New screening procedure boarding Constellation

[Orator]

If CC postings were held in that high regard by X, the X website would be accurate and easy to navigate by now!:D

 

How do we know that they haven't tried, but just can't figure it out? Nothing would surprise me.

[ghstudio]

How do we know that they haven't tried, but just can't figure it out? Nothing would surprise me.

 

Having spent most of my life around computer systems, there is no way that they could have "tried" and have the current web site. Fixing the web site is clearly not a Celebrity priority....although apparently marketing has decided to "make it look better" by putting a marketing layer on top of the site. The issues of managing your cruise have never been addressed...but then again, marketing doesn't care about that part...they already got their booking.

[Orator]

Having spent most of my life around computer systems, there is no way that they could have "tried" and have the current web site. Fixing the web site is clearly not a Celebrity priority....although apparently marketing has decided to "make it look better" by putting a marketing layer on top of the site. The issues of managing your cruise have never been addressed...but then again, marketing doesn't care about that part...they already got their booking.

 

As much as I want to disagree, I can't. Point about marketing is well made.

[Oville]

, I might instruct the screeners (who are not, as noted, TSA, but port contractors or Celebrity personnel, depending on where the screening took place, in the terminal or on board) to watch for suspect wine bottles.

 

Are you really suggesting port security (security checkpoints) are cruise line employees? I've never seen anyone with a cruise line badge.

[Leibe_]

Having spent most of my life around computer systems, there is no way that they could have "tried" and have the current web site. Fixing the web site is clearly not a Celebrity priority....although apparently marketing has decided to "make it look better" by putting a marketing layer on top of the site. The issues of managing your cruise have never been addressed...but then again, marketing doesn't care about that part...they already got their booking.

 

Ever hear of nepotism????????

[cruisestitch]

No, I was suggesting that depending on where the screenings take place, they might be port employees/contractor employees (if in the terminal building) or Celebrity security personnel (if on the ship) but they are, in neither case, TSA personnel.

[Oville]

No, I was suggesting that depending on where the screenings take place, they might be port employees/contractor employees (if in the terminal building) or Celebrity security personnel (if on the ship) but they are, in neither case, TSA personnel.

 

Thanks, I assume those working in the terminal are well trained and more concerned about public safety (making sure liquids are unopened or are as they should be, for examples) than they are about smuggling booze onto the ships. The two however do overlap.

 

If I recall from past experiences, if it is unopened wine on a Celebrity cruise they move you along. On other cruiselines, you are sent to a cruiseline table where you pay a fee for unopened bottles or they are saved until the completion of the cruise. Anything opened is tossed I believe.

[marieps]

We stopped bothering with carrying wine when we got a taste of all-inclusive on Regent and then began buying the package on X. It's not all about price, it's also about convenience. Never having to drink a warm beer at the pool by having the option to order a fresh one is a big plus.

[Moeve]

Since I drink very little alcohol all this hoopla about smuggling booze doesn't bother me BUT if they are opening bottles with liquids reguardless then I am going to get b***y because I carry liquid meds and I am not going to have anyone open that and stick their noses into that no matter who they think they are!!!

[ClipperMiami]

Having spent most of my life around computer systems, there is no way that they could have "tried" and have the current web site. Fixing the web site is clearly not a Celebrity priority....although apparently marketing has decided to "make it look better" by putting a marketing layer on top of the site. The issues of managing your cruise have never been addressed...but then again, marketing doesn't care about that part...they already got their booking.

 

I've been in IT my entire working life and all I can say is --- ABSOLUTELY. One of the worst examples of systems I've ever seen. And it isn't just the customer interface either, the onboard sales people struggle with it every day also.

[ClipperMiami]

Am I missing something? I don't recall TSA doing the screening at Port Everglades or any other cruise terminal. CBP maybe, or a private contractor like Wackenhut. TSA? Don't recall that.

 

Thankfully at this point TSA has not brought their "security theater" to the cruise industry. Otherwise we'd all have to show up the day before for boarding! But I'm sure its on their list of nice juicy targets.

[jcrandle]

Are you really suggesting port security (security checkpoints) are cruise line employees? I've never seen anyone with a cruise line badge.

 

My bet is that they are contractors, just as the folk that check you in are contractors. No disrespect intended, as after I retired from my IT job, I came back as a contractor, and my concern for doing a superb job was unchanged. However, there are benefits to using contract employees, in terms of flexibility, often expense, and commitment.

[phoenix_dream]

I don't recall who it was who most recently discussed how he/she emptied wine bottle and filled them with hard liquor as a means to sneak booze onto the ship, but I wonder if perhaps that person's signature indicated which cruise they planned to be on next. If I were at Celebrity, glancing through these threads, and saw a specific cruise mentioned, I might instruct the screeners (who are not, as noted, TSA, but port contractors or Celebrity personnel, depending on where the screening took place, in the terminal or on board) to watch for suspect wine bottles.

Seriously? You would put all passengers through intensive and disruptive screening because you read on Cruise Critic that one person on that ship was going to sneak in liquor in a wine bottle? I doubt it. Perhaps the real answer is that they were concerned about a much greater threat of some type. No business person is going to inconvenience their paying customers to such an extent because they are worried about losing a few dollars on liquor sales. Spot check - maybe. Checking all liquids? Me thinks something else was at play here. (not that I disagree that Cruise Critic can have an influence in general - I think it does.)

[cruisestitch]

We don't know if all pax were put through the extra screening, but yes, if I read the boastful postings and knew which cruise the person was on, and maybe even could deduce who the poster might be through the info in the signature, I might instruct the screeners to look for "smuggled" liquor hiding in wine bottles.

[ghstudio]

We don't know if all pax were put through the extra screening, but yes, if I read the boastful postings and knew which cruise the person was on, and maybe even could deduce who the poster might be through the info in the signature, I might instruct the screeners to look for "smuggled" liquor hiding in wine bottles.

 

If celebrity has someone assigned to follow these boards and do the detective work needed to figure out what cruise is being talked about by one individual...then I can suggest a way for Celebrity to increase their bottom line profit by reducing an obvious personnel expense.

 

But for all you conspiracy theorists, I've heard that celebrity has an entire floor of HQ dedicated to staff that follows all of the cruise threads 24 hours a day, matching screen names to passenger names and updating a dossier on "problem" cruisers and possible exposures to rules including liquor and chair hogging. They then pass on this information to the ships for security purposes and more importantly, they let the cabin stewards know who to skip giving towel animals to....and they assure that those folks are not invited to the captain's table or allowed to ask questions during the backstage tour.

 

Oh yes, I was one of those who suggested an easy way to get six bottles of wine to your room....and even more on a b2b cruise...but on our recent cruise, I guess the emergency search for liquor message was never received by the security folks at the dock because it was one of the loosest inspections I've ever seen.....and Celebrity knows who I am.

[Oville]

We don't know if all pax were put through the extra screening, but yes, if I read the boastful postings and knew which cruise the person was on, and maybe even could deduce who the poster might be through the info in the signature, I might instruct the screeners to look for "smuggled" liquor hiding in wine bottles.

 

When you get to the pier you first must show your passport (or ID) and set sail pass to a customs agent. The next step is to go through the security checkpoint and it could be one of many X-ray conveyers. Where is it in this procedure do you think Celebrity becomes involved?

 

Sorry, but your scenario that someone at Celebrity HQ, after reading a CC post, identifiesTHE SMUGGLER of a wine bottle full of liquor, then notifies customs to be on the lookout for said smuggler, and customs finally alerts the screeners to check his/her bags is a bit unreal.

[cruisestitch]

Your scenario is wrong. You don't go through Customs leaving the US, only entering.

[CruisinNole]

For the first time ever, out of many Celebrity cruises, we had our carryon checked while boarding Equinox this past Christmas. The security person pulled everything out to check our two bottles of wine to make sure that they were not liquor. We asked the security person who checked what she was looking for and that's what we were told.