Debarkation, Duty Free and Customs

[drolltroll]

We were on the Ecstacy just over a year ago out of Charleston and we encountered the strangest thing and I was wondering if that was a one off or something. Everyone that bought alcohol or cigarettes in the duty free shop that week received a letter the night before the cruise ended that said we needed to meet in a lounge really early the next morning to go through customs. That was a nightmare and we did not even purchase over our duty free allotment. There were two CBP stations set up in that lounge with CBP checking the declaration forms and carnival scanning your Sail and Sign cards after you were checked. This scan allowed you to get in line and be scanned off the ship because if you did not go to that lounge and get scanned first, you would get buzzed and sent up to the lounge anyway if you tried to exit without going to that lounge first.

 I have never experienced this on a cruise before and we have taken many. I especially could not understand it for those of us not purchasing over the duty free allotment.

 Was that something unique to Charleston and are they still doing that? Are they doing this at all ports now?

 We are on the Horizon in a few months and if I have to go through that again, duty free will be off limits!

[xitappers2bx]

We experienced something similar to this on another line out of NYC... it was really weird, but I wonder if this is CBPs way of cracking down on smuggling or some other nonsense.  

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

I would imagine it is just a random procedure just like at an airport or other border crossing. I do remember some other post about people who made large jewelry purchases being asked to do the sane. They are just trying to keep everybody honest.

 

I would like to point out, while you mentioned that you didn't go over your limit in the ships stores, you could have, as well as others made purchases on shore as well.

 

hope you had a great cruise

[wesorbeth]

We got off the Glory from New Orleans Sunday, nothing like this.  I bought my Mom 2 cartons of cigarettes and 6 liters of alcohol for us, no issues at all.

[drolltroll]

It must be random but it was a sure fire headache!

 

[serene56]

curious if you stopped at another US port before coming back home

[groundloop]

Was this only for purchases made at the duty free shop onboard, or did it also include those who bought alcohol or tobacco back on board from a stop?

[drolltroll]

On 10/30/2019 at 6:35 PM, Nic6318 said:

Hi

 

I would imagine it is just a random procedure just like at an airport or other border crossing. I do remember some other post about people who made large jewelry purchases being asked to do the sane. They are just trying to keep everybody honest.

 

I would like to point out, while you mentioned that you didn't go over your limit in the ships stores, you could have, as well as others made purchases on shore as well.

 

hope you had a great cruise

We don't ever make such purchases on shore. The trigger was the transaction in the on board duty free shop, seems like the letter even stated that.

[drolltroll]

On 10/31/2019 at 9:47 AM, serene56 said:

curious if you stopped at another US port before coming back home

We stopped in San Juan but the other ports were nothing to do with the US.

[drolltroll]

On 10/31/2019 at 4:15 PM, groundloop said:

Was this only for purchases made at the duty free shop onboard, or did it also include those who bought alcohol or tobacco back on board from a stop?

It was directly tied to the purchases in the on board duty free shop.

[marshhawk]

The last two times we cruised we didn't even have to complete declaration forms.  Besides a picture from the ship, one in port, and a carton of smokes, we hadn't purchased any thing.  Oh, a 15 dollar ring on board the ship, forgot about that one. LOL.

[groundloop]

On 11/3/2019 at 9:29 AM, marshhawk said:

The last two times we cruised we didn't even have to complete declaration forms.......

 

It was explained to us that US Customs has recently changed their procedure, instead of completing declaration forms the Customs Agent at the port will simply ask if you have anything to declare.  We have yet to have them ask, in fact on our cruise to Cuba in April we brought back a dozen bottles of Cuban rum, it was all clearly visible in our wheeled crate and the Customs Agent just waved us through.

Edited November 4, 2019 by groundloop