Australian Border Force’s at Brisbane International Cruise Terminal disembarkation horror.

[joejoe 59]

We were on this same png cruise. We started lining up to leave the ship at 7.15am & got into our car at the port at 8.45am. We had wooden products & fruit... preservative free prunes which I wasn't willing to ditch unless they told me to. We ticked the box for both, our cards were signed & we moved on. We were very surprised nobody wanted to check them.  I actually commented in the car that you would hate to be caught up in the back log.

We came back from NZ in March & getting through customs & boarder security was completely different & fast.

[lucymorgan]

That sounds awful - understandable but the length of time taken sounds excessive.  Perhaps they were tipped off about something.  

 

My worst experience was being pinged when I went through one of those new whole body scanners at the airport.  I have had a double mastectomy due to cancer and was wearing false boobs.  They were picked up by the scanner as crosses on my chest and I was asked to rub them with my hands then touch the explosives detection wand. Quite embarrassing! 😟  (But also a bit amusing) Since then I have not bothered with the falsies until after I am through security.  

Edited August 30, 2023 by lucymorgan

[SuitesRbest]

We have been very lucky by the sounds of these experience however, the only bad experience we have had is customs in L.A, VERY grumpy and intimidating looking.

Our PNG disimbarkment in June this year went smooth, we declared and carried our woodern carving through. We were sent through another line only to be asked if that is all we had and let through.

[joejoe 59]

On 8/30/2023 at 11:12 PM, lucymorgan said:

That sounds awful - understandable but the length of time taken sounds excessive.  Perhaps they were tipped off about something.  

 

My worst experience was being pinged when I went through one of those new whole body scanners at the airport.  I have had a double mastectomy due to cancer and was wearing false boobs.  They were picked up by the scanner as crosses on my chest and I was asked to rub them with my hands then touch the explosives detection wand. Quite embarrassing! 😟  (But also a bit amusing) Since then I have not bothered with the falsies until after I am through security.  

We were told by someone on board that there was a problem with drugs being brought in from png & to expect delays...& delays we had.

[ceeceeDee]

The only bad experience I've had was at Houston airport. Felt very intimidated by the customs officer who queried in a highly suspicious tone absolutely everything I said. For example, he asked reason for visiting and I replied we were taking a cruise out of Miami. The words barely left my mouth when he jumped down my throat with "Who's WE?!!". I was somewhat taken aback and pointed to my husband and two friends who were in another line. Honestly, I was made to feel like a drug mule or terrorist. For the record, I obviously chose the wrong line, because hubby and friends had a totally different experience.

[arxcards]

5 hours ago, ceeceeDee said:

The only bad experience I've had was at Houston airport. Felt very intimidated by the customs officer who queried in a highly suspicious tone absolutely everything I said. For example, he asked reason for visiting and I replied we were taking a cruise out of Miami. The words barely left my mouth when he jumped down my throat with "Who's WE?!!". I was somewhat taken aback and pointed to my husband and two friends who were in another line. Honestly, I was made to feel like a drug mule or terrorist. For the record, I obviously chose the wrong line, because hubby and friends had a totally different experience.

I had been prewarned to play with a straight bat and not to joke around with officials at LAX. When my passport photo was taken a few years earlier, I was wearing a moustache which was no longer present. The official held up my passport next to me and shook his head, saying he couldn't match me with the photo. He suggested I put my finger over my lip as an imitation moustache, then he nodded & laughed as I did it. I guess we got lucky, and they all have good days and bad days. Some wear way to much importance with a badge on.

 

Interestingly, with my wife, we were processed together side by side in the same line.

[lyndarra]

Have always for staff in LAX to be very surly except on one occasion. There was a gentleman employee directing pax to various queues. We exchanged a few pleasant words and we walked  away thinking what a change to the usual. One telling factor to his happy demeanour was his English accent.😉

[ceeceeDee]

I must admit I have NEVER come across a cheerful/pleasant customs official. I get the impression that you're considered guilty until proven innocent!😂 I always try to be polite and pleasant regardless of circumstances but invariably feel like a recalcitrant sheep being herded by a team of sheep dogs who got out of the wrong side of the kennel. On our last embarkation from Brisbane Cruise Terminal the officials were literally 'barking' at everyone. I realise they are processing a couple of thousand people and I suppose the job can be stressful, but from my observations no passengers were causing any problems to warrant the attitude. I think there must be a training module dealing with the various degrees of surliness and the application of same.🙄

[MicCanberra]

Terribly handled by Border force, they surely can do training without using real passengers for practice.

[Charlie_Y]

On 8/27/2023 at 4:43 AM, cruisine21 said:

I wonder if the person who missed there connections would be covered by travel insurance?

We were delayed exiting customs in Sydney last year onboard Ovation coming from Hawaii. Missed our flight to Brisbane (scheduled for 1:00pm - should of been easy). Travel Insurance did not cover it, as it was not defined as a travel delay.

 

[ceeceeDee]

That really sucks, Charlie

[gbenjo]

2 hours ago, Charlie_Y said:

We were delayed exiting customs in Sydney last year onboard Ovation coming from Hawaii. Missed our flight to Brisbane (scheduled for 1:00pm - should of been easy). Travel Insurance did not cover it, as it was not defined as a travel delay.

 

If I remember  correctly, the delays were more to do with covid protocols  and the ship..not border force processing pax. It was the first time the ship had been in Sydney since covid .

[arxcards]

4 hours ago, Charlie_Y said:

We were delayed exiting customs in Sydney last year onboard Ovation coming from Hawaii. Missed our flight to Brisbane (scheduled for 1:00pm - should of been easy). Travel Insurance did not cover it, as it was not defined as a travel delay.

 

As gbenjo says, it was a covid protocol thing. It was the typical for all ships on their first arrival of the season, and they were being meticulous in making sure all of the reports were complete. This was a combo of Border Force & NSW Health, where no passengers could disembark until the ship had been cleared. We saw it first hand for Majestic Princess, and there were passengers still disembarking an hour after embarkation was meant to start.

[lyndarra]

11 hours ago, ceeceeDee said:

I must admit I have NEVER come across a cheerful/pleasant customs official. I get the impression that you're considered guilty until proven innocent!😂 I always try to be polite and pleasant regardless of circumstances but invariably feel like a recalcitrant sheep being herded by a team of sheep dogs who got out of the wrong side of the kennel. On our last embarkation from Brisbane Cruise Terminal the officials were literally 'barking' at everyone. I realise they are processing a couple of thousand people and I suppose the job can be stressful, but from my observations no passengers were causing any problems to warrant the attitude. I think there must be a training module dealing with the various degrees of surliness and the application of same.🙄

Maybe because they don't get tips, there's no point in being nice. (Refering to LAX staff not Oz Boerder Force).

Edited September 5, 2023 by lyndarra

[Charlie_Y]

19 hours ago, gbenjo said:

If I remember  correctly, the delays were more to do with covid protocols  and the ship..not border force processing pax. It was the first time the ship had been in Sydney since covid .

Well yes,it was after the restart (but not the first ship back into Australia - P&O did it first) but the point of my post was that it was not covered by travel insurance, as a delay caused by customs and border control is not considered a travel delay.

[capriccio]

47 minutes ago, Charlie_Y said:

Well yes,it was after the restart (but not the first ship back into Australia - P&O did it first) but the point of my post was that it was not covered by travel insurance, as a delay caused by customs and border control is not considered a travel delay.

A similar delay happens frequently in the US when ships return in in the fall after having spent the  spring and summer season outside the US.  The ships and their crews are subject to additional US governmental checks and inspections that can delay disembarkation of the arriving passengers and embarkation for the new passengers for hours.  The cruise lines are terrible about warning either set of passengers and I don't think missing your flight is considered a travel delay for insurance purposes.