Yesterday the ship docked at Fort Lauderdale and it was 'all systems go' with everyone on the ship, including crew and staff, having to get off and go through Customs & Immigration. 
The majority of guests were getting off because their cruise had ended but other guests are staying on for the next cruise. I until the last 15 minutes of the 'leave the ship' deadline. Unfortunately when I got to the deck level where we were getting off the ship there was a crowd of people also waiting to get off the ship. I'm not sure what was going on. There were rumours that there weren't enough Customs & Immigration personnel to cope with the influx of passengers and so, in order to clear the terminal of a huge queue of passengers already there, other passengers were being held back from leaving the ship. I also heard that there was only 1 official trying to cope with the crew/staff. Ryan (a "partner on board" - a doc's other half) was also waiting so it was good to have someone to chat to whilst we were waiting. Eventually someone from off the ship came on board and weaved through the crowd of waiting passengers to advise that there was something wrong with the gangway and was unsafe to use so they were making it safe. Eh?? I'm not sure whether the story was true or not! Fortunately it had nothing to do with the ship - it was all to do with the cruise ship terminal's gangway. So there was more hanging around and waiting. 
Eventually everyone else on the ship could get off and head to Customs & Immigration. There was quite a long queue and the whole processing took quite a while because of the lack of staff. I felt sorry for the crew because they seemed to be taking ages. The chap that processed my documents had a face like a thunderclap. There was no greeting or hello or anything. All he said was 'fingers on the pad' - for fingerprinting - and that was it. When I left I stopped turned back to look at him, smiled 'sweetly' and said 'thank you and have a great day'!!; and fled. I felt like saying that if he didn't like his job or people - pack it in! I know dealing with people can be tedious but a smile or some sort of greeting can go a long way. Yes, nobody likes the customs and immigration process but it has to be done. So put a smile on your dial everyone!Crew could get back on the ship but non-revenue passengers and guests couldn't. The ship had to be cleared and there had to be "zero count" which can take a while. Guests who are staying on for the next cruise either took a taxi or bus into town; or went on a tour. I hung around outside the terminal and got free WiFi. It was nice to catch up on a few WhatApp messages and also I had a quick telephone call with my younger sister in South Africa. The sound quality of the call wasn't that brilliant because noise around and about the cruise terminal but it was still good to hear her voice.
Eventually I rejoined the ship. But that was a mission. I went through the normal terminal entrance but was told I was crew and so I had to go through the crew entrance. I explained that I was not a crew member but a non-revenue passenger and I was on the guest/passenger manifest even though I do have what looks like a crew ID card. The lady at the door relented and allowed me in but further in the terminal I was stopped by a security official who checked my name against his list and said I was not on the passenger list. I said I had to be because I wasn't a crew member. To cut a long story short, I ended up going outside the terminal and to the crew entrance. They allowed me to go through but I heard later that an earlier non-revenue passenger had been sent from pillar to post until she was let through.
Life goes on!
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| Heading up to Charleston. |
Charleston is the the Maasdam's next port of call.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Fort Lauderdale
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| Looking back as we head out along the channel to the Atlantic Ocean |
Ship's infirmary beds for the children's hospital
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