More Efficient Port Process...

[NavyCruiser]

We do a lot of international travel, in addition to our numerous cruises.

Was just wondering what's the difference in TSA, security, immigration & customs between air travel at airports vs cruise ports.

In mostly same format at both: 

Departure: you drop off luggage, get checked in, go through TSA/security, board

Arrival:  pickup luggage, go through immigration & customs...

So believe it or not, we actually love the airport experience, esp at Houston IAH airport.  We have Global Entry, so the TSA Pre-Check lines are mostly pretty efficient at departure, & the Global Entry Kiosks upon arrival back is super now that it takes literally less than 30 seconds to have picture taken at Kiosk (no scanning passports, no answering questions, etc...), slip printed out to give to agent.  

Wondering why the cruise ports can't or don't have the same type of more efficient TSA/security & immigration & custom procedures for us frequent travelers/cruisers...? 

[BillsMafiaBabe]

The new RCL procedures in place at Port Canaveral and Miami are super efficient, quick and easy. Last 2 cruise- we’ve never stopped moving, no lines or waiting, to get onboard and getting off - you walk up to an iPad like screen - you get a green light and off you go. 
don’t know which other ports have this but definitely way easier than the paper, talking  to agents and questions route  

[sparks1093]

CBP controls how things are done in the ports on debarkation and they routinely look for ways to make the process more efficient. They are using facial recognition in many ports and they no longer require passengers to fill out a declaration form unless they have gone over their exemption amount. Both Carnival and Royal have made changes to the embarkation procedure that really speeds things along.

[Joebucks]

Most ports aren't really setup for Global Entry at the moment. Ports also have less scrutiny to what is coming on and off as they do on planes. I find that the cruise process takes longer just because of lines and walking.

[NavyCruiser]

Yes, CBP is agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, who also runs TSA.  If that dept runs the security at both the airports & at the cruise ports, why can't they both be as efficient?

I'm just comparing Houston Bush IAH airport & Galveston cruise port.

Smaller Enchantment at Galveston flows pretty quickly, however, larger Liberty has very long lines on both Embarkation & Disembarkation days...

[NavyCruiser]

5 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

Most ports aren't really setup for Global Entry at the moment. Ports also have less scrutiny to what is coming on and off as they do on planes. I find that the cruise process takes longer just because of lines and walking.

 

Again, why not?

We pay port charges & same fees was when we fly, so why are we  not demanding the same Dept of Homeland Security be more efficient?

[ducklite]

I'm not sure why you say you answer no questions to customs in airports. Even at the kiosk it asks certain questions about food, agricultural products, etc.

 

In most of Europe it's "honor system" and if you have nothing to declare, you simply take your bag from the carousel and walk through the green door after immigration.  I've had immigration people over there joke about how "arcane" our system is in the US.

[mom says]

Just spitballing, but don't most planes carry only 2-300 passengers. While ships carry 2-5000 pax(and hundreds of crew? The numbers alone suggest it takes longer to clear a ship than a plane. Especially since TPTB have deemed it more important to divert more CBP officers to guard your southern border from the hordes.

Edited January 6, 2020 by mom says

[ducklite]

2 minutes ago, mom says said:

Just spitballing, but don't most planes carry only 2-300 passengers. While ships carry 2-5000 pax(and hundreds of crew? The numbers alone suggest it takes longer to clear a ship than a plane. Especially since TPTB have deemed it more important to divert more CBP officers to guard your southern border from the hordes.

The Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 are the two most popular planes in the world.  Their passenger load is typically in the 145-170 range.  Plenty of them fly international routes.

[NavyCruiser]

In 2018, Houston Bush IAH airport served 43,807,539 passengers.  That's ave 120,020 passengers per day, approx 5000 passengers per hour.

Ave cruise ship allows approx 4 - 5 hours to board & depart.

So for the same 4 - 5 hours at IAH airport, they'll screen approx 20,000 - 25,000 passengers.

Thus, I think port authorities can efficiently clear 2,000 - 4,000 in the same amount of time...

 

Why are so many on here so defensive of the Govt's inefficiency?

Now that they'll spend approx $100 Million to build a 3rd terminal to bring in the massive Allure to Galveston, we all should give them constructive comments to have them build/design a more modern efficient terminal to make Galveston a truly efficient & a great embark & debark experience for us frequent cruisers (ie: to improve the experience, not to compound its inefficiencies).  

 

My hopefully constructive suggs are: 

Embark:

- direct non-stop (no red lights, nor stop signs) on-ramps from Harborside Dr & 22nd St directly onto cruise terminals 1, 2, and 3.   Just like many airport onramps from freeways to its terminals

- construct pedestrian bridge over & or pedestrian tunnels under Harborside Dr for those passengers who wants to walk back to parking lots

- more separate security lines for Suites, Platinum, Diamond, +++ etc,  TSA Pre-Check, & more x-ray machines

Debark:

- Install more automated passport control Kiosks, Global Entry Kiosks, etc...

- Enable Mobile Passports app usage

- Separate vehicle staging/pick-up areas for airport Buses, taxis, personal vehicles, Share riding Uber/Lyft areas...

 

Since we all pay for all these services through port charges & fees, we all should be vocal about we would like for them to provide us a safe, fast & efficient security experience & don't accept the status quo & let them decide how we all should just accept it.  Think about that next time you're standing in the half-mile long roped line...

 

 

[Kartgv]

Agree with what "mom says".    Expanding that a little, yes thousands of passengers pass through an airport daily, but they are at staggered times, spread out over many different locations, with different staffing.   Many, if not most, airport passengers are business travelers, used to the process, so more likely to move more quickly through the process.     

Our last 2 cruises have been very efficient disembarking - barely slowed down walking off the ship, a quick look at passports, straight to bag area and out the door - the last one in San Pedro was less than 20 minutes from inside lounge to curbside pickup area.   

Edited January 6, 2020 by Kartgv

[ducklite]

5 minutes ago, Kartgv said:

Many, if not most, airport passengers are business travelers, used to the process, so more likely to move more quickly through the process.     

 

 

If Orlando was your home airport you'd never make that statement.  Most are people who might have flown once before in their lifetime--back when Carter was president and the biggest concern was DB Cooper.

 

Thank goodness Orlando has begun restricting TSA Pre access to only TSA Pre members during peak load times, waiting in a TSA Pre line for 20 minutes because of the hordes of people who either bought it through their airline as a one off, or got it randomly.

The program was 1000% better back when you had to be a very frequent flyer nominated by an airline to participate.

[MCC retired]

3 hours ago, mom says said:

Just spitballing, but don't most planes carry only 2-300 passengers. While ships carry 2-5000 pax(and hundreds of crew? The numbers alone suggest it takes longer to clear a ship than a plane. Especially since TPTB have deemed it more important to divert more CBP officers to guard your southern border from the hordes.

Sounds like the logical answer to the OP’s question 👍

[NavyCruiser]

3 hours ago, mom says said:

Just spitballing, but don't most planes carry only 2-300 passengers. While ships carry 2-5000 pax(and hundreds of crew? The numbers alone suggest it takes longer to clear a ship than a plane. Especially since TPTB have deemed it more important to divert more CBP officers to guard your southern border from the hordes.

Galveston Terminal 1 clears One Carnival cruise ship.

Galveston Terminal 2 clears One RCCL cruise ship.

Houston IAH airport Terminal C clears tens of thousands of domestic passengers for hundreds of airplanes, not just One plane.

Houston IAH airport Terminal D/E clears tens of thousands of international passengers for hundreds of airplanes, not just One plane.

[CruiserBruce]

One thought is that there isn't the full tilt Global Entry procedure at ports (with kiosks) because the ships only disembark pax for a couple of hours each day, and some ports not even each day,  where as airports operate on a 24/7 basis. So the investment of money and infrastructure for the kiosks is hardly worth it in most cruise ports. Note: several ports do use a shortened, and VERY efficient Global Entry process. It works great.

[mom says]

2 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Galveston Terminal 1 clears One Carnival cruise ship.

Galveston Terminal 2 clears One RCCL cruise ship.

Houston IAH airport Terminal C clears tens of thousands of domestic passengers for hundreds of airplanes, not just One plane.

Houston IAH airport Terminal D/E clears tens of thousands of international passengers for hundreds of airplanes, not just One plane.

How many international air passengers are cleared per hour versus how many cruise passengers are cleared per hour. Lets at least attempt an apple to apple comparison. 

If you want an even fairer comparison - fact check the data for a city with both a busy international airport AND a busy cruise port - like Miami. Then get back to me.

Edited January 7, 2020 by mom says

[Joebucks]

6 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

 

Again, why not?

We pay port charges & same fees was when we fly, so why are we  not demanding the same Dept of Homeland Security be more efficient?

 

The government is not a private business. You are not paying port fees for your personal enjoyment.

 

5 hours ago, mom says said:

Just spitballing, but don't most planes carry only 2-300 passengers. While ships carry 2-5000 pax(and hundreds of crew? The numbers alone suggest it takes longer to clear a ship than a plane. Especially since TPTB have deemed it more important to divert more CBP officers to guard your southern border from the hordes.

 

On top of this, cruise ships are only debarking for a few hours a day. Why would you bring in so many guards for each one of them to work less hours. Meanwhile, many more people will fly out each day, all day in an airport. It makes sense that there are more workers at the airport.

[Hlitner]

I do think its apples to oranges.  Consider that major airports (like IAH) operate about 20 hours a day, 7 days a week.  CBP and TSA have full time staff assigned to those airports, they work regular shifts and do their jobs.  Now consider a cruise port, such as Galveston that has many days with zero ships and some days with 1 ship.  Where do you get the necessary staff?  In the case of CBP they must be brought in from somewhere else...and only for a few hours.  Those ports are very inefficient.  Even the busiest ports like Port Everglades have a much higher ship load on weekends then on most weekdays.  We recently returned to the Port of Miami on a Tuesday and we were the only cruise ship in the port.  But on weekend they will have at least 5 large ships.  So again we have the problem of staffing those ports for various loads on various days. 

 

As to Global Entry it is honored at Port Everglades and usually at the Port of Miami (where it is often a "go to the front of the line" system.   CBP has been experimenting with changes (such as a Global Entry line at Port Everglade terminals).  

 

And just a message to the OP.  We do more then our share of flying (much of it International) and would not say that going through any airport is a fun experience.  Even when we fly Business Class and have access to some terrific lounges, it is not a wonderful experience.  And consider domestic flights where one might need to be at the airport 2 hours in advance to take a 30 minute flight!  Argh. Not my idea of fun.

 

Hank

[sparks1093]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I do think its apples to oranges.  Consider that major airports (like IAH) operate about 20 hours a day, 7 days a week.  CBP and TSA have full time staff assigned to those airports, they work regular shifts and do their jobs.  Now consider a cruise port, such as Galveston that has many days with zero ships and some days with 1 ship.  Where do you get the necessary staff?  In the case of CBP they must be brought in from somewhere else...and only for a few hours.  Those ports are very inefficient.  Even the busiest ports like Port Everglades have a much higher ship load on weekends then on most weekdays.  We recently returned to the Port of Miami on a Tuesday and we were the only cruise ship in the port.  But on weekend they will have at least 5 large ships.  So again we have the problem of staffing those ports for various loads on various days. 

 

As to Global Entry it is honored at Port Everglades and usually at the Port of Miami (where it is often a "go to the front of the line" system.   CBP has been experimenting with changes (such as a Global Entry line at Port Everglade terminals).  

 

And just a message to the OP.  We do more then our share of flying (much of it International) and would not say that going through any airport is a fun experience.  Even when we fly Business Class and have access to some terrific lounges, it is not a wonderful experience.  And consider domestic flights where one might need to be at the airport 2 hours in advance to take a 30 minute flight!  Argh. Not my idea of fun.

 

Hank

I was going to point out that ports are essentially part time operations and that has a big impact on staffing, etc. It's never taken me that long to get off the ship and to my car, probably an average of about 30 minutes or so which is about the same amount of time it takes to clear an airport. Also the suggestion concerning the dedicated ramps and other infrastructure improvements would involve the municipal government. 

[evandbob]

MIA and FLL Carnival seaports usually have a dedicated line for Global Entry.  Nice now since we drive home and can leave the ship in the middle of debarkation.  We needed to show the Global Entry photo ID card to get on that much shorter line.

 

Sometimes we didn't use it when we were Diamond 1st off the ship back when we flew home, all lines were very light in the beginning of departure. 

 

As others have posted CBC operates Global Entry and they decide how to staff their check points, not the cruise lines.

[SRF]

21 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Yes, CBP is agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, who also runs TSA.  If that dept runs the security at both the airports & at the cruise ports, why can't they both be as efficient?

I'm just comparing Houston Bush IAH airport & Galveston cruise port.

Smaller Enchantment at Galveston flows pretty quickly, however, larger Liberty has very long lines on both Embarkation & Disembarkation days...

 

FYI, TSA and CBP are separate agencies.  TSA is not part of CBP.

 

CBP is Customs and Border Protection.  They only deal with people coming into the US, and what they bring.

 

TSA is Transportation Security Administration.  They deal with security on transportation, such as airlines and trains.  AFAIK TSA is not involved with cruise ship security.  That is the cruise line itself.

[SRF]

17 hours ago, ducklite said:

The program was 1000% better back when you had to be a very frequent flyer nominated by an airline to participate.

 

Huh??
 

Pre-Check was never only those nominated by their airline.

[SRF]

18 hours ago, Kartgv said:

Agree with what "mom says".    Expanding that a little, yes thousands of passengers pass through an airport daily, but they are at staggered times, spread out over many different locations, with different staffing.   Many, if not most, airport passengers are business travelers, used to the process, so more likely to move more quickly through the process.     

 

You obviously have not returned from to Dulles from Europe.  About 12 flights get in an hour or so.

 

And no, they are not mainly business travelers, especially on weekends.  I just flew AMS - IAD last Saturday, and probably 80% of the passengers were NOT business travelers.

[NavyCruiser]

32 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

FYI, TSA and CBP are separate agencies.  TSA is not part of CBP.

 

CBP is Customs and Border Protection.  They only deal with people coming into the US, and what they bring.

 

TSA is Transportation Security Administration.  They deal with security on transportation, such as airlines and trains.  AFAIK TSA is not involved with cruise ship security.  That is the cruise line itself.

Reworded:

Yes, CBP is agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, & Dept of Homeland Security who also runs TSA...

[sparks1093]

17 minutes ago, NavyCruiser said:

Reworded:

Yes, CBP is agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, & Dept of Homeland Security who also runs TSA...

The Navy and Army are both part of the Department of Defense but that doesn't mean they are the same.