Government shut down - will this affect my cruise in 12 days?

[sprockie]

I know TSA at the airport is affected, but is there anything else I should consider?

[CruiserBruce]

Nobody here is going to have any idea what the situation will be in 12 days. 

[TAD2005]

It sure doesn't seem to affect the Passport Agency.   We applied for a passport renewal on Dec 17, regular, non-expedited service ($110), and we received the renewed passport back in the mail on Dec 31, and we even had the Christmas holidays in there.   The TSA has been reporting that airport operations are running smoothly, but that is now.  Who knows how it will be in 12 days. 

[CruiserBruce]

44 minutes ago, TAD2005 said:

It sure doesn't seem to affect the Passport Agency.   We applied for a passport renewal on Dec 17, regular, non-expedited service ($110), and we received the renewed passport back in the mail on Dec 31, and we even had the Christmas holidays in there.   The TSA has been reporting that airport operations are running smoothly, but that is now.  Who knows how it will be in 12 days. 

As the OP is Canadian,  don't think they are worried about that.

[kazu]

@sprockie from what I have seen it’s TSA/security checks that are affected.

 

How bad it gets is hard to say if the shutdown doesn’t end as a lot are calling in sick.  But, from what I have heard and seen in travel I think that is the main issue right now.

 

If the shutdown continues, who knows?  

 

Makes me glad we are flying to Europe 😉 for our next cruise.

[Fouremco]

4 hours ago, sprockie said:

I know TSA at the airport is affected, but is there anything else I should consider?

Disembarkation at the conclusion of your cruise will be slower than normal if the current situation isn't resolved. That, combined with slowdowns at the airport, might have an impact if you have an early flight home. I haven't seen any reporting on TSA slowdowns for pre-clearance at Pearson or other Canadian airports, but I'd give extra time on your flight out as well.

[dundeene]

You also may be impacted if you planned to enter any National Parks.

[Suzanne123]

TSA has an app you can check for wait times and delays at airports.  I’m leaving Thursday for a cruise,  so I’ve been checking every few hours for my home airport.

It looks like the TSA pre-check line is closed, but if one has pre-check, then you’re supposed to show the pre-check boarding pass to get “ expedited service in the standard line.”  ( Same notice for FLL)

I don’t know how that’s supposed to work, but will report back Thursday.

https://www.tsa.gov/mobile

[POA1]

We arrived in Port Everglades on December 26th. The partial shutdown was in effect, but it wasn't obvious to us. Our disembarkation was pretty much normal 

[sail7seas]

19 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

As the OP is Canadian,  don't think they are worried about that.

 

WHERE are you cruising  to from? 

Necessary info in order for us to try and help.

 

It may have no impact on you at all.

[sail7seas]

2 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

 

WHERE are you cruising  to from? 

Necessary info in order for us to try and help.

 

It may have no impact on you at all.

 

 

Do you have  to fly? 
IF SO, , into and out of which airports?

[sprockie]

I'm flying from Canada into fort Lauderdale and taking a 7 day tropical on the oosterdam.

[cbr663]

On 1/7/2019 at 3:44 PM, sprockie said:

I know TSA at the airport is affected, but is there anything else I should consider?

 

I have read reports that Air Traffic Control is also affected would can easily produce flight delays.  Some National Parks and tourist attractions are also closed.

 

We have final payment on our cruise coming up at the end of the month so will be watching this quite closely.  Right now our primary concern is flight delays into the US, but things can change quite quickly.

[TAD2005]

The air traffic controllers are not affected, but their support people are.  These are the folks that maintain the equipment that ATC uses.   There are backups upon backups, but eventually, things will need some maintenance and those are the people that are not working.   The supervisory people are doing the work now.

[SWFLAOK]

5 hours ago, sprockie said:

I'm flying from Canada into fort Lauderdale and taking a 7 day tropical on the oosterdam.

We had no problems with embarking or disembarking at the cruise port in Fort Lauderdale on Dec 21 and Jan 4. TSA at the airport was reported to be slow during the holidays,  but TSA said it was within their criteria. Our local news in Florida said that the first missed paycheck for these employees will not be until January 14th. Since all of our many  previous government shutdowns have resulted in back pay for federal employees, I think most employees will continue working for a while.

[POA1]

3 hours ago, cbr663 said:

I have read reports that Air Traffic Control is also affected

 

ATC is not affected.

[Aquahound]

16 minutes ago, SWFLAOK said:

Our local news in Florida said that the first missed paycheck for these employees will not be until January 14th. Since all of our many  previous government shutdowns have resulted in back pay for federal employees, I think most employees will continue working for a while.

 

They're a few days off.  Payday is Friday, Jan 11 for DHS.  Today was the deadline for the govt to open in order for DHS to get paid on the 11th.  

 

Here's the issue.  This will be the first missed paycheck with no real sign of there being a deal soon.  TSA is not the most lucrative business.  I can see newer, lower paid screeners taking voluntary furloughs or quitting altogether in order to seek other employment.  I know I would consider it if I were in their shoes and living paycheck to paycheck.   This is what could be devastating to airport traffic.  

 

So while TSA and CBP are not allowed to take leave during the lapse in appropriations, I'm sure there are several who are second guessing their career choice. 

[slidergirl]

3 hours ago, POA1 said:

 

ATC is not affected.

Air Traffic Control is affected.  They are working without pay.  The ATC Academy in Oklahoma City is shut down, so no new controllers coming out to take places that have gone unfilled for awhile.  USATC isn't fully staffed, so those on are extra burdened - having to work more hours and no pay forthcoming for awhile (or guaranteed). 

The airline pilot and flight attendant unions are saying that the combination of ATC working without pay and TSA losing people to "sickness" is starting to make  it unsafe in their opinion. 

[Despegue]

3 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Air Traffic Control is affected.  They are working without pay.  The ATC Academy in Oklahoma City is shut down, so no new controllers coming out to take places that have gone unfilled for awhile.  USATC isn't fully staffed, so those on are extra burdened - having to work more hours and no pay forthcoming for awhile (or guaranteed). 

The airline pilot and flight attendant unions are saying that the combination of ATC working without pay and TSA losing people to "sickness" is starting to make  it unsafe in their opinion. 

I had a nice talk with a friendly ( yes, most are very friendly in fact, they also have a job to do and are just following the rules) TSA supervisor.

I told him of our concerns regarding them working without pay, and that such a thing would not be accepted by anyone in Europe. No pay? Then I stay home. Simple as that. Let’s see how much longer this game will last when the whole TSA and other government employees not receiving their salary will go on strike or if that is forbidden ( police/ army,...) call in sick or fatigued ( atc).

 

And yes, we Flight Crew formally object to the fact that at this moment our Security and Safety buffers on the ground are working without pay. Once again, we would never accept such an insult to our profession ( yes, it IS an insult to all hardworking affected government workers) .

 

[Djptcp]

DH works part-time for the cruise lines at one of the FL ports (checking in passengers, etc). When he worked last weekend, they were short about 15 Homeland Security agents (half of the usual 30) and more private security agents had to be called in. It slowed things down somewhat. FYI, no one boards the ships until Homeland Security says so - passengers sometimes blame the cruise line if they are kept waiting to board, but it's HS not the cruise line's fault.

[sail7seas]

20 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

They're a few days off.  Payday is Friday, Jan 11 for DHS.  Today was the deadline for the govt to open in order for DHS to get paid on the 11th.  

 

Here's the issue.  This will be the first missed paycheck with no real sign of there being a deal soon.  TSA is not the most lucrative business.  I can see newer, lower paid screeners taking voluntary furloughs or quitting altogether in order to seek other employment.  I know I would consider it if I were in their shoes and living paycheck to paycheck.   This is what could be devastating to airport traffic.  

 

So while TSA and CBP are not allowed to take leave during the lapse in appropriations, I'm sure there are several who are second guessing their career choice. 

I read some Federal  workers are applying for unemployment   in their   various states   I wonder how many  applications are approved.

[Suzanne123]

Just a follow- up — my home airport (Harrisburg) is very small, but TSA line was open this morning at 5:30 when I came through, and there was almost no waiting in the regular line.  I didn’t notice any shortcuts in the procedures. Looked like business as usual to me.

[toad455]

I'm cruising in 3 weeks and have to fly to Miami. I'm hoping this is resolved next week and I don't have to worry, but if it's not it could be catastrophic, forcing some airports to partially close.

[3rdGenCunarder]

15 minutes ago, toad455 said:

I'm cruising in 3 weeks and have to fly to Miami. I'm hoping this is resolved next week and I don't have to worry, but if it's not it could be catastrophic, forcing some airports to partially close.

 

You're in New Jersey? Think about Amtrak as a back-up plan. I am SO glad that's how I'm going to Florida next week.

 

[Homosassa]

8 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

You're in New Jersey? Think about Amtrak as a back-up plan. I am SO glad that's how I'm going to Florida next week.

 

Are you aware that Amtrak receives much of its operating money from federal funding?

 

If there is no one at work to pay out the funds, Amtrak may have a problem.