Unconscionable Rotterdam TA boarding line

[Laminator]

6 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

Why is it in this day of easy communication that there are so many entities in our society that operate in "silos"?  

 

 

 

There is no excuse for whomever the Person in Charge of Embarkation was to not get on his/her cell phone, computer, whatever and make the needed contacts to prevent this situation.  I suspect that "person" is not a HAL paid employee.  I suspect that person is paid by the Port Agency hired by HAL.  Where does the responsibility lie for this situation?    

Easter Sunday early morning and there are literally last minute changes. You think that is going to be easy? Prying these testing people away from their families. I can't see it.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Laminator

[rkacruiser]

1 minute ago, Laminator said:

You think that is going to easy?

 

Thanks for your post.  No, it wouldn't be easy.  The main point of my post dealt with my "silo" comment.  The "right hand does not know what the left hand" is doing in some businesses that are--or should be--client oriented.  2022 communication is so easy.  Yet, Person Z has no idea what Person W is doing or saying in relation to the same issue/problem that relates to the same client.  

[Laminator]

9 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Thanks for your post.  No, it wouldn't be easy.  The main point of my post dealt with my "silo" comment.  The "right hand does not know what the left hand" is doing in some businesses that are--or should be--client oriented.  2022 communication is so easy.  Yet, Person Z has no idea what Person W is doing or saying in relation to the same issue/problem that relates to the same client.  

I have to give HAL the benefit of the doubt here. A Princess ship left on a TA Saturday and testing at the pier was not required. Whatever happened had to be very last minute. And with it being a Holiday weekend it can not be that easy. Same with whomever is working the port if this was in fact on them. 

[rkacruiser]

1 minute ago, Laminator said:

Same with whomever is working the port if this was in fact on them. 

 

Thanks for your reasonable post.  Not 100% sure, but I think Princess uses a different Port Agency than HAL does.  

[BermudaBound2014]

39 minutes ago, Laminator said:

Easter Sunday early morning and there are literally last minute changes. You think that is going to be easy? Prying these testing people away from their families. I can't see it.

 

Have we determined that this was a last minute change? Based on what I'm reading, the countries made changed weeks ago. Perhaps HAL made a last minute decision to add the test? 

[Laminator]

21 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Have we determined that this was a last minute change? Based on what I'm reading, the countries made changed weeks ago. Perhaps HAL made a last minute decision to add the test? 

You're not understanding the issue. It was HAL's policy that pax embarking from US ports had to have a 48 or 72 hour covid negative test prior to boarding. Since this was a TA cruise embarking from the US HAL's thinking was that would be sufficient. It appears that the EU or a country in the EU, I am reading Spain, was having an issue with the testing time frame as they require a 1 day negative test to embark from there. All EU cruises on HAL require a 1 day negative test embarking a EU port. So confusion reigns.

And the confusion will continue with a Federal Judge stating the transportation mask mandate is not legal today. United has come out already and say masks are voluntary unless the country you are flying to requires them. Delta is sticking with the mandate. Good Luck to everyone trying to keep up with this. 

[Laminator]

56 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Thanks for your reasonable post.  Not 100% sure, but I think Princess uses a different Port Agency than HAL does.  

I am confused. What does a port agency have to do with covid testing? Does that agency hire and pay the covid testing agencies?

Edited April 19, 2022 by Laminator

[BermudaBound2014]

2 minutes ago, Laminator said:

 It appears that the EU or a country in the EU, I am reading Spain, was having an issue with the testing time frame as they require a 1 day negative test to embark from there. 

 

But this requirement from Spain was nothing new. NCL went thru a similar issue last week embarking in Spain. NCL actually left about 70 people at the dock because they interpreted the rule incorrectly.

 

I do give HAL some slack in that changes are happening, but I do think someone at HAL dropped the ball on this one since no new rules appear to have been put in place yesterday unless they were self-emposed.

[Laminator]

Just now, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

But this requirement from Spain was nothing new. NCL went thru a similar issue last week embarking in Spain. NCL actually left about 70 people at the dock because they interpreted the rule incorrectly.

 

I do give HAL some slack in that changes are happening, but I do think someone at HAL dropped the ball on this one since no new rules appear to have been put in place yesterday unless they were self-emposed.

You are talking about NCL DEPARTING from a EU port and consequently having to follow their embarkation rules. HAL departed from a US port and up until late Saturday night or Sunday morning HAL believed the US embarkation rules applied. I can guaranty you that if HAL was aware of this rule 2 weeks ago they would have emailed all the pax departing and informed them of the 24 hour requirement. It would have saved them a fortune. 

[BermudaBound2014]

7 minutes ago, Laminator said:

. HAL departed from a US port and up until late Saturday night or Sunday morning HAL believed the US embarkation rules applied. I can guaranty you that if HAL was aware of this rule 2 weeks ago they would have emailed all the pax departing and informed them of the 24 hour requirement. It would have saved them a fortune. 

 

 I think the operative word here is 'believed'. Should not someone at HAL checked, and double checked, and then triple checked the requirements?? Especially given what has been happening with ships embarking in EU? Perhaps even gotten the requirements in writing to avoid mis-communication?🙂

 

Like I said, I do give them some slack and acknowledge that anyone electing to cruise at this time is also electing to be prepared for some niggles like happened at embarkation yesterday. No doubt that HAL would have preferred to have avoided that debacle. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[rkacruiser]

4 minutes ago, Laminator said:

I am confused. What does a port agency have to do with covid testing? Does that agency hire and pay the covid testing agencies?

 

How do I know?  The Port Agency is responsible for the embarkation and disembarkation of cruise guests along with other duties that relate to the shoreside requirements for the ship such re-stocking of supplies.  They hire those who are M&G folks, those who check one in.  Security personal?  Probably not.  Porters at the pier?  No.  Those who are hired to do the testing?  How would I know?  

[Laminator]

Just now, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

 I think the operative word here is 'believed'. Should not someone at HAL checked, and double checked, and then triple checked the requirements?? Especially given what has been happening with ships embarking in EU. 

 

Like I said, I do give them some slack and acknowledge that anyone electing to cruise at this time is also electing to be prepared for some niggles like happened at embarkation yesterday. 

While another Carnival Corp ship from Princess departed FLL on Saturday the day before with no testing required at the pier. This makes me believe that sometime between that departure and HAL pax embarkation on Sunday something had to change. Unless you can provide me with the reason that Princess pax did not require a test. 

[OlsSalt]

4 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

 I think the operative word here is 'believed'. Should not someone at HAL checked, and double checked, and then triple checked the requirements?? Especially given what has been happening with ships embarking in EU? 

 

Like I said, I do give them some slack and acknowledge that anyone electing to cruise at this time is also electing to be prepared for some niggles like happened at embarkation yesterday. 

 

 

See post #55. It all worked out.

[Laminator]

1 minute ago, rkacruiser said:

 

How do I know?  The Port Agency is responsible for the embarkation and disembarkation of cruise guests along with other duties that relate to the shoreside requirements for the ship such re-stocking of supplies.  They hire those who are M&G folks, those who check one in.  Security personal?  Probably not.  Porters at the pier?  No.  Those who are hired to do the testing?  How would I know?  

I only responded because you said Princess may or does utilize a different port agency. I highly doubt that any port agency is responsible for hiring a company that would have anything to do with covid testing for pax. 

[BermudaBound2014]

11 minutes ago, Laminator said:

While another Carnival Corp ship from Princess departed FLL on Saturday the day before with no testing required at the pier. This makes me believe that sometime between that departure and HAL pax embarkation on Sunday something had to change. Unless you can provide me with the reason that Princess pax did not require a test. 

 

A possible reason would be that no requirement was ever made from a third party. Instead, isn't it possible that the requirement was self-imposed (by HAL) to be extra cautious based on what is currently happening with quarantines on several longer itineraries? I think this scenario is more likely than new rules coming out in the middle of the night (Easter Eve no less). I suspect we will never really know the actual root cause of the testing requirements, especially given those onboard have already been told multiple versions.

 

Like Olssalt stated, it all worked out in the end. I do believe that anyone traveling now needs to be extra flexible and prepared for obstacles. Had I been on the ship I would have taken embarkation in stride knowing that things like this are bound to happen; but that doesn't mean I give HAL a blanket pass.

 

It must be very challenging to keep up with the fluid landscape (seascape), but challenging does not eliminate responsibility entirely.

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[rkacruiser]

9 minutes ago, Laminator said:

I only responded because you said Princess may or does utilize a different port agency. I highly doubt that any port agency is responsible for hiring a company that would have anything to do with covid testing for pax. 

 

I understand.  Thanks for your post.  Two new questions have

 

arisen in this exchange of posts, I think.  Who does hire those who does the testing?  How well qualified are these people?  

 

6 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Like Olssalt stated, it all worked out in the end. I do believe that anyone traveling now needs to be extra flexible and prepared for obstacles

 

Surely agree with your statement!  Travel pre-Covid could become fraught with so many issues.  In the era of Covid, it's become even more potentially difficult.  

[POAII Cruiser]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Why is it in this day of easy communication that there are so many entities in our society that operate in "silos"?  

 

 

 

There is no excuse for whomever the Person in Charge of Embarkation was to not get on his/her cell phone, computer, whatever and make the needed contacts to prevent this situation.  I suspect that "person" is not a HAL paid employee.  I suspect that person is paid by the Port Agency hired by HAL.  Where does the responsibility lie for this situation?    

You are correct. HAL contracts out shoreside operations. Most of the blame rests there, not with HAL.

[Laminator]

6 minutes ago, tcasey59 said:

You are correct. HAL contracts out shoreside operations. Most of the blame rests there, not with HAL.

I own a company. I contract out services. I can assure you of one thing. The fault always go back to the main corp. Because if that company can not do its job correctly then it is my fault for hiring them.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Laminator

[BermudaBound2014]

8 minutes ago, Laminator said:

I own a company. I contract out services. I can assure you of one thing. The fault always go back to the main corp. Because if that company can not do its job correctly then it is my fault for hiring them.

 

Exactly. And as my father always said, the "blame" ultimately resides with who cashed your check. 

 

 

[Boatdrill]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The Port Agency.... hire those who are M&G folks, those who check one in.  

Actually HAL hires a staffing company for those positions. 

It's https://www.intercruises.com/.

 

A port agent acts as the liaison between the ship/cruise line and the port. 

Generally they aren't involved with passenger issues.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Boatdrill

[POAII Cruiser]

Actually the staffing company isn't Intercruises. The embarkation personnel are provided by a SMS, the same company that services Princess ships.

[Tampa Girl]

17 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Why is it in this day of easy communication that there are so many entities in our society that operate in "silos"?  

 

 

 

There is no excuse for whomever the Person in Charge of Embarkation was to not get on his/her cell phone, computer, whatever and make the needed contacts to prevent this situation.  I suspect that "person" is not a HAL paid employee.  I suspect that person is paid by the Port Agency hired by HAL.  Where does the responsibility lie for this situation?    

 

My question, also.  It appears from if the posting that Customs may have had  hand in the scheduling of this testing.  

[BermudaBound2014]

I just stumbled across this article. It seems Celebrity was aware of the need to have a test 1 day prior to embarkation in the USA for a transatlantic crossing several weeks ago.  This article was published April 1st.....

 

"Guests must present a negative test at least two days before sailing. However, if they have a port of call or voyage ending in Spain, Italy, or The Netherlands, the test must be taken within 24 hours of sailing."

https://www.cruisehive.com/celebrity-cruises-releases-travel-requirements-for-transatlantic-voyages/69122

 

 

[Boatdrill]

6 hours ago, tcasey59 said:

Actually the staffing company isn't Intercruises. The embarkation personnel are provided by a SMS, the same company that services Princess ships.

Is that unique to Ft Lauderdale ?  (just curious) 

[tuolumne couple]

On 4/17/2022 at 8:58 AM, boze9999 said:

HAL Is Forcing 1000 people.....

We just got off a 45 night b2b,  and we were prepared for this as it was communicated to us multiple  times. This hardly looks like a thousand people and certainly there does not appear to be any forcing going on. I think you are a free agent until you scan that card and become a passenger.... in all fairness, the pier testing went by rather quickly in my opinion. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by tuolumne couple
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