Debarkation - Rhapsody on 4/11/04

[golfing1960]

Does anyone else have any comments on the debarkation process for this cruise? I was truly upset with the lack of organization or control.

The international cruisers were supposed to start at 6:30, however, they did not bother to really start showing up until 8:00 (time for US citizens to start). This delayed the start of the US cruisers until almost 9:30. There was no verification that your tag color was what you should have and there were no checks to see if you were even in your group. In other words, if you were honest and waited till you were called, you were the last ones off the boat. We were on deck 7 and were in the last 5% to leave the boat.

[littlelulu]

I was also on Rhapsody departing 4/11/04

Total Confusion!!!

We were color tag beige, supposedly departing at 8:15am we were up at 6am, ready ate and in the lounge by 8am. We were not even called till 10:30 then the line was literally through the dining room, past the purser's desk and through the casino, it literally wrapped all the way around. Then all of a sudden it started moving and we were fininshed at 11:15 we went straight and got our luggage and oh my the real confusion started.
The bus drivers were trying to load our luggage we had a 1:15 flight out of Houston the RCI rep took my voucher for the four of us, then she allowed the driver to get our luggage and then while we were boarding the bus she was screaming get off the bus without a ticket and get that luggage out of here. The bus driver said to her You just took their ticket and I'm putting their luggage on before you make them miss their flight. She took off without even apologizing for screaming at us and the bus driver said if he could have gotten her out of the way he could do his job.
We arrived at the airport at 12:55 and ran for the check in. We weren't the only ones but I don't think I'll ever go out of Galveston again.
We never had this problem in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale or San Juan.
The Cruise was great but the transportation in Grand Cayman and getting off the boat could have ruined it.
Somebody needs to do a lot of looking into these problems. I heard several people saying their flights had already left.

[Hoopster3145]

Is this a common problem with this ship, or is this a unique circumstance due to the amount of forigners aboard

1/01 NCL Majesty
1/02 NCL Majesty
1/03 RCCL Brilliance of the Seas
3/03 Carnival Jubilee
8/03 RCCL Navigator Of the Seas
1/04 RCCL Adventure of the Seas
3/04 RCCL Radiance of the Seas


8/15/04 Rhapsody of the Seas
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=228b22&cdt=2004;8;15;18;00;00&timezone=GMT-0600[/img]

14 DAY LEGEND OF THE SEAS PANAMA CANAL CRUISE (12/26/04)
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2004;12;26;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]

3/13/05 SPRING BREAK on the Explorer of the Seas
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[Linkslady]

Sorry you had problems! I've disembarked on Rhapsody twice and didn't have any problems. Sometimes if the immigration can't verify that all the foreigners have been cleared they won't clear the ship - that's what I've been told...which is why it may have taken longer. I've sailed out of Miami and San Juan and think the process is the same. I just got off Splendour yesterday .. off around 8:45, in our car and on the highway by 9:00 a.m.

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=00ffff&cdt=2004;4;08;18;00;00&timezone=GMT-0600[/img] Until my next cruise!


[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=00ffff&cdt=2004;11;20;18;00;00&timezone=GMT-0600[/img] Until my first Princess cruise!


Majesty 94
Sovereign 95
Destiny 96
Fascination 97
Triumph 98
Celebration 99
Rhapsody 9/02
Rhapsody 10/03
Splendour 4/04
Grand Princess 11/04

[brn2crz]

COuld it have had anything to do with the 4 inches of rain,tornadoes,hail.power outages,flooded streets and damaging winds in the Houston area sat&sun??

Cathy
NCL-Starward 1982
NCL-Seaward 1986
NCL-Norway 1992
Carnival-Celebration 1996
Carnival-Jubilee 2001
RCI-Rhapsody 1999
RCI-Rhapsody- 2003
Grand Princess or Rhapsody ?
2004


[img]http://heathersanimations.com/Fish2/netdiver.gif[/img]

[golfing1960]

I don't think the weather had a lot to do with the mass confusion and lack of organization.

The bottom line is the following:

1. A large number of the international citizens did not bother to get off the boat at their scheduled time. They waited until 8am to begin their process (US citizens were to begin at 8). It would seem to me that the international citizens should be last to leave. I don't think they should be booking flights early in the day.

2. There was no validation to who got what color tags. These tags were left in our rooms, but they were also left in a public area for all to pick up. I know there were those who drove that picked up the "flight" color tags and left at that time.

3. There was no checking tag colors as you went through the RCI check prior to getting to customs. This allowed those who were to leave last to actually go first. AND THEY DID!!!!!!!

4. Finally, We were the first group from the 7th Deck (when our deck color was called and we were to be the second deck after the disabled and flights) and when I got to the car lot, there were only 30 cars remaining out of 600+. Sounds like there were some number of those who left early.

Bottom line, this is what my familiy and I remember of the cruise. Not the wonderful time we had cruising.

I plan on contacting RCI and letting them know how bad it was and hopefully they will investigate cleaning it up. If they don't know how, I think I can give them some tips as it doesn't take rocket science to have organization.

[cjankowski]

We had not a problem when we got of this ship. It was very well organized and we were off the ship ahead of our time. We were to be off at around 9:00 but we got off and was out of parking lot and on way to airport, by around 8:30. So I dont think the confusion you had is always the case.

Rhapsody of the Seas-Jan 2004

[AQHAFAN]

That is strange indeed.We have sailed from Galveston several times,and 2 times on the Rhapsody.This has become our favorite port.Obviously it is easier for us to get to,but it has always been very organized and easy to use.
This is the second topic I have read concerning a large number of non-US citizens holding things up last week,but I can not remember if the other one was on the Rhapsody

A previous poster may have a point.I have someone who was to drive up to pick up a horse from us,that could not make it because of the weather.I wouldn't think it had anything to do with how quickly you were allowed to get off,but it does make all the other transportation sysytems crazy.Airports were closed a short while in Austin,and many were delayed flying into Houston.All of this makes for testy drivers I supposed,but no excuse either.
I am sorry that your departure was not enjoyable,but I can assure you it is not the norm for them.You must have not a a very good cruise if that is all you are going to remember.

[img]http://heathersanimations.com/Animals1/uma01.gif[/img]

[amymoore]

I agree. Sunday was mass confusion. 900 Mexican nationals aboard and the announcements were not always made in Spanish. We had an 8:15 departure time and got off the boat at 10:40. We were sitting with some people from England. Their comment was "We are on holiday... I am not getting up to be there at 6:30". I would have gladly been there at 6:30. We enjoyed the cruise, but were ready to get home.

[Bebet]

We cruised March 7th on the Rhapsody. Our debarkation/getting the luggage/getting to the curb/getting to the car and back to pick me up was pretty discouraging. We were on Deck 3 and supposed to be cleard at immirations by 9:45. That didn't happen until almost ll:00. We weren't allowed off the ship till about 11:45. What did complicate the whole matter was it was raining pretty bad, everyone wanted under the cover to wait. We had to wait about 15 minutes for the shuttle. We were down the road towards home closer to 12:30pm. Where it rained and poured for almost another 2 hours. Don't know what could have been done better to improve things. I do know they are working on a new terminal so hopefully that will help.

Rhapsody of the Seas 3/04