Almost Time

[ssmea03]

On 12/31/2018 at 12:24 PM, sidari said:

Frank ... Had no issues with the Deluxe package, on this cruise we have the Classic so will see how it goes. The issue with the Black cards is that the magnetic stripes on the back of the cards is faulty so they are having to issue blue cards with the words Black card on it.

Ah the "classic" beverage package my favorite subject 🤯 very keen to hear how it goes, particularly beer as there have been reports beer has been denied despite being within the price limit.

[sidari]

12 hours ago, ssmea03 said:

Ah the "classic" beverage package my favorite subject 🤯 very keen to hear how it goes, particularly beer as there have been reports beer has been denied despite being within the price limit.

Not a bottled beer drinker but will try and remember to ask what is included at one of the bars 

[deliver42]

We got off the Civina in December, and had no problem getting whatever drink or beer we wanted.

[sidari]

On 1/1/2019 at 9:26 PM, ssmea03 said:

 🤯

Disembarkation chaos with just one exit desk open and long lines inside the ship and at customs moving at a snails pace.

[Beamafar]

10 minutes ago, sidari said:

Disembarkation chaos with just one exit desk open and long lines inside the ship and at customs moving at a snails pace.

 

Hi Dave ... MSC may have been instructed by customs to delay the process.  It could be due to the Government shut-down situation over there.

[Cruisergal1208]

42 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

 

Hi Dave ... MSC may have been instructed by customs to delay the process.  It could be due to the Government shut-down situation over there.

That's what I was thinking also.  

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by Cruisergal1208

[Beamafar]

1 minute ago, Cruisergal1208 said:

That's what I was thinking also.  Is this for Divina today in Miami?

 

 

Yes.

 

We're boarding Armonia next Monday week.  We usually head to the port early and have lunch onboard.  I'm thinking this time of having lunch onshore and then heading down to the port in the afternoon just in case they're slow to disembark passengers.  Might as well make the most of our morning in Miami, hanging out at the Bayside mall, rather than standing in a queue at the port terminal, waiting for clearance to check-in and board.

[deliver42]

I'm sure it's because of the shutdown. Would you work for no pay? There is usually 4 or 5 agents available for debarkation. We got off on Nov. 28, also a Thursday, and were off the ship and through customs in 20 minutes.

[sidari]

Bea ... There were quite a few border control staff there but they were finger printing and taking photos of everyone which clearly slowed down the process, over the weekend one of the six terminals will be closed due to lack of staff.

[BermudaBound2014]

Welcome home! Hope you had a great time. Pure speculation, but I wonder if the fingerprinting has to do with the cocaine smuggling incident that happened a few weeks ago where several MSC workers were arrested in Miami for smuggling cocaine into the USA. I've never seen fingerprinting before.

 

48 minutes ago, sidari said:

Bea ... There were quite a few border control staff there but they were finger printing and taking photos of everyone which clearly slowed down the process, over the weekend one of the six terminals will be closed due to lack of staff.

 

[Beamafar]

1 hour ago, sidari said:

Bea ... There were quite a few border control staff there but they were finger printing and taking photos of everyone which clearly slowed down the process, over the weekend one of the six terminals will be closed due to lack of staff.

 

I'm debating whether to go to the terminal early or late on the 20th (it's a Monday) if the debarkation process is slower than usual. I think it'd be better to enjoy a bit of shopping in Bayside in the morning and have lunch before heading down to the port (if the hotel allows us to store our luggage 'til we're ready to collect it).

[BermudaBound2014]

3 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

 

I'm debating whether to go to the terminal early or late on the 20th (it's a Monday) if the debarkation process is slower than usual. I think it'd be better to enjoy a bit of shopping in Bayside in the morning and have lunch before heading down to the port (if the hotel allows us to store our luggage 'til we're ready to collect it).

 

I'm almost certain your hotel will store  your luggage. We really like Bayside. Be cautious in the morning. I don't want to sound negative (and I'm not sure where you are from), but personal safety isn't just a night thing in MIami. We saw many needles, etc... It's a cute little area, so easy to let your guard down. 

[Beamafar]

Thanks for the advice, BB.

 

I never let my guard down, no matter where I am - I'm actually a bit OCD about it.  I'll check reflections in windows to ensure I'm not being followed and I hang on to my bag as though my life depended on it - and that's in our local stores (in Ireland).

 

We arrive into Miami the night before the cruise, so we only have the morning to spend some time around the area.  (We'll have 2 more nights after the cruise, but we'll be staying in a different area).

[BermudaBound2014]

55 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Thanks for the advice, BB.

 

I never let my guard down, no matter where I am - I'm actually a bit OCD about it.  I'll check reflections in windows to ensure I'm not being followed and I hang on to my bag as though my life depended on it - and that's in our local stores (in Ireland).

 

We arrive into Miami the night before the cruise, so we only have the morning to spend some time around the area.  (We'll have 2 more nights after the cruise, but we'll be staying in a different area).

 I figured as much, hope I didn't come across as condescending. Just wanted you to be aware as Bayside is a cute little shopping area (with a pretty serious heroin problem based on the amount of needles we found). I walked down there to watch the ships come in and it was eye opening (and we spend lots of time in Detroit). Enjoy!!

[Beamafar]

Appreciate the heads-up, BB (not condescending at all!).  You're right - from pictures I've seen, it looks like a really nice shopping area . It would be very easy to drop your guard in such a place.

[sidari]

Never saw any needles recently but there are still homeless people hanging around on the wooden piers.

Bea ... We were able to leave our cases for a few hours when we stayed at the Holiday Inn in 2017.

 

BB ... When we arrive at a US airport they do the same fingerprint thing.

We arrived at London Heathrow this morning where we scanned our passports and had our face checked by camera against the passport, we then had to scan our boarding cards for our onward flight and again have our faces checked by camera, meanwhile you can arrive in the country in the back of a truck or be picked up floating in the English channel in a dinghy and be allowed in without any proof of who you are.

[Beamafar]

22 minutes ago, sidari said:

We arrived at London Heathrow this morning where we scanned our passports and had our face checked by camera against the passport, we then had to scan our boarding cards for our onward flight and again have our faces checked by camera, meanwhile you can arrive in the country in the back of a truck or be picked up floating in the English channel in a dinghy and be allowed in without any proof of who you are.

 

It's a ludicrous situation what's happening in Europe at the moment, with people being allowed in with no papers, yet we're put through what you've just described.

[Zephyr173]

4 hours ago, Beamafar said:

 

I'm debating whether to go to the terminal early or late on the 20th (it's a Monday) if the debarkation process is slower than usual. I think it'd be better to enjoy a bit of shopping in Bayside in the morning and have lunch before heading down to the port (if the hotel allows us to store our luggage 'til we're ready to collect it).

We stayed in the area prior to a cruise. Excellent hotel  (Intercontinental).  We preferred to stay at the hotel rather than walk around the neighborhood.  We did not feel unsafe in the area, but I was very watchful, as city blocks are a bit long, and not very busy when we went (Saturday evening, Sunday morning if I recall). 

Then... I could see Divina from my lounger on the hotel pool deck. 11AM and I decided that was it!!!  Get the luggage, hire a taxi and off to YC for lunch (I find Miami restaurants expensive for nothing, with much food going to waste as well). 

[Beamafar]

If we were in YC I think we probably would head down to the port early, but we're not (no YC on Armonia ☹️).  I just don't fancy sitting (or worse, standing) around the terminal if debarking/check-in is slow or delayed.

[sidari]

Bea ... Check in for Seaside and Divina was very quick, it was the waiting afterwards to board the ship that took some time although at Xmas we sneaked on with YC guests lol.

Spoke to the VC rep Taian, one of two on Divina re the club levels, same old story that it is being thought about but nothing concrete towards any changes.

[Beamafar]

35 minutes ago, sidari said:

Bea ... Check in for Seaside and Divina was very quick, it was the waiting afterwards to board the ship that took some time although at Xmas we sneaked on with YC guests lol.

 

 

Yeah ... I'm no good for waiting around in terminals to board.  Airports aren't so bad;  at least there's shops and bars to pass the time in.

[lovetoholiday]

When we boarded the Armonia on the 31st December they didn't start boarding until after 1.30 and then the computers all went down just as we got to the check in desk. It took about 10 minutes for them to get back up and running.  We were given our key cards at check in and not in the cabin as it has been on my last few cruises with MSC the cabins were ready when we boarded though so we could dump our stuff and then head to lunch.