West Coast Ports

We heard on the news today that West Coast Ports are closing and/or staging a slow down due to a bitter and drawn out contract dispute between Shippers and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Does anyone know if such disputes spill over to cruise ship ports?

We heard on the news today that West Coast Ports are closing and/or staging a slow down due to a bitter and drawn out contract dispute between Shippers and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Does anyone know if such disputes spill over to cruise ship ports?

There have been several threads here discussing this.

Since all the cruise ship piers are public, they use the union longshoremen to handle lines and load food, stores, and baggage on the cruise ships. Yes, this will affect the cruise ships. I've heard of sabotage where longshoremen have dumped baggage carts into the harbor.

I know S.F. has had delays in leaving port because of the slow downs. I guess the rest are facing the same things. So not fair.

I did hear about some luggage falling off a cart near a ship. They found all of the luggage and they dried the wet clothes and they compensated the cruisers. i think that was an accident.

I believe that the cruise lines are now aware of what can happen if they do't have security watching the luggage.

In the ports of Long Beach and San Pedro/L.A..... there is no way that the porters will do any thing wrong to our luggage or they will get fired on the spot if they break any rules. i have seen it happen.

Don't worry about your luggage at our west coast port.

The Los Angeles port is located at a different area than our cruise ports.

The cruise ships can buy their supplies in other countries like Canada, Mexico, South America. They even buy their food supplies from many other countries. I have eaten delicious catfish that was bought in India.

I wouldn't worry about that problem. The cruise lines will not let any problems get in the way of cruising. They plan ahead. LucyR.

This slow down has been going on for months, but is just recently getting mentioned on the news. Long Beach is stacked up with cargo not being shipped. It is really hurting many retail businesses in California not being able to get goods, and manufacturers for product.

There is a lock out this weekend until Monday! Not sure what is happening with the Star. She is in port.

Cheers, Denise

I've heard of sabotage where longshoremen have dumped baggage carts into the harbor.

This story has reached urban legend status. "I heard" this happened. "Someone told me" this happened. I haven't heard yet from someone who was there who saw it first hand. No video on Youtube. I expect to hear now about someone who was told by someone who claims to have seen it with his own eyes. For some reason, people really want to believe that the longshoremen enjoy dumping luggage in the water.

For some reason, people really want to believe that the longshoremen enjoy dumping luggage in the water.

Are we really wondering why?

This story has reached urban legend status. "I heard" this happened. "Someone told me" this happened. I haven't heard yet from someone who was there who saw it first hand. No video on Youtube. I expect to hear now about someone who was told by someone who claims to have seen it with his own eyes. For some reason, people really want to believe that the longshoremen enjoy dumping luggage in the water.

It IS NOT a urban legend. I was on the Star on December 19th out of SF. Not only did a whole bunch of luggage go into the bay, but the longshoremen were demanding huge tips between $40 to $100 on that day. I will NOT defend the longshoremen because I saw it with my own eyes. Yes I was there and this is not from second hand info.

This story has reached urban legend status. "I heard" this happened. "Someone told me" this happened. I haven't heard yet from someone who was there who saw it first hand. No video on Youtube. I expect to hear now about someone who was told by someone who claims to have seen it with his own eyes. For some reason, people really want to believe that the longshoremen enjoy dumping luggage in the water.

I was on the NCL Star at Miami in November and saw wet luggage being sorted out. One fellow CC members wife's suitcase was among those that were dumped into the water and retrieved. A thread on the Carnival board described the same type of incident. My bag on the Crown Princess in January was torn open and items damaged and missing. Princess fixed the damaged bag but no items were turned in. I have seen other posts of luggage being left out in the rain for hours at ports but didn't log them so I don't remember where it happened.

These union members are creating problems for cruise ships and cruisers for no valid reason. Their dispute is with the freight business, but they are messing with the cruise lines to get attention.

You can make excuses and call these incidents accidents, but the alarming increase in incidents points to either incompetence or intentional acts. You choose which you want to believe.

I have decided to handle my own luggage whenever possible and I recommend that others do the same. It will in a small way convey a message to those dockworkers by reducing the amount of tips they receive.

I'm on the star now, ship is being loaded, no lockout. The porters were helpful and friendly, no demanding for tips. Everyone relax

I'm on the star now, ship is being loaded, no lockout. The porters were helpful and friendly, no demanding for tips. Everyone relax

Nice to know. Hope you get to sail at a reasonable hour and have a wonderful cruise. We all hope this dispute with the longshoremen will soon be over.

We heard on the news today that West Coast Ports are closing and/or staging a slow down due to a bitter and drawn out contract dispute between Shippers and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Does anyone know if such disputes spill over to cruise ship ports?

My husband just retired last August. He was first a registered Longshoreman and then transferred to the Marine Clerk side (still brother unions)

The cruise ships do not need to worry. During the 2002 West Coast lock out that had everything in an uproar, the longshoreman and marine clerks, worked the cruise ships without pay. They also insisted on loading and unloading any military ship with supplies.

My husband while not agreeing with everything the Union did, agreed with everyone else that it is bad business and bad PR to cause havoc with the Cruise lines and Military Ships.

Posting fromSeattle

It IS NOT a urban legend. I was on the Star on December 19th out of SF. Not only did a whole bunch of luggage go into the bay, but the longshoremen were demanding huge tips between $40 to $100 on that day. I will NOT defend the longshoremen because I saw it with my own eyes. Yes I was there and this is not from second hand info.

Wow! How crazy! How were cruisers reacting to the demand for such large tips? :eek::eek::eek:

The cruise ships can buy their supplies in other countries like Canada, Mexico, South America. They even buy their food supplies from many other countries. I have eaten delicious catfish that was bought in India.

This is not correct, Princess has trusted vendors/suppliers that they use. They just don't pull into a port and replace stores, it could be very dangerous not knowing where these food items came from, whether they have been stored at the proper temp etc.

I'm on the star now, ship is being loaded, no lockout. The porters were helpful and friendly, no demanding for tips. Everyone relax

Yes, they are loading the ships but will all be loaded at the time the ship is scheduled to leave the dock? There have been several late departures in SF because the longshoremen are intentionally working at a snail's pace.

4:45 It's still in port, as the web cam shows. I really hope you guys get off before the next rain storm comes through.

This story has reached urban legend status. "I heard" this happened. "Someone told me" this happened. I haven't heard yet from someone who was there who saw it first hand. No video on Youtube. I expect to hear now about someone who was told by someone who claims to have seen it with his own eyes. For some reason, people really want to believe that the longshoremen enjoy dumping luggage in the water.

It wasn't longshoremen, but at a grocery store that was being picketed I once saw the picketers sending shopping carts towards parked cars as a message to shoppers not to shop there.

They were smiling as they did this, so they were enjoying damaging customer cars.

No video available though.

I was on the NCL Star at Miami in November and saw wet luggage being sorted out. One fellow CC members wife's suitcase was among those that were dumped into the water and retrieved. A thread on the Carnival board described the same type of incident. My bag on the Crown Princess in January was torn open and items damaged and missing. Princess fixed the damaged bag but no items were turned in. I have seen other posts of luggage being left out in the rain for hours at ports but didn't log them so I don't remember where it happened.

 

These union members are creating problems for cruise ships and cruisers for no valid reason. Their dispute is with the freight business, but they are messing with the cruise lines to get attention.

 

You can make excuses and call these incidents accidents, but the alarming increase in incidents points to either incompetence or intentional acts. You choose which you want to believe.

 

I have decided to handle my own luggage whenever possible and I recommend that others do the same. It will in a small way convey a message to those dockworkers by reducing the amount of tips they receive.

Posting from Seattle here: Again, hubby was longshoreman/marine clerk for almost 30 yrs.

The ILWU handled cruise ships AND military cargo/ships during the eleven day lock out, in 2002 and they would do the same today. They worked these ships without pay.

I have personally witnessed after boarding one cruise ship (we have done 19 cruises), (and this was about five years ago) where the fork lift operator accidentally dumped the luggage out of the 'cage' he was lifting. Unsure how it happened, and fortunately none of the luggage ended up in the water. Operator error or carelessness or mechanized malfunctions DO happen.

By the way I met a Swedish woman on my last cruise whose luggage was lost at Heathrow Airport. It happens at other big airports, too. This poor soul was so upset and by day three of the cruise her luggage still had not been located. How many of us know folks who have delayed luggage or their luggage lost at the airport? Individual carelessness or individual maliciousness or criminality does happen......but such behavior is not encouraged and carried out by an entire Union.

On the other hand, I agree that at any time you can handle your own luggage, the better off. :cool:

It IS NOT a urban legend. I was on the Star on December 19th out of SF. Not only did a whole bunch of luggage go into the bay, but the longshoremen were demanding huge tips between $40 to $100 on that day. I will NOT defend the longshoremen because I saw it with my own eyes. Yes I was there and this is not from second hand info.

So you saw--with your own eyes--a longshoreman walk over to the side of the dock and purposely dump a bunch of luggage into the water? Did you report him?

I did hear about some luggage falling off a cart near a ship. They found all of the luggage and they dried the wet clothes and they compensated the cruisers. i think that was an accident.

 

I believe that the cruise lines are now aware of what can happen if they do't have security watching the luggage.

 

In the ports of Long Beach and San Pedro/L.A..... there is no way that the porters will do any thing wrong to our luggage or they will get fired on the spot if they break any rules. i have seen it happen.

 

Don't worry about your luggage at our west coast port.

 

The Los Angeles port is located at a different area than our cruise ports.

 

The cruise ships can buy their supplies in other countries like Canada, Mexico, South America. They even buy their food supplies from many other countries. I have eaten delicious catfish that was bought in India.

 

I wouldn't worry about that problem. The cruise lines will not let any problems get in the way of cruising. They plan ahead. LucyR.

On the thread I read on the Carnival board, the cruise line offered compensation of $50.00 per bag which is the limit of their contractual obligation.

My bag was damaged at San Pedro -- A West Coast port.

The cruise lines are limited on the places they can re-stock food supplies.

The cruise lines have not been able to curtail the problems created by the port dispute.

Yes, they are loading the ships but will all be loaded at the time the ship is scheduled to leave the dock? There have been several late departures in SF because the longshoremen are intentionally working at a snail's pace.

 

4:45 It's still in port, as the web cam shows. I really hope you guys get off before the next rain storm comes through.

The bridge cam still shows the Star alongside in San Francisco. It is 5.32pm here.

We set sail around 5:40pm, currently headed towards the golden gate bridge, great views, everything has been great so far on the Star Princess