Turn-Around Day Question

[cruz chic]

We always went into the terminal on our own, cleared Immigration and if the weather was good, waited outside the terminal until the ship zeroed down. We normally waited in the range of 45 minutes.

 

 

 

 

I know you said this in jest but we were clearing Immigration once and a couple showed up in robe and slippers and the CBP Official ordered them to get properly dressed. I have no idea how they were permitted to get back on the ship to get clothes but they were not going to be cleared in their robes. Actually, I didn't blame the Official at all..... so disrespectful to all involved including their fellow guests.

 

 

One of the entertainers (male) on the Veendam showed up in his robe to go thru immigration on the Veendam. I simply don't understand this. It would take less than a minute to put on a pair of pants and a and shirt. I'm surprised he was able to entertain given how lazy he was. Immigration was done on the ship.

Edited June 1, 2015 by cruz chic

[Copper10-8]

One of the entertainers (male) on the Veendam showed up in his robe to go thru immigration on the Veendam. I simply don't understand this. It would take less than a minute to put on a pair of pants and a and shirt. I'm surprised he was able to entertain given how lazy he was. Immigration was done on the ship.

 

That dude is real lucky he wasn't seen by an officer and/or supervisor in that attire

[cruz chic]

That dude is real lucky he wasn't seen by an officer and/or supervisor in that attire

 

I should be more specific. He was one of the entertainers hired specifically for the cruise not one of the cast in the shows. I never went to any of the shows but someone had pointed him out earlier to me for another reason. He should have been hauled up on the carpet just the same. Not a very good roll model for passangers.

[take us away]

Some people have no sense of decorum. When it comes to dealing with government officials, we are all business and certainly won't embarrass ourselves or others.

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

 

Totally agree - and also no jokes as they do not have a sense of humor!

[Krazy Kruizers]

I'm sure, like me, you remember the days when we waited, waited, waited for people to pay their bills before anyone could leave the ship. It was awful. There were times we waited a very long time. HAL came up with a better system, it seems, as that doesn't happen anymore.

 

 

 

Not true.

The worst was when we were on the Nieuw Amsterdam -- pier 21 -- we stood down in the luggage area for over 1 and 1/2 hours. There were only 9 seats!! Finally a couple who appeared to be in their 40's were escorted off the ship.

[Randyk47]

I'm assuming, which is always dangerous, that the turn-around day procedures for continuing passengers is a US requirement, maybe Canadian too (???). I've not run into that in Europe, at least not in the Med, but then again I haven't cruised on HAL in the Med. Also a bit different is that the cruise lines I've been on in the Med take your passport at the beginning of the cruise and keep it until the end of the cruise except for stops at few ports, usually non-EU countries, where you have to have your passport in your possession when on shore. Just curious......

Edited June 1, 2015 by Randyk47

[cruz chic]

I'm assuming, which is always dangerous, that the turn-around day procedures for continuing passengers is a US requirement, maybe Canadian too (???). I've not run into that in Europe, at least not in the Med, but then again I haven't cruised on HAL in the Med. Also a bit different is that the cruise lines I've been on in the Med take your passport at the beginning of the cruise and keep it until the end of the cruise except for stops at few ports, usually non-EU countries, where you have to have your passport in your possession when on shore. Just curious......

 

Yes, canadians too in Florida. When I was recently in Boston we had to report to the showroom and see officials there bright and early in the morning just like common criminals. I get a bit tired of the silly scrutiny I get subjected to at the border. Last time I went I got asked why I travel to the USA "so much". I have a nexus card so I've been throughly investigated. I didn't realixe travelling to the USA was cause for concern.

Edited June 1, 2015 by cruz chic

[Randyk47]

Yes, canadians too in Florida. When I was recently in Boston we had to report to the showroom and see officials there bright and early in the morning just like common criminals. I get a bit tired of the silly scrutiny I get subjected to at the border. Last time I went I got asked why I travel to the USA "so much". I have a nexus card so I've been throughly investigated. I didn't realixe travelling to the USA was cause for concern.

 

Kind of understood it was everybody in U.S. ports. What about Canadian ports? Other foreign ports? Same emptying process?

 

As an aside I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and up until I left in the early 80's it was no big deal to catch a ferry to Victoria or run up to Vancouver, BC. Flash a driver's license and maybe a quick glance in your car and off you went. My understanding it's not so easy today though a trusted traveler program enrollment, like NEXUS, helps.

[cruz chic]

Kind of understood it was everybody in U.S. ports. What about Canadian ports? Other foreign ports? Same emptying process?

 

As an aside I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and up until I left in the early 80's it was no big deal to catch a ferry to Victoria or run up to Vancouver, BC. Flash a driver's license and maybe a quick glance in your car and off you went. My understanding it's not so easy today though a trusted traveler program enrollment, like NEXUS, helps.

 

The second half of my cruise went to Canada from Boston. The only thing required was to fill out the form. No one had to present themselves to officials. One irritating thing that hal is getting into the habit of is requesting canadians to fill out the customs form before leaving the USA. We were asked to turn it in before leaving Boston. We still also had Bar Harbor. When I told them I wouldn't fill it out until we left Bar Harbor they looked at me like I had two heads. They didn't understand how falsifying information is a bad thing :rolleyes:.

[RuthC]

I'm assuming, which is always dangerous, that the turn-around day procedures for continuing passengers is a US requirement, maybe Canadian too (???). I've not run into that in Europe, at least not in the Med, but then again I haven't cruised on HAL in the Med. Also a bit different is that the cruise lines I've been on in the Med take your passport at the beginning of the cruise and keep it until the end of the cruise except for stops at few ports, usually non-EU countries, where you have to have your passport in your possession when on shore. Just curious......

I've done many turn-around days in various Europe ports, and have found them to be treated like any other port day. I can sleep in if I care to, don't have to leave the ship, and don't have to report to anyone.

 

The same was true on my turn-around days in Sydney, Australia and Kobe, Japan. I had understood that we would have to zero down, as that is what happened two years ago, but things have changed, apparently.

In Japan, however, we did have to zero down the ship at the first port, even though it was not a turn-around day.

 

I've never done a turn-around day in Canada, so can't answer that part of your question.

Edited June 1, 2015 by RuthC

[Randyk47]

I've done many turn-around days in various Europe ports, and have found them to be treated like any other port day. I can sleep in if I care to, don't have to leave the ship, and don't have to report to anyone.

 

The same was true on my turn-around days in Sydney, Australia and Kobe, Japan. I had understood that we would have to zero down, as that is what happened two years ago, but things have changed, apparently.

In Japan, however, we did have to zero down the ship at the first port, even though it was not a turn-around day.

 

I've never done a turn-around day in Canada, so can't answer that part of your question.

 

Thanks Ruth. I was just curious. As for the Med I find it interesting that cruise lines, and I think all if not most, take your passport for the duration of the cruise. I was told by ship's personnel that's so officials can come on board and examine them if they chose to. Except for entrance and exit stamps at the airports the only evidence I have that any official has ever looked at our passports is one stamp at a stop in Piraeus, Greece. That's out of 30/- ports over three years, mostly EU countries. I know some have expressed some dislike to dismay at having to surrender passports for basically the duration of a Med cruise but some now 40 days in the Med it's not been an issue.

[RuthC]

I know some have expressed some dislike to dismay at having to surrender passports for basically the duration of a Med cruise but some now 40 days in the Med it's not been an issue.

IIRC, I get to keep my passport in Europe, but I generally go to northern countries when there.

 

We had to turn in our passports on my recent Asia cruise starting in Hong Kong and ending in Vancouver. The passports were returned to those of us who went to Beijing overnight, but we had to turn them back in before we sailed out of the port.

Just made it easier to clear the ship at all the ports, so I don't mind a bit.

[sail7seas]

I've done many turn-around days in various Europe ports, and have found them to be treated like any other port day. I can sleep in if I care to, don't have to leave the ship, and don't have to report to anyone.

 

The same was true on my turn-around days in Sydney, Australia and Kobe, Japan. I had understood that we would have to zero down, as that is what happened two years ago, but things have changed, apparently.

In Japan, however, we did have to zero down the ship at the first port, even though it was not a turn-around day.

 

I've never done a turn-around day in Canada, so can't answer that part of your question.

 

As U.S. citizens, all the times we did turn around day in Montreal, we did not have to leave the ship or do anything. If we chose to leave the ship, we had to present a completed Customs Form which we had to enter zero as we were not bringing anything ashore though we had made purchases. Americans do not have to have Passport but it is very much faster, easier and appreciated by the authorities if you do. We were happy we had passports. We were free to spend the day ashore as we wished.

 

[take us away]

Isn't the zero ship 'thing' a US port requirement?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes -- we never had to have the ship down to zero count in a foreign country.

[Randyk47]

IIRC, I get to keep my passport in Europe, but I generally go to northern countries when there.

 

We had to turn in our passports on my recent Asia cruise starting in Hong Kong and ending in Vancouver. The passports were returned to those of us who went to Beijing overnight, but we had to turn them back in before we sailed out of the port.

Just made it easier to clear the ship at all the ports, so I don't mind a bit.

 

As much as we want to do Northern Europe we've only been able to cruise in the Med so far. The on-going tension between the US and Russia has temporarily put a few Northern Europe ports on Mrs. K's work related "off limits" list. I had kind of thought the keeping of the passports in the Med was an EU thing but most of the Northern Europe countries are EU also so it must be something else.

[RuthC]

Isn't the zero ship 'thing' a US port requirement?

It is required in the US, but is not limited to the US. As I posted earlier, when the Volendam first entered Japan, we had to zero down the ship---even though it was not a turn-around port.

[Mary Ellen]

The same was true on my turn-around days in Sydney, Australia and Kobe, Japan. I had understood that we would have to zero down, as that is what happened two years ago, but things have changed, apparently.

In Japan, however, we did have to zero down the ship at the first port, even though it was not a turn-around day.

We did have to 'zero down' once in Kobe. That cruise wasn't a zero down when we re-entered Japan (after having been to China and South Korea) though. Everyone just had to have a "Face to Passport" meeting ashore with the Japanese Immigration officials. We were allowed to re-board the ship immediately. The ship just couldn't sail until everyone had done this. So - we waited, waited, waited.... until the "special" people were finally escorted ashore by ship's officers to see the Japanese officials. We missed the scheduled scenic cruising that evening because of the loooooong delay in sailing. :rolleyes:

[RuthC]

We did have to 'zero down' once in Kobe. That cruise wasn't a zero down when we re-entered Japan (after having been to China and South Korea) though. Everyone just had to have a "Face to Passport" meeting ashore with the Japanese Immigration officials. We were allowed to re-board the ship immediately. The ship just couldn't sail until everyone had done this. So - we waited, waited, waited.... until the "special" people were finally escorted ashore by ship's officers to see the Japanese officials. We missed the scheduled scenic cruising that evening because of the loooooong delay in sailing. :rolleyes:

Perhaps that had something to do with why the procedure was different this year.

[kazu]

It is required in the US, but is not limited to the US. As I posted earlier, when the Volendam first entered Japan, we had to zero down the ship---even though it was not a turn-around port.

 

If memory serves, we also had to get off the Prinsendam in Tilbury too (it was a turnaround port). Everyone had to go through British immigration.

 

After a short period of time, we could reboard. We chose to cross the Thames and visit a lovely town and come back after. The security people in Tilbury were very nice and showed us the way to the ferry :D

[Viv0828]

We got off with the other passengers, went through a special disembarkation line, rented a car and had a great day in Fort Lauderdale, and then re embarked in another special line for continuing on passengers in the afternoon.

[sail7seas]

With the zero down in U.S. ports, in transit guests are free to spend the day in port if they wish. They do not have to reboard. We usually went back aboard in FLL but one of our last cruises, we got a taxi to hotel, spent the day at the pool, met friends, had lunch on the patio at the pool and had a great day. Easy taxi back to the ship. :)

 

[Mary Ellen]

I've thought that. It would have made it much easier for HAL to round up the 5-7 (or so) errant "special" folks.

 

It did make some entertainment though. We were out on deck for sail away. Instead of pier runners, we had 'pier strollers'. At least it gave lots of us plenty of time to see exactly who these louts were. They didn't seem at all concerned that their selfishness had disrupted others. We felt sorry for the kids in the band playing for sail away. They were playing, and playing, and playing...

Perhaps that had something to do with why the procedure was different this year.