Later Clearance Time for Arriving Guests Ft Lauderdale

[CaptCarl]

I just received a text from RC about budget reductions affecting US Customs staffing, therefor it is taking longer to handle immigration processing of departing guests. They are suggesting not to arrive at port until 12:30. Based on reviews and message board postings, we planned on arriving around 11am. Has anyone that has sailed Allure recently received such a text? Is there validity to this or is it a ploy by RC to prevent too many guests from arriving early and slowing down the processing of guests? Have you ignored it and went early anyway, and if so, did you have to wait until after 12:30 to board the ship?

[BND]

I just received a text from RC about budget reductions affecting US Customs staffing, therefor it is taking longer to handle immigration processing of departing guests. They are suggesting not to arrive at port until 12:30. Based on reviews and message board postings, we planned on arriving around 11am. Has anyone that has sailed Allure recently received such a text? Is there validity to this or is it a ploy by RC to prevent too many guests from arriving early and slowing down the processing of guests? Have you ignored it and went early anyway, and if so, did you have to wait until after 12:30 to board the ship?

 

Our setsail pass says 12:30-4 for boarding. Yeah, right. Others have posted that they have arrived by 11 and had no issues.

[ContemporaryTraveler]

Really there is no reason to follow this message right now, disembarkation is basically back to the same normal speed as before. I work at Port Everglades and have seen an improvement in recent months. Embarkation starts regularly between 11:15 to 11:45, unless some strange event causes a delay. Really none of the employees at the pier can figure out why this message is being sent still since it makes for long lines between 12 and 1. I would definitely avoid it because it just means waiting in long lines to get checked-in.

[Scotty G]

Go with what ContemporaryTraveler says. Best source for this!!!

[karena1]

For sure! We always are at the port by 10:45 or 11:00 on any ship. Get on really fast that way.

[jim27033]

I got same message, I'm sticking with my original plan of getting there at 11

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Really there is no reason to follow this message right now, disembarkation is basically back to the same normal speed as before. I work at Port Everglades and have seen an improvement in recent months. Embarkation starts regularly between 11:15 to 11:45, unless some strange event causes a delay. Really none of the employees at the pier can figure out why this message is being sent still since it makes for long lines between 12 and 1. I would definitely avoid it because it just means waiting in long lines to get checked-in.

 

In general do arriving Transatlantic cruises have a later clearance time? About how late?

 

Thanks

[Lionesss]

Wow, this question is very popular this week.

Third time I have seen it tonight.

Arrive early.

Enjoy.

Get there 10:15-10:30.

You paid for the first day of your cruise

Enjoy it.

I wonder if we shall see another question on this topic.

Possibly

Sea Ya

[joepeka]

In general do arriving Transatlantic cruises have a later clearance time? About how late?

 

Thanks

I do not think this has been answered previously but likewise would like to know what others here have seen in terms of debarkation times for ships arriving in the U.S. from a TA.

[CaptCarl]

Wow, this question is very popular this week.

Third time I have seen it tonight.

Arrive early.

Enjoy.

Get there 10:15-10:30.

You paid for the first day of your cruise

Enjoy it.

I wonder if we shall see another question on this topic.

Possibly

Sea Ya

 

 

No offense, but this was not a simple "should I get there early" post. I said in the post I read the boards and knew everyone says to get there early. My question was about the validity of the text message that I got from RC. I wanted to be sure that I wouldn't be sitting around in the terminal as they tried to clear the ship due to low staffing.

 

If you felt it necessary to be snide in your remarks, perhaps you could have just ignored the post. Especially since I already got an answer before you responded.

[Merion_Mom]

really there is no reason to follow this message right now, disembarkation is basically back to the same normal speed as before. I work at port everglades and have seen an improvement in recent months. Embarkation starts regularly between 11:15 to 11:45, unless some strange event causes a delay. Really none of the employees at the pier can figure out why this message is being sent still since it makes for long lines between 12 and 1. I would definitely avoid it because it just means waiting in long lines to get checked-in.

 

cma. ;)

[BillOh]

I just received a text from RC about budget reductions affecting US Customs staffing, therefor it is taking longer to handle immigration processing of departing guests. They are suggesting not to arrive at port until 12:30. Based on reviews and message board postings, we planned on arriving around 11am. Has anyone that has sailed Allure recently received such a text? Is there validity to this or is it a ploy by RC to prevent too many guests from arriving early and slowing down the processing of guests? Have you ignored it and went early anyway, and if so, did you have to wait until after 12:30 to board the ship?

 

April 28th when this was still new, we ignored it, arrived at 11 and had a great time on the ship.

[BillOh]

Wow, this question is very popular this week.

Third time I have seen it tonight.

Arrive early.

Enjoy.

Get there 10:15-10:30.

You paid for the first day of your cruise

Enjoy it.

I wonder if we shall see another question on this topic.

Possibly

Sea Ya

 

 

I will add, this is another thing roll calls are good for. We arrived close to 11, I don't think we boarded till close to 12, but we had a great time meeting many of the roll call group for the first time, that hour between pulling up to the terminal and getting on the ship is actually a very fond memory of the whole week now. I don't even consider my self a "make the best of it" type person.

[hancock]

I do not think this has been answered previously but likewise would like to know what others here have seen in terms of debarkation times for ships arriving in the U.S. from a TA.

 

It does take longer for Customs and Immigration to clear a ship after a TA. EVERYONE on the ship has to go through as they have not entered the US recently. It is possible that there may be some delays boarding for a cruise following a TA.

[JasonV1]

It helps that there are 72 luggage tag zones (Oasis, but I assume Allure is the same), and the zones aren't as big as you think when you get off the ship as if you think about it there are less than 90 guests/zone even with the ship full.

 

Self debark is 6:30-7:45, then the zones debark in 15 minute intervals starting at 7:45. The last set of 6 zones debarks at 10:45AM per the schedule but as we all know it may get called earlier if things are moving quickly.

 

When I got off last week only about half the customs desks were staffed, but I did get off at around 7AM. No lines at all until we reached the customs desk, and that was less than 10 minutes.

 

 

I just received a text from RC about budget reductions affecting US Customs staffing, therefor it is taking longer to handle immigration processing of departing guests. They are suggesting not to arrive at port until 12:30. Based on reviews and message board postings, we planned on arriving around 11am. Has anyone that has sailed Allure recently received such a text? Is there validity to this or is it a ploy by RC to prevent too many guests from arriving early and slowing down the processing of guests? Have you ignored it and went early anyway, and if so, did you have to wait until after 12:30 to board the ship?

[ContemporaryTraveler]

I do not think this has been answered previously but likewise would like to know what others here have seen in terms of debarkation times for ships arriving in the U.S. from a TA.

 

Like Hancock said, an immigration inspection will definitely slow down disembarkation. This will definitely happen since many of the crew have not entered the United States recently. Another thing to keep in mind is if there is a Coast Guard drill. The last Coast Guard drill delayed embarkation for the Allure by an hour at least I believe.

[critterchick]

In general do arriving Transatlantic cruises have a later clearance time? About how late?

 

Thanks

 

We were on the first Liberty cruise after her TA in 2011 and boarding didn't begin until shortly after noon - weddings, then tours then priority. We arrived at the pier a little before 11:00, were promptly checked in and then waited. As we boarded, we saw a line of people waiting to check in that snaked around the side of the building.:eek: So for the first cruise after a TA I would recommend arriving early (before 11) and waiting inside or not planning to board until 2:30-3:00.

[bigedwin]

Hi

We received the same e mail!

We still arrived the pier at 11 and were on the ship soon afterwards!

I think Royal still sends the e mail to spread arrivals!

I know we were on Allure with a group and went right away to rent the iPhones, they were totally out of them by 12:30PM so if we would have arrived later we would have missed on those !

Same goes for hair appointments for formal night! Those were booking briskly at 12:00 noon!

 

Have fun

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We were on the first Liberty cruise after her TA in 2011 and boarding didn't begin until shortly after noon - weddings, then tours then priority. We arrived at the pier a little before 11:00, were promptly checked in and then waited. As we boarded, we saw a line of people waiting to check in that snaked around the side of the building.:eek: So for the first cruise after a TA I would recommend arriving early (before 11) and waiting inside or not planning to board until 2:30-3:00.

 

Thanks for the update.:)

[harz99]

It does take longer for Customs and Immigration to clear a ship after a TA. EVERYONE on the ship has to go through as they have not entered the US recently. It is possible that there may be some delays boarding for a cruise following a TA.

 

I'd have to agree with that; it was almost midday when we finally got outside at Fort Lauderdale after debarking Reflection last December. North American citizens did slightly better than rest of the World.

 

Realistically; delays can occur for any cruise that originates outside the US, not just TA's but Panama and TP's too.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I will add, this is another thing roll calls are good for. We arrived close to 11, I don't think we boarded till close to 12, but we had a great time meeting many of the roll call group for the first time, that hour between pulling up to the terminal and getting on the ship is actually a very fond memory of the whole week now. I don't even consider my self a "make the best of it" type person.

 

Yes, we did have an enjoyable, relaxed time. The waiting area was comfortable and it gave me time to get some good pictures. We had time to visit. If you say we waited an hour we probably did, but it didn't seem that long to me.:cool:

[Froggitt]

Self debark is 6:30-7:45, then the zones debark in 15 minute intervals starting at 7:45. The last set of 6 zones debarks at 10:45AM per the schedule but as we all know it may get called earlier if things are moving quickly.

 

When I got off last week only about half the customs desks were staffed, but I did get off at around 7AM. No lines at all until we reached the customs desk, and that was less than 10 minutes.

 

Last Sunday, we were given tags for debark group 14 which was 8am I think. Nope we wanted to leave a 9am, so we did. However, it appeared that all groups of luggage were already in the hall (the 40+ half was totally empty), and they only use the groups to stagger the customs, not the luggage.

 

Noone checked what group we were in, so presumably a group 60 could skip the line to go into the 40+ area and get out early.

[Giorgi-one]

I always arrive before 11 am and am usually on the ship by 11:30 am. That was before Sequestratioin. We were on Allure last January and getting thru Customs was a mess and that was also before Sequestration. That said, delays at Customs should not affect boarding - two separate areas of the terminal. In my experience, RCL did not delay debarkation - just put a mass of people in the luggage area to clear the ship. Once everyone is off the ship it is essentially ready for boarding given a little time to get the public areas in shape. I am not sure RCL could get all luggage and passengers on board in time to sail if people actually did not arrive until 12:30 pm, particularly on the Oasis class ships. Even if you have to wait to board, getting there early will get you checked in quicker before the crowds build.