is anybody considering Not flying to get to your cruise?

[IRL_Joanie]

Nope, still going to fly. My reason, I have been getting patted down since 9/11.

 

I have no problem being patted in whatever manner it takes. I see no difference in getting patted down with the back of the hand or the front of it, whatever they need to do.

 

We scream that we wanted tighter security, and yet when it is mandated and implemented, we scream even louder at the procedures.

 

No win situation no matter how you look at it.

 

I would suggest that we all remeber how the media "Blew out of proportion" the Carnival Splendor.

 

Try being Handiccaped and unable to make the choice between one of the Scanners or a pat down. You have that choice, a great many of us do not and have not had that option in the past nor will in the future. You have a choice is my point.

 

Joanie

[IRL_Joanie]

This whole TSA thing is a huge media beat-up because they have nothing else to write about at the moment. A security pat-down search is NOT "molestation" and in any event IF the OPs wife is subjected to a search it will be carried out by a woman. What's the big deal? Those few minutes of inconvenience and possibly very minor embarrassment aren't enough to stop me cruising, especially if the alternative is a 3 day drive to/from the port. Whether these checks are actually necessary or effective is another debate.

 

I agree!

 

Joanie

[amunhbuu]

Unfortunately, living in the middle of the country, I have no choice.

 

Makes you wonder what has significantly changed since the early 70s, when you could just get on a plane with no security and there was never a problem.

[George C]

We were on one of the 1st flights out after 9/11 and will continue to fly. But it is a hassle , I envey the people leaving close to ports, used to live NYC was nice getting to port in 30 mins. WE are flying on Thanksgiving for our next cruise in a few days. We might drive on next cruise out of Gavelston since its only a 5 hour drive.

[cruisin'girl]

Nope, still going to fly. My reason, I have been getting patted down since 9/11.

 

I have no problem being patted in whatever manner it takes. I see no difference in getting patted down with the back of the hand or the front of it, whatever they need to do.

 

We scream that we wanted tighter security, and yet when it is mandated and implemented, we scream even louder at the procedures.

 

No win situation no matter how you look at it.

 

I would suggest that we all remeber how the media "Blew out of proportion" the Carnival Splendor.

 

Try being Handiccaped and unable to make the choice between one of the Scanners or a pat down. You have that choice, a great many of us do not and have not had that option in the past nor will in the future. You have a choice is my point.

 

Joanie

 

This whole TSA thing is a huge media beat-up because they have nothing else to write about at the moment. A security pat-down search is NOT "molestation" and in any event IF the OPs wife is subjected to a search it will be carried out by a woman. What's the big deal? Those few minutes of inconvenience and possibly very minor embarrassment aren't enough to stop me cruising, especially if the alternative is a 3 day drive to/from the port. Whether these checks are actually necessary or effective is another debate.

You all don't consider having a stranger's hands, man or woman, put down your pants or your genitalia handled from the front, even through a layer of clothes, molestation? The scan is one thing; the invasive pat-down is entirely another thing, IMO. The pat-down can be ordered if anything shows on the scan such as a tissue or a coin left in your pocket; any foreign object. Whatever happened to probable cause for this kind of invasion of a citizen's privacy rights?

[Jemima]

Still trying to find ships that depart from the port of Phoenix.

I did have a semi-enhanced pat down earlier this month. Don't know why. We are not looking forward to our next flight.

[foodsvcmgr]

Hopefully enough people will resist flying to induce HAL to again offer

Winter season Caribbean sailings from New York or Baltimore.

 

Surely they could pull one ship out of Ft. Lauderdale and manage to

fill it elsewhere, and probably with fewer discounts!

 

NIEUW AMSTERDAM would be an excellent choice, in addition to the

logical New York theme, she has more economical diesels than the

"Vistas" with their supplemental gas turbines.

 

Or maybe an "S" ship, they are considered small today, but far larger

than most of the liners that sailed from the Northeast to the Caribbean 30 years ago. The smaller the ship, the easier to fill.

[FoxyTerrier]

This whole TSA thing is a huge media beat-up because they have nothing else to write about at the moment. A security pat-down search is NOT "molestation" and in any event IF the OPs wife is subjected to a search it will be carried out by a woman. What's the big deal? Those few minutes of inconvenience and possibly very minor embarrassment aren't enough to stop me cruising, especially if the alternative is a 3 day drive to/from the port. Whether these checks are actually necessary or effective is another debate.

 

I agree I think the media is hype is making things worse. We will be flying for our cruise next month and while I no longer lover flying I'm not worried at all about the scanner or a pat down. We are too far away to drive.

 

In 2002 on our first cruise post 9/11, I kept setting off the regular alarm and finally they told me I would have to have a pat down and/or wanding They offered me the choice of doing it in the line at IAD or in a private room with a female TSA (were they called TSA back in 2002). I opted for a private room since I wasn't sure exactly what they would do.

 

First she wanded me and it went off every time she got near my breasts. I think she was a nervous about this as I and finally asked did I have anything in my bra. At this point I was getting anxious about being late and said NO and just pulled up my shirt and showed her my new Olga bra. She was a bit surprised and said "Oh, I have a bra like that". End of story and I was on my way, but I made a mental note not to wear the same one on the return trip. And it was really no big deal and I did feel safe and they were doing their job.

 

I don't think there was any thing unusal about that bra but do think they had the system tweaked up a bit too high.

[doncarlos]

ultimately the controversy will have a negative effect on the transportation / hospilality/cruise industries as more and more folks say it is not worth the agro. and stay home rather than vacation............ sadly, this is just what we dont need at a time when we are trying to pump up consumer confidence and get folks to spend their discretionary income on leisure activities .......what we need is a mind set at tsa and homeland sec. that is concerned with working with and for the people through clear communication rather than the take it or leave it mind set that seems to be pervasive at these 2 new and inexperienced usgovernment agencies and departments ......its all about pr not autocratic directives.............its the economy, stupid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes:

[trophy_23]

I might have to resort to strictly R/T Vancouver or R/T Seattle cruises that don't involve a flight!

[knitlady037]

Cancelled my next HAL cruise out of FLL and booked NCL cruise out of NY. Hated to do it, but hate the hassle of flying even more!

[IRL_Joanie]

You all don't consider having a stranger's hands' date=' man or woman, put down your pants or your genitalia handled from the front, even through a layer of clothes, molestation? The scan is one thing; the invasive pat-down is entirely another thing, IMO. The pat-down can be ordered if anything shows on the scan such as a tissue or a coin left in your pocket; any foreign object. Whatever happened to probable cause for this kind of invasion of a citizen's privacy rights?[/quote']

No I do not consider it as invasive, nor do I consider it molestation!! Even IF I could stand to go through a scanner, body or metal, I would set the alarms off because of the implant in my spine.

 

I have been accepting of the need for higher security since 9/11 and will not complain UNLESS they decide to do body cavity searches, THEN I will draw the line.

 

I have had to strip totally one time, and one time only for a flight. We were in northern Greece flying Olympic Airlines to go back home to Athens. I jokingly asked the Security agent what would happen if someone had a bomb.... DUMB question!!!! They promptly took me into custody and I had NO Choice but to subject myself for what they called a "Complete Search". Believe me a "Pat Down" from TSA does NOT compare!!

 

As I said, we scream that we want to be/feel safer when we fly, and yet when the safety measures are put into place.....

 

No Win....

 

Joanie

[mtwingcpa]

Just interested, is any one else considering alternative travel to get to & from your next cruise?

 

I was thinking of taking a cruise to some sunny locale in January. That would inevitably involve flying from the Seattle area.

 

But I've decided to do a land-based vacation instead, driving south to warmer climates. :-)

[janmcn]

No thoughts to not flying...just will have to allow a lot more time at the airport. With two knee replacements I've always had to go through the "modified pat down" so it will be interesting to see how much different this new one is when I fly in 2 weeks.

 

I can understand the need to check people's prostheses, etc....think about it...if you were a terrorist how/where could you hide a bomb? Who would have ever considered a shoe...or a pair of tidy whiteys? We'll just have to deal with it. It's a new world out there and not everyone is our friend.

[nobog]

If I owned an airline it would be called Naked-Air. No one is forcing anyone to fly. If you want to get on a plane you get searched - if you don't like that then don't fly. People don't like being searched so they invented the full body scanner then they said thats to intrusive, well to bad. Of course its sad it came to this, just the age we live in. I'm 100% for profiling, they say they don't but I'll bet they do. 10 yr old kids do not have a track record for trying to blow up airplanes. My 2 bits. JK

[Two@Sea]

... I have had to strip totally one time, and one time only for a flight. We were in northern Greece flying Olympic Airlines to go back home to Athens. I jokingly asked the Security agent what would happen if someone had a bomb.... DUMB question!!!! They promptly took me into custody and I had NO Choice but to subject myself for what they called a "Complete Search". Believe me a "Pat Down" from TSA does NOT compare!!

 

As I said, we scream that we want to be/feel safer when we fly, and yet when the safety measures are put into place.....

 

No Win....

 

Joanie

 

Northern Greece does not have a 4th Amendment. We do.

 

And, please do not include me in the "we" that you keep saying has been "screaming" for tighter security. I want effective security, not theatrics.

[Stakeout]

we don't fly anymore.. why.. just because it's a hassel.. we too live in the Carolinas along the coast... it's 700 miles to either our old home in NY or to Port Everglades to pick up the ship... we usually stay in a nice quiet older motel complex on Hutchinson Island in Florida for a few days on the drive down...been staying there for the past 15 years... get to 'wet a line' out back on their docks on Ft Pierce Inlet....do it all the way thru on the drive back up

 

we center around Port Everglades and hope that HAL runs a lot more longer cruises from there.. we're booked on the Canal 28 days roundtrip in February.. as well as the Europe 45 day next October both from there...

 

TSA... I won't even comment.. rather than start anything... after 20 years in law enforcement(retired) I can see thru 'smoke and mirrors' very clearly.. Israel has the best security system going

[HeatherInFlorida]

I'll be flying PBI to White Plains at the end of next week so I'll learn first hand whether it's all that different. Unfortunately I have to fly every 3 months or you couldn't get me on a plane. Flying has become such a horrible experience and I was around in the days when it was quite the opposite. From entering the airport to exiting the one on the other end, it's just hateful ... nothing pleasant about it except the nice little TVs on Jet Blue.

 

But right now I'm just tired of all the coverage. The media really love to sink their teeth into something like this and just keep rolling the footage and just beat the story to death.

 

Know who I feel sorry for? The TSA agents. How'd you like their job? Bear in mind there aren't that many jobs out there so you don't just walk away. If anyone is enjoying these pat downs less than we are, I'm betting it's them.

 

I don't like any of it ... hate it in fact. But if you need to get somewhere within a short time flying is the way we do it. So if I need to go through the screener, fine. From what I've seen, I'm thinking I would not like the so called "pat down" one bit. I'm a little fussy about who touches me.:D

[sail7seas]

Staekout..... I noticed you are at 484 HAL cruise days. You are just about ready to receive your Gold Medallion. Congratulations. Have fun. :)

[CowPrincess]

If we want to cruise anywhere but Alaska, we have to fly. Or would could take the canoe out on the lake :rolleyes: and eat PBJ sandwiches and call THAT a cruise.

[COLLEYBERRY]

If we want to cruise anywhere but Alaska, we have to fly. Or would could take the canoe out on the lake :rolleyes: and eat PBJ sandwiches and call THAT a cruise.

 

I don't know Cow Princess....that kinda' sounds like fun.:D:D

[mudscraper]

Anyone who `jokingly` mentions bombs while going through airport security should be strip searched. In public.

[CowPrincess]

I don't know Cow Princess....that kinda' sounds like fun.:D:D

 

:D but who would be MAKING those PBJs? Moi! :D And it would be kinda "same ol' same ol'", y'know? Guess we could borrow a tent and camp on the lake shore. Yup, like you'll ever catch ME camping again.... in bear country. No thanks, too many wildlife encounters this summer (besides the fact that my idea of "roughing it" is when room service is slow) :D

[IRL_Joanie]

Anyone who `jokingly` mentions bombs while going through airport security should be strip searched. In public.

 

What can I say, but that I was young and really stupid:o

 

Joanie

[kazu]

Hopefully enough people will resist flying to induce HAL to again offer

Winter season Caribbean sailings from New York or Baltimore.

 

Surely they could pull one ship out of Ft. Lauderdale and manage to

fill it elsewhere, and probably with fewer discounts!

 

NIEUW AMSTERDAM would be an excellent choice, in addition to the

logical New York theme, she has more economical diesels than the

"Vistas" with their supplemental gas turbines.

 

Or maybe an "S" ship, they are considered small today, but far larger

than most of the liners that sailed from the Northeast to the Caribbean 30 years ago. The smaller the ship, the easier to fill.

 

Please...................not the Nieuw Amsterdam. :(