LoganTheCruiser

My family and I are going on a Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise departing Vancouver. It ends in Seattle. It stops in Victoria BC as it's last stop before Seattle. We would love to get off early in Victoria, rather than sail back to Seattle with the ship, and spend more time exploring Victoria. I submitted a request with Royal but it was denied and they said because of the "Canadian Coasting Trade Act." Does anyone know if this is accurate? 

It also feels a little unnerving to know that we couldn't get off whenever wanted to. Almost like we're hostages. I understand forfeiting the remaining nights on your room if you left a cruise early, but for them to actually say, no, you can't get off, you're a hostage until the end...? What if I got sea sick and wanted off early? 

6 minutes ago, GimmeOcean said:

And they facial scan you at customs.

That's okay. I shop at the same face mask store that Ethan Hunt uses.

22 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

Generaly there are not because of the PVSA which requires a stop at a foreign port but there are Hawaii cruises on NCL that have an exception so they depart from Hawaii and return to Hawaii without a foreign port.

Ah! That's right. I completely forgot about the Passenger Vessel Services Act. And because all cruise lines are registered abroad for tax reasons, that makes sense. Thank you! I will look into trying to find an NCL cruise with that exception.

4 minutes ago, gmerick said:

One does not NEED a passport for a lot of cruising.  US News just posted this.  Go to Bermuda, Bahamas, and much of the Caribbean.

Thanks, but it also says this: "Non-U.S. citizens, with the exception of Canadians and Mexicans, are not subject to passport exceptions, so a valid passport will need to be provided."

I'm trying to find a cruise that departs from the USA and returns to the USA and doesn't stop in any other countries. Was hoping for a Seattle to Alaska cruise, but they all stop in Victoria BC. Was hoping for a Seattle to Hawaii cruise, but they all seem to leave or return to Vancouver. I have a friend from Ukraine who is here on parole status and cannot leave the USA for a couple of years per the conditions of the parole so they can attain permanent residence here. So I'm trying to find a cruise that would work for them for us to go on together that doesn't involve any international stops and thus no customs upon returning.

I did an Alaska cruise back during COVID and they removed the Victoria BC stop because Canada was closed. That was perfect because there was no customs when we got back to Seattle as a result. 

Is anyone aware of any options? Even just a short 3-day to Coco Cay wouldn't work because Coco Cay is technically considered the Bahamas and you have customs upon arrival back in Florida (as stupid as that is). I even spoke with a Port Canaveral CBP officer about this and they said while it's a "very low risk" that my friend would have a problem re-entering with the status they have, there's no guarantees and it's always up to the individual discretion of whatever CBP officer you happen to be standing in front of. That's just not a risk they can take, however low. So I'm trying my best to find something domestic with no customs upon return.

Thanks for your help!

I understand the new cruise terminal has been under construction since last year. Is it done? Is everything running smoothly now? It says my cruise departs at 11:59pm but the latest embarkation time I saw was 5pm. Does anyone know if it's possible to board later than 5pm? What if my flight is delayed and I can't get there sooner? If I showed up to the port at 9pm and the ship still wasn't going to leave for another 3 hours, would they really just wave at me for 3 hours and then sail away? The customer service rep at NCL I talked to said YES. 

Does anyone know the answer to this? I'm curious as well. NCL is showing the latest embark time as 5pm but the ship doesn't leave until 11:59pm, so if I showed up at 9pm, would they just wave at me for 3 hours and say nope sorry, goodbye? 

On 4/7/2023 at 3:43 PM, orville99 said:

Unfortunately for the OP, the line shown in the video is only too real. We see it every time we debark a cruise in PC. We always get a chuckle out of the fact that people we have seen from our balcony rolling off their own luggage first thing in the morning (sometimes with 5-6 large suitcases) are still in that line as we breeze through the other side of the terminal where the porters go.

Where is this secret magic line where all the porters go that allows you to breeze through? How do I find this line? Do I just follow the luggage carts or something?

On 4/7/2023 at 1:25 PM, orville99 said:

In Port Canaveral, you go through the CBP Facial Recognition system before you get your luggage. Regardless of whether you checked your luggage or if you are rolling your own off, everyone has two choices - grab a porter and be out of the terminal in five minutes, or stand in line with everyone else who decided to save a few bucks after spending thousands for the cruise. You made the more costly choice to save a few bucks and your choice cost you that time. 

No, I did not make that choice. I was never offered another option. Where and how do I even "grab a porter," if I don't have any bags? 

Can any of you guys invite me on your next cruise? I want to cruise with you because there’s no delays when you guys go! 😛

I’m on my next Royal cruise in 2 weeks. Wish me luck. (Chances are it will make the news for having the longest disembarkation delay in history. 😂)

27 minutes ago, orville99 said:

If that was Wonder (and I presume in Miami prior to last December), then it had to be prior to them installing the facial recognition systems, or you got in the wrong line. We have sailed Wonder multiple times since she moved to Port Canaveral, and have never spent more than 10 minutes getting off the ship, through the terminal, and back to our car.

There was no wrong line. There was only one line. The line shown in the video. It was absolute chaos. And correction: the video was taken at Port Canaveral when I got off Wonder. But in Miami I had a huge line as well.

2 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 
I have cruised out of Port Miami 13 times in the last year, from both Terminal A and G, and I literally have not stopped walking from the time I left the ship to the time I got to the garage on all 13 cruises. My experience has been the same at both Port Canaveral and Port Everglades (multiple cruises at both ports). 

I’m convinced the ship docks at a different terminal when I’m on board. Everyone else has a smooth experience, except me and my fellow passengers. 

Ya’ll better hope you’re not on the same ship I’m on I guess is the lesson from this thread since no one has any problems on their cruises. Every cruise I’m on grinds to a halt when it comes to disembarking. Disembarking was paused by CBP on BOTH of my last Royal cruises because the terminal got too full. Must just be me that causes all the problems with lines on disembarking 😆

12 minutes ago, poocher said:

Yes, this was at Miami terminal for Explorer in October (not the big one for the Oasis class).  There were agents monitoring but we did not have to interact with them.  Are you an international spy????

Not an international spy. Just unlucky I guess!

24 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Any specifics as to why it takes 1-2 hours to get off.  Many ports have facial recognition technology (FRT) and therefore no need for long lines or showing of passports.  On my recent Anthem cruise in February, it took me exactly some 20 minutes to leave ship, get my luggage and go thru customs and on to the garage.  25 minutes later I was home.

 

By the way the same time frame when I sailed Oasis for Miami in early December.

 

Ps.  TSA is experimenting with FRT at selected airports.

Okay, you guys don't seem to believe me. I took a video. Here's the 95 minute customs line I waited in after getting off Wonder recently.

22 minutes ago, orville99 said:

It works this way as long as you are a U.S. citizen carrying a valid passport, and as far as I have seen in our past 17 cruises since the restart, not dragging all of your own luggage off of the ship.

I'm a U.S. citizen solo cruiser, always carry-on bags only. One roller bag, one backpack. It shouldn't take me an hour + to get through a line to get off the ship considering this. But it does.

26 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Same deal at Port Canaveral.

Again, they must remove all of this fancy new tech when I go through as I was through Port Canaveral back in November and there were zero kiosks.

32 minutes ago, steamboats said:

It´s not offered for US departures as the ship has to be empty prior to the boarding of the next passengers.

 

It used to be available in Europe and the sticker was 35 or 39 Dollar. But it never reappeared since the ships started again after the Covid-19 break.

 

steamboats

Ah, interesting! So the ship being empty prior to boarding of next passengers is a U.S. rule and RCI was allowing there to be crossover in Europe?

33 minutes ago, Tlbecker1 said:

We have been to the Miami port 5 times in the last 4 months.  It is super easy and the facial recognition makes it super fast.

It must not be out on the days I'm there. They must see "Logan" on the manifest and remove all of the facial rec kiosks in advance. 😅

Just now, orville99 said:

When was the last time you went through customs in Miami? 

17 days ago.

6 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Miami does have separate lines for US citizens, that line is further segregated by passport holders and non passport holders.

Where's the separate US citizen line at the Miami Royal Caribbean terminal? I look every time I'm there, never see it. I asked a customs agent if there's a separate line last time I went through. He said no. Am I living in the same world as you? lol 

7 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

We always do self assist departure, in the las 5 years or so I can't ever remember more than 20-30 minutes passing from the time i was "beeped" of the ship, until i was standing on the sidewalk waiting for my ride.

 

You rarely even see a CPB agent any longer with the new facial recognition kiosks.

 

To answer your initial question, the late departure" program isn't offered in the US

I don't know what terminals you're being dropped off in, but I have never not had to see a real CBP agent when getting off the ship. You're saying you just go up to a kiosk that takes a picture of your face and then you walk to the street and don't interface with a live person at all? Where is this? 

4 minutes ago, SG65CB said:

There can be a line to get off the ship since you need to have your SeaPass scanned, then another line to go through customs. 

 

Once you are off the ship and pick up your bags, if you hire a porter to transport your bags they will take you to a separate customs line and bypass all the people waiting to go through customs. Grand Suite and above passengers along with Pinnacle members have a separate line to bypass the crowd waiting to go through customs too.  

 

In ports like Miami it is so quick to go through customs using facial recognition that they do not need separate lines. 

 

I always carry my bags on and off as I only have one small roller bag. But you're saying that if you hire a porter to transport your bags then that comes with getting access to a separate less busy customs line?!

What about when you don't collect your checked bags until after customs? In Miami, you collect before customs. In Barcelona, you collect your bags after passport control. 

Your statement about Miami is incorrect. As mentioned just above, I had the longest customs line (or any line for that matter) that I've ever experienced in my life getting off Wonder in Miami. Why they don't even have a separate line for citizens, I don't understand. The disorganization and chaos during disembarkation has always astounded me. I've been on 10 cruises in the last 2 years.

11 minutes ago, poocher said:

Brought us to the front of the gangway where they scan you off the ship.  Luggage is also in a separate area so easier to find.  IMO, it was the best Suite perk.  We went from finishing CK breakfast at 8:40 to getting in the car at 9.

Our last cruise was out of Miami & with facial recognition, I don’t think we broke stride going through customs.

That's it? The priority departure you get with a suite is that they just bring you to where they scan you off the ship? I've never waited in that line for more than 10 minutes myself, so I don't see that as a big perk. I thought they escorted you all the way off the ship, through the terminal, and to the front of the customs line. THAT would be way more valuable.

2 minutes ago, kernow said:

I've only ever seen the late departure offered on certain European itineraries, don't know if they do it on US cruises at all. Strangely enough on cruises outside of the US we've never really had any lines and even in US ports don't think we've ever waited hours, perhaps we've been lucky. We usually just sit in a lounge somewhere and wait until the crowds have gone down a bit.

US CBP is severely understaffed and they like to ask everyone 50 questions, including citizens. When I got off Wonder in Miami, it was, I kid you not, a 95 minute customs line. Even worse, right before getting off the boat an elderly woman with trouble walking asked an officer how long the line is in the terminal and they told her 15 minutes. I thought "Oh good, should be pretty easy." Got off and into the terminal and I saw the longest line I've ever seen in my entire life. I'm not exaggerating about 95 minutes. I timed it. 

Europe is better, but still a problem. It took 50 minutes when getting off Symphony in Barcelona. 20 minutes of that was due to a hold as customs stopped anyone else from getting off the ship because the terminal was too full.