Back to Back Cruises

[tkwbear]

As most of you know,  the Coast Guard and probably a few other agencies require all passengers leave a vessel, pass through customs, then reboard. msc gave us a letter and some passes to show, and had us wait in a dining room until customs was ready. msc estimated 1 hour for the process. This morning on the Meraviglia it was 2 hours of BUFFOONERY!

 

After customs called for us we took a very long walk then down some stairs into a holding area. Yes escalators were running but they were roped off. After standing there a while msc realized they had brought us to the wrong room! So it’s back up the stairs as the up escalators were also roped off. So another long walk then customs used their face recognition software to clear us, without showing passports. My time with the customs officer was maybe 4 seconds. So then we line up for a small elevator that wasn’t working. Yes an escalator was available but it was going the wrong way and not surprisingly no one knew how to change that. So we walked up 3 flights of stairs to check our ship cards. Nearly a dozen crewmen were taping down a new carpet and were totally unprepared for our arrival. So 2 or 3 of them set things up while the rest watched - another 10 or 15 minutes. While everything on the ship works well, anything off the ship is managed by people who should be greeters at Walmart.

 

 

[shipgeeks]

When we did this two years ago, by far the biggest holdup was due to passengers who went to the meeting room (not always on time) but did not check in, just went in a back door and sat down.  So the staff in charge, and all of us, just waited....and waited....for all to be present for the walkthrough.

[phissy]

2 hours ago, tkwbear said:

As most of you know,  the Coast Guard and probably a few other agencies require all passengers leave a vessel, pass through customs, then reboard. msc gave us a letter and some passes to show, and had us wait in a dining room until customs was ready. msc estimated 1 hour for the process. This morning on the Meraviglia it was 2 hours of BUFFOONERY!

 

After customs called for us we took a very long walk then down some stairs into a holding area. Yes escalators were running but they were roped off. After standing there a while msc realized they had brought us to the wrong room! So it’s back up the stairs as the up escalators were also roped off. So another long walk then customs used their face recognition software to clear us, without showing passports. My time with the customs officer was maybe 4 seconds. So then we line up for a small elevator that wasn’t working. Yes an escalator was available but it was going the wrong way and not surprisingly no one knew how to change that. So we walked up 3 flights of stairs to check our ship cards. Nearly a dozen crewmen were taping down a new carpet and were totally unprepared for our arrival. So 2 or 3 of them set things up while the rest watched - another 10 or 15 minutes. While everything on the ship works well, anything off the ship is managed by people who should be greeters at Walmart.

 

 

We were right there with you. I had on navy and white striped top. white hair.

Taping the carpet has to become a comedy routine for MSC.

They brought roll of carpet to put at beginning of kiosk check in.

”But wait….I thought you had the duct tape….no, I thought you had the tape. Someone has to go and look for the tape. Do we even have tape?”

Could not believe we passed by embarkation photo area three times. Did they really think we would not notice they were taking us in circles?
. Down two flights of stairs, across a large holding area then up two flights of stairs. This was done twice!

As reported, they would not allow us to use escalators. They were running, they just roped them off.

But, wait…we also have 3 flights of stairs ,if you really want to get back on ship. We were actually asked if all were willing to take 3 flights of stairs to get back on ship.

 told  to be at meeting area 8:30. We got back onboard at 11:30. 3 Hours, 😑.

MSC is still a mess here in MIA.

Last week was just as bad in YC.

This was really great for the elderly…

It was they thought if we went in circles, no one would notice?

Edited November 20, 2021 by phissy

[tkwbear]

2 hours ago, phissy said:

We were right there with you. I had on navy and white striped top. white hair.

Taping the carpet has to become a comedy routine for MSC.

They brought roll of carpet to put at beginning of kiosk check in.

”But wait….I thought you had the duct tape….no, I thought you had the tape. Someone has to go and look for the tape. Do we even have tape?”

Could not believe we passed by embarkation photo area three times. Did they really think we would not notice they were taking us in circles?
. Down two flights of stairs, across a large holding area then up two flights of stairs. This was done twice!

As reported, they would not allow us to use escalators. They were running, they just roped them off.

But, wait…we also have 3 flights of stairs ,if you really want to get back on ship. We were actually asked if all were willing to take 3 flights of stairs to get back on ship.

 told  to be at meeting area 8:30. We got back onboard at 11:30. 3 Hours, 😑.

MSC is still a mess here in MIA.

Last week was just as bad in YC.

This was really great for the elderly…

It was they thought if we went in circles, no one would notice?

I was told to be at the meeting place at 9:30. Maybe YC members get the extra hour to wait! 😉

[tkwbear]

2 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

When we did this two years ago, by far the biggest holdup was due to passengers who went to the meeting room (not always on time) but did not check in, just went in a back door and sat down.  So the staff in charge, and all of us, just waited....and waited....for all to be present for the walkthrough.

This time they walked around the room and checked us off. We didn't leave there until 10:15.

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, tkwbear said:

the Coast Guard and probably a few other agencies require all passengers leave a vessel, pass through customs

 

There is no excuse for this.  I have had to do this on recent b2b cruises on HAL, but I don't think it was due to needing to go through Customs.  I don't recall doing that.  It had to be done because of the ship being required to "zero down".

 

Earlier in this Century, such cruises did not not require this.  B2b guests reported to a lounge on the ship, C&I staff boarded the ship and processed the guests onboard.  It has been explained to me that this process that is now required is because of an insufficient number of C&I personnel.  

 

If escalators were not working, what did those who have difficulty walking up/down stairs do?  

[tkwbear]

54 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

There is no excuse for this.  I have had to do this on recent b2b cruises on HAL, but I don't think it was due to needing to go through Customs.  I don't recall doing that.  It had to be done because of the ship being required to "zero down".

 

Earlier in this Century, such cruises did not not require this.  B2b guests reported to a lounge on the ship, C&I staff boarded the ship and processed the guests onboard.  It has been explained to me that this process that is now required is because of an insufficient number of C&I personnel.  

 

If escalators were not working, what did those who have difficulty walking up/down stairs do?  

I remember a similar situation on Maasdam in 2010. We had just finished a Canadian cruise and we had to leave the ship in FLL. It went smoothly.

 

There were some small elevators used by the infirm.

 

 

[ready2cruzagain]

Been on over 30 b2b's and nothing new to have problems like this. I have been on very few smooth b2b transitions.  Usually they tell you to meet at a certain place at a certain time. You wait and you wait because someone won't get off of the ship and they have to hunt them down. So annoying!

 

Once in the terminal, that is where the employees of the Port take over and it is out of the cruise lines hands. The elevator is down, not the cruise lines fault, escalator down, not cruise lines fault. We once had to walk up 3 flights of steps because the elevator was broke and the whole time a port employee was yelling at us that we HAD to take the elevator. This was NCL. 

 

We once waited 4 hours inside the theater with 1000 other people during a transition on a b2b. That was the worse!  

 

If on a b2b you need to go with the flow, best advice I have for anyone.

[ready2cruzagain]

35 minutes ago, Couple-Somerset said:

B2B on Celebrity Apex this Aug/Sep in the Med

 

Walk to exit to scan card out

 

10 seconds for security to find new card. 

 

Scan new card and all completed. 

 

No getting off the ship - and a comolimentary speciality lunch for B2B guests. 

 

ONLY ever have issues and delays with B2B in USA. 

 

I have always had problems but only ever sailed out of USA so that is probably definitely the problem.