US Customs declaration and B2B

[Lazz]

As a US citizens doing a B2B out of San Juan, how do I handle the customs declaration? Do I declare for each trip, or can I wait until the end of the second cruise?

[Daghis]

As a US citizens doing a B2B out of San Juan, how do I handle the customs declaration? Do I declare for each trip, or can I wait until the end of the second cruise?

I believe that you'll go through customs after each of your two cruises.

 

Note that your normal exemption won't apply for your second cruise. Take a look at this thread I started when I was realizing that there'd be an issue with exemptions for consecutive cruises. Note that the linked CBP page has been moved here. This page describes the different kinds of exemptions available to international travelers.

[Lazz]

WOW! I am glad I asked. Thanks for the heads up. I guess we won't be buying anything the first cruise, although it may look funny when a customs slip shows zero dollars in purchases for the first cruise.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Lazz

[Clarea]

Half the time we are asked to fill out the customs form at the end of the first cruise, and half the time they tell us we don't need it. I never have figured out why it's one way or the other.

[Kcjarvis]

On a back to back, you dont go through Customs, only Immigration. It takes less than 30 secs for you to flash your passport and get back on the ship. Dont worry about it.

[Desert Cruizers]

Bob for our NZ & Australia trip this past March on, we had to fill our a custom Card for entering Australia via the US upon embarkation and 2nd, an Immigration for the beginning of the Transpacific and leaving Sydney to enter the US over in Lahaina which was our first US port coming off the TP. In fact at the end of our Wellington Tour and returning to the ship, we had to turn over our Passports and received them back during the Immigration process the morning we arrived in OLahaina. they did that Deck by Deck and were done by 11

Edited June 17, 2014 by Desert Cruizers

[OCruisers]

You just fill out the form as requested but don't need to declare anything at that point.

Well, if you are taking a B2B with a car in port and putting purchased things in your car on your B2B day... Yes, they do need to be declared. Things staying on the ship, NO.

LuLu

[Merion_Mom]

Half the time we are asked to fill out the customs form at the end of the first cruise, and half the time they tell us we don't need it. I never have figured out why it's one way or the other.

 

On a back to back, you don't go through Customs, only Immigration. It takes less than 30 secs for you to flash your passport and get back on the ship. Don't worry about it.

 

My experience has been like KCjarvis'. :)

[Merion_Mom]

Bob for our NZ & Australia trip this past March on, we had to fill our a custom Card for entering Australia via the US upon embarkation and 2nd, an Immigration for the beginning of the Transpacific and leaving Sydney to enter the US over in Lahaina which was our first US port coming off the TP. In fact at the end of our Wellington Tour and returning to the ship, we had to turn over our Passports and received them back during the Immigration process the morning we arrived in OLahaina. they did that Deck by Deck and were done by 11

 

Your experience in foreign countries is irrelevant to the OP's question, which is about U.S. Customs.

[Starry Eyes]

WOW! I am glad I asked. Thanks for the heads up. I guess we won't be buying anything the first cruise, although it may look funny when a customs slip shows zero dollars in purchases for the first cruise.

 

If declaring zero dollars looks funny, we are a scream. We travel regularly. While buy cunsummable items in port, we rare bring new stuff home with us. Trust me, we have plenty of stuff already:D. Our customs declaration is often zero (or very low).

[Lazz]

You just fill out the form as requested but don't need to declare anything at that point.

Well, if you are taking a B2B with a car in port and putting purchased things in your car on your B2B day... Yes, they do need to be declared. Things staying on the ship, NO.

LuLu

 

My luck is that they would want to see my receipts when I get off the second cruise and the dates would show up on the receipts. We have been asked to show receipts on 2 previous cruises.

[FLACRUISER99]

Bob for our NZ & Australia trip this past March on, we had to fill our a custom Card for entering Australia via the US upon embarkation and 2nd, an Immigration for the beginning of the Transpacific and leaving Sydney to enter the US over in Lahaina which was our first US port coming off the TP. In fact at the end of our Wellington Tour and returning to the ship, we had to turn over our Passports and received them back during the Immigration process the morning we arrived in OLahaina. they did that Deck by Deck and were done by 11

 

 

On Rhapsody's repo last month some folks filled them out some didn't (Me) when asked for it I said I wasn't disembarking until Seattle. The ICE agent said ok I did not need one.

 

 

 

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[FLACRUISER99]

Your experience in foreign countries is irrelevant to the OP's question, which is about U.S. Customs.

 

 

In case you didn't hear about it Hawaii is now a state and has US Customs

 

 

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[AZAficionado]

I've had two very different Customs experiences with a B2B - both were out of US ports (Port Canaveral and Ft. Lauderdale).

 

The first experience was Port Canaveral in 2013 and I "stayed on the ship". I had to fill out a Customs form, which the ship's personnel collected from me on turnover day. However, I was told that Customs considers the B2B to be one trip, so the total amounts of both Customs forms (the one filled out on turnaround day and the one at the end of the B2B) could not exceed the limits for a single trip.

 

The second experience was Ft. Lauderdale in 2014 and I opted to leave the ship. No Customs form was required. I was given an In Transit pass and went through Custom and Immigration line like everyone else. However, the agent simply checked the name on the passport and waved me past. I was not allowed to carry anything off the ship besides items on my person or a small purse (no backpack, etc.)

 

In both cases (and I think this is the critical part), Customs considered the B2B to be a single trip with regard to Customs limits.

 

To the OP - just do whatever it says on the Consecutive Cruiser memo and what they tell you at the Consecutive Cruiser meeting. Just keep in mind the limits when you buy stuff to bring back.

[spookwife]

WOW! I am glad I asked. Thanks for the heads up. I guess we won't be buying anything the first cruise, although it may look funny when a customs slip shows zero dollars in purchases for the first cruise.

 

 

we almost never buy anything that needs to be declared. a zero dollars amount is quite common.

[Desert Cruizers]

Merion Moms, we were in the US once we arrived from Sydney during the Transpacific and b2b for the Hawaii to Vancouver. I only was letting Bob know what we experienced in our first b2b coming from Sydney and arriving to the first US Port, Lahaina.

 

Flacruiser99, I don't believe we did either once we arrived in Vancouver. I almost forgot how many we did fill out LOL. One for arriving in Sydney one for leaving on the Transpacific which was 9 days post the NZ cruise.

Edited June 18, 2014 by Desert Cruizers