Late departure? How does one buy it?

[orville99]

1 hour ago, LoganTheCruiser said:

Okay, you guys don't seem to believe me. I took a video. Here's the 95 minute customs line I waited in after getting off Wonder recently.

If that was Wonder (and I presume in Miami prior to last December), then it had to be prior to them installing the facial recognition systems, or you got in the wrong line. We have sailed Wonder multiple times since she moved to Port Canaveral, and have never spent more than 10 minutes getting off the ship, through the terminal, and back to our car.

[DaKahuna]

4 hours ago, LoganTheCruiser said:

Where do they escort you to? To the FRONT of the customs line, or do you just join the line like everyone else?

 

On Harmony in February, we were escorted as a group to the gangway, then through the scanning process to leave the ship (they had two lines dedicated to just suite guest), down the gangway to the luggage area, with the pier side folks holding up other traffic so we could pass, and to where our luggage was waiting.  Picked up our luggage and went to the customs line -- there were multiple lines for customs, first come first served, and they were using the face scanning machines.  There were three people ahead of us when we got in line and it took about a minute for those folks to clear before we walked up, got our green check mark and walked out of the terminal. 

 

The suite concierge had two times IIRC, 0730 and 0800, where they escorted us off.  We started going as soon as he got word that our baggage was ready and this was before all the people carrying their own luggage were processed.  I believe I heard the first set of bag tag numbers being called while we were going through to enter the gangway. 

 

Even when we have not used the Suite concierge to escort us off, we have never encountered a one or two hour delay in clearing customs and that was before the face scanning technology was introduced at the newer terminals. 

 

[nelblu]

22 minutes ago, RedIguana said:

Yep. At least the case on all my cruises from Tampa, Port Canaveral, Miami and FLL. 5 of those since the restart except Port Canaveral. Last one August of 2022. POM and Tampa porter went all the way to the car.

Don't know, prior to intro of FRT there were no separate lines for porters.

[PhillyFan33579]

4 hours ago, LoganTheCruiser said:

I always carry my bags on and off as I only have one small roller bag. But you're saying that if you hire a porter to transport your bags then that comes with getting access to a separate less busy customs line?!

What about when you don't collect your checked bags until after customs? In Miami, you collect before customs. In Barcelona, you collect your bags after passport control. 

Your statement about Miami is incorrect. As mentioned just above, I had the longest customs line (or any line for that matter) that I've ever experienced in my life getting off Wonder in Miami. Why they don't even have a separate line for citizens, I don't understand. The disorganization and chaos during disembarkation has always astounded me. I've been on 10 cruises in the last 2 years.

 
I have cruised out of Port Miami 13 times in the last year, from both Terminal A and G, and I literally have not stopped walking from the time I left the ship to the time I got to the garage on all 13 cruises. My experience has been the same at both Port Canaveral and Port Everglades (multiple cruises at both ports). 
 

EDIT: My comment above was based on the ports using facial recognition for debarkation. If facial recognition is down for some reason, it definitely extends the time. 

Edited April 7, 2023 by PhillyFan33579

[LoganTheCruiser]

2 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 
I have cruised out of Port Miami 13 times in the last year, from both Terminal A and G, and I literally have not stopped walking from the time I left the ship to the time I got to the garage on all 13 cruises. My experience has been the same at both Port Canaveral and Port Everglades (multiple cruises at both ports). 

I’m convinced the ship docks at a different terminal when I’m on board. Everyone else has a smooth experience, except me and my fellow passengers. 

[NRWPA]

I mostly go out of Fort Lauderdale or Miami and have had facial recognition on all since the cruising re-start. The only long line I experienced was on an NCL ship where for unknown reasons, they brought the facial recognition screens on board. The lines were ridiculously long but they kept calling tag numbers (apparently so you could leave your comfortable seat and stand in line for an hour) I never got to my car in the parking lot until 11:45!

 

I went through Tampa on April 1 and it was the first time in years I saw a CBP agent. Spent about 30 seconds with him.

 

I do usually wait in my cabin until the last moment possible, then go to breakfast somewhere. Then I go somewhere that comfortable seats are available (pool loungers) and wait until I hear the announcement that "all bag tags have been called". If I get near the exit door and there's still a line, I just sit somewhere and wait. I also usually hire a porter and haven't seen a separate line, but the porters are very good at finding the shortest lines to the FR screens or CBP

[LoganTheCruiser]

27 minutes ago, orville99 said:

If that was Wonder (and I presume in Miami prior to last December), then it had to be prior to them installing the facial recognition systems, or you got in the wrong line. We have sailed Wonder multiple times since she moved to Port Canaveral, and have never spent more than 10 minutes getting off the ship, through the terminal, and back to our car.

There was no wrong line. There was only one line. The line shown in the video. It was absolute chaos. And correction: the video was taken at Port Canaveral when I got off Wonder. But in Miami I had a huge line as well.

Edited April 7, 2023 by LoganTheCruiser

[LoganTheCruiser]

Can any of you guys invite me on your next cruise? I want to cruise with you because there’s no delays when you guys go! 😛

 

I’m on my next Royal cruise in 2 weeks. Wish me luck. (Chances are it will make the news for having the longest disembarkation delay in history. 😂)

Edited April 7, 2023 by LoganTheCruiser

[nelblu]

Just now, LoganTheCruiser said:

Can any of you guys invite me on your next cruise? I want to cruise with you because there’s no delays when you guys go! 😛

 

I’m on my next Royal cruise in 2 weeks. Wish me luck. 

Specifics, so that we can say a "Hail Mary" for you.🙏

[S.A.M.J.R.]

Add us to the list that barely stopped walking when we disembarked Mariner at PC in July.  Kiosks were working just fine. 

[orville99]

59 minutes ago, LoganTheCruiser said:

There was no wrong line. There was only one line. The line shown in the video. It was absolute chaos. And correction: the video was taken at Port Canaveral when I got off Wonder. But in Miami I had a huge line as well.

In Port Canaveral, you go through the CBP Facial Recognition system before you get your luggage. Regardless of whether you checked your luggage or if you are rolling your own off, everyone has two choices - grab a porter and be out of the terminal in five minutes, or stand in line with everyone else who decided to save a few bucks after spending thousands for the cruise. You made the more costly choice to save a few bucks and your choice cost you that time. 

Edited April 7, 2023 by orville99

[poocher]

I’ve never paid a porter and still have not experienced those lines.

[nelblu]

25 minutes ago, orville99 said:

In Port Canaveral, you go through the CBP Facial Recognition system before you get your luggage. Regardless of whether you checked your luggage or if you are rolling your own off, everyone has two choices - grab a porter and be out of the terminal in five minutes, or stand in line with everyone else who decided to save a few bucks after spending thousands for the cruise. You made the more costly choice to save a few bucks and your choice cost you that time. 

Are you a member of the union.  Never paid a porter and out in 20 minutes from ship to street.

 

Be careful someone may resurrect this:🤣

 

Mafia style baggaging in Miami RCI terminal?

[orville99]

29 minutes ago, poocher said:

I’ve never paid a porter and still have not experienced those lines.

 

3 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Are you a member of the union.  Never paid a porter and out in 20 minutes from ship to street.

 

Be careful someone may resurrect this:🤣

 

Mafia style baggaging in Miami RCI terminal?

The bottom line is there are two ways out of the terminal. 1) join all the lemmings who see a line and just assume they have to be in it, and 2) see where the porters are navigating their customers and follow them. The lemming line snakes to the right and goes on forever, and the line the porters (and every one who understands that it is not an exclusive line) use goes all the way to the left. 

[OCSC Mike]

43 minutes ago, poocher said:

I’ve never paid a porter and still have not experienced those lines.

 

Ditto.

[poocher]

Nope, never saw a line that went on forever.  I walk off the ship, go through FR, grab my luggage & leave with barely a pause.  Maybe I just naturally gravitate toward the short way cuz I have never paid for or shadowed a porter.

[Cherful59]

Last cruise in and out of Galveston on Radiance in January/February, the face recognition was not working.  Porters went around to the far left when we went thru the customs lines, no more than 5 or 10 minutes to get to front of line.  Customs glanced at passport and on our way and we met our porter once we passes thru.  I never had that much trouble when I dragged my own however.  Sorry @LoganTheCruiser you have so much trouble.

[not-enough-cruising]

3 hours ago, LoganTheCruiser said:

Can any of you guys invite me on your next cruise? I want to cruise with you because there’s no delays when you guys go! 😛

 

I’m on my next Royal cruise in 2 weeks. Wish me luck. (Chances are it will make the news for having the longest disembarkation delay in history. 😂)

Since you are selling solo, I’ll make you a deal, pay my fare I will come along. I won’t bother you at all but on disembarkation day, I’ll show you how it works.

[orville99]

1 hour ago, poocher said:

Nope, never saw a line that went on forever.

Unfortunately for the OP, the line shown in the video is only too real. We see it every time we debark a cruise in PC. We always get a chuckle out of the fact that people we have seen from our balcony rolling off their own luggage first thing in the morning (sometimes with 5-6 large suitcases) are still in that line as we breeze through the other side of the terminal where the porters go.

[SNemeth]

8 hours ago, LoganTheCruiser said:

Where do they escort you to? To the FRONT of the customs line, or do you just join the line like everyone else?

On Indy last year we met the suite lounge concierge in Boleros.  Our family along with a couple of others were taken through backstage areas to avoid the crowds (concierge used keys to open doors) and taken out on the deck where we waited at the gangway for all ashore.  They opened the gangway and we were let off before they opened it for the people who were held inside.  

[Katems75]

6 hours ago, orville99 said:

 

The bottom line is there are two ways out of the terminal. 1) join all the lemmings who see a line and just assume they have to be in it, and 2) see where the porters are navigating their customers and follow them. The lemming line snakes to the right and goes on forever, and the line the porters (and every one who understands that it is not an exclusive line) use goes all the way to the left. 

Are you saying you can get into the porter line even if you don't hire a porter?  What exactly does the porter do?

[Mum2Mercury]

I've never noted this option, or I saw it and ignored it because it doesn't look too attractive to me: 

- Essentially they're saying you can only stay in your stateroom. 

- Most ship's services will be closed; I'd expect you could eat breakfast and go to Guest Services. 

- 9:00 isn't all that late.  

- If you were doing self-disembarkation and wanted to wait 'til the last moment, couldn't you stay in the Windjammer or around the pool until about 9:00 anyway?  

 

We've found self-disembarkation to be fast: 

- With a long drive ahead of us, we like to get up and out kinda fast, so we get into line about 7:00 and we're typically in the car leaving the parking deck about 7:30.  

- This new facial recognition system makes exiting the terminal easier!  The first time we used it, I genuinely didn't realize I was done!  

- We've self-disembarked in Orlando and Miami in the last six months.  

[SG65CB]

1 hour ago, Katems75 said:

Are you saying you can get into the porter line even if you don't hire a porter?  What exactly does the porter do?

 

 

The porter puts all your bags onto his cart and takes them out to the street for you. 100% tip-based work, and to make sure they can make as much money as  possible they are allowed to bring their customers to the front of the customs line. You cannot use the porter line if you are not with a porter. 

 

If you want the old style lines then sail out of San Juan. There a porter will save you from a long wait in line. So will a Suite or Pinnacle Sea Pass card. 

 

Facial recognition systems fix all this. 

[LoganTheCruiser]

On 4/7/2023 at 1:25 PM, orville99 said:

In Port Canaveral, you go through the CBP Facial Recognition system before you get your luggage. Regardless of whether you checked your luggage or if you are rolling your own off, everyone has two choices - grab a porter and be out of the terminal in five minutes, or stand in line with everyone else who decided to save a few bucks after spending thousands for the cruise. You made the more costly choice to save a few bucks and your choice cost you that time. 

No, I did not make that choice. I was never offered another option. Where and how do I even "grab a porter," if I don't have any bags? 

[LoganTheCruiser]

On 4/7/2023 at 3:43 PM, orville99 said:

Unfortunately for the OP, the line shown in the video is only too real. We see it every time we debark a cruise in PC. We always get a chuckle out of the fact that people we have seen from our balcony rolling off their own luggage first thing in the morning (sometimes with 5-6 large suitcases) are still in that line as we breeze through the other side of the terminal where the porters go.

Where is this secret magic line where all the porters go that allows you to breeze through? How do I find this line? Do I just follow the luggage carts or something?