Clearing Customs in Key West

[richard1s]

The final port on our next cruise stops in Key West prior to final docking in Fort Lauderdale the next day. I thought I read on this site or in the cruise literature (or somewhere) that passengers are required to clear US Customs in Key West. If this is true, it would seem that it would slow down exiting the ship to visit the port. Can anyone clarify if this is correct? Thanks in advance for your response.

[Aquahound]

The final port on our next cruise stops in Key West prior to final docking in Fort Lauderdale the next day. I thought I read on this site or in the cruise literature (or somewhere) that passengers are required to clear US Customs in Key West. If this is true, it would seem that it would slow down exiting the ship to visit the port. Can anyone clarify if this is correct? Thanks in advance for your response.

 

Yes, it is correct. Because you are coming from foreign port, you do have to clear in Key West. For some reason, most of the ships that come here are from foreign port. It would be much easier if KW was the first stop....not just for the passengers, but also for the CBP agents who have to work them.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

The final port on our next cruise stops in Key West prior to final docking in Fort Lauderdale the next day. I thought I read on this site or in the cruise literature (or somewhere) that passengers are required to clear US Customs in Key West. If this is true, it would seem that it would slow down exiting the ship to visit the port. Can anyone clarify if this is correct? Thanks in advance for your response.

 

It does cause some delay, but if it well organized, as it always was on Majesty of the Seas, and if you have filled out your customs form and have your passport ready, all you do is get in line and the customs staff take your customs form and the passport checkers check yoru passport. They snap a hole in your SeaPass to show you are cleared. You can't leave the hsip until your SeaPass has the hole. Then you are good to go.

 

The ones who face delays are the ones who oversleep or whatever and do not present themselves to the customs check. I don't know what happens to them because they can't go ashore unless their SeaPass has the hole.

[mrsfuzzmo]

The three times I've sailed into KW it was our first stop, but we've had to clear customs in St. Thomas once. Same suggestion. Just be ready and follow the instructions they provide and it will go quickly.

[micdee]

So does this mean if you go thru customs in Key West, you don't have to do it again at debarkation in Fort Lauderdale?

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Yes, because Key West is part of the state of Florida which is part of the US. So if you clear customs and immigration in Key West and your next stop is Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa or Port Canaveral, there will be no need to do it all again.

[emcee207]

I'll be doing it next week and I'll believe it when I see it.:rolleyes:

[lynncarol]

We received a letter in our stateroom with an assigned time to clear customs...I think it was 8:45. The four of us just headed down around 7:30. Hardly anyone was there and all four of us breezed through in under 10 minutes. It was no big deal. (Of course we are U.S. citizens).

[CaroleSS]

ok....just to be clear on this:

 

Since we clear customs in Key West, when we arrive at the pier in FLL, we can just walk off (with our luggage) and go to our car??

[Aquahound]

Yes, because Key West is part of the state of Florida which is part of the US. So if you clear customs and immigration in Key West and your next stop is Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa or Port Canaveral, there will be no need to do it all again.

 

ok....just to be clear on this:

 

Since we clear customs in Key West, when we arrive at the pier in FLL, we can just walk off (with our luggage) and go to our car??

 

Here's the deal. Gangway, you're not quite right. In Key West, you don't clear Customs. You clear Immigrations. It's the same agency (CBP), but different purpose. You have to present yourself, get your Sea Pass card punched, and then present your passport to CBP agents. It takes a couple minutes, depending on the line. You do not turn in the Customs declaration form here.

 

Back in FLL...that's where you do the usual game. That's where you turn over your Customs declaration form and, once again, present your passport to a CBP agent.

 

So, in the end, you're basically doing the same thing twice.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Aquahound

[CaroleSS]

Thank you Aquahound for the clarification!

 

I guess we always say "Customs & Immigration" like they are the same thing....which they are not. I just got a bit excited that we'd be able to avoid the crowded mess in Port Everglades, but, alas, was not to be! :(

[CayoKelly]

I was just on the Constellation last month and we had to clear immigration in Key West. Took all of two minutes. They give you a designated time in the morning you walk in and out.

[firestopr]

Our Cruise agent stated we did not need passports because a birth cert and id would suffice for our cruise (American citizens). will we not be able to get off the boat at Nassau and Key West ?

[tunaman2011]

Our Cruise agent stated we did not need passports because a birth cert and id would suffice for our cruise (American citizens). will we not be able to get off the boat at Nassau and Key West ?

 

Greetings

 

You are fine for closed loop cruises to the Caribbean with a birth certificate and photo ID. Be aware that if you are female and married I am almost certain you will also need a certified copy of your marriage certificate to prove your name change. Bottom line, there must be traceability of the name on your photo ID to your birth certificate.

 

It is far easier to just get a passport. Avoids lots of potential hassles. If for some reason you miss the ship while in a foreign port or have to make an emergency trip home from a foreign port not having a passport will vastly complicate the situation. Just do it, get passports.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[lcccbeloeil]

I'd like to tell you about our experience on Majesty of the Seas going through immigration in Key West last week, March 27, 2014. This is somewhat of a warning.

My husband and I had tickets to the Key Lime Bike Tour and we were to meet on the dock at 10:15 for a 10:30 tour start. We arrived in port shortly before 10 a.m.

Passengers with excursions bought from Royal Carribean (and that's the important part here) have priority for going through immigration. My husband and I were first in line and we disembarked at 10:45 (after finding every single public toilet on Deck 5 near the Centrum blocked and full of excrement... so I had to go back to my cabin... but I digress).

The order for going through Immigration is by Muster Station number. If you didn't have an RCI excursion, then you had to wait for your Muster Station to be called. We were Station #1, so even if we didn't have an RCI excursion, we would still have disembarked fairly early.

People we met on board, first-time cruisers (and probably last-time cruisers) were already disappointed that our stop in Coco Cay had been cancelled. They had Muster Station #9. They were called to Immigration at 1 p.m!! So they saw very little of Key West. They were very upset and rightly so.

Anyone who reserved a non-RCI excursion for early morning, probably missed their excursion.

Those who complained about the extremely long wait for going through immigration were told that it was the fault of the US government sequester. Fewer immigration agents, longer wait times.

[tinykygal]

DH wanted to see if we might rent a car and drive to see some of the beauty of the Keys since driving from KY to there takes days.

Think we should scrap that idea?

[lcccbeloeil]

Not sure what to answer you, tinykygal. I think it also depends on the ship. There was a Norwegian ship in port when we arrived at 10 a.m. and we could see that their passengers had already disembarked. The immigration agents were late getting on our ship and maybe that was because they were busy processing the Norwegian ship.

Not being allowed to get off the ship before 1 p.m. is absolutely ridiculous, in our opinion.

I guess you'd have to look at what time your ship is due to dock. Maybe our experience was not the usual Key West immigration experience.

[tinykygal]

Thank you!

[mlrack101]

We had to do this for the first time in Key West in January on DCL. What a **** show! There was no 'Disney Magic' on that. They just lined everyone up and you strolled along until it was your turn to show your documents. Once the line actually began moving it went fairly quickly but the initial get everyone lined up was just crazy.

[Anita Latte]

I was just on the Constellation last month and we had to clear immigration in Key West. Took all of two minutes. They give you a designated time in the morning you walk in and out.

 

This.

 

The CD made a joke during the show the evening before saying that you will wait longer for your eggs at the buffet than the time it will take to go through immigration...and he was right.

 

On Connie, our steward left a sheet in our room for each person staying in our room with clear instructions and an appointment time. Also stated was the fact that you could go early.

 

No food or drink is allowed in the area. There was a stack of coffee cups at the door.

 

There was an area designated for US Citizens and another for non-US Citizens. Get in line. The crew will scan your Sea Pass card to record that you came to the area. Move forward in the line. Go as a family to one of several waiting agents to show your Passports...they don't care about your Sea Pass. Then stop at another crew member on your way out to get your Sea Pass punched.

 

There was listed the possibility of up to a $3000 fine if you did not present yourself to immigration by 9:00 AM!!!

 

They started calling individual passengers that hadn't reported over the ship's PA system.

 

I'm so sorry for the PP that didn't get off the ship until 1 pm. I don't doubt it happened, but that's so weird given all the threats and the situation I just experienced on Celebrity's Constellation.

[JayRich65]

DH wanted to see if we might rent a car and drive to see some of the beauty of the Keys since driving from KY to there takes days.

Think we should scrap that idea?

 

In Key West, I'm not aware on any car rental agencies near the ships, they are on the other side of the island, thus a 10 to 15 minute cab ride, unless you can get Enterprise to pick you up, National and Enterprise are the closest to the ships.

 

If you were going to drive up the Keys, I would plan on at least driving to Marathon and across the Seven Mile Bridge, it is going to take you about 1 1/2 each way.

 

So, if you have a full day it may be worth it, but you'll need at least 6 hours.

[tunaman2011]

DH wanted to see if we might rent a car and drive to see some of the beauty of the Keys since driving from KY to there takes days.

Think we should scrap that idea?

 

Greetings

 

Just be aware that US1 can sometimes be closed for hours upon hours if there is an accident along the way. You could easily miss the ship. Doesn't happen every day or every week, but it happens. You are dealing with a 2 lane road and numerous bridges, there is no alternate route available to bypass an accident site.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[djfrickman]

Here is my question: We are on Vision on May 3 sailing. Our first stop front Ft. Lauderdale is Key West. Since we are not arriving in Key West from a foreign port, do we have to clear immigration as well?

[bhopal21]

No you do not.

 

Mike:)

[youngatheart136]

This.

 

The CD made a joke during the show the evening before saying that you will wait longer for your eggs at the buffet than the time it will take to go through immigration...and he was right.

 

On Connie, our steward left a sheet in our room for each person staying in our room with clear instructions and an appointment time. Also stated was the fact that you could go early.

 

No food or drink is allowed in the area. There was a stack of coffee cups at the door.

 

There was an area designated for US Citizens and another for non-US Citizens. Get in line. The crew will scan your Sea Pass card to record that you came to the area. Move forward in the line. Go as a family to one of several waiting agents to show your Passports...they don't care about your Sea Pass. Then stop at another crew member on your way out to get your Sea Pass punched.

 

There was listed the possibility of up to a $3000 fine if you did not present yourself to immigration by 9:00 AM!!!

 

They started calling individual passengers that hadn't reported over the ship's PA system.

 

I'm so sorry for the PP that didn't get off the ship until 1 pm. I don't doubt it happened, but that's so weird given all the threats and the situation I just experienced on Celebrity's Constellation.

 

I am confused, so hopefully you can clarify.

 

Do you have to go through all this if you aren't getting off the ship? We have been to Key West and don't plan to disembark.

 

 

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