Holiday queue situation - what should be done

[whenlifegivesyoulemonssuckonthem]

Currently on a cruise….. this is not a comment about pros and cons as I know what a lot of MN think of cruises.

today we arrived at a US port.

everyone had to clear security even if they did not intend to get off.. instructions were clearly issued.

1. morning excursions to queue at relevant point at 0730
2. independents and after noon excursions to go from 0700 onwards to collect a numbered ticket. Tickets would then be called in blocks once the morning excursions are processed.

i was awake anyway so at 0640 I wandered to the collection point for our numbers. When it started I got 53 and 54.

Around 0745 they called numbers 1-150 so we leave our breakfast and go queue at immigration.

There were people joking the queue with numbers over 150. Then there were morning excursion people who. Clearly hadn’t listened to the instructions and now wanted to push ahead of those who actually followed the system.

AIBU for thinking both sets should be told to wait for either their correct numbers or in the case of the excursion idiots go to the back of the queue as they’d missed their slot entirely.

i also think people who get to airport security and don’t have their electronics and liquids ready should be made to go to the back of the queue.

absolutely no reason not the be there on time apart from laziness or not giving a shit.

Ahh yes. Laziness. All those lazy people not rushing to get up before 7:00am whilst on holiday so they could join the queue before 7:30am which was clearly what you actually expected them to do if you think that them coming down at 7:45am, probably after deciding not to abandon their breakfast like you, is laziness.

I don't think you were listening properly?

Sounds like you are enjoying every minute - have you booked your next cruise?

@PonyPatter44 is not completely wrong though. Cruise ships are much worse for the environment than flying when it comes to emissions and many of them also release sewage straight into our oceans which is devastating for the marine eco system. I’m guessing many cruise customers aren’t very well educated when it comes to things like that because I couldn’t imagine they would still choose to go.

Baffled that everyone by joining the queue at 6:40 52 numbers had been handed out before OP had got there. No one seems to be relaxing on this holiday 😴

Just came here to thank the OP - I've never been on a cruise and was toying with the idea of going on one, having read this thread I can safely say I definitely won't be 🤣

Likewise, any ideas I had of trying a cruise have been extinguished by this thread. I couldn't relax and unwind in that environment.

It’s fine if you want to think that I’m boring. I have a very nice and fulfilling life despite not ever having been on a cruise. It might be a cultural thing too. I’m Swedish and perhaps things like this is more widely spoken about here. I think going on a cruise is much for normal in the UK.

You have to get up and be dressed by 7.30 just to be allowed to queue for your escape whilst on HOLIDAY? And you have to be told what you're allowed to wear? This does not sound like a relaxing holiday at all. And even if you don't want to be allowed to leave this floating prison, you STILL need to get up early and queue?

Those who have been before know not to bother with these things because nobody pays attention. Guilty here though no way would I be up at 7.30! When I last did the USA i got lucky with a 10.30am disembarkation slot (end of cruise!) and just walked pretty much last with no queues, (everyone else at that point were the people from the nightclub the night before ) The slightly chaotic disembarkation is part and parcel of cruising on all lines I find, bigger ships are worse of course

Huh? Never been on one, but surely statistically there are more thick people on planes? Can't stand how people all stand up as soon as it lands even though everyone know no one is going anywhere

And people who wait til the cashier tells them the total at the till to start trying to find their money/cards should be shot! 🤣

You don't have to though. You can get on and off the ship when you want. The tickets were because customs wanted to see everyone AND lots of people want to get off first thing.

The customs thing is common. Customs boarded our cruise in Italy and wanted to see all passengers passports. You just had to wander down to the an empty theatre at some point.

I don't know why everyone is derisive about queueing on a ship anyway but accepting of the queue to go through departures, security, passport control and boarding on planes.

I went on my first cruise last year - I had never really thought I was the type but found such a bargain I thought it was worth a try. We had to do a similar thing as we went into the US Virgin Islands. Although on paper it sounds awful, in reality it was just a very minor pain. Get your number, go and get your breakfast and drink coffee until your number was called. Yes some people didn't go at the time of their number but it wasn't a big deal. The queue moved quickly and you chatted with those around you. Maybe half an hour max.

Just don't worry about other people and chill! You don't get anywhere being uptight about what other people are doing. They're not going to change and you just suffer yourself.

So don't be put off a cruise just by this (and you can always avoid US territories, then it doesn't arise)

On the airport issue, the liquid ban should have gone ages ago and airports get equipment installed faster.

The people who should go to the back of any queue there are those who are flying with Ryanair. If only to annoy the bully Michael O'Leary.

Not everyone likes rules as much as you do OP and sometimes they disagree with them and shouldn’t be followed. If someone made a rule that you had to wear a purple hat to breakfast, would you follow that rule or would keep your head bare and you risk infuriating the other purple hat wearers who had paid good money for their mauve monstrosities.

That doesn't answer the question why it actually matters.

Ah shit. I'd be one of the dickheads going at the wrong time
In my shorts

I work in the travel industry( not cruises) and detest people who do things like this! They either ignore simple instructions or act like they don't apply to them! Trust me the staff notice snd think they are dickheads as well but have to be nice because they are paid to be nice!

US Customs can't enforce how and what goes on with the queues within the boat.
That's a customer services issue.

All this has confirmed what I’ve always thought, that cruising is not for me. Getting up at 6.30 to not get off a ship ( I may have got that a bit wrong as frankly reading all that turned my brain off) is not my idea of a holiday.
You may or may not be being unreasonable but I can’t be bothered to work it all out , it’s all too much !

It’s the same people who take drinks into the whirl pools and allow their kids in the adults only pool.

Always the same people who think the rules
don’t apply to them.

Anyway. Been to this island before so off
to relax on a virtually empty ship.

Just remember half of the population are below average intelligence. Everything is a struggle for them.

Like others I'm completely put off ever going on a cruise now!

I can't believe there were enough people queuing by 6.40 for a queue that started at 7.00 that OP only got numbers 53&54.

Surely the people queuing for half an hour before they'd been asked to do so, cluttering up the deck, were most disruptive than the handful of people who were supposed to arrive by 7.45 and actually got there at 7.47?