Preferential Suite Access To Customs?

[John&LaLa]

I believe this is not related to lines for Global Entry/TSA at airports or elsewhere.

 

This is about preferrential access to US government services by certain customers, arranged by Celebrity. I would not want to think that Celebrity discriminates against non suite customers related to accessing a government service paid by all taxpayers. If you have pre arranged and paid for Global Entry that is a separate private transaction with the government.

 

I have emailed Celebrity with a query and will be fascinated to wait for their response.

 

phoenix_dream, well said

 

phoenix_dream

Today 03:01 AM

 

Book a suite and get lots of perks from Celebrity. Fine, you paid for that. But Customs is run by the government, not the cruiseline. Why should anyone get preference over anyone else? I for one think that's wrong. And I have the same opinion even for the times I sail in a suite, which is admittedly not often enough

TSA is run by tax dollars?

 

 

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[DYKWIA]

My understanding is that at Airports airlines pay for each person who uses the Fast track. Additionally in several countries, such as the UK, those travelling in any cabin above Economy pay hefty compulsory government taxes. I suspect Celebrity is having to pay for everyone that put through the fast track.

 

Heathrow now offers a VIP arrival and departure service to a private terminal - nothing to do with the airline. For a small fee payable to Heathrow they pick you escort you up as you step off the plane and whisk you to the Windsor Suite and process immigration and customs privately (Reverse for departures). Think it's about £2800 + VAT for up to 3 people

[jcpc]

OMG .... think about it for a minute! Do you think CBP cares HOW you line up to go through the checkpoint?? For all they care you can line up any old way (for example shortest to tallest, women before men, people who wear glasses before people who don't wear glasses!!!!). No they don't care HOW you line up...they just care that all people entering the US go through the checkpoint.

 

 

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[serendipity1499]

Focus back to the original question.

 

Question - do Celebrity suite passengers get to by pass the general passenger que for customs processing - YES or NO?

 

Your making a mountain out of a mole hill..

 

I don't see anything that Celebrity is doing wrong.. I believe that Customs & Immigration's agents pay comes from TAX Dollars.. The more money you pay for your ticket the more taxes you pay, so why not let Suite Psgrs disembark prior to others who pay less Tax dollars..

 

BTW Handicapped Psgrs. & many times parents with children normally debark early too on other cruise lines.. We don't book suites, we don't travel with our kids & we are not handicapped, so we would be in the longer line with you!

 

I'm retired from the airline business & many many years ago all First class Psgrs debarked & went through Customs & Immigration's before tourist/economy Psgrs too.. It's the same procedure in many other countries.. Also in the airline industry, handicapped & parents with children also embarked first..Assume this is still the norm, although we don't fly that much..

 

You get what you pay for!:cool:

Edited August 31, 2017 by serendipity1499

[Gonzo70]

I believe this is not related to lines for Global Entry/TSA at airports or elsewhere.

 

This is about preferrential access to US government services by certain customers, arranged by Celebrity. I would not want to think that Celebrity discriminates against non suite customers related to accessing a government service paid by all taxpayers.

 

Oh my, discrimination?!? I think we have a strong contender for snowflake-of-the-year.

 

You can believe whatever you want - just so happens your belief is 100% wrong. At airports in the US the airlines have lines for their higher paying (and higher status) customers for TSA screening (a US government service funded by taxpayers) that are generally shorter than the regular TSA screening lines. Same exact thing here being done by Celebrity. Nothing to do with discrimination.

 

 

I too am fascinated what Celebrity's response will be; my guess whoever reads it will have a very big laugh and share your silly e-mail with all his coworkers who will also have a big laugh about it.

[DYKWIA]

..

I'm retired from the airline business & many many years ago all First class Psgrs debarked & went through Customs & Immigration's before tourist/economy Psgrs too.. It's the same procedure in many other countries.. Also in the airline industry, handicapped & parents with children also embarked first..Assume this is still the norm, although we don't fly that much..

 

...

 

That only works where you have one plane coming to the terminal every hour, and assumes those in First and Business Class don't get overtook by those in Economy - slow walkers in first will be quickly overtaken by fast walkers at the back of the plane. It also assumes that you aren't all put on the same plane side bus at a remote stand.

 

Heathrow - plane lands about every 30 seconds and you can face about 1/2 mile walk at some terminals from the remote stands. No matter if you're let off the plane first - you're going to be mixing it with plenty of other non premium passengers.

Edited August 31, 2017 by DYKWIA

[boscobeans]

I've used the services of an airport redcap on occasion and for a decent tip had my bags taken from the end of extremely long lines directly to a check in counter where my bags were tags and I was sent directly to security. Not anything but paying for better service. Went through the same security but avoided the long line to check my bags.

 

No different than paying for Luggage Valet and having your boarding passes delivered to you and your bags taken to the flight. Just another service...

 

If I order and pay for a steak in a restaurant is it discrimination to serve someone at another table a burger?

 

 

bosco

[richsea]

A mountain out of a mole hill.

 

Sometimes one has to consider the source. There are some posters who have a bias towards certain cruise lines for whatever reasons, & are eager to find fault with some of the policies of those companies.

[Hoppy2cruise]

Disembarked from Equinox in Miami on Sunday and used Luggage Valet. As sky suite guests, we went to Michael's Club and were escorted a few feet down the passageway to have Seapasses "dinged" and to exit the ship. At that point, we took an escalator down and half the people went to the left to pick up luggage while we exited to the right where we were next in line for Customs. The difference, apparently, was using Luggage Valet - not being in a suite. I believe all passengers can utilize Luggage Valet - for a $25 per person fee.

[emmas gran]

The OP has posted on Oceania thread that he has had enough of X over 2 years ago so why is he so interested in what happens. It does not affect him!

[Alakegirl]

The plot thickens....

[John&LaLa]

The plot thickens....

It always does. [emoji6]

 

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[njaloha]

OMG .... think about it for a minute! Do you think CBP cares HOW you line up to go through the checkpoint?? For all they care you can line up any old way (for example shortest to tallest, women before men, people who wear glasses before people who don't wear glasses!!!!). No they don't care HOW you line up...they just care that all people entering the US go through the checkpoint.

 

 

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You beat me to it. Darn it.

 

From my point of view, I was just doing what I was told. Pick up your bags and move to this short line. Who am I to argue? Customs officials sit at desks and are fed passengers to process. They don't care how they get there. The terminal (Cape Liberty is a privately owned company LLC) employees did a wonderful job of keeping everything organized.

[philpcruiser]

Dear Aboatnerd: you never heard about preferential treatment by the government? Did you ever hear the term "overnight mail"? You get what you pay for.

[jagoffee]

So silly. Even in the US, first class/business class fliers are allowed to use the TSA/Precheck line - it is the same thing

Actually this is not true based on my experience.

[hcat]

We are E -plus but stood on walk off line for Infinity at Port Ev for almost 2 hrs ( delayed disembark) we were in very good line position,,,..but then Suite guests were taken off first and directed by Celeb personnel to much shorter line...herd was then directed to other lines,,

 

Hoping E plus will get same perk...otherwise we will wait with the herd..we ONLY DO WALK OFF....otherwise luggage can get lost and clearing customs can take a very long time

[markeb]

Actually this is not true based on my experience.

 

Frequent flyer status was a discriminator for "random" Pre-Check. That's apparently been closed down now and you must be pre-cleared through Pre. First/Business wouldn't necessarily have created the history that let the computer grant Pre.

[2theship]

Frequent flyer status was a discriminator for "random" Pre-Check. That's apparently been closed down now and you must be pre-cleared through Pre. First/Business wouldn't necessarily have created the history that let the computer grant Pre.

That's why I'm glad we jumped through the TSA hoops and have Global Entry status. Having said that, my two knee replacements usually create problems in the TSA Pre-Check line. I always tell the first agent I meet that I've had surgery and most often I've been sent to the front of the regular line to use the full body scanner. Last spring, at FLL, I was told I could either go to the end of the very long regular line or I'd have to have the pat-down. I chose the pat-down. My husband stood watching as I was trying not to comment to the TSA agent giving me a VERY thorough pat-down. In the end, I was still ahead of the rest of the line so I guess I got what I paid for.

 

We flew home from Europe in business class last year. Our flight was delayed by several hours so I'm sure we would not have made our connection home without our preferential treatment by the airline and TSA.

[jagoffee]

Frequent flyer status was a discriminator for "random" Pre-Check. That's apparently been closed down now and you must be pre-cleared through Pre. First/Business wouldn't necessarily have created the history that let the computer grant Pre.

 

I concur based on my experience when travel with family members in First without the Pre TSA.

[Mythbuster]

I believe this is not related to lines for Global Entry/TSA at airports or elsewhere.

 

This is about preferrential access to US government services by certain customers, arranged by Celebrity. I would not want to think that Celebrity discriminates against non suite customers related to accessing a government service paid by all taxpayers. If you have pre arranged and paid for Global Entry that is a separate private transaction with the government.

 

I have emailed Celebrity with a query and will be fascinated to wait for their response.

 

phoenix_dream, well said

 

phoenix_dream

Today 03:01 AM

 

Book a suite and get lots of perks from Celebrity. Fine, you paid for that. But Customs is run by the government, not the cruiseline. Why should anyone get preference over anyone else? I for one think that's wrong. And I have the same opinion even for the times I sail in a suite, which is admittedly not often enough :)

 

The government part of the process starts at the line you stand behind to wait to get to the customs agent. How you get to that line is controlled by the cruise line not the US government. If the cruise line wants to reward those paying significantly higher prices or long time loyal members by getting them to the front of the line, it is within their right. I would agree with you that it is not right if the customs agents were treating these VIP passengers differently, but they are not.

Edited September 1, 2017 by Mythbuster
adding a missing word

[emmas gran]

We are E -plus but stood on walk off line for Infinity at Port Ev for almost 2 hrs ( delayed disembark) we were in very good line position,,,..but then Suite guests were taken off first and directed by Celeb personnel to much shorter line...herd was then directed to other lines,,

 

Hoping E plus will get same perk...otherwise we will wait with the herd..we ONLY DO WALK OFF....otherwise luggage can get lost and clearing customs can take a very long time

 

Sorry to say E+ means you are still with the herd--we do get tender priority though!.

[DYKWIA]

Sorry to say E+ means you are still with the herd--we do get tender priority though!.

 

I think that would be a great idea - allow all Elite, Elite Plus, Zenith and suite class guests to use the fast track. That should make it nice and quiet for us mere mortals in "Considerably Unimportant Traveller Class"

[hvbaskey]

you never heard about preferential treatment by the government? Did you ever hear the term "overnight mail"? You get what you pay for.

 

Morning Coffee Smile ... Check! :D

[varoo]

I think that would be a great idea - allow all Elite, Elite Plus, Zenith and suite class guests to use the fast track. That should make it nice and quiet for us mere mortals in "Considerably Unimportant Traveller Class"

LOL! It could become like priority access for boarding, where not only Elite, Elite Plus, Zenith and Suite class get special lines, but also Concierge and Aqua class passengers.

The result of trying to make so many feel like they are getting special treatment (a "perk" that costs them nothing) is that sometimes the regular line for those without any priority is the shortest line of all.

[Boo's Mom]

A current thread (Summit to Bermuda) has a refererence to suite passengers having a separate line to access Customs.

 

1) Is this true?

2) Since when does the US Government provide separate access to its services based on paying more money than someone else? A particular concern since this a national security related preference

3) Celebrity - if this is true, Celebrity speak up and identify how you arranged this with the Government

 

This is offensive to say the least.

 

This is not reality.

 

Once the suite passenger is off the ship the suite perks are halted.