Boston Immigration for UK Passengers

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We are due to dock in Boston as a first US port in September, on a ship sailing from the UK with virtually all passengers being UK nationals.  I know US immigration can take a long time to complete in many US ports for Brits, with some passengers not being able to go ashore until the afternoon.  Our ship will be in Boston for two days, likely because of that, I suspect, but does any UK national have first hand experience of immigration in Boston?

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by tring

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I have now seen a moment elsewhere that on previous cruises with this itinerary, the US immigration officials have boarded at a Canadian port and processed immigration on the ship before arrival in the US.

 

I am now hoping that system is still in place for Boston, as otherwise some ports can take many hours for everyone to be cleared (a UK cruise ship did not get clearance for some passengers until late afternoon in New Orleans last March)..

 

 

[GTJ]

9 hours ago, tring said:

I have now seen a moment elsewhere that on previous cruises with this itinerary, the US immigration officials have boarded at a Canadian port and processed immigration on the ship before arrival in the US.

That's the way it should be, though my focus on saying that is travel by railroad more so than by ocean vessel. New York-bound trains from Montréal travel two hours to the international border, then sit in the station for more than one hour while customs and immigration officials go through the train inspecting all passengers. Why can't those U.S. officials board the train in Montréal and complete their inspection while en route? (There is a plan to have U.S. pre-clearance in Montréal before boarding, but that seems forever-delayed, and it would still require more total elapsed time than inspection while enroute.) It is good to know that it is practicable for U.S. officials to do their inspections while enroute aboard ocean vessels.

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42 minutes ago, GTJ said:

That's the way it should be, though my focus on saying that is travel by railroad more so than by ocean vessel. New York-bound trains from Montréal travel two hours to the international border, then sit in the station for more than one hour while customs and immigration officials go through the train inspecting all passengers. Why can't those U.S. officials board the train in Montréal and complete their inspection while en route? (There is a plan to have U.S. pre-clearance in Montréal before boarding, but that seems forever-delayed, and it would still require more total elapsed time than inspection while enroute.) It is good to know that it is practicable for U.S. officials to do their inspections while enroute aboard ocean vessels.

 

It is possible it it used just for UK ships.  A ship from the same company, on a round trip from the UK, with the first US port of New Orleans in March, docking early morning.  It was almost 5pm when the last passengers were cleared and that is what is often reported about other US ports.