Immigration in Key West

[taxchix]

Immigration in Key West was a total disaster and you lost so much time waiting to get off the ship I had at least the advantage of being in muster station 2 since that is how RCI Grandeur of the Seas went. If Immigration would board the ship when the pilot does that would save an hour of the travelers precious time. The zigzagging around the ship for immigration agents to look at your passport and photo ID. They could schedule the ports in a different order and not make the passengers loose the shore time.

 

 

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[jp30338]

drugs are bad

[OCruisers]

:confused: We've never had to go through immigration in Key West. We've been ask to show our cruise card and photo ID but not our passports. :confused:

LuLu

~~~

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

:confused: We've never had to go through immigration in Key West. We've been ask to show our cruise card and photo ID but not our passports. :confused:

LuLu

~~~

 

That is going through Immigration. Everyone does in KW - you can show either your passport OR photo ID at your specified time on the ship...before you are cleared to go ashore.

[chengkp75]

Immigration in Key West was a total disaster and you lost so much time waiting to get off the ship I had at least the advantage of being in muster station 2 since that is how RCI Grandeur of the Seas went. If Immigration would board the ship when the pilot does that would save an hour of the travelers precious time. The zigzagging around the ship for immigration agents to look at your passport and photo ID. They could schedule the ports in a different order and not make the passengers loose the shore time.

 

 

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Not sure how you can blame RCI for CBP agents not boarding the ship via the pilot boat. Immigration officers will not board a ship that is not docked, and that's the government, not RCI. The pilot boat is owned by the pilot's association, and is not licensed to carry passengers (CBP officers), even if CBP wanted to board a ship underway. There is a whole liability thing about boarding a ship via the Jacobs ladder, and CBP don't sign on for that.

 

I assume that Key West was the first US port after a foreign port? That is what triggers Immigration, and from the itineraries I see, there is no other US port on the cruise that they could put in a "different order". Was there? What happens is that non-US passengers have to show their passports to CBP, and RCI most likely told them to be in one lounge at a given time, and yet some folks never show up, so they have to go find them to clear the ship.

[Truckersar]

We had to clear immigration in key west even though it was the first port out of NOL

Guess the CBP in KW has to do something to justify there high paying jobs

[peteukmcr]

We didn't have to clear immigration in Key West as our first port stop after departing from Tampa in February on Brilliance. Disembarkation was a zoo, but that's because we didn't arrive until 11:30 and it seemed like the whole ship wanted to get off.

Edited April 2, 2014 by peteukmcr

[purplethorn]

We were on the Disney Magic in November and had to clear immigration in Key West after being in the Bahamas

The cruise line had everything very organized, they sent notifications the night before with the time and place for citizens and non citizens

 

We went downstairs at the time specified for us and the check lasted 5 minutes... in and out .. a breeze

I thought it would be a pain in my butt because my DH is not a citizen and I thought there will be lines, it seems like they had it planned really well I was impressed

 

 

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[steveru621]

Last time in Key West no CBP, of course that was a few years ago. It is a new thing however, we had to clear CBP for Port Canaveral last month. Like your ship it was a total disaster. The line started at the 5th floor dining room, snaked all the way down the Promenade, and up the stairs to the 8th floor. :eek:

 

I'm not blaming anyone, but this process must be improved.