Boarding time/dining time - hownstrict?

[gbenjo]

1 hour ago, Hogbay said:

All b2b pac to disembark with all luggage and get cleared by boarder Force and wait for ship to be cleared too before been allowed to re board. Obrdre from ABF , OPT and BICT and ship have no say ....

If you say so.

By the way, apart from the luggage, that has always been the case.

Edited December 5, 2022 by gbenjo

[bretts173]

1 hour ago, Hogbay said:

All b2b pac to disembark with all luggage and get cleared by boarder Force and wait for ship to be cleared too before been allowed to re board. Obrdre from ABF , OPT and BICT and ship have no say ....

It's an international cruise followed by a domestic cruise, they have to clear customs and immigration. 

[Cruisers47]

3 hours ago, resordanis said:

We are also on board and had a totally different experience. Arrived about 11.30am dropped bags and were told to join the queue. Took a little while but staff were amazing and we were on board in Windjammer having lunch by 12.30. Totally different experience to boarding Majestic, now that was a nightmare. I think we have to realise, unfortunately Covid has changed everything. I was happy they were so thorough which was different to Majestic!

Now doing a B2B now that is a totally different experience too! Have to pack up, take bags off, then to bring them back on again. Considering we are in the same cabin, that will be a nightmare!

Well that tells me not to do B2B….is that just in OZ….is it the cruise line or OZ Border Control?

 

in the Med on RC we arrived early and as we had already had all our documents ready and our RAT done we just walked on.   Very easy.

 

Eileen

[bretts173]

4 minutes ago, Cruisers47 said:

Well that tells me not to do B2B….is that just in OZ….is it the cruise line or OZ Border Control?

 

in the Med on RC we arrived early and as we had already had all our documents ready and our RAT done we just walked on.   Very easy.

 

Eileen

It is because it is a international cruise followed by a domestic. After the first cruise you have to be checked by customs and immigration just like any international arrival so this means checking baggage as well. Because the 2 nd cruise is domestic there are no checks. If the first cruise was domestic or both were international you wouldn't need to take bags off 

[gbenjo]

8 minutes ago, Cruisers47 said:

Well that tells me not to do B2B….is that just in OZ….is it the cruise line or OZ Border Control?

 

in the Med on RC we arrived early and as we had already had all our documents ready and our RAT done we just walked on.   Very easy.

 

Eileen

I think Australia is “unique” in its remoteness and therefore would be one of a very few  countries where a cruise does not visit another  country but pretty sure that the circumstance would be the same in any country in regard to border force rules where a local cruise is followed by an “international waters” cruise.  Border Force however, would not/ could not make  a call on staggered boarding times as suggested by others.

[Chiliburn]

2 hours ago, Hogbay said:

All b2b pac to disembark with all luggage and get cleared by boarder Force and wait for ship to be cleared too before been allowed to re board. Obrdre from ABF , OPT and BICT and ship have no say ....

@gbenjo

A cavity search???

[GUT2407]

45 minutes ago, gbenjo said:

Apart from  having to put up with the occasional “obnoxious” passenger ( they know who they are) I enjoy the job and I have been found not guilty of your alleged crime.😇😇

Sorry some are obnoxious, but I guess seeing me and Mrs Gut makes up for them.

[gbenjo]

5 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Sorry some are obnoxious, but I guess seeing me and Mrs Gut makes up for them.

Well, …………. you are half right.🤔🤔🤔

[gbenjo]

8 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

@gbenjo

A cavity search???

Could be…….ask Hogbay.

[GUT2407]

1 minute ago, gbenjo said:

Well, …………. you are half right.🤔🤔🤔

Yeah I understand SHE can be hard to deal with.

[gbenjo]

3 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Yeah I understand SHE can be hard to deal with.

I can understand that….I have met her husband……a real “ cavity search”  

[MicCanberra]

I have met numerous of these people who you are referring too, and most are totally normal if you just discount their oddities.

[gbenjo]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

I have met numerous of these people who you are referring too, and most are totally normal if you just discount their oddities.

If only they would discount a cruise, as much as you would have to discount their oddities, I could cruise all year round. 😁

[arxcards]

7 hours ago, Hogbay said:

All b2b pac to disembark with all luggage and get cleared by boarder Force and wait for ship to be cleared too before been allowed to re board. Obrdre from ABF , OPT and BICT and ship have no say ....

It is the case this week, but depends on whether the cruise and the following one is international or domestic. In this case, it is international followed by domestic. All passengers need to "arrive" into Australia and have their cards collected/limits scrutinised by ABF, as there will be no ABF passenger screening after the following cruise to Tassie. Pain in the butt, but much easier when B2B'ing domestic then international.

Edited December 5, 2022 by arxcards

[gbenjo]

11 hours ago, arxcards said:

It is the case this week, but depends on whether the cruise and the following one is international or domestic. In this case, it is international followed by domestic. All passengers need to "arrive" into Australia and have their cards collected/limits scrutinised by ABF, as there will be no ABF passenger screening after the following cruise to Tassie. Pain in the butt, but much easier when B2B'ing domestic then international.

Exactly, this is a standard process required by ABF under this circumstance, but nothing to do with staggered check in times as was claimed. The cruise line makes the call on this . 

[RubyRedDeb]

On 12/3/2022 at 2:53 PM, Hernextdoor said:

I just logged on to check in for Ovation of the seas boarding in Sydney on Wed and the earliest available slot was 3pm! I was wxpecting to be able to board earlier. How strict are they about enforcing those times? Also for some reason I have been assigned 5.30 MDR dining, which is ridiculously early. What happens if I just rock up at, say 7pm? I am travelling solo.

We were on Ovation a couple of weeks ago; our boarding time was 2pm - we had lunch nearby, and by 1pm the line to check in was much shorter & they opened it up to all remaining time slots, so like us you may be on board earlier than you expect.

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, gbenjo said:

Exactly, this is a standard process required by ABF under this circumstance, but nothing to do with staggered check in times as was claimed. The cruise line makes the call on this . 

There is a bit in the covid protocols about controlling numbers inside the terminal, but the cruise lines have been doing that well before covid existed. Staggered check-ins were all about passenger comfort, as long lines = unhappy passengers (and probably unhappy terminal staff)