An idea for Customs Clearance

[travelplus]

It would be nice if the Cruiseline could work with local customs so for instance the first point of entry in Europe you would clear customs and immigration like on the airplane at your first point of entry. There would be an earlier arrival time and an area for those who want to remain onboard and an area for those going off on shore excursions.

 

This way there is no waiting to clear customs at the end of the cruise.

 

In the USA the last port such as in the Bahamas it would be nice to have a U.S. Pre-clearance system setup where everyone is processed so that when the ship arrives into Florida it can be debarked quicker and then embarked that much quicker.

 

This would make it easier for people making their flights and also to have a better estimate of boarding time. Also if there is a Norovirus outbreak the cruiseline can focus on sanitizing the ship as opposed to clearing customs.

 

Possibly the customs could be done as people get back onboard for those on shore excursions and those who are just staying on the ship will be asked to get off and go to a certain area to clear customs.

 

In Florida or the debark port is where bags go through Customs or a check for suspicious items and if your over your allowance you would pay duty there.

 

Possibly some of the onboard security officers can be trained as Customs Officers to process the passengers as well.

 

What are your thoughts?

[Aquahound]

I don't even know where to begin with picking that one apart. It would be nice, I agree. But many parts of this idea just aren't possible, or legal.

[PORT ROYAL]

I don't even know where to begin with picking that one apart. It would be nice, I agree. But many parts of this idea just aren't possible, or legal.

 

Or the will of some Government employees to 'change' and make it work.

[leaveitallbehind]

I don't even know where to begin with picking that one apart. It would be nice, I agree. But many parts of this idea just aren't possible, or legal.

 

Agree - starting with the fact the customs agents are government employees. RCI is a corporation whose internationally based employees cannot be trained to legally perform federal tasks for the US government. (other than to hand out the declaration forms, which they already do).

[killtheump]

It would be nice if the Cruiseline could work with local customs so for instance the first point of entry in Europe you would clear customs and immigration like on the airplane at your first point of entry. There would be an earlier arrival time and an area for those who want to remain onboard and an area for those going off on shore excursions.

 

This way there is no waiting to clear customs at the end of the cruise.

 

In the USA the last port such as in the Bahamas it would be nice to have a U.S. Pre-clearance system setup where everyone is processed so that when the ship arrives into Florida it can be debarked quicker and then embarked that much quicker.

 

This would make it easier for people making their flights and also to have a better estimate of boarding time. Also if there is a Norovirus outbreak the cruiseline can focus on sanitizing the ship as opposed to clearing customs.

 

Possibly the customs could be done as people get back onboard for those on shore excursions and those who are just staying on the ship will be asked to get off and go to a certain area to clear customs.

 

In Florida or the debark port is where bags go through Customs or a check for suspicious items and if your over your allowance you would pay duty there.

 

Possibly some of the onboard security officers can be trained as Customs Officers to process the passengers as well.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Huh? :eek:

[PORT ROYAL]

Huh?

 

Translated into English

 

"I am terribly sorry good man, I did not quite understand what you said. Could you be so kind as to repeat it with a tad more clarity? Thank you

 

Two languages separated by one Ocean.;)

[travelplus]

Sorry for the confusion. What i said is that on flights from Europe to the USA via Canada you can clear customs in Canada before going to the USA so when you arrive at your final destination you just need to pick up your bags and you are free to go.

 

It would be nice if you could clear customs on a ship at the last port in the Bahamas or the first point of entry into Europe so that way when you arrive at the port you are cleared and can go right to the airport.

 

Pre clearance allows passengers to arrive as domestic passengers when they arrive at the final destination so as to save for delays clearing the ship. The entire ship could be cleared.

[Eng23]

It would be nice if the Cruiseline could work with local customs so for instance the first point of entry in Europe you would clear customs and immigration like on the airplane at your first point of entry. There would be an earlier arrival time and an area for those who want to remain onboard and an area for those going off on shore excursions.

 

This way there is no waiting to clear customs at the end of the cruise.

 

In the USA the last port such as in the Bahamas it would be nice to have a U.S. Pre-clearance system setup where everyone is processed so that when the ship arrives into Florida it can be debarked quicker and then embarked that much quicker.

 

This would make it easier for people making their flights and also to have a better estimate of boarding time. Also if there is a Norovirus outbreak the cruiseline can focus on sanitizing the ship as opposed to clearing customs.

 

Possibly the customs could be done as people get back onboard for those on shore excursions and those who are just staying on the ship will be asked to get off and go to a certain area to clear customs.

 

In Florida or the debark port is where bags go through Customs or a check for suspicious items and if your over your allowance you would pay duty there.

 

Possibly some of the onboard security officers can be trained as Customs Officers to process the passengers as well.

 

What are your thoughts?

It would be a logistical nightmare! Not all cruiseships last stops are in the Bahamas. Many ports throughout the Caribbean would be ill equipped to handle this task and I doubt that U.S. Customs (CBP) is not going to station the number of agents needed for this in all the ports of the Caribbean (U.S. Customs is already shorthanded as it is now). I also doubt the customs services of the host ports are equipped to handle the number of passengers from a cruise ship.

[Aquahound]

Or the will of some Government employees to 'change' and make it work.

 

Im not sure I would call the illegality of allowing foreign nationals on a foreign flagged ship to act as U.S. Customs officials an unwillingness to change.

[jagsfan]

When you clear customs to fly back into the US from Canada, you're being cleared by US customs guys.

As many ships as dock in the Bahamas we'd have to have a large number of them, house them, have space for them to do their work. You have to have your luggage in your possession when going through customs, so why would you get off the ship with everything you own and then get back on.

[cruisenfever]

When you clear customs to fly back into the US from Canada, you're being cleared by US customs guys.

As many ships as dock in the Bahamas we'd have to have a large number of them, house them, have space for them to do their work. You have to have your luggage in your possession when going through customs, so why would you get off the ship with everything you own and then get back on.

You are cleared twice......first by the Canadian Customs Officers and then by the US Customs Officers.

[jamesr3939]

Great idea, ain't gonna happen. Even though, Customs does have people stationed outside the US. It's really the immigration side of Homeland Security that might have a problem with it.

[TBone2K]

If I understand what was said, they did this on our British Isles cruise.

 

On day 2, all PAX had to report to the theatre and see British customs. Non-EU PAX had to give up their passport. That allowed us to go onshore at each port without dealings with customs.

 

However that wouldn't work if you were stopping in different countries.

 

The biggest holdup in all of that was tracking down the people who didn't want to hand in their passports.

[A&L_Ont]

Agree - starting with the fact the customs agents are government employees. RCI is a corporation whose internationally based employees cannot be trained to legally perform federal tasks for the US government. (other than to hand out the declaration forms, which they already do).

 

However, they don't have to worry about the friendly Canadians.;)

[jagsfan]

If I understand what was said, they did this on our British Isles cruise.

 

On day 2, all PAX had to report to the theatre and see British customs. Non-EU PAX had to give up their passport. That allowed us to go onshore at each port without dealings with customs.

 

However that wouldn't work if you were stopping in different countries.

 

The biggest holdup in all of that was tracking down the people who didn't want to hand in their passports.

 

Customs is where luggage is checked possibly for contraband, etc. Immigration deals with passports.

You are talking about immigration. They may be called different things in different countries, but basically it's customs for what you are bringing in and immigration to prove you have the right to enter the country yourself.

[WpgCruise]

You are cleared twice......first by the Canadian Customs Officers and then by the US Customs Officers.

 

Actually this isn't my experience.

 

I have never had to clear Canada Customs and Immigration when leaving the country. Likewise I have never had to clear U.S. Customs and Immigration when leaving the U.S. Entering yes, leaving no.

 

All major international airports in Canada with scheduled flights to the U.S. have U.S. Customs and Immigration officers on site. All passengers to the U.S. are cleared before getting on the aircraft. I suppose one other advantage is that if one were to be denied clearance to enter the U.S, there is no issue of being returned to the country of origin as well..........you haven't left it yet.

[Cotswold Eagle]

I'm still confused by the reference to Europe - in the examples you give you refer to returning to the US, but then talk about first point of entry to Europe (whatever you mean by Europe :))

 

As has been pointed out, immigration and customs are two separate functions - one is about entry to a country, the other about goods crossing borders (and generally customs have two responsibilities - collecting duty on goods and keeping out prohibited items). This actually matters, especially in 'Europe', where we have a variety of different arrangements, through international treaties (not the whim of government employees :)). So the Schengen area has no internal immigration controls, the EU is (more or less) a customs union, there is a common travel area between the Republic of Ireland and UK, the EEA extends some of the EU customs arrangements to other states etc etc.

 

The upshot is that on any given border crossing in Europe you may have an immigration control, a customs control, both or neither. Replacing all that with some form of super control for cruise passengers would be quite a challenge.

[jamesr3939]

In the USA you don't have to clear anything to leave only upon returning. I laugh when people (criminals) are made to surrender their passports. It's all a big show, because you don't need one to leave the country only have to show proof of citizenship where you land.

 

I chased a child molester years ago who is still a fugitive living it up in Europe for the last 25 years. The press made a big deal about not making him surrendering is USA passport when he was arrested. Problem was he held dual citizenship with US and Germany. So when he landed in Germany all he had to do was show his Germany birth certificate and he was in country.

 

I know in Vancouver BC we had cleared US customs and immigration when leaving for Sacramento, so we never had to clear when we got to the USA.

 

As pointed out, in the USA Customs and Immigration are both under Department of Homeland Security, now. Customs use to be the oldest federal law enforcement agency, until they were all taking under DHS. Customs wants you to pay money (tax) for stuff you bring in or keep you from bringing in stuff they don't allow. Immigration tries to keep out those persons who shouldn't be here.

[jsmeeker]

I don't even know where to begin with picking that one apart. It would be nice, I agree. But many parts of this idea just aren't possible, or legal.

 

exactly

 

 

When I did my Hawaii cruise on NCL, we did immigration as we were sailing into port at Maui. Just filed through one of the big night clubs to show the passport. That was two days before our return to Honolulu. It was nice. It worked because the entry back into the USA wasn't the LAST stop. But this just can't work in every (or probably most) cases.

[jsmeeker]

In the USA you don't have to clear anything to leave only upon returning. I laugh when people (criminals) are made to surrender their passports. It's all a big show, because you don't need one to leave the country only have to show proof of citizenship where you land.

.

 

Try getting on a commercial airline flight without your passport. Sure, it's not a CBP person inspecting it, but the airline is mandated to ensure that people have proper documentation to arrive in the destination country. And there is no international destination via air that doesn't require you to have a passport.

[bouhunter]

Or the will of some Government employees to 'change' and make it work.

 

The government already gets involved in too many things. It isn't their business to make cruise passengers lives more convenient:rolleyes:

[jagsfan]

Yeah, like he said, somebody with a dual passport simply shows the other one, somebody with no passport doesn't get on the plane period.

[bouhunter]

Sorry for the confusion. What i said is that on flights from Europe to the USA via Canada you can clear customs in Canada before going to the USA so when you arrive at your final destination you just need to pick up your bags and you are free to go.

 

.

 

This is done in SOME major Canadian airports, not all.

[jsmeeker]

This is done in SOME major Canadian airports, not all.

 

Also, some airports in the Bahamas, Bermuda, and Ireland.

[WpgCruise]

This is done in SOME major Canadian airports, not all.

 

Which major Canadian airports do not pre clear all U.S. bound passengers before they can board their flights?