St. Thomas/US Virgin Islands

[Nessi1984]

I have heard that you have to go through customs in St. Thomas. If it is considered part of the US Virgin Islands why go through coustoms?:rolleyes:

[4FRCruising]

I have heard that you have to go through customs in St. Thomas. If it is considered part of the US Virgin Islands why go through coustoms?:rolleyes:

 

If you sail directly there from US Port, you don't need to go through immigration. If you stop at any port in between (example, sail from FLL to Bahamas 1st), then you do.

[msmayor]

If you sail directly there from US Port, you don't need to go through immigration. If you stop at any port in between (example, sail from FLL to Bahamas 1st), then you do.

 

I wondered about this myself.

 

My itinerary has us going Miami/San Juan/St. Thomas/St. Maarten/Miami.

 

Since San Juan is a US Territory as well as St. Thomas, can I then assume that we will not have to clear customs in either of those ports and that we'll only clear customs upon our return to Miami?

[Cruzman]

I believe that your assumption is correct.

[Nessi1984]

Our first stop is Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, Carnivals private island, so I can see since we will be technically in the Bahamas first, that we would have to do customs. Makes sense. Thanks

[newmexicoNita]

I have heard that you have to go through customs in St. Thomas. If it is considered part of the US Virgin Islands why go through coustoms?:rolleyes:

It isn't really customs, but imigration. The reason, it is the first port of re-entre into a US territory. By doing this you will not have to do the customs thing. Yes, when you disembark the customs people will be there, but it is much easier than in the "olden days" NMnita

[JC Butterfly]

I don't understand the purpose of going through imigration. Like are they looking for people who may have "snuck" on the ship? If so, how does this check in do any good? Or is this when I report anything I may have purchased while abroad?

 

My itinerary: FLL/St Martin/St.Thomas/Princess Cays/FLL

 

So, I am on foreign soil, then domestic, then foreign, then domestic.

 

So am I essentially repeated the same procedure twice? (I have just never done this before)

[98Charlie]

Our first stop is Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, Carnivals private island, so I can see since we will be technically in the Bahamas first, that we would have to do customs. Makes sense. Thanks

 

You will not be ``technically'' in the Bahamas, you will be in the Bahamas at Half Moon Cay, even though the island is ``technically'' owned by Carnival and its derivitave companies.

 

Dianne

[Plant]

I don't understand the purpose of going through imigration. Like are they looking for people who may have "snuck" on the ship? If so, how does this check in do any good? Or is this when I report anything I may have purchased while abroad?

 

My itinerary: FLL/St Martin/St.Thomas/Princess Cays/FLL

 

So, I am on foreign soil, then domestic, then foreign, then domestic.

 

So am I essentially repeated the same procedure twice? (I have just never done this before)

 

Hi JC Butterfly,

 

It doesn't make sense to me, either! All you do is take your passport (or BC & ID) to the appointed place at the time you're told, usually about 7:30 or 8:00 AM. The immigration officer will take a cursory glance, and then you're done.

 

If someone has "snuck" on board at the previous stop there's no way they'd know. It's just because you're coming into the US.

 

When you disembark to go home :( you hand your customs form to the customs official then you go through immigration again.

 

All I can tell you is that that's the way the government works :D .

[Ms411]

I think the ships submit their passenger lists to immigration the day before they enter the US port, and immigration checks against that list. I always thought that it was to ensure that the ships do their part in adhering to US regulations for travelers coming into the US. After all, there are foreign nationals on the ships (they check crew, too), so they have to make some attempt to verify that the passenger manifest is correct, and that all documents are current.