Quick FYI on NS disembarkation

[Laminator]

For the last 2 weeks they no longer are calling luggage tag colors for disembarkation. You simply leave at the times stated on your disembarkation. Many pax were unaware of the change and were waiting for their color to be called.

 

[bigbeergut]

4 hours ago, Laminator said:

For the last 2 weeks they no longer are calling luggage tag colors for disembarkation. You simply leave at the times stated on your disembarkation. Many pax were unaware of the change and were waiting for their color to be called.

 

That’s odd.  I’ve been on the Rotterdam the last few weeks and they are calling out luggage tag colors throughout the morning.  The even add the disclaimer not to go by the time because the color groups may be called in a different order depending on how the luggage handlers move the luggage.

[Florida_gal_50]

Stated on your disembarkation.  What does that mean? Disembarkation paperwork?

[Banditswife]

In Dec they were still calling by color.  It seemed very organized in my opinion.  

[CruiserBruce]

The topic of no announcement of colors for disembarking has been floated around for a little while, but not sure In have heard anyone actually experiencing it. It would have been a little easier to implement when the pax loads were lower.

[Laminator]

48 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Stated on your disembarkation.  What does that mean? Disembarkation paperwork?

I caught the error too late to edit it. Yes...disembarkation paperwork. 

[Laminator]

42 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

The topic of no announcement of colors for disembarking has been floated around for a little while, but not sure In have heard anyone actually experiencing it. It would have been a little easier to implement when the pax loads were lower.

I sat upstairs at the Seaview bar from 8:10am til 9:30am. After sitting there for 20 minutes I mentioned to a pax who was staying on for his 3rd week that they may be having a problem with disembarkation as there were no announcements. He said the week previously they started no announcement disembarkation. At 9:30am they announced all pax must disembark and also announced for in-transits to report to wherever they were supposed to. 
I must admit I was very impressed with Customs facial recognition when disembarkation. That has to save an enormous amount of time. 

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by Laminator

[Florida_gal_50]

It seems to me that they had silent disembarkation before Covid, maybe 5 years ago.  As far as I recall it seemed to go fine but I could see some being confused. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

41 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

The topic of no announcement of colors for disembarking has been floated around for a little while, but not sure In have heard anyone actually experiencing it. It would have been a little easier to implement when the pax loads were lower.

 

They were announcing colors last month on Eurodam.

 

Cunard tried disembarking without calling colors on my June and September cruises. They said to sit in your room and go down to the gangway at the time shown on your paperwork. They wanted to avoid crowding because of covid. That's a good intention, but it works only if the ship can keep to its schedule.

 

In June, I did as instructed and when I got to the atrium, there was a long queue and lots of people waiting in the various lounges. They were running at least 30 minutes late, which meant 3 groups (one every 10 minutes) arriving with nowhere to go! I sat for a while, then remembered Cunard never checks the little tear-off tag, and joined the queue.  

 

In September, they were doing the same thing. I was about to head down when they made an announcement that there was a problem and disembarkation was temporarily halted, so please don't go to the gangway until further notice. The stop was about 20 minutes, so it was good that they made the announcement. Of course, I don't know how many people listened...

[CruiserBruce]

I was thinking back to getting off the N. Statendam at Boston in early August. It seems they had mentioned there might not be any announcement of colors. However, because CBP was late getting on board, Immigration clearing took place on board, and thus everyone had to report to the main theatre for Immigration check,  it seemed they did a modified "color announcement" to get everyone to the Immigration check point in an orderly manner, and then off as quickly as possible after CBP cleared the ship. Only having 1500 on board probably made this situation a little easier.

 

The whole  disembarking process at Boston was a total cluster. Fortunately, we weren't in a hurry. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

5 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

I was thinking back to getting off the N. Statendam at Boston in early August. It seems they had mentioned there might not be any announcement of colors. However, because CBP was late getting on board, Immigration clearing took place on board, and thus everyone had to report to the main theatre for Immigration check,  it seemed they did a modified "color announcement" to get everyone to the Immigration check point in an orderly manner, and then off as quickly as possible after CBP cleared the ship. Only having 1500 on board probably made this situation a little easier.

 

The whole  disembarking process at Boston was a total cluster. Fortunately, we weren't in a hurry. 

 

CBP in Boston has been a cluster every time I've had to do it there. One time on Cunard they said the backup was because not enough officers were sent. And I think they were late that day, too.

[Laminator]

8 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

I was thinking back to getting off the N. Statendam at Boston in early August. It seems they had mentioned there might not be any announcement of colors. However, because CBP was late getting on board, Immigration clearing took place on board, and thus everyone had to report to the main theatre for Immigration check,  it seemed they did a modified "color announcement" to get everyone to the Immigration check point in an orderly manner, and then off as quickly as possible after CBP cleared the ship. Only having 1500 on board probably made this situation a little easier.

 

The whole  disembarking process at Boston was a total cluster. Fortunately, we weren't in a hurry. 

My flight was at 3:40pm so I was one of the last off the ship. I have no way of knowing how the disembarkation process actually went. Obviously we experienced no lines. 

[oaktreerb]

Koningsdam  in San Diego yesterday.  Colors were called.  Luggage is offloaded by color.  If you leave before your color is called you will be hanging out in the terminal waiting for your luggage to be offloaded.

 

Easiest disembarkation ever.  Walk off the ship, pick up luggage in color coded area, facial recognition instead of immigration passport check, walk out of the terminal and on our way home.

[3rdGenCunarder]

30 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

Koningsdam  in San Diego yesterday.  Colors were called.  Luggage is offloaded by color.  If you leave before your color is called you will be hanging out in the terminal waiting for your luggage to be offloaded.

 

Easiest disembarkation ever.  Walk off the ship, pick up luggage in color coded area, facial recognition instead of immigration passport check, walk out of the terminal and on our way home.

 

They always say your luggage won't be ready if you go off early, but I doubted it until my last cruise.  I left the ship right after self-disembark because I had done Luggage Direct (FLL). It's true, they were still unloading and grouping luggage at that time.