We recently took an end of summer cruise on RCL out of Puerto Rico on the Adventurer of the Seas. I am a physician in Palm Beach Fl and took my son, daughter and a freind of hers. We had a resonably pleasent time until the morning we were supposed to disembark when our trip turned into a cruise of terror.
We had a very early flight from Puerto Rico back to Ft Lauderdale so the ship had given us early disembarkation passes. I received a wake up call at 6:30 AM and proceeded to take a shower. As soon as I stepped into the shower I heard a loud pounding on our door. Thinking it was my daughter who was in a seperate suite several doors down the hall I asked her to come back because I was taking a shower. The pounding continued and I then leaned our of the shower and asked her to come back latter. The response I received was "US BOARDER PATROL GET OUT OF THE ROOM!"
I immeadiately wrapped a towel around me and opened the door to my suite. Outside the suite were 7 US agents in swat suites with guns and search dogs along with several RCL people. I asked what this was about as they swarmed into my room and they told me to shut up and go into the hall, THIS WAS A RANDOM ROOM SEARCH." I told them my son who was now wakened by the commotion was in the room with me and asked if I could get dressed. They told us both to GET OUT OF THE ROOM NOW.
We are now standing in the main hallway of deck 10 half naked and half asleep. I asked the RCL people what was going on and they completely ignored me. I asked my son if he had done anything wrong and he assurred me he didn't know what this was about. Next thing I see several agents pull my son down the hall and start questioning him. I immeadiately went to his side told the apparent lead agent this behavior was totally inappropriate on ther part and THAT WE WERE NOT CRIMINALS!
During this time their dog was searching and sniffing our room. I agained asked the rcl people what the hell was this all about and again they ignored me. At that time i thought it best to remain silent and not upset my son anymore who was visibly shaken. They continued to search our room for 5 minutes and before they left i again asked them why they did this to us. They stated it was purely random and the had no probable cause. They then left.
My son and I were now trembling not knowing what had just hit us. I then got a phone call and it was my daughter from the other suite. She was hysterical and explained to me she and her girl freind had just had their room ransked in a similar manner by these agents. I instructed her to get dressed and bring her things and her freind to our room. My son and I also got dressed and the 4 of us, all shaking or still crying went to the 4th floor lounge to wait to disembark.
As soon as we reached the lounge, I spoke to one of the cruise staff, (a young gentleman from S. Africa) and explained what had just happened to us. He directed me to the head of emigration an officer on the ship who happenned to be in the lounge waiting to start moving the passengers off the ship. I told him what had just happened to us and he had no intrest in speaking to me. He turned his back on me. I asked another officer in the lounge what was going on with this gestpo type tactics and he wanted no part of any conversation.
We finally had our color called and I deceided the best thing for my kids who were still visibky upset was to get off the ship and to the airport. After paying a small duty on a purchase we then took a cab to the airport and returned to the US Mainland.
The whole way home the kids were asking me why this had happened. I've been on over 35 cruises (7 with RCL) and never had anything like this happen nor had I ever seen anyone else treated this way. That includes trips to repressive countries such as the old USSR and several Middle Eastern countries.
I am all in favor of the US having secure boarders but there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. Whether or not this group of Puerto Rican Boarder Patrol agents were over zelous or not, the Royal Caribbean staff could have at least offerred support and comfort to my children and myself after this event.instead they turned their backs on us and wanted nothing to do with us.
I DID NOT SPEND $7000 TO BE TREATED LIKE A CRIMANEL AND HAVE THE LASTING MEMORIES OF WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE TO BE A J* IN NAZI GERMANY! My children haven't been right since this event and I hold RCL competely responsible for these actions. They did not say or print any info that this might occur and offerred no comfort to us after we were abused.
I have contacted the RCL legal dept who claim its a US Boaorder Patrol issue. I have contacted my US Congressman to discuss that mater with him. I am writing this letter/complaint to notify and warn all of you that you and your children may be next The RCL staff is more interested in you buying "THE DRINK OF THE DAY" than helping you at your time of need. Be carefull who you cruise with. You won't see me or my family on any Royal Caribbean or Celebrity ships again.
Film criticpalm beach gardens, Florida
U.S.A.
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