separate customs?

 

At Baltimore (like most US airports coming in international), you get off the ship and go to immigration.  The officer also asks you the customs questions.   Once through, you pick up your luggage and walk out.  No second customs line.

 

This was the way in Aug 2017 and 2018 at Baltimore.  And every US airport I have arrived internationally into for the last few years.

[alfaeric]

I’ll know 100% in a week, but San Juan has had a gold card line for customs for as long as I can remember. So even if you don’t come off the ship with the concierge, you get a short line. 

 

Also, the suite line to get on the ship can be hard to find, depending on the boarding line length. It’s all the way to the left along the building as you enter. The suite line is pretty handy to board with. Makes waiting for security a whole lot shorter. 

[spookwife]

On 12/28/2018 at 9:16 AM, Miss Studio said:

Is there an expedited process for leaving the ship with having a Jr. Suite?  Like a different line to go through Customs?

 

 

no.  not unless you grab a porter ( and of course tip them accordingly)  

[spookwife]

On 12/29/2018 at 3:47 AM, SRF said:

 

If you are GS or above in Baltimore, you get escorted off the ship, past the lines of self debarkers, and straight to s VERY short line for immigration/customs.

  that never happened to us sailing out of Baltimore.   it's basically at the discretion of the Concierge as to how  extensive the debarkation  process is.   we have sailed the same ship( Liberty) with 2 different Concierges and gotten two different levels of service.  one just  took us all as a group via one of the crew elevators over to the Luggage holding area.  and one had arranged for a separate Customs Agent for us to go directly to without having to go through the main line.  

[island lady]

On Oasis this month, sailing in a GS...concierge led us quickly past self disembarkation pax, down a separate escalator, and directly to Suites/Pinnacle luggage area in the front.  He then pointed out, but did not escort us, to a dedicated direct line to customs that went around the general lines.  That line we almost had to run to catch up, and went right up to the front at customs.  Sweet suite perk! 🙂 

Edited December 30, 2018 by island lady

[SRF]

18 hours ago, spookwife said:

  that never happened to us sailing out of Baltimore.   it's basically at the discretion of the Concierge as to how  extensive the debarkation  process is.   we have sailed the same ship( Liberty) with 2 different Concierges and gotten two different levels of service.  one just  took us all as a group via one of the crew elevators over to the Luggage holding area.  and one had arranged for a separate Customs Agent for us to go directly to without having to go through the main line.  

 

3 times in suites, 3 times this is how it worked on Grandeur in Baltimore.

 

Meet in the CL, once the concierge got the call that the ship was clear to disembark, he used one or two of the elevators, that had been locked out on the lounge floor, to get people to the lowest deck, then walked us out as a group, past the self disembarkers, and to a short line for immigration.  He may not have walked us all the way to the immigration, but far enough to point the way past the line.

 

Last 2 times, no customs, just immigration (passport check).  

 

When did Liberty sail from Baltimore?   Not the last 4 years.

Edited December 31, 2018 by SRF