Clearing Customs in St Thomas

[John & Janet]

We have been to St Thomas twice with the last time being 1 1/2 years ago. I keep hearing of people havng to clear Customs to get off at this port. We never had to do that & this is the US Virgin Islands, right? has something changed? Any clarification would be appreciated.

[MandyGirl]

Since 9/11, if you come from a non-US port you must first clear immigration when coming into a US port. Not all cruises must clear immigration due to their specific itinerary.

 

Ex: Any domestic US port (such as embarkation), followed immediately by St Thomas - you are fine and don't have to clear

Ex: Start somewhere, stop in say St Maartin, then go to St Thomas - then you must clear since you are coming from a non-US port.

 

Coming from San Juan as your most recent port, you are fine. You only have to clear immigration if coming directly from a non-US port.

 

Same thing is true when you go back to your embarkation port. We took a Western Caribbean cruise out of Fort Lauderdale to Bahamas, Grand Cayman and Cozumel... followed by Key West the day before returning to Fort Lauderdale. We had to clear immigration in Key West since we were now at a US port and our most recent port was a non-US port. And we got to wait an extra two hours on a couple of cabins who thought the rules didn't apply to them (we ALL had to clear immigration before ANYONE could get off the ship). They then said they never heard the dozens of repeated pages on the overheard speakers...

 

Even on our wedding day on a different cruise - we all cleared immigration on St John prior to our wedding because we had been in St Maarten the day before.

 

So it all depends on your specific itinerary.

 

~ Mandy

 

NCL Sky 12/2000 - Western Caribbean

Celebrity Galaxy 12/2001 - Southern Caribbean

S/S Norway 03/2003 wedding cruise - Eastern Caribbean

~~~~ Married on the beach in St John! ~~~~

HAL ms Maasdam 11/23/2003 - Western Caribbean

[John & Janet]

Excellent explanation, thank you! I was not thinking in terms of starting at a non US Port.

[RUDIMAY1]

WE WERE THERE ON MAY 3 AND HAD NO PROBLEMS LEAVING THE ADVENTURER AT ANY OF THE PORTS. JUST SCANNED OUR SEAPASS CARD AND LEFT.

 

Grandeur of the Seas 10/2000

Celebrity Galaxy 12/2001

Explorer of the Seas 4/2003

Adventurer of the Seas 5/2004

 

I DON'T WANT TO WORK! I WANT TO BANG ON THE DRUMS ALL DAY!

 

[MandyGirl]

Hey Rudi! I just noticed you were on the Galaxy in 12/2001... so were we! I think it was the 12/14 embarkation. Anyway, glad to see you had no problems clearing immigration in STT! If you only had to do a Seapass card, and I guessing correctly that you had come from a US port previously? (Hence not having to show passport?)

~ Mandy

[Lauire]

We were on the Golden 4/10 came from St. Marateen to St. Thomas & had to clear customs with passports or birth certificates.

Because of our assigned time (7:30-8:00) to arrive in the lounge for passports to be checked we didn't get off the hsip until almost 8:30.

Enjoy!

Laurie

[RUDIMAY1]

willingham we went on the Galaxi the week before you.

As for the passports this year when we went through the embarkment process in san juan we registered with our passports got our seapass and never had to show the passports again. We walked on and off the ship throughout the day at all the ports and never had a problem. I think when people are having a problem is early morning before customs clears the ship for everybody, but I didn't see this.

 

Grandeur of the Seas 10/2000

Celebrity Galaxy 12/2001

Explorer of the Seas 4/2003

Adventurer of the Seas 5/2004

 

I DON'T WANT TO WORK! I WANT TO BANG ON THE DRUMS ALL DAY!

 

[LindaKE]

Is Princess Cay considered a non-US port?

 

LindaKE

 

Sun Princess(Alaska)

Carnival Inspiration

[Ocean Boy]

Adventure's first stop is St. Thomas. People don't have to clear customs on that itinerary because you are stopping there directly after leaving a U.S. port- San Juan.

[MandyGirl]

That would make sense Rudi - if embarking in San Juan and St Thomas being your first port, you don't have to clear immigration at all since both are US territories. But if you had gone to a non-US port (like St Maartin) first, then you'd have to go through the process. I think we cleared about 6:15 AM (early) the day after St Maartin.

We sure did enjoy that itinerary on the Galaxy! (And the AquaSpa too!!)