Bringing back extra?

I am heading out on my first cruise in a couple weeks, it is the Fantasy out of charleston.. What is the likelihood of being searched by customs coming back? And if caught with extra booze and cigarettes what's the penalty or can you just say to Hell with it and they keep it? Thanks!

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I am heading out on my first cruise in a couple weeks, it is the Fantasy out of charleston.. What is the likelihood of being searched by customs coming back? And if caught with extra booze and cigarettes what's the penalty or can you just say to Hell with it and they keep it? Thanks!

 

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I don't know what the chances are, but I can tell you that we had nothing in our suitcases, about $100 in souvenirs total and somehow "got lucky" and had customs take special notice of us (for who knows what reason) and had our suitcases searched. First cruise in 24 years and we got searched. Go figure. The guy was going through my husband's pockets in his suitcase, sprayed suntan lotion out of our bottle of it on to a glove and questioned the nitro I had in my pocket (I have a heart condition/have had 2 heart attacks).

Chances are small you'll be searched, percentage-wise, but a certain amount of people get searched and you may/may not be that person.

What would be your reason for avoiding customs? The price of liquor on board or in port is so cheap and you want to avoid possibly paying up to a 10% (last I knew) duty if asked to do so. :confused: The penalty for evading is not even worth the problem.

We have brought back up to 12 bottles, declared everything and the guy just smiled and off we went. Play fair and most of them will to. Try and make them look foolish and ....well you get the drift. Or do you?

We have brought back up to 12 bottles, declared everything and the guy just smiled and off we went. Play fair and most of them will to. Try and make them look foolish and ....well you get the drift. Or do you?

We brought back the big bottle of Crown, the big bottle of Jack, the big bottle of rum (the ones in the ship store) and we had bought 8 more bottles of different rums in the ports and they let us by without paying more. The thing that got me was our 17 year old daughter was carrying the bottle of Jack and they never questioned it. (it was not for her!! :eek: )

We never claim the 5 cartons of cigarettes that we get on each cruise though. I would be a little upset if they took them from me but I don't think they would allow me to keep them if I claimed them. If they ever find them they can take them and I would not say a word. I would just be hoping that I didn't get a fine.

I agree with you play fair and most of them will too. ;)

My cabin mate bought 10 bottles of liquor and 17 cartons of cigarettes, and declared them all. The fine on the cigarettes was close to $200. The fine on the liquor was pretty small. And the fine was CASH ONLY. I've gone through with one extra bottle of liquor and declared it and had them not blink. YMMV.

The customs guy asked us if we had any booze. I told him we had 3 bottles, but they had been purchased in Florida, and confiscated by the cruise line, and returned that morning. He just grinned & waved us thru.

First off there is no real limitation on tobacco, spirits, or purchases, it is a duty free limit meaning you will not have to pay extra on those select items till you go over a certain amount. Except for a few select states, like TX about liquor (& it only applies to TX residents returning there after an international trip), overages will not be confiscated or destroyed if declared for personal use.

Next if you claim the items on the customs form there is no fine, you may have to pay the duty on any overages which is a form of import tax and in most ports these are minimal. Last year on 1 cruise returning to NYC I had 8 cartons of cigarettes (that I paid $200 in total for) and was assessed $70 in duties for. On the second cruise of that year that returned to NJ I had 5 cartons of cigarettes and 4 liters of rum with no assessment. On our first cruise (honeymoon 23 yrs ago) over $2500 in jewelry was purchases & 5 liters of alcohol, I think we paid like $50 for going over the (then) $800 dollar consumer product per adult limit but nothing on the liquor. It does all seem to be up to the mood of the CBP agent checking the paperwork if you will be assessed at all.

Now if you don't declare your purchases made and not consumed while at sea or from ports in essence you're smuggling. These can lead to fines beyond the duty amounts and possibly worst since it maybe considered a federal offense. Does that mean that everyone that "incorrectly" fills out the the customs form will be detained for a more thorough search of their luggage? No it's doesn't, but those that intentionally fill out the form completely wrong and get caught may have to do more than declare "Mea culpa, I forgot about that. What's the tariff owed?".

Thank you for answering the question!

First off there is no real limitation on tobacco, spirits, or purchases, it is a duty free limit meaning you will not have to pay extra on those select items till you go over a certain amount. Except for a few select states, like TX about liquor (& it only applies to TX residents returning there after an international trip), overages will not be confiscated or destroyed if declared for personal use.

Next if you claim the items on the customs form there is no fine, you may have to pay the duty on any overages which is a form of import tax and in most ports these are minimal. Last year on 1 cruise returning to NYC I had 8 cartons of cigarettes (that I paid $200 in total for) and was assessed $70 in duties for. On the second cruise of that year that returned to NJ I had 5 cartons of cigarettes and 4 liters of rum with no assessment. On our first cruise (honeymoon 23 yrs ago) over $2500 in jewelry was purchases & 5 liters of alcohol, I think we paid like $50 for going over the (then) $800 dollar consumer product per adult limit but nothing on the liquor. It does all seem to be up to the mood of the CBP agent checking the paperwork if you will be assessed at all.

Now if you don't declare your purchases made and not consumed while at sea or from ports in essence you're smuggling. These can lead to fines beyond the duty amounts and possibly worst since it maybe considered a federal offense. Does that mean that everyone that "incorrectly" fills out the the customs form will be detained for a more thorough search of their luggage? No it's doesn't, but those that intentionally fill out the form completely wrong and get caught may have to do more than declare "Mea culpa, I forgot about that. What's the tariff owed?".

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