Immigration & customs?

[LindaKE]

I keep reading comments about customs lines. We have only waited in line for customs once when on a cruise. That one consisted of the whole ship lining up and flashing their passport as each passenger walked by a customs agent. Only after the whole ship had done this could anyone go ashore in that particular port. We went through customs in the airport when we arrived in Vancouver. But one post I read said customs in airport is before you board. Most posts say that customs when you debark is the primary holdup to the line's movement, but we've never done anything but walk off the ship, grab our bags, and go. We haven't even seen customs agents. Have procedures changed or have we just hit really low security ports? It has been a couple of years since our last cruise, but all but one of our cruises were post World Trade Center.

[sail7seas]

Immigration is the inspection of people entering the country. What you reference about passing by Officials and showing your passport on the ship before anyone can go ashore is Immigration. It occurs (most of the time but not all) when the ship has been in a port other than U.S. and is returning to a U.S. port.

 

Customs is the inspection of things that are being brought into the country. Most usually in U.S. ports, you complete the customs form provided by the ship the last day of your cruise declaring all purchases you made outside the U.S. When you claim your luggage and are exiting the terminal building to go on your way, you hand that form to the Official standing at the exit way. If they wish to ask any questions or inspect anything, they will stop you. The vast majority of passengers are passed through and go on their way. Just because you are stopped does not mean they suspect a problem. It could simply be a random selection to stop a certain percentage or number of guests and you could have been the at random choice.

 

[paul929207]

It depends on the country involved. Remember, the cruise ship has a list of all passengers and their passport or other ID information. This is provided to the local authorities. Usually, this is enough for them.

[uppitycats]

I keep reading comments about customs lines. We have only waited in line for customs once when on a cruise. That one consisted of the whole ship lining up and flashing their passport as each passenger walked by a customs agent. Only after the whole ship had done this could anyone go ashore in that particular port. We went through customs in the airport when we arrived in Vancouver. But one post I read said customs in airport is before you board. Most posts say that customs when you debark is the primary holdup to the line's movement, but we've never done anything but walk off the ship, grab our bags, and go. We haven't even seen customs agents. Have procedures changed or have we just hit really low security ports? It has been a couple of years since our last cruise, but all but one of our cruises were post World Trade Center.

 

 

When we got off the ship -- in NYC -- after our cruise in October, 2008, indeed we had to go through customs. Our cruise started and ended in NYC, going to Quebec, Canada, and we encountered customs agents at our first Canadian port, and then when we got off in NYC at the end of the cruise.

[BruceMuzz]

I keep reading comments about customs lines. We have only waited in line for customs once when on a cruise. That one consisted of the whole ship lining up and flashing their passport as each passenger walked by a customs agent. Only after the whole ship had done this could anyone go ashore in that particular port. We went through customs in the airport when we arrived in Vancouver. But one post I read said customs in airport is before you board. Most posts say that customs when you debark is the primary holdup to the line's movement, but we've never done anything but walk off the ship, grab our bags, and go. We haven't even seen customs agents. Have procedures changed or have we just hit really low security ports? It has been a couple of years since our last cruise, but all but one of our cruises were post World Trade Center.

 

First, you need to know the difference between Customs Agents and Immigration Inspectors. They both work for CBP (in America at least) but they have very different duties.

 

From your comments I am guessing that you have only cruised on Lake Caribbean and have probably not been on a "real" international cruise.

 

On Lake Caribbean, the Immigration Inspectors frequently perform their inspections onboard the vessel. It's just a bit of show business that convinces the masses that America is safe from terrorists. You line up and stroll past the Immigration Inspectors, showing them your passport.

 

At the end of the cruise (if it ends in the USA), you need to visit the Customs Agents with your suitcases and blue Customs form. If the agents believe that you have spent less than $1,000 or so, they have no need for you and wave you quickly through the line.

 

It is quite easy for them to know how much you have spent, because most of the shops in the Caribbean - and all of the mass market cruise ships in the Caribbean - are required to report any large purchases to the US Customs people long before you finish your cruise. The US Customs people already know who they want to talk to, even before your ship gets back into US Waters.

 

Since most of today's Caribbean cruisers cannot afford to make any seriously large duty free purchases in the Caribbean, the number of people the US Customs people want to see personally is a tiny percentage of the passengers disembarking your ship.

[wrp96]

A lot of the procedures vary by port.

 

At the end of your cruise, you go through immigration and customs. At some ports, it is as easy as walking past the officer with your passport open and handing over the form to someone after you've grabbed your bags. At others, it is more involved.

 

Vancouver is a different experience. When you arrive by air in Vancouver you go through Canadian immigration at the airport. Then when you get to the pier, before you board the ship, you go through US immigration. At the end of your cruise, when you get off the ship you go through Canadian immigration. And then at the airport before you board a US bound flight, you go through US immigration again. This is because the US stations immigration agents in Vancouver to preclear US bound passengers (both by air and by ship), which means you don't have to do it upon arrival in the US.

[LindaKE]

Thanks for the clarification. We've never even seen anyone taking up the blue customs forms even though we've had it ready. I guess it is like Bruce said, we've only cruised the Caribbean and Alaska, which was a one way so we were in USA when the cruise ended. We'll cross over into Canada mid Canada / New England cruise, and will debark in Quebec, so I guess I'll see a little more of this when we fly home.

[kitty9]

You will go through US CUSTOMS before you board your plane in Canada. That's where you'll be handing in your blue Customs forms. Remember, you're going to need a passport for this cruise. When you fly into or out of a Canadian airport, you'll need a passport and not just a birth certificate.

[Taxguy77]

Sounds easier than going to dinner!:D

Most of our town used to go to dinner in Mexico (5 miles away) on Friday nite {except footbal season} but now?????????????

Horrible! Only once in a while. Waiters in Mexico are hard pressed to send their kids to top U.S. colleges now.

[sultan_sfo]

To further confuse or clarify -- flights from Canada arrive in SFO at the "Domestic Terminals". So both Immigration & Customs for the US is before one boards the plane at any Canadian Airport.