1. We boarded the Radiance in Sydney and continued on the following cruise around New Zealand. When we boarded originally, getting on the ship went smoothly and efficiently. But once on the ship, we were told to join a line in the dining room to satisfy the authorities at Bali. At the front of the line I observed several people examining passenger’s passports and placing them in a copy machine. Apparently, the staff did not do the math. With 2,000 people coming aboard, and the examiners taking at least one minute with each passenger they should have realized that the lines would be lengthy and the waits intolerable.

We were fortunate to have entered the ship rather early, and so our wait was only about one hour. However, in looking at the line behind me I realized that their wait would be 2, 3, or even 4 hours. Later I found that some passengers did indeed wait 4 hours. This is unacceptable. It would have been better to give each passenger a numbered ticket, and let them get settled on the ship or wait in the lounges. Then their numbers could have been called in an orderly way.

2. When our passports were returned to us, there was a more efficient method in place. The trouble is that it didn’t work. We were directed to go to the dining room at a certain time based on the number of our deck. At the assigned time frame we went to the designated room only to find another very long line. When talking to the other passengers in line I found that they paid no attention to their assigned times. When we finally got to the desk and received our passports, I spoke to the woman officer in charge. When I told her that no one was checking the deck number or assigned times, she said something like this: “We can’t turn anyone away, can we?” My answer was a firm YES. What’s the use of giving time frames if no one adheres to them. Read more