Unconscionable Rotterdam TA boarding line

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, Boatdrill said:

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

Generally they aren't involved with passenger issues.

 

10 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.

 

The organization charts for a cruise line's operation both aboard and ashore interests me and has done so for many years.  After many attempts, both ashore as a shareholder in CCL and as a guest on more than one cruise requesting such charts, I have concluded that "we, mortals" are not allowed to access such information.  

[POAII Cruiser]

4 hours ago, Boatdrill said:

Is that unique to Ft Lauderdale ?  (just curious) 

No. I think it includes the West Coast and Alaska ports

[POAII Cruiser]

The Port Agent and agency can be a different company than the staffing agency that provides the personnel for debark and embark. The Port Agent has oversight over the whole process including arranging provisioning, longshoreman and porters.

[rkacruiser]

34 minutes ago, tcasey59 said:

The Port Agent and agency can be a different company than the staffing agency that provides the personnel for debark and embark. The Port Agent has oversight over the whole process including arranging provisioning, longshoreman and porters.

 

That's interesting.  I thought that the Port Agent's responsibilities would also include the on-shore staff whom we encounter when we embark or disembark.  Are you certain of the information that you have posted?  

 

A detailed organizational chart of the cruise line operation remains something that I would like to see.  

 

 

[Boatdrill]

3 hours ago, tcasey59 said:

No. I think it includes the West Coast and Alaska ports

I believe San Diego uses Intercruises, unless HAL fired them.  🙂  

[POAII Cruiser]

I am certain. I work for one of the two above mentioned agencies in Port Everglades. I worked on the Rotterdam debark/embark described in this post. I was appalled at how it was handled by the manager at the terminal so left as embark was starting. The "Agency" listed in the official Port Everglades site is not the one that provides the staffing at the terminal. Of the two terminal staffing companies at Port Everglades, one handles Royal Caribbean and Celebrity and the other handles HAL and Princess.

[cruisemom42]

On 4/19/2022 at 1:53 AM, 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. 

 

The one day test is only required by Spain. The EU is not monolithic in their entry requirements, as I've learned over the last few weeks. (I'm on a Celebrity cruise, the first one of the season in Europe for that line, departing tomorrow.)

 

It's very possible that the Princess cruise did not have a call in Spain on its itinerary. Thence the difference in testing requirements.

[rkacruiser]

10 hours ago, tcasey59 said:

The "Agency" listed in the official Port Everglades site is not the one that provides the staffing at the terminal.

 

So, then, be specific as to who does supply the staffing?  Please.  I have written too many CC posts praising the port agency staffs at the terminals in Port Everglades, Boston, Seattle, and Vancouver.  My compliments have been directed to those Companies whom, I assumed. hired and trained the shore side staff at the terminals.  Have I been incorrect for stating my experiences and, mostly much satisfaction with the shore side staff, by crediting the Port Agent for their service for me as a cruise guest?  

[POAII Cruiser]

HAL contracts out to SMS to provide the personnel that disembark and embark the guests. 

[waiting2retire]

23 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

The one day test is only required by Spain. The EU is not monolithic in their entry requirements, as I've learned over the last few weeks. (I'm on a Celebrity cruise, the first one of the season in Europe for that line, departing tomorrow.)

 

It's very possible that the Princess cruise did not have a call in Spain on its itinerary. Thence the difference in testing requirements.

then can you explain the testing at pier for the Rotterdam which is not going to Spain?

[ShipWalker]

See the Roll Call for this cruise. Post #923 might answer your question.

[Laminator]

3 hours ago, waiting2retire said:

then can you explain the testing at pier for the Rotterdam which is not going to Spain?

From the roll call thread Portugal also requires the test one day before embarkation. That decision was made Saturday the day before the Rotterdam embarked. According to the post in the roll call the testing staff at the port was actually flown in from Texas Saturday evening after they completed testing for pax there. It appears HAL jumped through alot of hoops to get the testing accomplished. 

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, Laminator said:

From the roll call thread Portugal also requires the test one day before embarkation. That decision was made Saturday the day before the Rotterdam embarked. According to the post in the roll call the testing staff at the port was actually flown in from Texas Saturday evening after they completed testing for pax there. It appears HAL jumped through alot of hoops to get the testing accomplished. 

 

Edited to add:  Looks like there is come confusion. CNN may have gotten this wrong, but according to this article updated at noon today, Portugal does not require any testing to enter. 

 

"All travelers entering mainland Portugal must either show proof of vaccination, or valid recovery certificate, or a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before boarding, or a negative antigen test taken 24 hours before boarding..... Arriving in Portugal by sea entails the same entry regulations as air."

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/portugal-travel-covid-19/index.html

 

Note: This information was accurate as of noon on April 21st. I suppose Portugal could have added the requirement on the eve of April 16th and then removed it 3 days later, but that seems HIGHLY unlikely. Or CNN got it wrong because I am finding conflicting information now  lol

 

And flying in staff from Texas just to test? I'd need to see some type of confirmation to that rumor before I gave it any credibility. 

Edited April 21, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[albingirl]

16 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Edited to add:  Looks like there is come confusion. CNN may have gotten this wrong, but according to this article updated at noon today, Portugal does not require any testing to enter. 

 

"All travelers entering mainland Portugal must either show proof of vaccination, or valid recovery certificate, or a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before boarding, or a negative antigen test taken 24 hours before boarding..... Arriving in Portugal by sea entails the same entry regulations as air."

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/portugal-travel-covid-19/index.html

 

Note: This information was accurate as of noon on April 21st. I suppose Portugal could have added the requirement on the eve of April 16th and then removed it 3 days later, but that seems HIGHLY unlikely. Or CNN got it wrong because I am finding conflicting information now  lol

 

And flying in staff from Texas just to test? I'd need to see some type of confirmation to that rumor before I gave it any credibility. 

I would take anything that CNN reports with a grain of salt.  No offense meant, of course.

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, albingirl said:

I would take anything that CNN reports with a grain of salt.  No offense meant, of course.

 

I hear you, but if you google "Portuguese requirements for entry on a cruise ship" the article published today was the first hit. It will not surprise me if they got this wrong.