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Port of Tampa and Fog -- Perhaps You've Experienced This


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We are embarking on Serenade out of Tampa today. The port was socked in this morning, and as I did my morning walk, I went by the terminal and realized the ship may be delayed in disembarking the current cruise (she was not docked). So, I looked up Serenade on Marine Traffic which their AIS positioning feeds into, and she was stopped outside of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge about 40 nm from the port. It was a couple hours ago, and I realized she wasn't going to be in port until later. As I write this, she is not moving, but Marine Traffic later updated with an in-port time of 2:40 pm. Concurrently, I received a text not mentioning the fog delay, but saying check-in on time. So, that's what we will do, and I have a plan for hanging out at a waterfront cafe if we can instead of the terminal...probably the Columbia Cafe.

My question is...if you have experienced this yourself, what kind of chaos does this generate in the terminal? My experience at terminal 6 is that they are efficient, but have been prone to delays. What have you done in this case, and what would you recommend? Another is...given the delay, how long will it take for the ship to clear customs typically in order to start boarding.

This post is for my mental well being and to kill time before getting on board...or, knowing when we will get on board...thanks for reading/commenting

 

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  • DunkelBierJay changed the title to Port of Tampa and Fog -- Perhaps You've Experienced This

I wish I thought of checking his twitter, thanks! In the meantime, I received an update from Royal that more info will be released at 11 am.

I extended check-out by an hour and a half and will go find some serenity for breakfast rather than the chaos of the Embassy Suites lobby restaurant and go with the flow.

I would love to drop bags with the porters at the regular time, but don't know how this affects their schedule or if we will even be able to do it. Any thoughts, recommendations on minimizing terminal chaos??

 

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I've been on a fog delayed cruise arriving back into Tampa.

On board they asked us to vacate our cabins so they could be cleaned and readied for the next guests.

Departing the ship there was some chaos as people get antsy and want off the ship so they stop listening to crew and become a mob.

The problem with Tampa is that's a small cruise terminal.  They really need people to stay on board until luggage numbers are called because there isn't room in the terminal to stand around if your bags aren't offloaded yet.  Mob mentality and get-me-off-the-ship kicks in and people debark before their luggage numbers are called.  They have to leave the terminal and come back later for luggage which becomes a cluster since CBP requires you to have all your luggage when going through the customs process.  

Expect groups of people standing around outside the terminal having not listened and now having to wait until they can go back to get their luggage.

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26 minutes ago, twangster said:

I've been on a fog delayed cruise arriving back into Tampa.

On board they asked us to vacate our cabins so they could be cleaned and readied for the next guests.

Departing the ship there was some chaos as people get antsy and want off the ship so they stop listening to crew and become a mob.

The problem with Tampa is that's a small cruise terminal.  They really need people to stay on board until luggage numbers are called because there isn't room in the terminal to stand around if your bags aren't offloaded yet.  Mob mentality and get-me-off-the-ship kicks in and people debark before their luggage numbers are called.  They have to leave the terminal and come back later for luggage which becomes a cluster since CBP requires you to have all your luggage when going through the customs process.  

Expect groups of people standing around outside the terminal having not listened and now having to wait until they can go back to get their luggage.

Do you recommend self debarkation and not leaving bags out the night before? What's it like getting an Uber/Lyft to the airport with all that going on?

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12 minutes ago, DunkelBierJay said:

Do you recommend self debarkation and not leaving bags out the night before? What's it like getting an Uber/Lyft to the airport with all that going on?

I always take my own bags off using self-assist but I do see people every cruise trying to do that with families including small children or elderly seniors where they are clearly struggling with their own luggage.  Some parties would be best to relax and allow the luggage process to work rather than pushing some folks in their group beyond their capabilities.  

In my case I had a 6:30pm flight and originally thought I'd have it sit at the airport all day.  When we finally started to debark there was a mass of people jamming the queues including people who didn't have luggage and I knew there luggage wasn't ready yet.  This did slow me down but those people were not getting in ride-share because their luggage wasn't ready yet.  I had a minor wait for a ride-share and I just made my 6:30pm flight arriving at the gate a minute before it started boarding.   Other people had already missed flights so they weren't in a hurry to hail a ride-share as they had a hotel stay before flying home the next day.  I didn't find it all that bad except for the queues on the ship to scan off one last time.  

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24 minutes ago, USFFrank said:

In-port time at 2:40PM? I know that late is rare, but Ouch! And they say, don't book a flight out after your cruise till after 12:00PM. You would be lucky if you made a 4:30PM flight out today from TPA.

Agree...I think the terminal will be chaos with people scrambling to get out of there. I am following #serenadeoftheseas on Instagram, and someone posted a pic where it is totally socked in...they updated their comments a few minutes ago, and nothing has changed. If we embark today, it will be late this evening. Right now, I don't see it happening because the forecast has fog all day off the coast...if we embark tomorrow, I am checking insurance to see if it will cover an extra room night and am hoping for some OBC as the itinerary changes.

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16 minutes ago, twangster said:

I always take my own bags off using self-assist but I do see people every cruise trying to do that with families including small children or elderly seniors where they are clearly struggling with their own luggage.  Some parties would be best to relax and allow the luggage process to work rather than pushing some folks in their group beyond their capabilities.  

In my case I had a 6:30pm flight and originally thought I'd have it sit at the airport all day.  When we finally started to debark there was a mass of people jamming the queues including people who didn't have luggage and I knew there luggage wasn't ready yet.  This did slow me down but those people were not getting in ride-share because their luggage wasn't ready yet.  I had a minor wait for a ride-share and I just made my 6:30pm flight arriving at the gate a minute before it started boarding.   Other people had already missed flights so they weren't in a hurry to hail a ride-share as they had a hotel stay before flying home the next day.  I didn't find it all that bad except for the queues on the ship to scan off one last time.  

Thanks. That give me a picture of what to expect if this happens next week. Our flight is at 5:45 pm, and it sounds like with self-assist and getting off in the first groups, you can express yourself to the ride share area. Now, I am wondering if we have to deal with another room night and whether our insurance will cover it. Checking with TA now.

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Happen to me a few years ago on Brilliance in Tampa.  I was one of the lucky ones on board and we didn't get back until 4-5pm, just like this.   A lot of the passengers coming off the ship will be grumpy - missed flights, etc. (they have also had bars open for hours) & all the passengers waiting to board are a little tired from the never ending delays and pulling luggage around all day.     

To sum it up, the terminal was unlike anything I've ever seen before, I know you want to rush to get on, but be ready for 4K+ people everywhere and todays case times TWO since both royal ships in port today.  I would recommend trying to wait at least an hour after the boarding starts (but I know that's easier said than done).

Happy Cruise day!

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When there is an event like this it is interesting to observe human behaviour.  People who are otherwise logical and sane people begin to lose their ability to reason.   

Crew are making announcements but they are ignored.   People see other people ignoring the announcements and they begin to follow. It's grows into a mass of people congregating in an area despite crew best efforts to avoid that.  

Our internet continued to work and so did our drink packages but having to haul luggage around was a drag.  

It becomes a "get me outta here" thing even though there is no threat or risk on the ship.  Some people handle the stress well but many lose it.  You can feel a tension in the air.  When they finally start letting people off it's a free-for-all.  Total mob mentality, anything goes, run over grandma's feet with your luggage.  

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44 minutes ago, mpoole3 said:

Happen to me a few years ago on Brilliance in Tampa.  I was one of the lucky ones on board and we didn't get back until 4-5pm, just like this.   A lot of the passengers coming off the ship will be grumpy - missed flights, etc. (they have also had bars open for hours) & all the passengers waiting to board are a little tired from the never ending delays and pulling luggage around all day.     

To sum it up, the terminal was unlike anything I've ever seen before, I know you want to rush to get on, but be ready for 4K+ people everywhere and todays case times TWO since both royal ships in port today.  I would recommend trying to wait at least an hour after the boarding starts (but I know that's easier said than done).

Happy Cruise day!

 

41 minutes ago, twangster said:

When there is an event like this it is interesting to observe human behaviour.  People who are otherwise logical and sane people begin to lose their ability to reason.   

Crew are making announcements but they are ignored.   People see other people ignoring the announcements and they begin to follow. It's grows into a mass of people congregating in an area despite crew best efforts to avoid that.  

Our internet continued to work and so did our drink packages but having to haul luggage around was a drag.  

It becomes a "get me outta here" thing even though there is no threat or risk on the ship.  Some people handle the stress well but many lose it.  You can feel a tension in the air.  When they finally start letting people off it's a free-for-all.  Total mob mentality, anything goes, run over grandma's feet with your luggage.  

Thanks for these great comments! If anything, it's helping pass the the time. The Royal Comms team sent an update that they will post more info at 3 pm. I've been tweeting a bit with Jim Van Fleet, and reading between the lines on one if his comments is that there is a risk this could extend overnight. So, will leave luggage with the bellman at the current hotel with a thought to moving to the Westin...and @mpoole3, I walked by your old apt building (at least I think so) about an hour ago. Now, I need food and a sports bar to watch football.

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1 hour ago, DunkelBierJay said:

 

Thanks for these great comments! If anything, it's helping pass the the time. The Royal Comms team sent an update that they will post more info at 3 pm. I've been tweeting a bit with Jim Van Fleet, and reading between the lines on one if his comments is that there is a risk this could extend overnight. So, will leave luggage with the bellman at the current hotel with a thought to moving to the Westin...and @mpoole3, I walked by your old apt building (at least I think so) about an hour ago. Now, I need food and a sports bar to watch football.

American Social is a great option for football!   But sometimes can be slightly loud on weekends..  I miss Tampa so much.  

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14 hours ago, steverk said:

Question: if it's too foggy for the ships,  wouldn't the flights out of TPA also be grounded? If so, would you really miss your flight?

The fog seems to sit low on the water.  I'm sure there times when it does impact the airport as well but it seems to be very localized.  If a ship were to launch a drone 100' above the ship there would probably be no fog.  

Yes, many people miss flights coming off cruise ships when fog impacts the port.

The port of Tampa and the local pilots are very cautious.  In 1980 a cargo ship hit the previous bridge knocking a section of it into the bay killing 35.  When there is any fog or adverse weather present they cease operations. 

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I was on the Brilliance of the Seas delayed disembarkation into Tampa yesterday due to the fog.  We had already planned to do self assist disembarkation and we didn't get off the ship until 6:45pm.  The lines of people lined up to board at that time was madness considering 2,000 more people still needed to get off and collect their baggage.  I don't know what Royal told them but they came way too early, understandably they were upset about missing almost a full day but really there was no room for them yet. The construction at the port, darkness, zero crossing guards/crosswalks covered by construction walls, and broken elevators in the parking garage turned me off from ever cruising out of Tampa again, at least until the construction is complete and if there is a better traffic flow.  However, I thought Royal Caribbean and the crew handled the situation incredibly well on board and kept everyone informed - but the situation on the ground - yuck! The crew was amazing and from my view the passengers were understanding.  Interesting turn of events for sure!

We had a wonderful cruise and I hope everyone waiting to board got on safely and was able to enjoy their cruise, even with the severe delay. 

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This is a follow up to the horrible experience with embarkation last week. We disembarked this morning (very smoothly, I might add) and are waiting at the airport for our flight out as I write this. I will post a detailed review of embarkation in a separate thread. There is a lot I want to cover, and it will be the basis for correspondence to Royal, the Port of Tampa, Intercruises and the Hillsborough County Sheriff. I attended the Top Tier Event and Captain's Corner, and Captain Steig and the hotel manager didn't have a full picture of what guests went through at first. By the end of the cruise, I think they did, and I think Royal will develop a plan to address it with the port and with other parties that were involved. A week later, my perception on the embarkation day events have not lessened, and I am still completely appalled and quite angry.

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On 11/27/2022 at 10:46 AM, EJK said:

I was on the Brilliance of the Seas delayed disembarkation into Tampa yesterday due to the fog.  We had already planned to do self assist disembarkation and we didn't get off the ship until 6:45pm.  The lines of people lined up to board at that time was madness considering 2,000 more people still needed to get off and collect their baggage.  I don't know what Royal told them but they came way too early, understandably they were upset about missing almost a full day but really there was no room for them yet. The construction at the port, darkness, zero crossing guards/crosswalks covered by construction walls, and broken elevators in the parking garage turned me off from ever cruising out of Tampa again, at least until the construction is complete and if there is a better traffic flow.  However, I thought Royal Caribbean and the crew handled the situation incredibly well on board and kept everyone informed - but the situation on the ground - yuck! The crew was amazing and from my view the passengers were understanding.  Interesting turn of events for sure!

We had a wonderful cruise and I hope everyone waiting to board got on safely and was able to enjoy their cruise, even with the severe delay. 

Great perspective. Everyone on Serenade's sailing received three emails from Royal's comms team on 11/26.

Since Brilliance was mentioned in Serenade's I can only assume those on the next Brilliance sailing received similar emails. Below is a link to a detailed description of what I observed and experienced, and there is a screenshot of the last email from them saying to arrive 8 hours after the original check-in time. It's far from a perfect assessment, but it echoed a lot of the conversations we had on board during the sailing.

I think this may be the best Royal could do given that people notoriously fail to pay attention to detail...and there is no way for Royal to consider all of the different circumstances, especially for those who came from out of town and didn't have anywhere else to go. I think a huge majority of people on both sailings began arriving before 7:00 pm even if their original boarding time dictated that they should arrive at 9 or 9:30. We arrived a little after 7 with an adjusted 7:30 boarding time. Given that the first window for this was at 7:00 pm, and assuming there would be a line, I had no way of knowing it would be as long as it was at that time. On the way, we also went by the line for Brilliance and were pretty astounded it was all the way to the street. That was the first clue that it was going to be a long night with up to 10,000 people converging at virtually the same place at the same time with little infrastructure to support it. Terminal 3, where Brilliance was docked is much better than Terminal 6 just north of it where Serenade was docked is nothing more than a very small warehouse. If Brilliance was affected the way it was, Serenade would have the same or worse conditions.

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On 11/26/2022 at 10:03 AM, USFFrank said:

In-port time at 2:40PM? I know that late is rare, but Ouch! And they say, don't book a flight out after your cruise till after 12:00PM. You would be lucky if you made a 4:30PM flight out today from TPA.

We experienced Tampa Bay closed due to fog quite a few years ago while on the ship (Jewel).  The captain announced, "I have bad news and good news.  The bad news is Tampa Bay is closed to ship traffic due to fog.  No time estimate as to when it might clear.  The good news we are first in line to enter the Bay when it re-opens!"  He also warned us we were at least 2 1/2 hours from being docked once Tampa Bay was cleared for traffic. 

We were out of cell phone range and ship WiFi didn't exist so we no had way to work with our airline to reschedule a later flight.  We were not docked until close to 4:00 pm and we were able to get on the last flight out of Tampa to Chicago.   The terminal was a nightmare with 2.2K+ passengers getting off and 2K+ passengers waiting to board.

 

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