Customs question

[Annicruise2014]

This is our first cruise and we're on Allure (don't think that matters for this question, but just in case.) How does customs work?

 

I am planning on purchasing a few souveniers, possibly a coach purse for my daughter as she "collects" them, and some liquor. And who knows what else. If they are packed in my checked luggage or carryon, is there a difference? What do I "claim"? How do I know what "taxes" I pay? Do they search your carryon or checked bag? What if I don't list everything I have purchased? Is everything I purchase on the ship or at the ports "duty free"?

 

I know, alot of questions but I have never done this before and although i don't want to pay more than I have to, I don't want to be dishonest and get in trouble. Would they even know?

 

I have read stories of people not claiming items and getting in trouble verses not getting caught.

 

Thanks for any info good or bad.:)

[Clarea]

It does not matter how you pack your items. You claim everything you bought on the trip. Here is some info:

 

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/454/~/duty-free-exemption,-gifts

[xxoocruiser]

This is our first cruise and we're on Allure (don't think that matters for this question, but just in case.) How does customs work?

 

I am planning on purchasing a few souveniers, possibly a coach purse for my daughter as she "collects" them, and some liquor. And who knows what else. If they are packed in my checked luggage or carryon, is there a difference? What do I "claim"? How do I know what "taxes" I pay? Do they search your carryon or checked bag? What if I don't list everything I have purchased? Is everything I purchase on the ship or at the ports "duty free"?

 

I know, alot of questions but I have never done this before and although i don't want to pay more than I have to, I don't want to be dishonest and get in trouble. Would they even know?

 

I have read stories of people not claiming items and getting in trouble verses not getting caught.

 

Thanks for any info good or bad.:)

 

You are to claim ALL purchases of items being brought back into the country. Whether they are packed in you luggage or hand carried makes no difference .

 

Yes Customs agents can search anyone's bags. Whether or not yours will be searched no one on this forum can say for certain.

 

Duty free purchases on board ship and purchased in port must also be claimed . Items that are sold as Duty Free only means the selling agent (i.e. store merchants) did not have to pay certain taxes that would have normally been added into the selling price. It doesn't mean that you won't have to pay duty on it upon your return to the port.

 

If you purposely don't claim items and that is discovered by the customs agent there are consequences for such action. The consequences depends on the items and value not claim.

 

It should also be noted that the Cruise Lines are required to turn over a list of all on board purchases exceeding a specific amount (thought to be $1,000) to customs agents before the ship is even cleared for debarkation. The people stated on that list will be contacted to meet the on-board custom agents before even debarking from the ship.

 

Here's a link to the customs form for you to review. The actual form will be delivered to you cabin the day before disembarkation. http://www.immihelp.com/immigration/sample-us-customs-declaration-form-6059b.pdf

Edited July 1, 2014 by xxoocruiser

[goneclear]

You will be given a US customs Form to fill out.

You can most likely find the Form online.

It is CBP FORM 6059B

 

It states at the back for U.S. Residents: "Declare ALL articles that you have acquired abroad and are bringing in to the US"

[CruzieSue]

We were advised on our first cruise to just keep the list simple (back page if you are looking at the sample form provided above). And unless things have changed, you only have to do one form for your family group - not individual forms for each individual person. I just kept a rough running list of things we purchased on the ship and while out on excursions and then listed something like "t-shirts, clothing", together and the ballpark amount for all of that, "miscellaneous souvenirs", "Jewelry" for a couple of bracelets I had purchased on the ship and an amount for that, "hammock chair" (which my husband was carrying) for a gift we had purchased, etc. We have never purchased liquor to bring back and did not have any food items (rum cakes, vanilla, etc.) so I can't address how that should be handled. Just lump groups of things together and give one amount - thus, keep it simple. Each time the customs person just basically glanced over the form to be sure it was all filled out, confirmed the name on the form with the name on the passport, and that was it. Really nothing to sweat about unless you are trying to return with something you know you shouldn't. :rolleyes:

[LA_CA_GAL]

Just do not list your Cuban cigars.

[bouhunter]

99% of passengers are waived on through customs with no questions about purchases. I think the exception (no duty) is 800pp or 1600 per couple. List some things on your declaration and you'll likely just walk on through unless you list LOTS of dollars in purchases. As for booze, they often ignore that too. But claim it if you must and maybe they'll care or maybe they won't:D I suspect there are hundreds of people passing through customs off cruise ships every day who bought way over the limit in jewelry and don't claim it and aren't being charged duty.

[gkny]

Almost everyone is waived through but just be honest on your purchases. Changing subjects which I found interesting was on our Princess cruise this past May, we gave our customs forms to the pursers desk. They kept our filled forms and they gave it to customs. U.S. Citizens could just walk off the ship without being questioned by a Customs Officer like my wife and I.

[Big_G]

We purchase absolutely zero items to bring home and the wife is always worried that one day we'll get held up by a suspicious customs officer because we always claim zero items. :rolleyes: I figure I can't be the only one. I told her if she's that worried, go buy something nice. :D She hasn't taken advantage yet.

[FLACRUISER99]

We were advised on our first cruise to just keep the list simple (back page if you are looking at the sample form provided above). And unless things have changed, you only have to do one form for your family group - not individual forms for each individual person. I just kept a rough running list of things we purchased on the ship and while out on excursions and then listed something like "t-shirts, clothing", together and the ballpark amount for all of that, "miscellaneous souvenirs", "Jewelry" for a couple of bracelets I had purchased on the ship and an amount for that, "hammock chair" (which my husband was carrying) for a gift we had purchased, etc. We have never purchased liquor to bring back and did not have any food items (rum cakes, vanilla, etc.) so I can't address how that should be handled. Just lump groups of things together and give one amount - thus, keep it simple. Each time the customs person just basically glanced over the form to be sure it was all filled out, confirmed the name on the form with the name on the passport, and that was it. Really nothing to sweat about unless you are trying to return with something you know you shouldn't. :rolleyes:

I have never filled out the form on the back only the amount on the front.

[CruisinCrow]

We purchase absolutely zero items to bring home and the wife is always worried that one day we'll get held up by a suspicious customs officer because we always claim zero items. :rolleyes: I figure I can't be the only one. I told her if she's that worried, go buy something nice. :D She hasn't taken advantage yet.

 

No, you're not the only one. We had a customs agent question us once when we had zero purchases. It wasn't an interrogation, he just said something like, "Nothing?" We told him we left all our money at the casino and the bars. :) He commented that people who cruise more tend to buy less.

[foxgoodrich]

Duty Free means that you're not paying any kind of sales tax or import tax at the time of your purchase. As someone pointed out, you could still have to pay duty (or import tax) when you come back into the US if your purchases are above the exemption amount.

 

The exemption is $800 per person ($1600 for a couple.) I keep a list in the cabin of stuff we've bought, both on the ship and in port, and just add to it each day. At the end of the cruise, when I fill out the customs declaration, I categorize everything from my list since there are only 6 or 7 lines on the back of the form. Then I put the amount next to each category - Kind of like this:

Clothing 80

Misc Souvenirs 25

Toys 40

Jewelry 150

Liquor 40

Total $335

 

So, since $335 is less than the $1600 exemption we would have as a couple, we would owe no duty and we will be waved through Customs. If we had exceeded the $1600 exemption, then the next $2000 of our purchases (that's $1000 per person) would be taxed at 3% duty.

 

There is a limit on the quantity of duty free liquor you can bring back, so if you're bringing back more than the limit, you'll pay a little duty on your liquor. We've never exceeded that limit (typically we only buy 1 or 2 bottles), and I don't remember what it is - sorry!

 

We have had a cruise or two where we didn't buy anything that wasn't consumable and consumed on the trip, so we declared 0 on the form - it wasn't a problem.

 

They do have the right to search your luggage, but this very rarely happens. I've actually never seen anybody having their luggage searched when returning from a cruise. I've seen it several times in airports when I've flown back from foreign countries, but never in a cruise port after a cruise.

 

I have seen a Customs officer ask someone to show him the jewelry they bought on a cruise - an expensive watch - but I believe that was only to determine if the watch was made from precious or non-precious metal. (The cost of the guy's watch exceeded the exemption amounts, so Customs needed that info to figure the rate of duty on the excess above the exemptions.)

 

Don't stress out about Customs! It's really a pretty easy process and you'll be fine. Have a great cruise!

Judy