OBSERVATIONS FROM THE POOP DECK SEASCAPE JUNE 2023

[morpheusofthesea]

Got to port of Miami Terminal C at 8:30 am. Was able to sneak into bus lot and pull right up to Yacht Club white tent. No porters on duty until 9 am. Had to unload myself. Parked across street Parking Garage C. Pulled up to entrance and no tickets and no attendants to take credit card. One entrance machine had its arm in the up position so backed up and went through to parking garage. Parked on second floor just in case of flash flooding. Ground floors are prone to flooding, even though no hurricane or tropical storm is forecast this week. Went directly to parking garage attendant booths that were collecting payments from passengers leaving. Told them of no ticket from entrance. They said no problem, just produce ones cruise ship key card to determine payment.

[morpheusofthesea]

There are 5361 passengers on today’s manifest. 307 guests in the YC of which 52 are children. Heard everything will be delayed in boarding today. Facial recognition broke down and it is 11:45am and still another 900 passengers have to be cleared by CBP, then the back to backs before we can board. The ship was asked to stop disembarking twice this morning by CBP due to overcrowding.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

25 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

There are 5361 passengers on today’s manifest. 307 guests in the YC of which 52 are children. Heard everything will be delayed in boarding today. Facial recognition broke down and it is 11:45am and still another 900 passengers have to be cleared by CBP, then the back to backs before we can board. The ship was asked to stop disembarking twice this morning by CBP due to overcrowding.

Sounds like a disappointing start. Do they have plenty of drinks and snacks while you wait? 

[LMaxwell]

47 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Got to port of Miami Terminal C at 8:30 am. 

Why so early? 

[morpheusofthesea]

B2BS were just let off the ship to go through CBP at 12:15

[paddy1112]

Is the delayed disembarking a special MSC problem or do all big ships at Miami have that?

[LMaxwell]

5 minutes ago, paddy1112 said:

Is the delayed disembarking a special MSC problem or do all big ships at Miami have that?

Miami has facial recognition in most terminals now; so less Customs agents are working. But if the system breaks down, it causes big delays. When it is working fine you literally walk off the ship and never stop walking until you are curbside. 

[paddy1112]

31 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

Miami has facial recognition in most terminals now; so less Customs agents are working. But if the system breaks down, it causes big delays. When it is working fine you literally walk off the ship and never stop walking until you are curbside. 

But facial recognition only works for US citizien? Or can we europeans use it as well?

[Bgwest]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Got to port of Miami Terminal C at 8:30 am. Was able to sneak into bus lot and pull right up to Yacht Club white tent. No porters on duty until 9 am. Had to unload myself. Parked across street Parking Garage C. Pulled up to entrance and no tickets and no attendants to take credit card. One entrance machine had its arm in the up position so backed up and went through to parking garage. Parked on second floor just in case of flash flooding. Ground floors are prone to flooding, even though no hurricane or tropical storm is forecast this week. Went directly to parking garage attendant booths that were collecting payments from passengers leaving. Told them of no ticket from entrance. They said no problem, just produce ones cruise ship key card to determine payment.

He's back!!! So happy and have something to look forward to for the next week (assuming you are on a 7 day). 

 

Please keep us posted on interlopers. 😀

[no1talks]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"No porters on duty until 9 am. Had to unload myself."

 

Given the copious luggage your wife has, I would have expected the following:

 

"No porters on duty until 9 am. Had to unload myself. Bad idea, as I'm now texting this from the ortho floor at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where I await treatment for a ruptured disc."

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Sounds like a disappointing start. Do they have plenty of drinks and snacks while you wait? 

Plenty of drinks. Will have to wait til next year when much anticipated Terminal AAA is finally completed to experience true YC table of offerings like experienced years ago at POM.

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, paddy1112 said:

Is the delayed disembarking a special MSC problem or do all big ships at Miami have that?

This time it was not an MSC problem. It was all CBP. One time the same thing happened at Port Everglades on Celebrity. Having had priority disembarkation we got to see first hand the snafu. The facial recognition was out of order and there was only one customs agent for the entire ship at 7 am.

Edited June 11, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[Best Cat Mom]

4 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Told them of no ticket from entrance. They said no problem, just produce ones cruise ship key card to determine payment.

If someone is on a B2B, they can just show the last keycard for a discount. 😉 

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, Bgwest said:

He's back!!! So happy and have something to look forward to for the next week (assuming you are on a 7 day). 

 

Please keep us posted on interlopers. 😀

That is the third thing I did when we got on board. First we dropped off our carryons at our ready cabin. Next, we went to lunch at 12:30.I ordered and excused myself to run up to the pool deck to pick out a pergola. Thank goodness no other B2Ber had it occupied. I asked a familiar face if the pool attendant, (I hesitate to give his name as no good deeder goes unpunished). Indeed he was still on board. I explained to the familiar face that I wanted this pergola and for the pool attendant to save it for me for the weeks cruise. I tipped the familiar face $10 to make sure he would deliver my message. I ran back for lunch in the YC restaurant. My meal was waiting for me when I got back.

[morpheusofthesea]

24 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

If someone is on a B2B, they can just show the last keycard for a discount. 😉 

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Crafty

[Match Game 72]

I'm looking forward to your comments this week. We sail Seascape in 2024.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Looking forward to another round of observations from the poop deck!

[morpheusofthesea]

34 minutes ago, Match Game 72 said:

I'm looking forward to your comments this week. We sail Seascape in 2024.

Don't wait so long.

[jules815]

Have a wonderful week (weeks?). We'll be on Seascape in September and can't wait.

 

Following along.

[travelwide]

Great to hear you are back onboard. My usual question.....YC and HD? Curious how 52 kids work out. Ugh.

[morpheusofthesea]

After lunch we both went up to the OnePoolDeck to see if we could catch our pool attendant and found the requested pergola toweled with extra towels and found him immediately with a big smile on his face. We told him we expect him to keep us free of interlopers this cruise that love to get up early at 4 am and squat our pergola. He said not to worry it will not happen again. I tipped him $20 to insure it. His smile got even wider.

[morpheusofthesea]

7 minutes ago, travelwide said:

Great to hear you are back onboard. My usual question.....YC and HD? Curious how 52 kids work out. Ugh.

A gentleman named Taylen who came in February. I will look into HD.

[travelwide]

Thank you. Following....have a processo for us!

[morpheusofthesea]

11 minutes ago, travelwide said:

Thank you. Following....have a processo for us!

Just one?

[Georgia_Peaches]

14 minutes ago, travelwide said:

Thank you. Following....have a processo for us!

Just off the Seaside and my new found go-to cocktail is called a Hugo.  I don't know if it's unique to MSC or if it's a known cocktail but it includes prosecco, St. Germaine Elderflower and soda with a lemon wedge.  OMG is it good!  Not too sweet but very refreshing for an embarkation/afternoon cocktail.  DH went out and bought me the ingredients when I arrived home and, well...I'll just leave it at that...but the bottle of St. Germaine is empty 😎.