US Immigration Question

[charlielinda]

Our ship will be going to San Juan, San Thomas, Key West and then back to Tampa. Will we have to go through U.S. Immigration on the ship before we get off the ship at each of these ports? I'm assuming the answer is yes but wanted to check with my smart friends on cruisecritic. Thanks

[wrp96]

What other ports are you visiting? And in what order are you visiting them? That determines whether you will have to go through immigration in each port or not.

[GORDONCHICK]

You'll go through immigrations at the first US port after the last foreign port. Example:h if San Juan is the last foreign port, and then you stop in Key West, you'll go through immigrations before anyone can disembark in Key West.

[Roland4]

Given that San Juan and St Thomas are both US Territories, and assuming there are no other port stops you have not mentioned, then there SHOULD be no Immigration formalities. Having said that, Immigration will still board to clear the crew and the passengers will still have to clear US Customs at whichever of Key West or Tampa is the first "mainland" port after the islands. They don't call St Thomas the "Disneyland of Shopping" for nothing!!!

[MI-DI]

I dont think San Juan is a foreign port..???

[wrp96]

Okay I just looked up your ship. You will have to go through US immigration in San Juan and Key West, but not St. Thomas. When you get back to Tampa you won't have to go through immigration but you will have to go through Customs.

[Roland4]

Okay I just looked up your ship. You will have to go through US immigration in San Juan and Key West, but not St. Thomas. When you get back to Tampa you won't have to go through immigration but you will have to go through Customs.

 

Assuming the ship is going from St Thomas to Key West I don't believe that is correct. We have been on several cruises that went from St Thomas to Miami/Ft Lauderdale and have not had to clear Immigration before disembarking.

[wrp96]

Assuming the ship is going from St Thomas to Key West I don't believe that is correct. We have been on several cruises that went from St Thomas to Miami/Ft Lauderdale and have not had to clear Immigration before disembarking.

 

There are additional stops other than San Juan, St. Thomas, and Key West on both of Zenith's November itineraries. They visit a foreign port in between St. Thomas and Key West so they will have to go through immigration again in Key West.

[charlielinda]

wrp96: THANKS so much for all your great information. From the information you gave I gather that since we leave Tampa and then go to Grand Cayman and other ports which are foreign we need to go through immigration in San Juan . . . since the next stop is St. Thomas we don't need to go through immigration in St. Thomas because we just were in San Juan. Then we go to other foreign ports before Key West so have immigration there but not in Tampa which is the next stop and only have customs in Tampa. Did I get this right? I'm so glad I have smart friends on cruisecritic.

[wrp96]

wrp96: THANKS so much for all your great information. From the information you gave I gather that since we leave Tampa and then go to Grand Cayman and other ports which are foreign we need to go through immigration in San Juan . . . since the next stop is St. Thomas we don't need to go through immigration in St. Thomas because we just were in San Juan. Then we go to other foreign ports before Key West so have immigration there but not in Tampa which is the next stop and only have customs in Tampa. Did I get this right? I'm so glad I have smart friends on cruisecritic.

 

That's exactly right.