Disembarkation Woes

[JimAOk1945]

Am I correct in assuming that even though I plan use luggage direct, we will still go through customs after debarking?

[RuthC]

Am I correct in assuming that even though I plan use luggage direct, we will still go through customs after debarking?

Yes. It's just a matter of walking through and turning in your Customs form.

Unless there's a reason they need you at your luggage, that is. ;)

[JimAOk1945]

Yes. It's just a matter of walking through and turning in your Customs form.

Unless there's a reason they need you at your luggage, that is. ;)

 

Ruth, thanks so much for answering so quickly. I value your vast knowledge. As a HAL newbie, I still have much to learn.

[iancal]

Early disembark is not really such a big deal. The trick is to be able to easily handle your own luggage and be aware that many of the people milling about are not doing what you are doing. So don't stand at the back of any line like a sheep, find out what is going down and move forward and out.

 

We found it, at times, incredible the amount of people who apparently were not signed up for early departure but seemed to just be sitting/standing around doing nothing but causing a backup etc and waiting for I do not know what. Looky loos maybe? Other times we just walked straight off with no crowds. You would think that common sense would prevail however it is not as common as one would think.

Edited July 16, 2016 by iancal

[2old4this]

Early disembark is not really such a big deal. The trick is to be able to easily handle your own luggage and be aware that many of the people milling about are not doing what you are doing. So don't stand at the back of any line like a sheep, find out what is going down and move forward and out.

 

We found it, at times, incredible the amount of people who apparently were not signed up for early departure but seemed to just be sitting/standing around doing nothing but causing a backup etc and waiting for I do not know what. Looky loos maybe? Other times we just walked straight off with no crowds. You would think that common sense would prevail however it is not as common as one would think.

 

I find it amazing, Iancal, that so many people who waited for weeks, maybe months, to make their cruise, and who availed themselves of everything the cruise offered, wants to leave the cruise by pushing and shoving as if abandoning ship. Everyone knows their disembarkation color/numbers and the times they are to assemble for departures. Most, still, would rather wait sitting on stairs, in the departure areas, and block hallways rather than in the Lido or wait in their cabins.

 

Common sense does not prevail in such conditions; crowd sense does meaning it becomes every overweight traveller for herself.

[hrhdhd]

And to whoever mentioned Disney being the best....spot on. They are the best with a lot of things, getting people off included.

 

To be fair, many (most?) of Disney's cruises begin and end at one port (Port Canaveral), where they have their own terminal and the process down pat. HAL uses ports around the world and around the U.S., and sometimes the procedures will differ based on local conditions.

[DaveOKC]

Once again this thread is confusing my question, are you talking about self disembark where you carry your own luggage OR self assist where you require a wheelchair and assistance to disembark. I have an very early flight and we overnight in BCN before disembarking. Someone told me to check post 30, which DID NOT answer the question. So here it is again, SIMPLE question

When I carry my own luggage off, can I disembark before everyone else.

PS We can handle our TWO suitcases

 

I was talking about self disembark where you carry your own luggage off by yourself.

 

To clarify my comment, I meant that ONE person trying to carry THREE suitcases off. I have seen this more than once and it is interesting to watch.

[Traveling Dot]

Totally off subject but when we were on a Crystal cruise in Panama last year the first port we stopped at had a couple of sniffer dogs! It was the suitcases awaiting to go on board and the passngers had cleared through. It was a travel agent group just to be on board for a few days.

The 2 dogs and there handlers took this job very seriously! The dogs were eyeing the suitcases from the parking lot and could hardly stand waiting to get over there and work! Watching them was interesting and you could never steer them from their purpose! They spent a good half hour going thru each and every suitcase but to these poor dogs disappointment.....nothing! They both walked away with their tails dragging on the ground as they went back to their vans. If I didn't know any better I believe those canines were crying. I felt terrible that they found nothing:(Such is the life of a sniffer dog.

 

I worked for our local police department who have drug dogs. I didn't know before that they only get a piece of food if they find something.:( It is an incentive for them to really try to find something. I know it sounds cruel but that is the life of a sniffer dog.:( But to keep them in shape they do practice runs where they do find drugs hidden by the officer and they get their food for finding them.:) So that explains why they looked sad.

[Traveling Dot]

Now back to the original post. :D The only time I had any problem disembarking was on my last cruise because it was a cruise where a lot of people where continuing on to other ports before disembarking. They had the expedited passengers and the passengers who where going on excursions all leaving at the same time. :( What a jam up at the exit. :eek: Plus the fact just getting on an elevator where you could get down to the main deck. I managed to get on an elevator to get down and stood out of the way until I was able to get on the line to leave.

 

This was the first time I was travelling on my own. Before I always had my husband in a wheelchair along with my carryon luggage and never ran into the this type of log jam, :eek: but then again this was the first time that I was on a cruise where the port that I was getting off was not the final port.

[Copper10-8]

I worked for our local police department who have drug dogs. I didn't know before that they only get a piece of food if they find something.:( It is an incentive for them to really try to find something. I know it sounds cruel but that is the life of a sniffer dog.:( But to keep them in shape they do practice runs where they do find drugs hidden by the officer and they get their food for finding them.:) So that explains why they looked sad.

 

I was a police K-9 handler for five years in L.A. with a German shepherd. My dog was trained to locate hidden felony suspects but, due to his high play drive and energy level (a prerequisite for being a dope detection dog), he was cross-trained in locating narcs.

 

The way it works is that searching for dope involves the dog's favorite play toy (like a rubber - small - football or anything else that size that the dog likes to chase and bring back like a rubber ball or gnaw play tool) It can be something as simple as a towel or piece of rope he/she plays "tug of war" with. During training, several different illegal narcotics are introduced one at a time (Marijuana, Cocaine/Crack, Heroin, Methamphetamine/Ice, etc.) and associated with that same favorite toy by "scenting" it. The dog does not care about narcotics one bit, he/she's just interested in finding that favorite toy that he/she now associates with the narcotics he/she has been trained to locate.

 

When the K-9 handler tells his/her dog to search, i.e. a car, the dog thinks he/she's looking for that favorite toy. Whenever the dog alerts on the odor of the hidden narcotics, he/she digs and scratches, trying to get at his toy (in his//her mind). The handler will have the dog's favorite toy in his back pocket, or close by, and will throw that toy in the vicinity of the dog. The dog soon comes to learn that if he/she sniffs out the smell of drugs, as soon as he finds them he/she'll be rewarded with his/her favorite toy.

 

As to your point, I've heard about dope dogs being rewarded with pieces of food instead of with their toy when they locate dope (other K-9 handlers use verbal praise). Food rewards are just not used a lot in California

[Barrheadlass]

Thanks for sharing that, Copper...very interesting indeed! The closest I've been to a sniffer dog is the Department of Agriculture dogs at Logan...they are probably trained the same way?

[Zeno]

What I don't understand is why some people can go the entire cruise without a wheelchair but all of a sudden they need one to disembark? What am I missing?

 

Reality check - for the undisabled - some people can walk with a cane for short distances but can't STAND for any length of time. My max standing time in a line is about 5 minutes - after that I am in considerable pain and would probably end up less than gracefully sliding to the floor and unable to get up. Somehow I think this would be rather more disruptive than using a wheelchair.

[Boytjie]

Interesting about the dogs, John. Could the dogs ever get too clever and pretend they smelled the drugs because they know they will get the toy if the act the right way?

[Copper10-8]

Thanks for sharing that, Copper...very interesting indeed! The closest I've been to a sniffer dog is the Department of Agriculture dogs at Logan...they are probably trained the same way?

 

Those dogs (agriculture - the "Beagle Brigade", but also the Labs) are trained similar. As far as explosives detection K-9's, you don't want them "digging and/or scratching" at what they've located for obvious reasons ;). Those dogs will alert to their handlers with a passive response, i.e. sitting or laying down.

 

The dogs are fascinating to work with and observe; you become real tight to them and form a bond. My five years in the K-9 Detail was, without a doubt, the highlight of my 30 year career in law enforcement

[Copper10-8]

Interesting about the dogs, John. Could the dogs ever get too clever and pretend they smelled the drugs because they know they will get the toy if the act the right way?

 

Detection dogs do, at times, give what's known as "false alerts". It's up to the handler to recognize that and, if it becomes a habit, re-train! Training as a K-9 team never ends, both on company time, as well as on the handler's own time

 

[Boytjie]

Detection dogs do, at times, give what's known as "false alerts". It's up to the handler to recognize that and, if it becomes a habit, re-train! Training as a K-9 team never ends, both on company time, as well as on the handler's own time

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks again, John!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[JimAOk1945]

That's how it worked when I did Luggage Direct.

The first group called to disembark was the self-disembark people. The next group was Luggage Direct, followed by the first color/number group.

 

My understanding for why Luggage Direct people have to leave early, and as a group, is because they need to be available in case Customs wants to pull one of their bags; they have to be with the bag when it is inspected. If they go off early, they will be easier to pull out of line, and then the luggage can be sent in a timely fashion.

 

Thanks for your explanation. It sounds like a wonderful service.

[RuthC]

It sounds like a wonderful service.

Worth it at twice the price, I say about it.

 

Now, I have a friend for whom Luggage Direct went horribly wrong. She hasn't a good word to say about it, and considering all the problems she had, can't say as I blame her.

But those stories, fortunately, are few and far between.