Our Vancouver debarkation fiasco yesterday

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I thought HAL's new thing was that they just asked you which time you wished to depart? I could have sworn last year on both Noordam and Eurodam we had the option to check off 8:30am -9:00, 9:00-9:30am, 9:30-10:00am etc.

I honestly think this is where the new problems fall into. Yes, this is how they are doing it but.... say you have a 11:30 flight and you figure you have come into San Diego for instance and the airport is close so you say you would like to get off at 9-9:30 am but they have a delay or even if they do not I have found in the past several cruises that you still will not be called for this time. I have had 5 HAL cruises since October, not one of them had the silent disembarkation and not one of them called us at the time requested. The last three out of San Diego we marked that we wanted to get off between 9 and 9:30 but 2 of them we were called between 10:00 and 10:45 and this last one with no delays that we know of our color had not been called by 10:15 so we just walked off or would have missed our 11:30 flight.

 

Our next cruise is on the 31st and fortunately we have a 3:20 PM in the afternoon flight but I am still tempted to mark down 8:30 to 9 just to see what time we get called :D

I think the problem is since they went to the procdures of doing a silent disembarkation but then not following thru the next day. The pre procedures they do are based on times you have checked but if they have a delay they push everything back and give no regard to anyone that has requested a particular time that has their own transportation. I have seen those with transferrs and tours that may have been scheduled after ours be called prior to us.

[oliverbc]

We arrived at Canada Place May 7 and had a flight out at 2pm. We used the Hal shuttle and it was so efficient we were at the airport in plenty of time. I hope that you let HAL know of your problem as well so they can fix it. I hope you do not let this experience spoil your holiday. When we started our trip in Kelowna our flight to Vancouver was cancelled. We ended up flying to Calgary changing planes then flying to Vancouver. West jet sent us a credit. Travel now adays is not easy.

[JimVrhovac]

Someone mentioned that the ship was scheduled to arrive in Vancouver at 0700. THIS IS NOT CORRECT. The original paperwork sent out showed the ship arriving in Vancouver at 1200.

 

If you fill out the questionare hat is sent around asking about flights and post cruise arrangements HAL will schedule accordingl.

 

We heard several people complaining about their flights and in our opinion they did not read the original paperwork, booked flights too tightly, or did not fill out or submit the proper forsm.

 

We have never had a problem like this on any line.

 

Ruth & Jim

[CruiserBruce]

 

 

How many times do we have to hear "Will Mr and Mrs Knucklehead from Cabin 5150 please report to the Hudson Room to present themselves to Immigration officials",

 

Totally appropriate cabin number!! Wonder how many others will catch that, or just us "in the business":D:D:D

[Copper10-8]

Totally appropriate cabin number!! Wonder how many others will catch that, or just us "in the business":D:D:D

 

Yup;)

[MightyQuinn]

Totally appropriate cabin number!! Wonder how many others will catch that, or just us "in the business":D:D:D

OK - not in the biz so I googled. Too funny! :D:D

[JerseyJaguar]

I loved silent disembarkment last year, I went to the Lido and brought back a nice breakfast (I wanted more than what room service offered) and when my time came I walked out without any delay. I loved staying in my room rather than wandering the decks.

 

That was very different from my Carnival disembarkment when half the ship wanted to take their own luggage off and it took forever waiting for those folks to get off the ship so they could then start calling numbers.

[Jade13]

Someone mentioned that the ship was scheduled to arrive in Vancouver at 0700. THIS IS NOT CORRECT. The original paperwork sent out showed the ship arriving in Vancouver at 1200.

 

If you fill out the questionare that is sent around asking about flights and post cruise arrangements HAL will schedule according.

 

We heard several people complaining about their flights and in our opinion they did not read the original paperwork, booked flights too tightly, or did not fill out or submit the proper form.

 

We have never had a problem like this on any line.

 

Ruth & Jim

 

Jim, I agree. We are on HAL ships that are scheduled for 7:00am arrival (two most recently overseas and one NYC), yet are looking at afternoon flights at 2:00pmish.

 

We always stay in our cabin until the time we requested. Why wonder around when when I can have my tea, TV, view out of the Verandah to watch the people leaving vs standing in a hallway with luggage. The people in the hallways most likely ha a tight connection to begin with.

[Jade13]

To answer Copper10-8 first, no it was not a silent debark. We would have been better off if it had been. On the contrary, Johnny kept insisting that you could not debark until your color was called, because your luggage would not be available.

David

 

David, this is true that luggage is organized and taken off by the color codes.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

HAL used to instruct pax to wait on the open decks and/or in the public lounges until their number/color was called. They changed that a few years ago and they started allowing all of us to also wait in our cabins; that was met with much approval but I guess we should all go back 'hanging out' in the casino

 

 

John, while yes you can wait in your cabin on our last several yours Not One Time was it announced that your could stay in your cabin, Not in the daily program, not in the Disembarkation talk not ever by the CD that morning. We specifically listened for this when we disembarked the Statendam because we are having the feeling that HAL is doing away with this feature. The other thing Stewards are now hinting strongly that you leave so they can get the cabin cleaned and turned around. We have been hinted at on 2 occaisons recently that they need to get in there. With HAL not announcing this and informing passengers and Cabin Stewards basically asking if they can come in to get the room ready a passengers does not habve much choice :o

 

I can remember when this feature started a few years ago and they made announcements to the effect and made a big deal about it. I have the feeling that Cabin Stewards complained that they were not getting their cabins done in time so HAL feels if you know you can stay fine but otherwise best to go wait in one of the Public areas.

[Copper10-8]

Perhaps a good question to ask someone 'in the know' on your Alaska cruise, Lisa;)

[durangoscots]

We try to vacate our rooms so the stewards can get them cleaned up for the next lot .... and we go up to one of the public areas and settle in. The Statendam debarkation was delayed a little while in San Diego due to some people not reporting to customs ... but it was not very long. Interestingly enough, we were given an earlier time than we had requested. We didn't care when we got off since we had just had to go across the street to the hotel. There were people still waiting when we left... but I did not see anyone seeing to be worried. What we did notice were the "I've got to be firsts" that jammed the stairs and the passage ways well before their colors were called... and there were a number I know went off at the wrong time but if HAL started checking the colors as some have suggested) we would be there forever... "Oh dear, it's here somewhere""my husband (wife) has it and is ahead (behind) me, "I must have dropped it"... and on and on. It is so much easier if you schedule flights, if possible well after arrival time, take a deep breath and take it easy!!! Where you can't - be sure to ask for the earliest time.

 

Susan

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Perhaps a good question to ask someone 'in the know' on your Alaska cruise, Lisa;)

Yes, I plan to do that :) But with the frequent cruises we have done we are seeing a pattern here and it does appear they are getting away from passengers staying in their cabins.

I also will comment here that while there has always been a crowd hanging around the gangway to disembark, it has never been that bad on the Vista and Signature Class due to where the Gangway door is located. But on the Statendam or S Class ship there is no where but the staircase and people coming off the elevators and cannot get out. It literally is a cluster and makes for a stressfull debarkation. I find that it is harder to get 1200 passengers off a S Class ship than it is 1900 passengers off a Vista.

[JimVrhovac]

What you area not saying is:

 

THE PROBLEM IS PASSANGERS WHO FEEL THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO OBEY THE RULES AS THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.

 

Not trying to be nasty but that is the real problem with debarkment hold ups and confusion.

 

Ruth & Jim

[cruz chic]

What we did notice were the "I've got to be firsts" that jammed the stairs and the passage ways well before their colors were called... and there were a number I know went off at the wrong time but if HAL started checking the colors as some have suggested) we would be there forever... "Oh dear, it's here somewhere""my husband (wife) has it and is ahead (behind) me, "I must have dropped it"... and on and on.

Susan

Yeah I'd hate for anyone to be responsible and have that ticket handy. That would be too much to ask:rolleyes:. I guess you can't expect too much from people. Some people actually pack their cruise card. Why would you do that?

[cruz chic]

I loved silent disembarkment last year, I went to the Lido and brought back a nice breakfast (I wanted more than what room service offered) and when my time came I walked out without any delay. I loved staying in my room rather than wandering the decks.

I'm with you on that one. That is one "perk" I really enjoy with HAL. Generally I travel as a solo and it makes it difficult to wonder from place to place or even to use the facilities because if you have a seat you don't want to lose it.

[san diego sue]

Another problem I have seen lately are people that carry their own luggage off. They are to go first so that the rest of us will have an easier time getting off. Not always the case. We have been tripped more than once by tardy passengers with luggage. And not to mention the ones that really shouldn't be doing this at all.

The biggest problems do arise when the ship is cleared by immigration late.

Thank you to all the people that don't read or go to disembarcation talks and have to be called on loud speakers to report.

[pipedreams62]

Thank you to all the people that don't read or go to disembarcation talks and have to be called on loud speakers to report.

 

 

 

[sail7seas]

I'm sorry this happened to you and I sure hope you didn't have to wait too long to get another flight.

 

You're right ... HAL says you have to wait until your color is called to leave the ship, and that's a load of crap. I've had a couple of staff members tell me on the QT that no one checks the colors as you disembark. As soon as they start calling numbers, you can leave at any time. The only risk you run is that it is possible not all of the luggage might be out in the terminal for numbers that were going to be called later ... but even that is rare.

 

HAL only tells you that crap because they don't want a whole shipload of passengers storming the gangway as soon as the numbers begin to get called. But the fact is that you can just waltz right off the ship just as soon as the disembarkation process starts. I'd have been among the first few off had I been wearing your boots.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

 

I can tell you straight out that on Maasdam in December and both weeks on Eurodam, they absolutely did check disembarkation colors/numbers and if you tried to get off before your color, you were told to turn around and wait.

 

Not everyone can be in the first group off. The whole ship cannot expect to be in the very first group called.

 

Very sorry you missed your flight, David. What a miserable way to end your cruise.

[cccole]

John, while yes you can wait in your cabin on our last several yours Not One Time was it announced that your could stay in your cabin, Not in the daily program, not in the Disembarkation talk not ever by the CD that morning. We specifically listened for this when we disembarked the Statendam because we are having the feeling that HAL is doing away with this feature. The other thing Stewards are now hinting strongly that you leave so they can get the cabin cleaned and turned around. We have been hinted at on 2 occaisons recently that they need to get in there. With HAL not announcing this and informing passengers and Cabin Stewards basically asking if they can come in to get the room ready a passengers does not habve much choice :o

 

I can remember when this feature started a few years ago and they made announcements to the effect and made a big deal about it. I have the feeling that Cabin Stewards complained that they were not getting their cabins done in time so HAL feels if you know you can stay fine but otherwise best to go wait in one of the Public areas.

 

I would think that the ship would prefer to have the public areas cleaned and ready for the new passengers before the rooms. If everyone vacates their room at the same time it does not mean that those rooms are going to be cleaned immediately. My opinion is that the public areas are the first priority in preparing for the new guests. When we were on HAL I loved being able to have breakfast and wait in our room until they threw us off, and there were plenty of passengers wanting to be first off so that our stewards had something to do. We also let our steward know that he could come in and do whatever he needed to before we left but we were not going to darken our doorway until absolutely necessary!!! Cherie

[Boytjie]

The pre procedures they do are based on times you have checked but if they have a delay they push everything back and give no regard to anyone that has requested a particular time that has their own transportation. I have seen those with transferrs and tours that may have been scheduled after ours be called prior to us.

 

They would have a list of names of those on transfers and tours, they won't have travel arrangement info as easily on hand. They would have to go through all the disembarkation forms! :eek:

[JimVrhovac]

Most of the delays are caused by those people who have not settled their bill or who have not reported to immagration as they were requested to do.

 

Please do not blame HAL for the inconsideration of a few people on the ship..

 

In San Diego the whole ship was held up for 45 minutes because of one person. The went to his room and he was not there. The came on overhead and asked everyone to ask the person next to them if they were the person that they were looking for. The ship cannot do much more than that....

 

Ruth & Jim

[nodumblond]

Just got off a RCCL (Vancouver to Seattle by way of Alaska) cruise, and I think they may have finally figured it out. You're gathered by color in a public area with an estimated time of departure; then groups are called by color and led by a staffer to the gangway. "Express Debarkation" had a very specific window before any colors were called, and woe betide thee if you missed it. While I'll miss getting to stay in the cabin later (hubby is a paramedic and works crazy hours, so getting him awake is a challenge), I have to admit that this particular system worked really, really well.

[cruz chic]

Just got off a RCCL (Vancouver to Seattle by way of Alaska) cruise, and I think they may have finally figured it out. You're gathered by color in a public area with an estimated time of departure; then groups are called by color and led by a staffer to the gangway. "Express Debarkation" had a very specific window before any colors were called, and woe betide thee if you missed it. While I'll miss getting to stay in the cabin later (hubby is a paramedic and works crazy hours, so getting him awake is a challenge), I have to admit that this particular system worked really, really well.

The Grand Princess was like this in Mar.09 as well. I agree, it does work well even though I like to stay in my room for reasons I've mentioned in an earlier post.

[KAKcruiser]

Instead of waiting around worrying, couldn't you have gone to the front desk and showed them your airline flight times and asked them to give you a different color tag?