Port Canaveral disembarkation for non-US nationals

[gojocruise]

Hello,

I am after some advise and info on the disembarkation procedure for non-US nationals in Port Canaveral.

We are doing our first cruise departing and returning to the US, normally we sail in and out of the UK so this is completely new to us.

Do we have to be finger and eye scanned the same as when we fly into MCO a few days prior? Is there separate lines for non-US passengers? Are we able to do self disembarkation still, as we always prefer to take ourselves off the ship rather than waiting for an allotted time.

Any UK travellers out there had any prior experience of arriving into PC, your feedback would be most helpful.

Thank you to all that reply :)

[holula]

Haven't done this for about a year, but IIRC there was no finger and eye scan. Just a normal immigration line where they look at your passport. We were asked where we were staying post-cruise, how long for, and then asked to find our entry stamp in our passport. Everyone is in one line together. Not sure about self disembarkation as we have never done that.

[Capt_BJ]

In my experience for a US cruise

 

Those non US citizens will be told where they need to go, on arrival day, on the ship .... probably early (sorry). The ship will not be CLEARED until all the not US citizens have presented themselves to ICE, on the ship, as directed.

 

ICE will check your documents and stamp your documents as 'cleared' at this time and then you will join the same departure process as everyone else. At the 'door' you just show your stamped passport to the ICE person, in the same way US folks are flashing their passport or BC.

 

Often times on a cruise arrival day you will hear "Mr and Mrs **** please contact the service desk" while departure has yet to begin. THIS is ICE looking for folks that did not follow the instructions and slept in.

 

Cruise terminals are set up MUCH differently than airports and IME everyone must be 'cleared' b4 ANYONE leaves the ship allowing the folks at the terminal door to just do a quick check . . .

 

your experience may have been different but I've sailed from Miami, Everglades, Tampa and Canaveral where this was the process.

 

(footnotes

 

ICE = Immigration and Customs Enforcement

 

TSA applies to air travel only . . . )

Edited January 13, 2014 by Capt_BJ

[AandBmom]

I have found the procedure to be different at different ports. When we arrived back in Miami we walked through customs once we got off the ship. When we arrived in Tampa we had to get up really early and meet with customs in one of the lounges. I forget what happens in Port Canaveral.