Customs in Boston

We are doing a TA in November starting in Southampton. Our first stop is in Boston. Will we go through Customs there? I imagine we have to "re-enter" the country somewhere.

Sue

We are doing a TA in November starting in Southampton. Our first stop is in Boston. Will we go through Customs there? I imagine we have to "re-enter" the country somewhere.

 

Sue

On my TA a few years ago (RCCL), our cruise ended in Boston - that was our first US port of call, and our last port. If you are continuing on to other US ports, you would still do immigration procedures in Boston. In our case, the immigration officials came on board and did a very brief glance at our US passports, and then we were on our way. I was a little shocked at how easy and quick the whole process was. Even quicker than Global Entry at the airports.

On my TA a few years ago (RCCL), our cruise ended in Boston - that was our first US port of call, and our last port. If you are continuing on to other US ports, you would still do immigration procedures in Boston. In our case, the immigration officials came on board and did a very brief glance at our US passports, and then we were on our way. I was a little shocked at how easy and quick the whole process was. Even quicker than Global Entry at the airports.

The US Customs and Immigration gets a list passengers when you leave Europe.

We are doing a TA in November starting in Southampton. Our first stop is in Boston. Will we go through Customs there? I imagine we have to "re-enter" the country somewhere.

 

 

 

Sue

Have you joined the roll call for this cruise?

I was on the transpacific cruise last April and our port of entry was Lahaina, Maui. US immigration officials came onboard. The day before we had to surrender our passports to Celebrity, collect them later (I think it was the next morning). We had a letter in our cabin assigning a time and instructions. There was one queue for American passport holders and another for the rest of the world. There were people who did not get off the ship until mid afternoon.

Our American friends were cleared five minutes before us, so nationality didn’t seem to make that much difference. That was our experience, others may differ.

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Thanks for the info. Our daughter lives in Cambridge and we were wondering how long it would take us to disembark and meet her at the terminal.

Can she drive into the port to pick us up? We want to spend the day with her and her family, having been to Boston twice already.

Haven't signed up for the Roll Call yet.

Sue

We were on the Eclipse TA last October. Boston was our first US port and we did go through immigration. It was honestly the best organized disembarkation we have ever experienced. Totally different than the disembarkation on the Eclipse TA in NYC in 2014. I sure hope the person who set it up is on your TA!

We were also on the Eclipse last October. We had been advised by friends that the best way to ensure early disembarkation was to join a ships tour as they get off first. We booked the trolley tour and while we enjoyed it, I don’t think it made a lot of difference to getting off. As Cruisin note commented. Very well organised.

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We were also on the Eclipse last October. We had been advised by friends that the best way to ensure early disembarkation was to join a ships tour as they get off first. We booked the trolley tour and while we enjoyed it, I don’t think it made a lot of difference to getting off. As Cruisin note commented. Very well organised.

 

 

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Thanks for the info. Our daughter lives in Cambridge and we were wondering how long it would take us to disembark and meet her at the terminal.

 

Can she drive into the port to pick us up? We want to spend the day with her and her family, having been to Boston twice already.

 

Haven't signed up for the Roll Call yet.

 

Sue

Black Falcon terminal is publicly accessible (last time I was there as a local). You probably want to agree on a place to meet, down on the Left side once you disembark ship and go out of the old terminal building. I'm sure local police will keep "traffic moving". Maybe near the parking garage, which is towards the left and back one street.

Thanks for the info. Our daughter lives in Cambridge and we were wondering how long it would take us to disembark and meet her at the terminal.

 

Can she drive into the port to pick us up? We want to spend the day with her and her family, having been to Boston twice already.

 

Haven't signed up for the Roll Call yet.

 

Sue

Sue, I assume you are on the Silhouette. Active Roll Call, c’mon over! :D

Last time I sailed out of Boston, when we returned, all C+I was walking by an officer, hand over the blue form, and that was it. However, it wasn't a TA, so I don't know if it will be any different.

We did clear Immigration in Boston as our first US port - it did delay getting off the ship that morning so you may want to plan for that.