BAD experience with Port Canaveral Security Person

[Chitoryubt]

I really debated about posting this. I don't want to be flamed; I already feel bad enough about this whole situation. I guess I just want to know if it ever happened to anybody else, so here goes (long . . . ):

 

I had a terrible experience last Monday (3/12) on the Sovereign of the Seas. It was disembarkation day. My 12 year old son and I had done the three night cruise out of Canaveral. We vacated our room, had our two carry-on bags, and started to leave our stateroom, to find a place to sit until our color got called. As we left the room, we heard the announcement about disembarking, and the reminder to turn in our guest survey. That's when I realized that I had no idea where our survey was, and there were a couple of things I wanted to point out to the management (a couple of good things, I might add - like our waiter, James, and the assistant, Reynaldo. They were great.) I asked one of the stateroom attendants if she had an extra, and she did not. She directed me to Guest Services. My son and I headed for guest services. I don't remember all of the details, but we had a really hard time getting to guest services. We ended up a deck below somehow. We couldn't climb the stairs in the centrum as they were roped off. The elevators were running, so we took the elevator up. We got off the elevator and it turned out that we were standing in front of a roped off group of people. There was a Port Canaveral Security person there. First she asked me if I was Diamond or Platinum. I responded that no, I was not, that I merely wanted to go to guest services to get a survey to fill out. She informed me that I could not simply walk around the elevator to guest services, that it was for my safety, because the people behind the roped off area would get very upset with me. I didn't understand why everyone would be upset with me for going to guest services, but I understood the part about not going around the elevators. Apparently, this woman thought I was trying to break into line to get off the ship, because it looked like that's where the gangway was. The woman told me that I would have to go back down the elevator two floors, walk to the stairs, climb two flights of stairs and come around to guest services that way. I didn't understand that. It seemed pretty obtuse. So I asked her again if we could just walk around the elevators and assured her I wouldn't try to get off teh boat - no. I asked if we could go through the crowd. that was actually a lot closer than going around the elevators which were close to the gangway. She said no. She said that would make all of those people upset, too. As a matter of fact, it seemed like she was trying to make those people upset with my son and me. So, rather than belabor the point, we headed back down the elevator. As I got onto the elevator, I heard one of the Diamond or Platinum people say "well, at least you have a good humour about things" to the Port Canaveral Security person. I was very upset. I'm not used to being treated like a cheater or a liar, or an untrustworthy person. At that point, I decided I was going to let Royal Caribbean know how upset I was with this person. When I finally got my guest survey, I was so upset all I could write about was this woman. The RCI person at the desk told me to speak to the purser. I spoke to the purser, the purser told me that the woman didn't work for them - she worked for the Port Canaveral Security contractor. He suggested that I find out her name, and when I got off the ship, to ask to speak to a supervisor. That's exactly what I did. I don't think the Port Canaveral workers knew what to think, because as soon as I was off the ship, I asked to speak to a supervisor. They were pretty concerned. The lady I ended up speaking to called for a supervisor on her radio. I told her the story. About the time the supervisor walked up, I repeated it for him, and he asked her name. I told him, and as soon as I said it he got this look on his face. He told me that he could guarantee me that in 10 minutes she would never be working around passengers again. I told him I didn't want her to get fired, but I wished every awful class I ever had to take as part of a large corporation on her (think, "ethics awareness", "customer relations", "quality and work ethic: and so on.). It was apparent from his reaction to her name that he had had to deal with this type of behavior from her before.

 

The part I hate about this, is that it happened at the end of the vacation, and kind of tainted my whole experience. I wasn't trying to get off the boat. I was only trying to help some people out by mentioning good service. I wasn't trying to cheat.

 

Anybody ever had a bad experience at Canaveral? It's my home port. :(

 

p.s. Most of the other Port Canaveral Security people were nice. I waited almost a week to post this - I only posted because I'm still upset about it. :(

[StormGoddess]

Howdy neighbor. Sounds like the same sour pussed woman that was guarding the elevators when we were there last month. She just presented to people quite meanly.

 

But apparently she isn't the only one, as I had my own issue...boarding the ship. I have a severe visual impairment and I was basically reamed a new backside because I NEEDED to wait for at least one of the rest of my party and cannot do the stairs. They kept yelling at me that I couldn't wait there. I finally told them unless they were going to carry my luggage up the stairs and literally guide me, to back off. Obviously I was clear and safe as I had already cleared security. It's apparent some of these people working the terminal are not morning people.

 

But gotta love the convenience of Port Canaveral.

[BobBeaSea]

Sounds like the law of unintended consequences at work. You wanted to do the "right thing" in getting another survey form to fill out (they are treated like gold you know, you can't leave them lying about and they are no good to the cruise line if they are not handed in properly). To get to Guest Relations during disembarkation might be a chore, if not impossible, hence the cascade effect. I have no doubt the security person thought you were cutting in line....why, because so many try it!!

 

The unintended consequence is, your trying to do a good deed may well have got a conscientious security person demoted or fired.

[ccletzgo]

she deserved to be fired if her comment of "humor" was made to other guests when the OP turned her back. Which is obviously what happened.

[BearySweet2Cruise]

Sorry to hear about your negative experience. I sounds like justice was served where it was needed. I am a Director of Nursing and know about customer service and employees with attitudes... but now you need to let is go to rest, put it behind you and book another cruise :)

[Arizona Laura]

It all boils down to the fact that we take responsibility for our actions. There are consequences especially in the workplace. Her expectations for you were unreasonable. Her attitude was uncalled for. Whether she was terminated or reprimanded depending on her previous work record is solely her doing. The fact that the incident bothers you shows you have compassion even when it may be difficult to possess. Don't let that ruin the fond memories of the rest of your cruise. Who knows how many other people you have saved from having to interact with her and have their vacations impacted in such a negative way as well. Take care..No flames here..:) Laura

[Chitoryubt]

Thanks for ALL of your opinions. StormGoddess, I'm sorry to hear that you were treated like that. I'm glad you set them straight.

 

I wanted to let you all know I appreciate your words - all of them. I hope she didn't get fired, but the way she treated us was really uncalled for.

 

And I'm working on letting it go, BearySweet2Cruise - that's something I could use a class on :)

[Merion_Mom]

I am sorry for the experiences that both Chitory and Storm Goddess went through. I think that you can see the "real" Port Canaveral attitude in the fact that C's person apparently is not going to be tolerated by her supervisors.

 

My experiences in PC have been amazingly happy ones. I found the personnel there to be the friendliest, most helpful and most efficient of any embarkation port.

 

Better sailings ahead to all!

 

(I wish that I were in PC right now.........we have quite a few inches of frozen rain/sleet/mess on the ground here, and it's unwanted! ;))

[mrdood]

Not sure you should get all wound up about it, live and let live...

[PhoenixCruiser]

(I wish that I were in PC right now.........we have quite a few inches of frozen rain/sleet/mess on the ground here, and it's unwanted! ;))

 

Brrrrrr!!! Carol, it is 91 degrees in my home right now and I refuse to turn on my AC in March!!!! Wanna get away ;) :cool:

 

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[Coralc]

I'm sorry. Paragraphs and a little white space in between help on these long posts. I don't really get what the big deal was. You lost your customer survey. Shame on you, they do track them and they are a big deal to the line, I guess. Nice of you to make an effort to get a new one because you lost your first one.

 

You had a disagreement with a security guard. I am sorry that happened. Bad end to a nice cruise and you complained. You run into people that rub you the wrong way on a day to day basis. This thing about complaining, bad apples and going to supervisors is ridiculous. You are disembarking the ship and this tweaked you enough that it was worth complaining about? I'm not usually a negative poster, but that's just silly. :)

[sailinglisa]

Quote "As I got onto the elevator, I heard one of the Diamond or Platinum people say "well, at least you have a good humour about things" to the Port Canaveral Security person."

 

To the poster who thought that the security guard said this, it was a PASSENGER who said this to the security guard.

 

On all the cruises I have been on, the stairs in the Centrum/Atrium areas are blocked off by Customs and Security. You really do need to go out of your way to get to the guest services desk during debarkation.

 

I'm sorry you feel you were disrespected........but the security guard had a point. They have heard MANY excuses by people trying to cut into lines at debarkation. And they are usually the ones that are scorned or yelled at for following the rules set down by Customs/Immigration and Security.

[BearySweet2Cruise]

And advice to all future cruisers... you can get the survey on any day throughout the trip, and one is left in the stateroom on the last night, so we should learn from this experiance to not wait until the ship is disembarking to fill out the survey.

 

To OP: best wishes

[trvlbug]

To the OP,

 

First of all I am not trying to flame you but I do think things became a little overblown on your part. I reread your thread just to make sure and this is what I see.

 

You were trying to do something good but ended up in a different area. The Customs Agent told you that you would have to go to guest services a different way. This woman has probably worked this area before and knows that Diamond and Platinum have priority debarkation. After all she did ask you if you were one of these groups. You said no so she told you that all these people would be mad at you (believe me a number of them would).

 

After she told you you would have to go to the other route you asked if you could just cut through the crowd and were not trying to cheat. She once again told you no. She has probably heard a hundred different "stories" in her time but she did not call you a liar or cheat. She just said no and once again reiterated that the people in the line would get upset (and guess who would have to deal with them?).

 

You did make it to guest services but were so angry at this woman doing her job (she has probably been told numerous times not to let anyone who is not Diamond or Platinum into that area) that you forgot your original plan. So now you have two people who were not singled out for doing their job and given kudos to one person who was singled out for doing their job and may have gotten fired.

 

She may not have had a smile on her face when she told you no but she did not yell at you or call you names and now she might not have a job.

 

Sorry, but I think you made a mountain out of a molehill. My 2 cents.

 

Trish