'Random' customs screening at Port Everglades

I got pulled over in Tampa when the see-through scanner showed something by my left hip. No implants, change or anything else and I was wearing a light silk dress with no room to hide anything. Patted down, wanded and the agent could not believe there wasn't something there. I even pulled up my dress to show no surgical scar on my hip.

Do find my Global Entry to be the best $100 I ever spent.

Sue

Was "randomly selected" for additional customs screening at Fort Lauderdale. Turned out to be the best thing ever and I was left wondering what the heck happened. After about 6 or 8 of us being called out of the whole ship a worker led us past thousands of people waiting in line to get off the ship (oaisis). We passed everyone, they held up the line at the escalator so we could get on, they let us duck the rope to grab our bags then led us to an empty customs line and the end of the room. The guy said "welcome back" looked at our passports and said we were all set. Probably saved us 2-3 hours. Wondering if the $2000 watch I bought flagged me for customs or was it really just random? It was seriously the best thing ever. Went from being on the ship to in the parking lot in 10 minutes. This happen to anyone else?

I was pulled aside at the terminal in Newark, NJ after a cruise to Bermuda. I had TSA precheck, but they said they detected gunpowder on me. They took me aside and swabbed my hands and patted me down twice. My wife was upset as this was occurring. I'm a retired Police Officer and felt that this is just part of their job. It didn't really bother me. I'm 70, white, and didn't have a large sum of money after a week in Bermuda. I like to think I play by the rules. While on the Police Department, as to the "random" checks, when we would have a roadside check on vehicles, we would check say, every third or fifth vehicle in order to not profile. We would bend over backwards to be impartial.

Randomized once at FCO where security pawed through and swabbed every item in my carryon (we have Global Entry which includes TSA Precheck). Not that much fun but good to see them doing random inspections. On the other hand, last time though VCE Delta printed our two boarding passes with the same name and we went through security and immigration without a hitch. I caught the error just prior to boarding and informed Delta...which quickly reissued a correct boarding pass.

I have encountered such random screenings when entering the US at airports (used to fly internationally a lot so the odds of hitting one was much higher). Have not encountered them on cruise ships, but having them would be consistent.

 

What makes you think that it was not random?

"May the odds be ever in your favor..."

Just happened to my daughter getting off in PE. Had to stand there until they "chose" 5 other women who all coincidentally had purchased jewelry on the ship. But it was a 40 min wait on deck. Then the port agent came up and got in a mouth battle with the ship person pulling people out of line. Then handed off to another port person. Finally got taken to a room to be questioned. All ladies there had purchased jewelry on board. My daughter bought $35 earrings. Others had spent $800-2200 The worst part was, they then told her to go find her luggage. She told them she had valet and the last she saw it was 10:00 last night when she put it in the hallway. Another 20 min and no one knew where it was. She went to find another Porter who went back in the terminal to find it. He then came out and said it had been released to valet. We will see if it shows up when we get to our home airport. An hour delay. It was a big deal to us! In this case, since all had purchased jewelry onboard, I do not feel

It was totally random. Bad way to end a perfect cruise !

I always claim everything, even when I had 5-6 bottles of booze (only allowed 2). All they can do is charge me customs, but it's not worth doing the paperwork. I just got waived thru.

I know someone who didn't claim a piece of jewelry many years ago and got caught. They didn't approve him for Global Entry because of it.

Just happened to my daughter getting off in PE. Had to stand there until they "chose" 5 other women who all coincidentally had purchased jewelry on the ship. .. In this case, since all had purchased jewelry onboard, I do not feel

it was totally random. Bad way to end a perfect cruise !

If the screening was indeed not random, it would imply that either the ship's admin folks or the shop managers were in cahoots with US Customs. (or maybe the women were all wearing the jewelry?)

My DH was selected for secondary screening at the airport in Vancouver, US customs coming back from our Alaska cruise. They asked him if it was only his belongings in the suitcase. He replied NO, it is a combination of both of our dirty laundry. I don't fold the dirty laundry it is in a bag so I can launder it when I get home. The inspector poked a stick in the bag and and a pat down for DH and he let us go. I don't think he really wanted to go through our dirty clothes. I kind of felt bad for the man...Think of all the crud he has to look at when he gets stuck on the dreaded secondary screening duty.

There's 'truly random - or as much so as technology allows' and then there's 'human element random' where the (hopefully) subconscious biases of the security minion/border agent etc. are in play. I was 'randomly' selected literally every time I ever flew anywhere from the UK from age 18 to 25 - while there was no ethnic bias involved as I look totes the generic pasty white Scotsman, the fact I had long hair and usually wore a leather jacket was almost certainly why. From the day I cut my hair for my first 'real job' I have never been randomly-selected for any extra flight security/customs check, despite traveling much more often since and of course security being considerably upgraded from those days...

I don't see how a cruise terminal selection could be anything but random.

 

They have no idea who you are when you are passing through the building.

Well, we've been "randomly" selected 3 times after cruises. They've gone completely thru our suitcases every time, going thru every piece of clothing. My girlfriend is significantly younger than me and she's black and I'm white. It doesn't seem random to us at all. Out of the 5 cruises we've been on together we were selected 3 times. We actually expect it now. It usually holds us up for at least a half hour. Its happened after 2 celebrity cruises and a carnival cruise.

We did luggage valet on Equinox. Put bags out night before like everyone else. Walked off ship and were questioned by TSA officer. Asked if we purchased anything. Jewelry, liquor, etc, to which I replied , yes. Told him 7 bottles of booze, ooops. Rules say only 2 bottles. Let me go as I was being honest, but told me 2 bottles in future. Funny thing is, the guy in the liguor store onboard never mentioned that. As a matter of fact, not the first time with multiple bottles going home. And anyhow, bags were outbound to airport I thought. One other time was stopped after exiting Summit in Bayonne, taken to side room, questioned randomly, and let go ? Bought an expensive piece of jewelry on the ship, so don't know if that had something to do with it.

We did luggage valet on Equinox. Put bags out night before like everyone else. Walked off ship and were questioned by TSA officer. Asked if we purchased anything. Jewelry, liquor, etc, to which I replied , yes. Told him 7 bottles of booze, ooops. Rules say only 2 bottles. Let me go as I was being honest, but told me 2 bottles in future. Funny thing is, the guy in the liguor store onboard never mentioned that. As a matter of fact, not the first time with multiple bottles going home. And anyhow, bags were outbound to airport I thought. One other time was stopped after exiting Summit in Bayonne, taken to side room, questioned randomly, and let go ? Bought an expensive piece of jewelry on the ship, so don't know if that had something to do with it.

People in store won’t say anything ... it is customs rules. They are usually in cruise paper. Same rules as in airports when you enter a USA. You can also bring to US up to $800pp of goods ($1200 if visited St Thomas), 1 carton of cigarettes (5 if visited St Thomas)

Cruise lines used to give special custom forms where you put all info.