LONDON, England - June 7, 2011 - It was billed as a chance to taste the “glitz and glamor” of Hollywood or enjoy VIP treatment in some of the most exclusive shopping areas in the world.
But when a group of 2,000 elderly British cruise ship passengers docked at Los Angeles for a short stop-off during a five-star cruise around America, it was, in the words of one of them, more like arriving at Guantanamo Bay.
During their £10,000, two-and-a-half month “Alaska Adventure” tour from the Arctic to the Caribbean, the passengers on the luxury P&O liner Arcadia had become more than accustomed to passing U.S. immigration with little formality.
By the time they docked at Los Angeles on May 26 for a one-day visit it was their tenth stop on U.S. soil.
But when a handful of them questioned whether the lengthy security checks at the port were strictly necessary for a group of largely elderly travelers, officials were not amused.
Although they had already been given advance clearance for multiple entries to the country during their trip, all 2,000 passengers were made to go through full security checks in a process that took seven hours to complete.
The fingerprints of both hands were taken as well as retina scans and a detailed check of each passport as well as questioning about their backgrounds.
Passengers claim that the extra checks were carried out in “revenge” for what had been a minor spat over allegedly overzealous security.
They complain that they were “herded like animals” and made to stand for hours in temperatures of up to 80 degrees with no food or water or access to bathrooms.
Some people reportedly passed out in the heat while others were left confused and bewildered.
When one lady asked in desperation whether she could use a bathroom, one immigration official is said to have replied, “Do it over the side, we won’t mind.”
To compound the situation, the officials' computer broke down, resulting in further delays.
They were en route to the Panama Canal before stops in Florida and New York when the ship stopped at L.A. last week and the immigration problems ensued.
With a total of 15 stops scheduled at U.S. ports during the 72-night cruise, the passengers had all completed standard U.S. immigration forms designed for multiple-entry trips.
A spokeswoman for the company insisted that passengers were kept on the vessel to prevent them lining up for more than an hour.
