Customs in Portland

[AKR2011]

Hello,

 

I received an email from the tour company that I booked in Portland concerning our scheduled tour. We are supposed to arrive at 11am and tge tour leaves at noon and is a 20 minute walk away. The tour operator is worried about customs. Is anyone familiar with the amount of time it takes to go through that? Should I cancel this tour? I appreciate any help. Thanks, all!

[tring]

53 minutes ago, AKR2011 said:

Hello,

 

I received an email from the tour company that I booked in Portland concerning our scheduled tour. We are supposed to arrive at 11am and tge tour leaves at noon and is a 20 minute walk away. The tour operator is worried about customs. Is anyone familiar with the amount of time it takes to go through that? Should I cancel this tour? I appreciate any help. Thanks, all!

 

I do not know the specific port, but worldwide the ships have to be cleared before anyone can get off and clearance usually takes a good half hour, perhaps nearer to an hour at some ports.  Also, although ships are often in a bit earlier than scheduled, it could be later, or the schedule could change nearer to the arrival date.  Not something I would consider risking and even sounds like the tour company are thinking the same.  You will not be alone in wanting to leave he ship either, so you cannot expect to be walking down the gangway as soon as the ship is cleared.

 

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by tring

[1025cruise]

Is Portland your first US port? If so, you will need to clear immigration.

[AKR2011]

20 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

Is Portland your first US port? If so, you will need to clear immigration.

Yes, Canadian ports before that. So I should cancel our tour?

[jdavid]

Why would the tour company leave without its guests from the ship? Before cancelling, I would ask if other guests aboard are part of the tour 

[AKR2011]

10 hours ago, jdavid said:

Why would the tour company leave without its guests from the ship? Before cancelling, I would ask if other guests aboard are part of the tour 

This was the email. I also followed up to see if he could offer another tour later in the day since it would likely get full too,  ht that was a no. I guess tgis is not the best company to use unfortunately: 

 

This is Derek with The Real Portland Tour in Portland, ME. I am reaching out to folks who have booked my 12:00 tour on August 30th that may be arriving on the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship that day. The ship is arriving at 11:00 from Canada, which means folks arriving on this ship will have to go through customs, which takes a very long time here in Portland, sometimes a couple hours or longer. My tour starting point is a 15-20 minute walk from the terminal, and is not coordinated with the cruise ship schedules in any way. If you are arriving on this ship, you will not make it on time for the 12:00 tour. I am a one man company with one vehicle, and my tour is a public tour that sells out daily to customers visiting here who are not on ships. I have a no refund/reschedule policy within 24 hours of the tour time, so if your ship makes any last minute changes, or you are delayed getting through processing and miss the tour, you will not be refunded or rescheduled. The tour will be leaving promptly at 12:00. I make sure to make this clear ahead of time to any cruise ship passengers that may have booked my tour, so they know the risk they are taking if they want to keep their booking. The tour sells out with 13 people in the van. I unfortunately have no room for animals, walkers/wheelchairs, or luggage in the van. If you are arriving on this ship and need to cancel your booking, please let me know.

[jdavid]

Well that is quite clear. I do a few private tours in Halifax if my schedule allows and they are dedicated only to Cruisers so am 100% flexible to the ships arrival. 

[1025cruise]

At least the tour provider is being honest and letting you cancel.

 

[AKR2011]

12 hours ago, jdavid said:

Well that is quite clear. I do a few private tours in Halifax if my schedule allows and they are dedicated only to Cruisers so am 100% flexible to the ships arrival. 

Do you have any lighthouse tours? Let me know! 😀 My parents have their lighthouse passports and were so looking forward to this tour. Such a bummer 🙁

Edited June 30, 2023 by AKR2011

[princeton123211]

On 6/28/2023 at 6:39 PM, AKR2011 said:

The tour operator is worried about customs

They're not worried about Customs-- you aren't going through Customs. You're going through Immigration. Ships typically clear Immigration ahead of time before arrival and by the whole ship. 

[1025cruise]

7 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

They're not worried about Customs-- you aren't going through Customs. You're going through Immigration. Ships typically clear Immigration ahead of time before arrival and by the whole ship. 

Not the case for the first stop in the US. A face to face with an agent is required. I'm not sure exactly how its handled in Portland, but I have heard it can be a mess. I know in Bar Harbor, they come aboard either the first tender or the pilot boat and set up shop. You're not allowed off the ship without visiting them, and aren't allowed back on until they are done.

[jdavid]

18 hours ago, AKR2011 said:

Do you have any lighthouse tours? Let me know! 😀 My parents have their lighthouse passports and were so looking forward to this tour. Such a bummer 🙁

There are many lighthouses in Nova Scotia. We even have a Lighthouse Route. The most famous of all lighthouses is in Peggy’s Cove. It is the most visited and photographed. Many cruisers take this tour but it tends to me a visit of less than an hour. There is a lighthouse that can be viewed as you come in the harbour and their is one on George’s Island across from where your ship docks. I am not aware of a specific tour dedicated to Lighthouses only but I’m sure one can be designed easily. Here is pic of the Peggy’s Cove light I took a few days ago.