Embarkation Nightmare!

[AmuseMe]

I just sailed on The Navigator of The Seas 3/5 sailing. First time with RCI. When we arrived in Miami and parked, we approached a main entrance for boarding. A Gentleman informed us that this entrance was boarding a special Junior League Group only. We were then directed to an entrance further down. The same entrance being used for the Voyager. Each ship holds over 3000 people! :( We were stuck in line for over 2 hrs. to board!! This was so hard for my 80 yr. old Mother and Stepfather 85 yrs. to stand for so long.(and ME!) Fortunately, they are in good shape. The ship left late out of port, also. They said due to

some late flights?

 

:)We loved the Cruise and the Ship. The staff was excellent!! :confused: But this process questions me about sailing again with RCI. Is this a really unusual experience? Or does this happen often for RCI? Should we have been

compensated somehow?

[Wer2pats]

We just sailed from Miami on the Brilliance of the Seas on Feb 25 to Panama Canal and embarkation was a breeze. No waiting, or minimal and with seats. You must have just hit an unusual snag.

[Lulu36]

i was on the same cruise. it really depends on what is going on as to how fast or slow things happen. one couple did this same ship, same time, last year and were on the ship by noon. that is why we go there early. this year, however, things were different. i had heard it had to do with the customs people working behind schedule. we will never know. yes, it was frustrating waiting in line, but we met some people, read a book, etc. we had so much fun on the cruise i had forgotten about the embarkation.

 

Lois

[TrentS]

Yikes, that sounds horrible, but that's VERY UNusual! I sail out of Miami a lot on RCI and normally arrive at the pier around noon and it's never taken me longer than 20 minutes to go from car to cabin! I've been on a lot of cruises on many different lines and RCI's Miami terminal has consistently been the best, smoothest embarkation of them all.

 

Unfortunately there can be some problems when there are large groups on ships, normally the complaints are for them taking over some of the public rooms for "Private Functions" though.

 

No, personally *I* don't think RCI owes you any compensation. I mean, you got on the ship, they don't guarantee you can get on in a certain time period. I've waited in far longer lines to get on Carnival and some of their lines. I waited in a 5 hour line to get on Costa Mediterranea once!!! And there were no groups on that.

 

If there are large numbers of people who's flights are late they do sometimes hold the ship, so your late departure is nothing all that abnormal. They have time built in to make up the delays so your arrival at your first port should have been on time.

[stretch]

Boarding has always been fast and efficient for us. A two hour wait to board, with that many people being processed is very efficient IMHO.

One question, what in the world do you think RCI owes you compensation for???? A lousy two hour wait.

Stretch

[endi302]

I don't think that RCCL owes anyone anything for having to wait in line to get on a ship. We have cruised six times and have had to wait in line for more than 30 minutes only once. Each time we have gone, I was expecting to get stuck in a long line, and have been pleasantly surprised each time by the quick processing.

 

I think you just have to go expecting the worst when you try to get 2000 to 3000 people on a ship in a short period of time. When you don't have to wait it will be a pleasant surprise. Next time maybe you should try another port and see if it was maybe the port and not RCCL.

 

Also I am not sure that RCCL is running the whole process at the port. Many employees are local employees of local companies and the cruise line just contracts them to do a job. I don't think you can say it is RCCL's fault that you had to wait in a line.

 

Kevin

[madforcruising]

:confused: Why is everybody always asking for compensation :confused:

 

I can´t understand this. Hey wake up life is not perfect. There is no reason to get compensation for everything.

 

Oh wait on my last cruise I´ve been aboard in less than 30 minutes. Should I get compensated by RCCL for this because I missed the waiting in line for two hours part of my vacation ?? I could have met some nice people in line, it could have been more relaxing than to hurry through check-in, security and to board.

What compensation should I ask for ?:p

[CMurph]

A two hour wait is not fun, I grant you that. When I talk to someone that is planning a cruise for the first time, I warn them that waiting can be possible and to take it all in stride. I can't see where this can be blamed on the cruiseline. Everyone has to go through the same process and through the same door, one at a time. I suggest if you are traveling with someone that could have a problem standing in line, make arrangements beforehand for a wheelchair or someplace that can sit during the wait. FYI, ships leaving the port late is not unusual. It has happened to us more times that not in 8 cruises.

[FCOWHER]

Do you think you would be entitled to compensation if you had to wait 2 hours to board an airplane? Joe V.

 

 

Serenade of the Seas 12/31/05

Zuiderdam 4/23/05

RCI - 2 times

Princess - 3 times

QE2 - 1 time

Royal Majesty - 1 time

Carnival - 1 time

[island lady]

My last cruise was NCL in Honolulu. We had a penthouse suite. We arrived early. But still had over an hour wait in the heat and humidity outside in the sun.

 

The cruise before that was a Carnival out of San Juan. We waited 2 hours to board in line, (fortunately a cocktail cart was offered during the 2nd hour). We had a Junior Suite on that one. Lots of heat and humidity in San Juan also.

 

Did we mind? No, just inconvenient, and needed a shower big time!!

 

Did we have a great cruise? Most definately.

 

Did we meet some interesting people in line? Very much so.

 

This is the first time I have ever heard of someone wanting compensation for something that is more and more so a fact of life with the growing population.

 

Maybe Walmart owes me money for the long lines too? Oh..wait, I am a stock holder! ;)

 

If we find we can breeze onto the ship in less than a half hour for our next cruise, I will simply be marveled at my great luck and enjoy that benefit. :D

 

Cheers!

[phtktz3]

I have only had to wait in line once for more than 30minutes and that was on Princess...still who the heck cares! Standing in line for 2 hours to be completly pampered for 7 days is a great trade off...if you thought you deserved compensation maybe you should have taken a few extra desserts at dinner.......it seems as though anything nice you had to say about the cruise was an afterthought in your post ...I am sure that the elderly folks with you in all their years have waited in line for much longer amounts of time with little or no rewards (like a cruise) at the end.

[Wennfred]

Carnivals New Vacation Club you get in the VIP Checkin line, youre on the ship within 5 min. Thats one of the perks of being a member.

[MTS]

This was the OP's first cruise. I'm sure they had no idea what to think, having nothing to compare it to, so asking about possible compensation for this inconvenience is probably because of their lack of cruising experience.

 

MTS

[1corona4u]

How long do you people wait for a flight? Do they compensate you? I don't think so.....

[MTS]

Chill....Chill

[vivian02]

Our first cruise we waited two and a half hours because the ship was being scrubbed down because of norwak. We sure did see alot of unhappy people. I remeber seeing one lady who thought her platium credit card would hurry things. It didn't work. Tim

[BobBeaSea]

We sailed on Voyager Mar. 5. We were told there was a problem clearing the ship with U.S. Immigration so boarding did not begin until 1:00pm. Perhaps Navigator had the same problem. To us it was no big deal. If I was older or physically unable to stand for a long period of time I probably would not show up at the pier until 2:00-3:00pm just in case. RCI states in their documents for that sailing that boarding begins at 2:00pm. If you go earlier, as a lot do, there is some risk of wait time.

[sunsetme]

I think its unreasonable to ask 80 year olds to stand 2 hours in the heat to wait for a vacation they prepaid. Some consideration (not compensation) should be made for those with disabilities--air conditioning, seating, water, bathrooms. This is not a great way to start a cruise. I understand customs can hold things up, but the cruise lines, not just RCC, should be prepared to accommodate passengers in the waiting area with courtesy, consideration and maybe entertainment. An open bar would work for me! :)

[dc-snoopy]

First, although I don't think a 2 hour wait in line was unreasonable and the OP shouldn't expect any kind of compensation, here are some tips for the future.

 

First, make sure that any "gentleman" that asks you to use a different gate or entrance is wearing RCI logowear. If they do not have on an RCI shirt with a nameplate, don't believe them. The "gentleman" might have been a coordinator for that group that was trying to reserve that entrance exclusively for his group without any authority from RCI. If it was an RCI coordinated group, the an RCI employee would have been sent to that gate to direct other pax elsewhere. Beware of group coordinators like this, they have no authority and no right to do this and they are only doing this for their own convenience.

 

Second, once you are in line, you could have left your parents in line and gone to find an RCI employee and asked for wheelchairs for your parents. I have seen pax waiting in line that have wheelchairs from the port/ship to ease the wait for handicapped, infirm, or elderly pax. If they hadn't had to stand, it might not have been as taxing a situation on the three of you.

 

Last, if that wasn't an option, all of the cruise port terminals that I've seen have some seating available even if it isn't directly in line. You could have seated your parents within view of where you were in line. If there were no seats available,, once explained, someone in every group will usually make space for an elderly patron. Once the line started to move, you could have made arrangements with the person in front or in back to "hold" your place in line while you retrieved your elderly parents. Most people will be glad to "hold" your place in line to make things easier on an elderly patron (although not all! Be forewarned that you may have to ask a second time if the first person is a rude lout who won't help you).

 

Sorry you had that problem and hopefully these tips will make it easier in any line in the future if you have your parents with you.

[gambrell7]

waiting is just a part of it. just like our mothers would tell us, we have to take our turns. things happen and sometimes we can't fix it. things break down and they take time to fix. give these guys a break they are doing their best to make your trip wonderful.;)

[ewheelock]

I agree with stretch and everyone else that say why do you think that you might deserve compensation? Why do people think that? And why not sail rci again when everything else was so good? People today are just in so much of a hurry.

[1corona4u]

I think its unreasonable to ask 80 year olds to stand 2 hours in the heat to wait for a vacation they prepaid. Some consideration (not compensation) should be made for those with disabilities--air conditioning, seating, water, bathrooms. This is not a great way to start a cruise. I understand customs can hold things up, but the cruise lines, not just RCC, should be prepared to accommodate passengers in the waiting area with courtesy, consideration and maybe entertainment. An open bar would work for me! :)

 

I'm sure they did have a place to wait, but when they embarked, it was only in the 60's and 70's anyway, so there wasn't much heat to speak of. I live in South Florida, and it was cool then. I am sure they were in the terminal for most of that anyway. I did not see where the OP said anything about the heat....besides, if I had no where to sit, I would sit on my luggage, LOL...I can't stand for that long either, and I am only in my 40's.

[1corona4u]

Second, once you are in line, you could have left your parents in line and gone to find an RCI employee and asked for wheelchairs for your parents. I have seen pax waiting in line that have wheelchairs from the port/ship to ease the wait for handicapped, infirm, or elderly pax. If they hadn't had to stand, it might not have been as taxing a situation on the three of you.

 

 

Ohhhhh, I will have to remember that, in case I have to wait.......:) still can't stand for long periods...

[MTS]

I agree with stretch and everyone else that say why do you think that you might deserve compensation? Why do people think that? And why not sail rci again when everything else was so good? People today are just in so much of a hurry.

 

 

This was the OP's first cruise. I'm sure they had no idea what to think, having nothing to compare it to, so asking about possible compensation for this inconvenience is probably because of their lack of cruising experience.

 

MTS

[Leejnd4]

I had to wait almost two hours to board for our first cruise (on Monarch). We had our kids with us. My husband and I took turns -- one stood in line while the other hung out at the chairs with the kids. Yes it was a long wait, but then, it's no worse than going through security any time I have to fly out of LAX!

 

This is just one of those annoyances that we learn to live with when cruising the mega-ships. Want to avoid lines? Cruise the small ships. Lesson learned. :)

 

LeeAnne