One thing I HATED about DCL: Security overkill

[jodifla]

One thing that really got our cruise off to a crappy start was the HUGE line to try to get into the parking area. First, they checked your IDs and tickets before you could turn into the main parking area. Then they checked your tickets and IDs when you turned into the entrance of the main lot. Then, 10 FEET LATER, they checked your Ids and tickets again. I did a RCCL cruise the year before at Port Canaveral, and there was one place, before you entered the parking area, where they checked your IDs, then you were done. So, for the other cruise line, it took two minutes, for Disney, it was about 30 to 40 minutes. I might have taken it better if I knew it was coming, that's why I'm warning others. I doubt the RCCL shape was less safe than the DCL cruise.

Also, they took our Swiss Army Knives out of our luggage -- our check-ins! So don't travel with them. TO make matters worse, the room steward moved around our stuff, and misplace our receipt. Which wouldn't have helped anyway, since the port was closed because of the hurricane and the place where they had all they stuff they took from us was locked up.

So beware!

 

[smchan]

Keep in mind that much of that security is the port authority - not Disney. (You should travel on an international flight if you want to experience tight security - especially India or Australia.)

You can direct your letters of complaint over tighter security to:

Complaints & Gripes
Attn: Osama bin Laden
Afghanistan

It's his fault, afterall, not DCL's.

Sam

 

[Rob1559]

smchan

 

[Mjasp]

Better more securiity than less.

 

[WDWLVR]

I, for one, am glad for the level of security they have. It makes me feel safe as I leave on my vacation. I thank everyone who protects our freedom - from the soldier in Irag to the person doing the screening as I board the Magic!

 

[jodifla]

Well, still not sure why RCCL only needed one check point, while Disney needed three, at the exact same port.


Also wanted to send a heads up to folks about the Swiss Army knives, since I've been reading the boards for months and didn't see anything about it (although I imagine it's someplace in the cruise documents.)

 

[endkaos]

Hmmmm... Let's see....

Terrorists hit American Media company thinking they are attacking giant US media corporation...NOT...turns out American Media company is a gossip rag magazine.

Do you think they will make that mistake again? Neither does Disney. The Walt Disney company is an internationally known American corporation which promotes american ideals overseas.

Royal Caribbean is a bahamian based cruise line with minimal american affiliation.

To compare the two for risk value is unreasonable. I appreciate the additional effort being put forth by Disney. That is why it has taken us over 3 years to rebook after our first Disney cruise right before 9/11/01.

 

[RickW]

Originally posted by jodifla
Also, they took our Swiss Army Knives out of our luggage -- our check-ins!

OK, two things struck me from this comment:

1. I have seen comments similar to this one that have implied that the person would understand if DCL restricted certain items from carry-on luggage, but since it was in checked luggange it should be OK. This is not like a plane, where you are separated from your checked luggage, during the duration of the trip. (This is just an observation, I am not really disagreeing with jodifl, as you will see from observation #2)

2. What exactly is DCL thinking? Are Swiss Army Knives really a bigger security threat than the hundreds of steak knives that they hand out in the dining room each night?

It reminds me of the Airlines -- No nail clippers, but (especially if you are in first class), we'll give you a metal fork to eat with. <-- First time I've used that particular smiley.

I'm all for security, but some of these things don't really make any sense, they just seem to be a "Well, we need to do something" response.

 

[jodifla]

Interesting reasoning, that going after a Disney boat would be preferential for terrorists to another boat. And one I can kind of see. But it didn't make us feel any safer to show our ids to a security guard, drive the length of the car, and show another security guard our ids. What does that accomplish exactly? There was no place else to take the car but forward to the next security guard, and they were only checking IDs and tickets!


And I had the same thought about the steak knives. Why are they ok on the ship, passed out to two thousand or so guests, but not a Swiss Army knife.

 

[Aisling]

What does that accomplish exactly? There was no place else to take the car but forward to the next security guard,

I'd like to know the reasoning behind this, also. I suspect it's to make sure the first agent did his job, which doesn't make me feel too safe, when we have to check on the checkers. But then again, at least DCL is doing it.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by RickW
This is not like a plane, where you are separated from your checked luggage, during the duration of the trip.

Very true. You have access to everything as soon as you're reunited with your luggage on the day you board.

Originally posted by RickW
It reminds me of the Airlines -- No nail clippers, but (especially if you are in first class), we'll give you a metal fork to eat with.

Actually, these days, the TSA allows nail clippers (including those with little metal files) -- but the domestic airlines in the US still only provide plastic knives and forks in first class.

 

[DiaDeGuadalupe]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar

Actually, these days, the TSA allows nail clippers (including those with little metal files) --

But not tweezers, apparently. I flew to Vegas with a friend last week, and she went ahead and packed her tweezers in her checked bags. I dubbed her "The Mad Plucker", making the joke that yeah, she'll pluck you to death if you get too close *shiver*
Watch out for those tweezers now

 

[RickW]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar
but the domestic airlines in the US still only provide plastic knives and forks in first class.

Well, I certainly don't consider myself an expert on first class...
But in January, thanks to some frequent flier miles we had, we had all metal utensils in first class on our flight from Seattle to Orlando. (I imagine that it may vary from airline to airline)

I think the point, however, is that there are a lot of things being done in the name of "security" that really don't make us any safer.

It's like the plastic "nets" that they used for a while to block off a part of the parking garage at the Seattle Airport. As if someone who was willing to load a truck full of explosives would be deterred by some orange plastic that you could easily drive through.

 

[mrsltg]

Actually, these days, the TSA allows nail clippers (including those with little metal files) -- but the domestic airlines in the US still only provide plastic knives and forks in first class.

Nope. Flew first class last week and ate with a metal fork and knife.


Security overkill is dangerous when it's not actually doing anything because it breeds complacency. Passengers are under the (false) impression that everything is great simply because someone checked their id - someone checked the id's of the 9/11 terrorists as well, a lot of good that did.

Erin

 

[crisi]

IIRC, it really depends on how you are getting into the port. We had a cab drop us off, so he just had to show his terminal id, and we were in. Dropped the luggage off (had to show tickets and ID for that I believe), and then needed to show ID at the checkpoint into the terminal. I don't remember showing ID at the bag scans, but its possible. And then again when you board.

I suspect some of these checkpoints are about terrorism, but some of them are more about stowaways. Without a lot of checkpoints, it wouldn't be too difficult for a family of five to pass off their seven year old as their six year old, go back to the car, get their six year old, come back through, and only get stopped at the KTTW scan on boarding - which would create a scene. Far better to catch the family that's going to give it a try out in the parking lot! Obviously, with Disney's system of scanning cards so they know who is on the ship, it would be difficult to actually stowaway - but its not good PR to have some family yelling at the CMs at boarding either.

 

[smchan]

Originally posted by mrsltg
Nope. Flew first class last week and ate with a metal fork and knife.

Must've changed recently. I flew internationally in business class about 8 weeks ago, and we were given metal forks and plastic knives with an apology on the knives. I was onboard Delta, Malaysian Airlines, Quantas, and Cathay Pacific - all had this policy.

Sam

 

[izzinmac]

Originally posted by jodifla
But it didn't make us feel any safer to show our ids to a security guard, drive the length of the car, and show another security guard our ids. What does that accomplish exactly? There was no place else to take the car but forward to the next security guard, and they were only checking IDs and tickets!

As I recall, the first checker is actually the Port Canaveral security check. The next one is the DCL rep checking your documents against the passenger manifest. Seems redundant, but I do think they serve two different purposes.

 

[psimon]

Please help me understand the procedure as we are driving from OKW that morning to board.

I was debating whether to drop everyone at the "front door" with the luggage and then go park by myself, or take eveyone and all the luggage to the parking lot.

It sort of sounds like it would be better to drop everyone and everything at the door, but would they allow me to do that.

What are the ID requirements when parking? Do I just need a photo ID or all cruise docs as well? What about birth cert... is that part of required ID for parking? What are they looking for in parking?

Also, I understand you can't get in to the checkin area until 10. What time do they allow parking to begin? I was planning leaving the WDW area by 8:30.. I'm beginning to think that may be too late. Any thoughts?

Many thanks....

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[abitjaded]

Just to get it straight, Swiss Army Knives are still being removed from checked luggage? We have had to mail a few home over the years because they lived in our travel day packs. Would hate to see them removed from the luggage and go to la-la land (just what does happen to all of them???).

Carla

 

[ncmvp]

Psimon

We drove from the wdw resort area to the cruise last January. We left around 9 am. It took us less than an hour to get to the port. We pulled in to the two security stops, that really didn't take long. I guess maybe because we were there early. We then pulled up to the curb were you drop off your luggage. My husband left us and the luggage there and went to park the car. He then walked to the terminal building and met up with us. The parking lot is really close and convenient to the DCL terminal. We even took a picture of our car in the parking lot from deck four of the ship.