Going through customs on the Mariner in St. Thomas Question

[marcyjane]

Hi,

I've read on the boards that you go through custom on board before leaving the ship in St. Thomas and the line forms early. What all will we need besides our passports?

We have a tour that is booked for 11:00 am so we don't need to leave the ship until around 10:15 to 10:45.

will we need to go early and then wait til our time to leave the ship or will there still be the customs people there at 10:00 am & later.

Thanks,

Marcy

[shamrox91]

From what I recall we only needed Passport and Seapass card. The process was fairly quick but this is going off of my experience four years ago. Should be the same though.

[4TNCruisers]

Hi...just got off the Mariner and let me just say that this was my least favorite thing on the whole cruise. The line was crazy and disorganized. I would get there as early as possible! Seems to me that there should be a better way to do this. We had a tour at 10:00 and made it with a bit to spare. And yes all you need is your passport and seapass card.

[Magicat]

Whatever you do make sure you read where the Americans go and the non-Americans go. There were a lot of angry people in our non-American line as they were told to go there by customs personal only to find that they had waited over an hour in the wrong line. So far on all our Caribbean cruises, the Americans go to the theater and us non go to the dinning room. Hope this helps.

[PolishMermaid]

Everyone needs to clear customs before anyone can get off the ship. You will need to be there first thing even if you don't plan to get off the ship right away.

[marcyjane]

I sure thank you all for the replies.

Marcy

[KarinaGW]

On Mariner, last week:

 

US Citizens had to go to the Deck 5 part of the dining room and the non had to go to the Deck 4 part of the dining room. If you go first thing, the line will circumnavigate the ENTIRE promenade. If, however, you have no particular time constraints, go grab a bite to eat and get to the promenade shortly (15-20 minutes) before the final call time. The line, while not non-existant, will be quite reasonable and you will fly through in about 5-10 minutes. You need your passsport and seapass. You first get your seapass card scanned (so they can track who has and hasn't been), then the feds check your passport in the first part of the dining room and then the CD staff draw a smiley face (more or less...it does vary from cruise to cruise what they will draw) on your seapass to show you've been through as you leave.

[Langley Cruisers]

Just for the record, it's actually Immigration, and listen for the announcements and read your Compass to be absolutely sure where to go. There will be two lines, as stated, but they could be in completely different areas than mentioned in previous posts. Once you go through Immigration, you don't have to get off the ship right away - you could go back to your cabin or wherever until your tour time. But I do suggest going earlier rather than later, if you have a tour booked at 11.

 

Have fun; St.Thomas is amazing. :)

[Tabbymom]

We booked an excursion through RCI at 9:15 - I was assuming they'll expedite us through immigration - has anyone been in that situation? They wouldn't book us if they couldn't get us off the ship in time, right? :confused:

[critterchick]

Everyone needs to clear customs before anyone can get off the ship. You will need to be there first thing even if you don't plan to get off the ship right away.

 

We were able to disembark as soon as we cleared immigration on Mariner and on the Jewel. That's usually how it works, but sometimes they get pissy and make the entire ship clear first, at least that's what the CD on Jewel told us.

 

On Mariner they nominally had a schedule to clear - people with RCI excursions went first and then the rest of us were to go by deck. Nobody was checking anything and it went very quickly - we had to be in Red Hook (where the Ferry to St. John's leaves from) at 9:30, and made it with minutes to spare. So 11:00 is easy.:)

[poppyskim]

This whole process will be "so much fun"" for my teenage son whom does not come to life in the mornings until 11 or noon! Maybe we can just put him in the blanket and drag him down there;)

 

If no passport then we take our birth certs?

[me00930]

Just off the Mariner on the 1st of June. I don't think it wa terrible. We had some coffee in the Promenade Cafe and waited for the lines to go down. You will need your passport and seapass. You kidof walk in a circle through a dining room. But, with that being said, it was my least favorite line.

[Homebody]

We booked an excursion through RCI at 9:15 - I was assuming they'll expedite us through immigration - has anyone been in that situation? They wouldn't book us if they couldn't get us off the ship in time, right? :confused:

 

We also have a 9:15am RCI excursion booked. What time do they start checking? We don't dock until 9:00am :eek: and have to be at our excursion for 9:15.

 

Do the officials come on with the pilot and start checking then? I can't imagine them offering a 9:15 excursion if this was going to be a problem.

 

Anyone out there that has had a 9:15 excursion care to tell us how this went?

 

Thanks

[Laurie12820]

We had a PR cabin, when we woke up around 8 the line was back down to the Promenade Cafe. We decided to get some breakfast and shower before heading down as we didn't have a timed excursion planned. We were down there around 10:30 and there was a short line just to the Champagne Bar. We were in and out in ten minutes.

[AllieInMD]

yes - birth certificates if no passport. my kids were with me in '05 when we did this and they didn't have passports.

 

This whole process will be "so much fun"" for my teenage son whom does not come to life in the mornings until 11 or noon! Maybe we can just put him in the blanket and drag him down there;)

 

If no passport then we take our birth certs?

[AllieInMD]

In '05 we did it - hmm - think was Puerto Rico - I believe they started at 7am.

 

We also have a 9:15am RCI excursion booked. What time do they start checking? We don't dock until 9:00am :eek: and have to be at our excursion for 9:15.

 

Do the officials come on with the pilot and start checking then? I can't imagine them offering a 9:15 excursion if this was going to be a problem.

 

Anyone out there that has had a 9:15 excursion care to tell us how this went?

 

Thanks

[linkerbink]

We were able to disembark as soon as we cleared immigration on Mariner and on the Jewel. That's usually how it works, but sometimes they get pissy and make the entire ship clear first, at least that's what the CD on Jewel told us.

 

This may sound like a stupid question, but do you have to go through Immigration even if you don't intend to leave the ship? We've been there several times and probably won't leave the ship in that port. I can't recall if we had to do the Immigration thing in the past.

[kc320]

This may sound like a stupid question, but do you have to go through Immigration even if you don't intend to leave the ship? We've been there several times and probably won't leave the ship in that port. I can't recall if we had to do the Immigration thing in the past.

YES.......but no, it isn't a stupid question...ALL passengers have to clear immigration whether they are leaving the ship or not.."sometimes" the whole ship is delayed from debarking because someone skipped immigration...not always but you don't want to be the person who's name is called over the PA system over & over....

[linkerbink]

Thanks! I'll be a good girl and go!

[kc320]

Good...;) when we were on AOS last month we had to clear in St. Thomas... I had gone down to get coffee at about 8:00 and the line stretched all the way down the Promade...past the cafe...it was moving pretty quickly... we had our coffee..and some pastries...about 45 min. later we headed down & the line was gone...took about 10 mins. max to make the loop thru the dining room... sooo...if you aren't in a hurry to get off..take your time & go around 8:30-9:00 and be in & out...

[01821]

We booked an excursion through RCI at 9:15 - I was assuming they'll expedite us through immigration - has anyone been in that situation? They wouldn't book us if they couldn't get us off the ship in time, right? :confused:

 

We had an early excursion and had no problem. Went right through in a couple of minutes, at about 7:30.:)

[Tabbymom]

Thanks 1821 - so you don't have to wait til the boat docks at 9:00? :D I already convinced DH that we could all make an early excursion having forgotten about immigration. I was thinking of ordering room service breakfast for 8:00 but if we all have to be somewhere at 7:30 that may become a problem. I would really appreciate it if anyone that had a 9:15 excursion in St. Thomas could explain how it works!

[veryhotred]

Wow, I am heading to this port in November and did not know I had to do this!! Seems I learned something new again from here..lol..thank you!!

 

Why is it thought that I have to clear customs here?

[kc320]

Wow, I am heading to this port in November and did not know I had to do this!! Seems I learned something new again from here..lol..thank you!!

 

Why is it thought that I have to clear customs here?

 

You have to clear immigration because you are coming to a US Port after being in a foreign port....BUT.. it all depends on the order of your ports...IF you do not visit a foreign port first you won't have to clear immigration in St. Thomas....

[Homebody]

We will be going from Port Canaveral to Coco Cay, then St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and then back to PC.

 

Will we have to do immigration in St. Thomas and then again when we get back to PC? (because St. Maarten is in between St. Thomas and Port Canaveral) or just the last stop of PC?

 

I'm sure this is all a very simple process but it seems a little confusing to those of us who haven't had to do immigration in the middle of a trip before:o