Received an RCCL Emergency Notification System E-mail Today

[pmarcum]

As the title states I received this e-mail today. Sailing on Allure this Sunday. E-mail indicates that due to budget cuts with US Customs & Border Protection staffing has been reduced creating longer immigration processing time for departing guests from the ship. E-mail asks for arriving guests not to arrive at port until 12 noon and that the check-in window is Noon 0 3:45pm. Anyone else receive this on the Allure or any other RCCL ship?

 

Happy Cruising!

[BearBear69]

Yup...got it today too.

 

Bummer.:(

[wrp96]

I saw a post on another board (I believe Carnival) reporting they got a similar message. There have been several posts complaining about how long it took to get off ships in the last couple of weeks (like CBP only sending 3 customs officers for one of the large Celebrity ships). If it's taking that long to get off the ship, they definitely won't be ready to let the next cruise board early, unfortunately.

 

The bigger issue is for people who decided to "risk it" and book those too early flights. I would be prepared for messes at the airports with people trying to get rebooked on later flights, if there are long delays getting off the ship.

[jewel825]

As the title states I received this e-mail today. Sailing on Allure this Sunday. E-mail indicates that due to budget cuts with US Customs & Border Protection staffing has been reduced creating longer immigration processing time for departing guests from the ship. E-mail asks for arriving guests not to arrive at port until 12 noon and that the check-in window is Noon 0 3:45pm. Anyone else receive this on the Allure or any other RCCL ship?

 

Happy Cruising!

 

That's a big bummer. We are sailing in a couple of weeks and I'm hoping they have staffing under better control by then. I've only been on 3 cruises but all 3 have had some kind of issue and it's always taken me a minimum of 2 hours to board. I guess this will be no exception!

[wrp96]

That's a big bummer. We are sailing in a couple of weeks and I'm hoping they have staffing under better control by then.

 

 

It's not an issue of RCCL staffing, it's CBP. And it won't be "solved" until the sequestration is over, unfortunately.

[bludevil]

I was getting off the Allure the first cruise after the sequester began and the customs people only sent half of the usual people to get 6,000+ of us off the ship.

 

It took a lot longer than expected (my 9:45 departure off the ship took until 11am) and people were already starting to arrive to check it. It turned into a bit of chaos outside the terminal.

 

Wait until about noon to arrive at the port. You'll be happy you did.

[leerobbs]

Not a big deal really. Usually boarding starts between 1100 and 1130 so starting at 1200 is no big deal. The time is always up in the air with many issues that could delay boarding. I have had to wait until 2:00 pm before because of issues so you never know for sure. Hope you have a wonderful cruise and smoooooth boarding!

[Zigggypup]

As the title states I received this e-mail today. Sailing on Allure this Sunday. E-mail indicates that due to budget cuts with US Customs & Border Protection staffing has been reduced creating longer immigration processing time for departing guests from the ship. E-mail asks for arriving guests not to arrive at port until 12 noon and that the check-in window is Noon 0 3:45pm. Anyone else receive this on the Allure or any other RCCL ship?

 

Happy Cruising!

 

It is not only the immigration process that is going to be delayed. These are the same agents that handle the security screening as well. So the metal detector lines are going to be crazy as well. 5,000 to 6,000 grumpy passengers. Could be a mutiny before even getting on board. Bring anxiety medication and comfortable shoes............good luck.

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

It is not only the immigration process that is going to be delayed. These are the same agents that handle the security screening as well. So the metal detector lines are going to be crazy as well. 5,000 to 6,000 grumpy passengers. Could be a mutiny before even getting on board. Bring anxiety medication and comfortable shoes............good luck.

 

I wouldn't be too concerned with getting ON the ship. Oasis and Allure have the new terminal that allows for very quick embarkation. So even if the agents are only half of the usual agents, it shouldn't take that long. Now getting off, that may be a different story. I wouldn't plan on catching a really early flight home.

[CruzinSuz]

they had the same issue's in Galveston this past weekend. Of course, Galveston isn't the best anyway, at least this time they had a real reason for customs/border not doing their jobs.

Why don't they cut back unnecessary clerical workers, I'm sure there are many ways to reduce the budget without all the inconvenience to us, but that's the 'one in charges's' plan, to make his sequester miserable for as many people as possible.

[Trekker954]

It is not only the immigration process that is going to be delayed. These are the same agents that handle the security screening as well. So the metal detector lines are going to be crazy as well. 5,000 to 6,000 grumpy passengers. Could be a mutiny before even getting on board. Bring anxiety medication and comfortable shoes............good luck.

 

CBP officers clear the passengers thru immigration/customs processes only on disembarkation day. Port Authority handles the security on embarkation day. CBP officers do NOT, handle the security metal detector lines at all. The port security are local security, not federal workers.

[wolfcathorse]

It's not an issue of RCCL staffing, it's CBP. And it won't be "solved" until the sequestration is over, unfortunately.

 

and the sequestration won't get solved as long as President Obama is visiting Israel. He should have stayed home to get this issue resolved.

[DMickey28]

We are on April 7th. I could care less about getting on the ship. We have a flight coming home just after 11am. We are planning on doing express walk off and getting the express checkin line that JetBlue offers. I am hoping we will be fine if we are among the first to walk off.

 

I've looked into later flights but they are just soooo expensive. I have looked at changing to Monday but same thing plus hotel.

 

Do you think express walk off would be ok?

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I do not think anyone knows what will happen at ports or airports in the next few weeks. You could have nothing to worry about. But, it sounds like it might cut it too close with the present situation.

[Jon in the ATL]

We are on April 7th. I could care less about getting on the ship. We have a flight coming home just after 11am. We are planning on doing express walk off and getting the express checkin line that JetBlue offers. I am hoping we will be fine if we are among the first to walk off.

 

I've looked into later flights but they are just soooo expensive. I have looked at changing to Monday but same thing plus hotel.

 

Do you think express walk off would be ok?

 

I'm on your sailing too and taking a 1130am flight home. You'll be fine!

 

I really do not think it will take you 4 hours to get off the ship, get to the airport which is basically next door, check your bags, and go through security at the airport.

 

Enjoy..we're almost there!!

[Russ Lomas]

Just off the Oasis last weekend. We arrived at the port around 9:30 am hoping for an 11am boarding (I know it was early, but it was the only shuttle time the hotel had available when we checked in). 11am came and went. We did not get to board til around 1pm. RCCL claimed it was due to a lack of customs officials and therefore it took much longer than expected for them to clear all of the previous passengers off from the previous cruise.

 

Flash forward to last Saturday for our disembarkation...the same problem arose again. This time we were the ones "stuck" on the Oasis and our disembarkation was severely delayed. We had a later flight, so we asked for a later departure from the ship and were given a 10:30 am departure tag. We were not called til around noon to disembark. We loved having the ship to ourselves and having a leisurely morning before disembarking (should have kept the swim suits out of the suitcases which were sitting on the pier).

 

I think that the later disembarkation and embarkation is going to be an on-going thing for the Allure and Oasis for the near future, so people planning to depart for early flights are going to be stressed and those hoping to board early are going to be upset at the delays as well. Be prepared.

 

The funny thing about being on the ship still at 11am was that the staff working on the ship generally had no clue what was happening. I went to get a drink and was told I had to wait til 11:15 because all of the facilities for "us newly boarding passengers" would not be open until then. Little did they realize that the past passengers were still aboard and the new passengers would be sitting steaming in the terminal for another couple of hours. They must have been wondering why nobody was buying drinks between 11am and 1pm (hint...you shut off our accounts the previous evening).

[Zou Bisou Bisou]

they had the same issue's in Galveston this past weekend. Of course, Galveston isn't the best anyway, at least this time they had a real reason for customs/border not doing their jobs.

Why don't they cut back unnecessary clerical workers, I'm sure there are many ways to reduce the budget without all the inconvenience to us, but that's the 'one in charges's' plan, to make his sequester miserable for as many people as possible.

 

Totally agree, wish the Speaker of the House would get his act together!

[Merion_Mom]

Interesting timing.

 

For the first time EVER, I am not going straight home after my cruise this week. We are staying on for three days in New Orleans.

 

Lucky us!

 

By my next cruise, I'm sure this will all be straightened out.

 

:)

[ssb]

Yes we and others on different sailing dates received these in January

On mariner sailings out of Galveston.

[ssb]

Interesting timing.

 

For the first time EVER, I am not going straight home after my cruise this week. We are staying on for three days in New Orleans.

 

Lucky us!

 

By my next cruise, I'm sure this will all be straightened out.

 

:)

 

I doubt it!

[time4u2go]

and the sequestration won't get solved as long as President Obama is visiting Israel. He should have stayed home to get this issue resolved.

 

It's not just the president that would have to be involved in this effort. It requires congress too, and they don't seem to be doing much about it either.

[cruisingbooboo]

I saw on another thread, this maybe a hoax. I see a red flag on this. Where it says boarding will close at 3:45 pm. Boarding ALWAYS closes 90 minutes prior to sailing, this wouldn't add up .....not sure but just saying....

[time4u2go]

I saw on another thread, this maybe a hoax. I see a red flag on this. Where it says boarding will close at 3:45 pm. Boarding ALWAYS closes 90 minutes prior to sailing, this wouldn't add up .....not sure but just saying....

They can delay sailing.

[kc320]

I'm on your sailing too and taking a 1130am flight home. You'll be fine!

 

I really do not think it will take you 4 hours to get off the ship, get to the airport which is basically next door, check your bags, and go through security at the airport.

 

Enjoy..we're almost there!!

 

Never Underestimate the Power of the Government to Screw things up...

[poncho1973]

You can thank those idiots in Washington for this.

 

Yes, the idiots in your party.

Yes, also the idiots in the other party, too.

Yes, the independent idiots, as well.

 

All of them.