Passport Question Re' Willis Island

On Sun Princess April 2nd to Cooktown and the itinary mentions duty free and Willis Island. Does this mean we will go through Customs and need to take our passports?

Frank

On Sun Princess April 2nd to Cooktown and the itinary mentions duty free and Willis Island. Does this mean we will go through Customs and need to take our passports?

Frank

hi frank, i think you need your pasport as you can duty free and when you disembark you have to go thru customs and immigration

rkmw

On Sun Princess April 2nd to Cooktown and the itinary mentions duty free and Willis Island. Does this mean we will go through Customs and need to take our passports?

Frank

Hi Frank,

You dont actually stop at Willis Is they only go to it as it is in international waters and they can sell Duty Free;)

As long as you're not going anywhere else 'outside' Australia other than Willis Island, you won't need your passports, or go through immigration.

Duty free concessions are only available if the cruise is calling at a port outside Australian waters. Simply sailing out of Aussie waters isn't enough, they legally have to 'stop' at a port overseas. That means lowering the anchor, which they promptly raise again, as they did on our cruise on Pacific Sun, to make it an official 'stop'.

So because the ship is calling there, they can sell duty free.

But since the passengers are not leaving the ship at any overseas ports, technically you won't need your passport.

I'd recommend you take it just in case, as i.d., but you won't need to go through immigration.

NO - we have done this same cruise that you are on and it just means that duty free is available because you sail outside of the area relating to customs for a short time. we got two bottles of scotch each and they were delivered to our cabin at end of cruise.

we went on pacific star 2007 7day cruise to nth qld went to willis inland it was duty free and didnt need a pass port

We are doing a week tropique cruise in Sept and have been told by our TA and P&O that we do not need our passports. The reason for the trip out to Willis Island (and 30 second drop anchor) is so the ship can not only sell duty free but also have the casino open as the operating licence states that the casino cannot be opened within australian waters unless the ship is visiting a foreign port (this comes from my brother who has worked in casinos all his life both on the seas and on land).

Rach

We are doing a week tropique cruise in Sept and have been told by our TA and P&O that we do not need our passports. The reason for the trip out to Willis Island (and 30 second drop anchor) is so the ship can not only sell duty free but also have the casino open as the operating licence states that the casino cannot be opened within australian waters unless the ship is visiting a foreign port (this comes from my brother who has worked in casinos all his life both on the seas and on land).

 

Rach

hi rach, we cruised to Hobart and back to Sydney on the Dawn Princess recently and we cruised in Australian waters all the time and they had the casino open but we could not duty free, when the Rhapsody cruised to Hobart they could duty free but not us

rkmw

Even if they say you do not need to have a passport, you will need a photo ID. A driver's licence would suffice. If you have a passport, take it with you. :):)

Evon.

Even if they say you do not need to have a passport, you will need a photo ID. A driver's licence would suffice. If you have a passport, take it with you. :):)

Evon.

yes this what we had to do

When we were looking around for our cruise both the TA & the Post office where we applied for our Passports said that no passports are needed for Willis Island just a photo ID ie Drivers Liscence.

Thanks to everyone for their advice. 19 days to go and really looking forward to our second SP cruise. The upgrade fairy arrived yesterday. We had booked HH Obstructed View and now have D category. It just keeps getting better.

Frank

Well done on the upgrade Frank...............we're still waiting .........la.de.da.de.da:D:D:D cheers Shiona

Thanks to everyone for their advice. 19 days to go and really looking forward to our second SP cruise. The upgrade fairy arrived yesterday. We had booked HH Obstructed View and now have D category. It just keeps getting better.

Frank

Congratulations. That's great!! Enjoy your cruise. :):)

Evon.

If you have passports - take them. You never know when circumstance will divert you from the planned route. Also log onto DFAT and advise of your planned itinerary.

Duty free only requires being outside the boundary (used to be 12 miles) & dropping the 'pick' is probably more for the benefit of crew training & currency because it is not something cruise ships normally do.