Just got back from a moderately entertaining cruise, sailing out of the Port of Galveston (Texas). Getting through the port and onto the boat wasn't all that bad, check in happened pretty quickly considering the crowd, and we were on board. Disembarking, though, was an entirely different horror story.
Boat returns at 8 something AM, and passengers were supposed to start disembarking shortly after 9 for those carrying their own bags, and around 9:30 for the rest of us having our bags offloaded for us. Well after 9:30, folks finally start getting let off the boat. Over an hour later, the rest of us finally start moving along.
Imagine my surprise when I find out that after this huge wait, I round the corner and enter this huge warehouse type building about the size of a football field, and see the longest line I've ever come across winding back and forth across the building. And this includes the stupid crazy lines at most theme parks.
About half way through when I steal a glance at my cell phone (which we're supposed to not be using), I realize that by this point I had originally planned to be back in Austin. Another hour later, we finally clear the Customs checkpoint (1 of 8) and somehow get out with the last group, when there was easily about 150 folks behind us in the main line. We manage to catch the last bus back to the parking lot, and it's now just after 1pm.
To put this in perspective, a couple of years ago we had cruised out of Port Canaveral (Florida) and after leaving the boat it took all of 15 minutes to collect our luggage and pass through customs, and get across the street to our vehicle.