Does Using a Porter When After Debarking Help Speed Up USCIS/Customs Clearance

I was wondering this when we debarked off the Paradise recently. We opted to have a porter help us with our bags. There was one line for people with a porter to us and a few other lines for those without. It didn't seem that either line was backed up all that much, but getting off a Celebrity cruise last year, it seemed like the porter got us past a much longer line that those without were having to wait in. So is having to tip the porter worth a potentially shorter line to get through customs and immigration. Anyone else have any experiences related to this?

it sure is in Galveston. not in Houston though.

Depends on the port. I believe in LA/San Pedro, if you used the porters, your luggage is at the front of the line, but you're still in the back ;)

As noted, it can vary, depending on the port. Some ports have "porter only" line (making it somewhat quicker, but not necessarily). Others, the porters use the same line as everyone else.

And now that you have posted this, there will be a line to get porters and the people who really need porters will have to wait because others are using the porters to get through customs quicker. If this is indeed a loophole, keep it to yourself please. I hate to see older people who really need a porter, or people with young children and lots of equipment standing and waiting.

Please realize I am not suggesting you do not use a porter if you need a porter. But please don't advertise to the world that they should get a porter to get on a shorter line.

I do know that we once traveled with an aunt who was in her late 80s. She could not handle the long lines, in fact she stayed on the ship in several ports. To disembark we came down at our allotted time to get a wheelchair to take her off. We had to wait a good hour and a half for her turn to get a wheelchair. So if you saw us "cut" the line with the cruise staff, just know that we waited up front a lot longer than we would have if we could have just gotten our luggage and went on the regular customs line.

Granted, I have not been in every port that exists. However, in the 5-6 I have been in, there are more than enough porters to go around, so that should not be a concern. Add that fact to the fact that a small percentage of cruisers read Cruise Critic, and EGG's post will not create a problem.

EGG, in 20 cruises, I never used to use a porter, because I was cheap and just wanted to do things myself.Wait times for Customs ranged from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Having heard this little tidbit of information, I decided to give a porter a try this year. I used a porter on disembarkation Feb and April 2015 and both times we not only got through Customs more quickly (in Tampa there was a dedicated line for porters, not so in San Juan) but the porter also took our luggage outside and hailed a cab for us in Feb and found our shuttle driver for us in April. The time from our "DING" to get off the ship till we were on our way was less than 10 minutes.:D Well worth a $5 tip, I say!

In NYC it totally makes a difference. It's money well spent.

We have disembarked in FLL many times and always used a porter. I don't think it made much difference for getting through the line faster but it was more comfortable for us as we didn't have to lug suitcases along the line.

I recall in New York that porters tended to push themselves of people without porters - so, to the extent people without porters let them shove ahead: yes. But, otherwise no.

I'm not so sure it helped much all our Boston Debarks but it certainly didn't make it slower.

Disembarking QM2 in Brooklyn there was a separate line for passengers with very large loads of trunks and boxes, all of whom had engaged a porter. But the porters assisting the elderly and handicapped with normal sized bags just brazenly pushed themselves to the front of the regular line.

At Port Everglades there is usually a separate porter line at customs, but I have also seen the porters required to stay with their passengers and snake through the line where there are insufficient agents. And this past November I observed the Princess ground agents at disembarkation telling those with BC & DL rather than passport they must wait in the regular queue, porter or no porter.