Back2back in San Pedro question

[DANCING GRANDMOMMY]

Do you have to debark after the first half? If so do they escort you back on board before any others embark?

Or does customs come aboard? (I have never understood why you must go through customs if you are not getting off the ship.)

Thank you for your help.

[cr8tiv1]

In San Pedro:

 

You will meet in a designated area (depending on how large the group is)

Be escorted off the ship (given an in-transit card).

Down to Street Level, out the door, up the escalator, through security (no coffee or open bottles of water)

Wait in a separate area of the terminal

Board before everyone.

You will not have to do safety drill again.

 

I was told that the Iowa is free on in-transit days.  Good way to spend a couple of hours.

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[Serious Cruisers]

1 hour ago, DANCING GRANDMOMMY said:

Do you have to debark after the first half? If so do they escort you back on board before any others embark?

Or does customs come aboard? (I have never understood why you must go through customs if you are not getting off the ship.)

Thank you for your help.

Yes we had to get off walk out and then go thru the entrance for embarkation passengers (you will be escorted) you do have an in transit line so it's only a few minutes wait see customs scan anything you may have with you (ladies hand bags) and then reboard or you could choose to skip all that and enjoy your day in port

[reedprincess]

1 hour ago, DANCING GRANDMOMMY said:

Do you have to debark after the first half? If so do they escort you back on board before any others embark?

Or does customs come aboard? (I have never understood why you must go through customs if you are not getting off the ship.)

Thank you for your help.

You have the option of the group In transit procedure detailed above.

 

Or the option to disembark same time as normal disembarkation, spend your time as you like and come back when general boarding has begun - bypassing check-in lines, etc. Still security then aboard.

Go pick up more wine or tour Iowa or get a Mani/Pedi or whatever.. 

 

You have the option of either process.. 

[skynight]

As answered, yes you are required to go through immigration. You will need to have your passport, medallion and intransit card. If you decide that you wish to exit the ship and walk around San Pedro, visit the Iowa or something else you can disembark anytime after disembarkation has begun up until final call and embark anytime after general boarding has begun. The intransit card will allow you to board directly with little or no waiting.

It is important that you read and follow the directions, which will be in your cabin, exactly. If even one person fails to show then everyone has to wait to board, b2bers and new passengers.

This is an immigration requirement, not a Princess thing. I don't see it changing anytime soon. San Pedro is a fairly cumbersome port for the turn around. I found the logistics easier in Ft. Lauderdale and S.F., but the process is the same.

You leave all your stuff in your cabin.

Edited November 2, 2023 by skynight

[PacnGoNow]

1 hour ago, DANCING GRANDMOMMY said:

Do you have to debark after the first half? If so do they escort you back on board before any others embark?

Or does customs come aboard? (I have never understood why you must go through customs if you are not getting off the ship.)

Thank you for your help.

I agree with others on b2b procedures in SP.  However, 3 days ago, there was only an escort off the ship, not any further.  On our own, we went through immigration, facial recognition and had to find the entrance/checkin door, berth 93…through 100’s of disembarking guests on the sidewalk.  At the checkin area, we showed them our in transit card, escalator up to security, then chaos!  No separate areas for in-transit, elites, etc.  Security and the Port employees were screaming at everyone to sit down.  Finally, a PCL rep from GS showed up and I recognized him and asked him to get the 16 b2b’s in a line to board first.  The port employee was going to let the 781 elite’s on first..they were not b2b.

 

It was a big mess, but they stopped the Elite boarding and let the b2b’s on.  We will not do a b2b here again.  PE, SF and other areas of the world have been so much easier.  We’ve always just been escorted back on the ship, in a sterile area, once it has been cleared.  This was the Sapphire.
 

I was really surprised no one

escorted us or helped us.  SMH

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by PacnGoNow

[Ombud]

Sorry that was your experience @PacnGoNow. In June I didn't stop walking. Escorted thru terminal & back on ship. Technically there were 30 of us but only a dz were gettong right back on. Oddly IC was open but no way to charge us & no servers. I just walked up to barrista, got my tea & almond scones, sat down. Never saw a charge but won't count on that again 

[PacnGoNow]

43 minutes ago, Serious Cruisers said:

Yes we had to get off walk out and then go thru the entrance for embarkation passengers (you will be escorted) you do have an in transit line so it's only a few minutes wait see customs scan anything you may have with you (ladies hand bags) and then reboard or you could choose to skip all that and enjoy your day in port

On Monday, there was not an in transit line. Just security for everyone.  The security agent’s were screaming at everyone. It was so disorganized.

 

We were not escorted.  I’m hoping this is not the normal for all ships.

 

 

[Ronnieslady]

53 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

In San Pedro:

 

You will meet in a designated area (depending on how large the group is)

Be escorted off the ship (given an in-transit card).

Down to Street Level, out the door, up the escalator, through security (no coffee or open bottles of water)

Wait in a separate area of the terminal

Board before everyone.

You will not have to do safety drill again.

 

I was told that the Iowa is free on in-transit days.  Good way to spend a couple of hours.

 

For us there’s always a certain amount of waiting around. Once we had to wait over 2 hours in the Explorers Lounger as a group. And another time we waited over 2 hours in the terminal before we could board the the ship.  This was in San Pedro, which is our hometown port and we said never again. Too much waiting around.  The very 1st time we thought we could play some mini golf, shuffleboard, ping pong , look around & have a nice walk around the ship without all those passengers. To our surprise everything was roped off & closed. Staff outside never said anything to us. We thought what a bummer. When we walked back on the ship they were calling our name.  We were holding everyone up & preventing any passengers from getting back on the ship until all is off & accounted for. I must have missed the fine print 🤪

Edited November 2, 2023 by Ronnieslady
Double wording

[PacnGoNow]

1 minute ago, Ombud said:

Sorry that was your experience @PacnGoNow. In June I didn't stop walking. Escorted thru terminal & back on ship. Technically there were 30 of us but only a dz were gettong right back on. Oddly IC was open but no way to charge us & no servers. I just walked up to barrista, got my tea & almond scones, sat down. Never saw a charge but won't count on that again 

So, you didn’t go back to the check in area…Berth 93,  through security and all that stuff?  
Your ship handled it the way it should have been handled.

 

Your ship might have been on a 90 day full immigration time, when all the crew members have to get off and go through immigration.

 

We have done so many b2b’s and the best has been PE.  Once we had 500 b2b’s and it was handled much better.  
Oh Well… time to let it go!🥴

[skynight]

"We were holding everyone up & preventing any passengers from getting back on the ship until all is off & accounted for. I must have missed the fine print"

This is why, when asked I stress the importance of fully reading and following the instructions exactly. One person can hold up boarding for everyone. 

 

[PacnGoNow]

7 minutes ago, Ronnieslady said:

For us there’s always a certain amount of waiting around. Once we had to wait over 2 hours in the Explorers Lounger as a group. And another time we waited over 2 hours in the terminal before  before we could board the the ship.  This was in San Pedro, which is our hometown port and we said never again. Too much waiting around.  The very 1st time we thought we could play some mini golf, shuffleboard, ping pong , look around & have a nice walk around the ship without all those passengers. To our surprise everything was roped off & closed. Staff never said anything to us. We thought what a bummer. When we walked back on the ship they were calling our name.  We were holding everyone up & preventing any passengers from getting back on the ship until all is off & accounted for. I must have missed the fine print 🤪

Oh no!  No excuse now, because they can track you with the OM.

 

SP port, I think you’re better off getting off the ship, go shopping or exploring and then back on as as an in transit.  IDK

[Ombud]

Just now, PacnGoNow said:

So, you didn’t go back to the check in area…Berth 93,  through security and all that stuff?  
Your ship handled it the way it should have been handled.

 

Your ship might have been on a 90 day full immigration time, when all the crew members have to get off and go through immigration.

 

We have done so many b2b’s and the best has been PE.  Once we had 500 b2b’s and it was handled much better.  
Oh Well… time to let it go!🥴

Waited in Explorer Lounge until we were the very last off the ship. Then escorted thru the terminal by Princess employee, port agent asked if we were the entire group. Princess said we 'could' sit and wait but when she stated it was just us, port agent said we could reboard. I wondered why I needed my passport as no one was interested in it. Maybe bc there were so few of us? Or is it facial recognition?

[Cruisintimer]

2 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Waited in Explorer Lounge until we were the very last off the ship. Then escorted thru the terminal by Princess employee, port agent asked if we were the entire group. Princess said we 'could' sit and wait but when she stated it was just us, port agent said we could reboard. I wondered why I needed my passport as no one was interested in it. Maybe bc there were so few of us? Or is 

4 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Waited in Explorer Lounge until we were the very last off the ship. Then escorted thru the terminal by Princess employee, port agent asked if we were the entire group. Princess said we 'could' sit and wait but when she stated it was just us, port agent said we could reboard. I wondered why I needed my passport as no one was interested in it. Maybe bc there were so few of us? Or is it facial recognition?

Medallion coupled with facial recognition. 

 

[Ombud]

@Cruisintimer must be it. We were never separated from the Princess employee so obviously we had already been cleared

[Ronnieslady]

3 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Oh no!  No excuse now, because they can track you with the OM.

 

SP port, I think you’re better off getting off the ship, go shopping or exploring and then back on as as an in transit.  IDK

You are right 😎 I guess they can track you now even in the bathrooms. In fact, on that occasion my husband had to use the bathroom as soon as we walked back from outside.And I’m the one that was told by the inside staff to pick up the nearest phone & they asked me were my husband was & I told them he was in the bathroom. They sounded pretty relieved. They told 

 me where to go .    I guess , @ that point they really wanted to tell me where I go.

 

[PacnGoNow]

27 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Waited in Explorer Lounge until we were the very last off the ship. Then escorted thru the terminal by Princess employee, port agent asked if we were the entire group. Princess said we 'could' sit and wait but when she stated it was just us, port agent said we could reboard. I wondered why I needed my passport as no one was interested in it. Maybe bc there were so few of us? Or is it facial recognition?

Facial recognition.  But, if you

had a problem and not

turned green…you would have to show your PP.

 

We only had 16 of us.

[DANCING GRANDMOMMY]

1 hour ago, PacnGoNow said:

Oh no!  No excuse now, because they can track you with the OM.

 

SP port, I think you’re better off getting off the ship, go shopping or exploring and then back on as as an in transit.  IDK

Do you just walk up in front of everyone else and show them your card when getting back on after walking around in port?

Edited November 3, 2023 by DANCING GRANDMOMMY

[PacnGoNow]

6 minutes ago, DANCING GRANDMOMMY said:

Do you just walk up in front of everyone else and show them your card when getting back on after walking around in port?

Yes, when you come back, go to an agent PCL near the checkmin area and show them your in transit card.  They will send you up the escalator to the waiting area.  Then if they have a transit line, you go there until they call you, or ask an agent, where to go to get back on the ship.

 

Hopefully, you can just

go back on.  If not, you wait until called.

[nasa1974]

Just finished a b2b 3-day out of Vancouver to San Francisco and a 7-day out of San Francisco. We didn't do anything with customs. Although the customs/immigrations in San Deigo was a disaster. We stopped in Ensenada before San Deigo. We had designated times to meet in Fusion. No one paid attention to the times and just showed up. I got down at my time and the line was all the way to Crooners that wrapped around the piazza, so the end of the line started near the bar. 

[skynight]

When I did a b2b out of San Pedro there were about 100 of us. We met on the ship. Around 10am or so a staff member escorted us off the ship, through immigration, outside on the sidewalk through a crowded area with passengers embarking and disembarking, upstairs to a waiting area where we sat for less than 30 minutes and then back onto the ship. A staff member was with us all the time.

Princess has to improve its logistics in San Pedro. I have experienced better processes in Ft. Lauderdale and S.F.

[PacnGoNow]

4 hours ago, skynight said:

a staff member escorted

That’s the big difference here.  We  had no escort, even through immigration and no instructions.

They definitely need to improve the process.  

[BabsinTX]

I think San Pedro is the worst for B2Bs.  The last time we did it, we have walk all around the darn building. 

 

We did four cruises out of Galveston this year, and we didn't have to get off the ship!  We met in Wheelhouse and the immigration official came in, checked our passports and we were done.  He said they've talked to other ports about doing the same thing, but no interest.

[PacnGoNow]

1 hour ago, BabsinTX said:

I think San Pedro is the worst for B2Bs.  The last time we did it, we have walk all around the darn building. 

 

We did four cruises out of Galveston this year, and we didn't have to get off the ship!  We met in Wheelhouse and the immigration official came in, checked our passports and we were done.  He said they've talked to other ports about doing the same thing, but no interest.

Nice!!