What is the customs protocol on arrival to port?

[makawe]

What is the protocol when disemarking the ship? So if our ship arrives in Noumea at 8am, what time can we realistically expect to be off the ship and through customs? Is the customs process similar to the process if we were coming off an airplane?

 

Is the process quicker/different for tender ports?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Brisbane41]

You can easily be off the ship within half an hour if you are ready to disembark as soon as it docks. The crew will present customs the manifest and details of all passengers and the only inspection that happens may be quarantine if they are present as you are coming off the ship. The ship handles all the x-ray screening as you return.

[makawe]

Oh that sounds incredibly easy, thanks for that Brisbane41.

[kuldalai]

I assume you are on a cruise that is calling at Noumea but that you are not disembarking there ?

 

Immigration & Customs are two different things .

 

Immigration :

 

Most cruise lines will retain your Passports on boarding .

 

For ports of call the ship is cleared by the Immigration Authorities and pax are allowed to go ashore. Usually this takes 30 - 60 minutes after arrival .

 

Disembarkation - Pax will be given their Passports and go through Immigration usually after leaving the ship.

 

Customs : At ports of call you may be suject to hand baggage inspection on arrival, or when re boarding.

 

On disembarkation you may be subjected to a customs search .

[MicCanberra]

Very easy indeed.

[Russell21]

Have never had my passport taken by the ship on Princess or Carnival, don't know about the rest.

[MicCanberra]

Have never had my passport taken by the ship on Princess or Carnival, don't know about the rest.

 

I have but not for any of the pacific islands like New Caledonia, Tahiti or Vanuatu.

[OzKiwiJJ]

We just did a PNG and Vanuatu cruise. Our passports stayed in the cabin safe until we arrived back in Australia. There were no immigration or customs checks at any of the international port stops. Our first port of call coming back to Australia was Brisbane and we had to go through immigration there, but didn't have to go through it again when we dismbarked in Sydney. We did have to fill in the customs forms for both ports though.

 

On some cruises we've been on Australian immigration comes onboard before the first Australian port stop after an international port, and does the processing onboard during sea days.

[happysnapper]

The routine can change, depends on the countries you are cruising in. Very simple, as mentioned above, in South Pacific Islands. China and America different.

[GUT2407]

Have never had my passport taken by the ship on Princess or Carnival, don't know about the rest.

 

I have but not for any of the pacific islands like New Caledonia, Tahiti or Vanuatu.

 

Princess took ours in Bali.

 

Not in NZ.

[NSWP]

We have had our passports taken at check in many times on Princess and P&O UK overseas. They get returned morning of embarkation, you go collect them from reception. My advice..take a pohto copy of your passports for identification or in the worst extreme your passport gets lost in the system.

 

As for Customs/Immigration Offices boarding your ship, aaah, they love that, straight up to the Buffet in droves, get stuck into the big brekky. They often get a bag of goodies to take home too. Perks of the job, so to speak.

Edited October 15, 2016 by NSWP

[Russell21]

Princess took ours in Bali.

 

Not in NZ.

 

Bali would have been to process the Visa.

[GUT2407]

Bali would have been to process the Visa.

 

Yep I guess so

[lyndarra]

We've never had our passports held. Have cruised Australia, Asia and US.

The only time the ship has asked for passports is to stamp them with visa then we got them back immediately, once for Indonesia and once before disembarking in San Diego.

[MicCanberra]

The routine can change, depends on the countries you are cruising in. Very simple, as mentioned above, in South Pacific Islands. China and America different.

 

Can add quite a few more countries to that list.

[MicCanberra]

We have had our passports taken at check in many times on Princess and P&O UK overseas. They get returned morning of embarkation, you go collect them from reception. My advice..take a pohto copy of your passports for identification or in the worst extreme your passport gets lost in the system.

 

As for Customs/Immigration Offices boarding your ship, aaah, they love that, straight up to the Buffet in droves, get stuck into the big brekky. They often get a bag of goodies to take home too. Perks of the job, so to speak.

 

Nothing to see here.:p

[mummyrose]

In 2010 there were a select number of passangers sent letters to meet with officials early morning from assorted nationals...... I got chosen out hubby didn't. .....and we were told no one would be allowed off until we had been processed through

 

Sent from my SM-N900 using Tapatalk

[Calabazar]

not just a perk, a legal requirement :)

 

 

CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 188

 

Boarding

(1) The power of an officer to board shall extend to staying on board any ship, aircraft or installation and the Collector may station an officer on board any ship, aircraft or installation, and the master or pilot shall provide sleeping accommodation in the cabin and suitable and sufficient food for such officer.

 

Penalty: 30 penalty units.

[The_Big_M]

A nice perk, even better legally sanctioned.

Edited October 15, 2016 by The_Big_M

[MicCanberra]

A nice perk, even better legally sanctioned.

 

I suppose it makes a job seem more like Werk.;)

[NSWP]

not just a perk, a legal requirement :)

 

 

CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 188

 

Boarding

(1) The power of an officer to board shall extend to staying on board any ship, aircraft or installation and the Collector may station an officer on board any ship, aircraft or installation, and the master or pilot shall provide sleeping accommodation in the cabin and suitable and sufficient food for such officer.

 

Penalty: 30 penalty units.

Indeed, add quality control at the buffet to the said legislation.