Has anyone been caught smuggling coming off the ship?

[pj woods]

We had a big discussion at work today about smuggling coming off the ship. Mostly about cigarettes. I know they allow 1 carton per adult but at 25 dollars a carton I can't resist getting as many as I can afford. Last cruise I took 15 cartons off the ship. So my question is has anyone been caught try this or somthing similar.

[Phlybice]

We take off 5 at a time.

[PittsburghGirlee]

Nope.....and we take DOUBLE that off:D

[jimbo5544]

We have seen people pulled into a room by customs on declarations (or lack there of) on several occasions.

[elliair]

Does Carnival turn over purchases that you made on your S&S card? That would be one way of getting caught--you might be flagged by customs.

[jamesr3939]

Since it's not an illegal substance they will make you pay the duty plus a fine for not declaring. If it concerns you ask what the duty is and if it makes sense just declare them and pay it. I know the duty use to only apply to stuff you carried in and anything shipped from a foreign port wasn't counted toward your duty allowance. We shipped a bunch of Christmas gifts FedEx from Canada (I might have put a few Cuban cigars in there) and we never paid duty.

[jimbo5544]

Does Carnival turn over purchases that you made on your S&S card? That would be one way of getting caught--you might be flagged by customs.

Yes they do.

[Vitamin_Sea]

We smuggled fruit and cereal boxes off a couple times.. haha

[jimbo5544]

We smuggled fruit and cereal boxes off a couple times.. haha

You are a wild man. LOL actuallu fruit can be a major offense.

[VeggieGirl83]

You can bring back a "reasonable" quantity of alcohol and cigarettes (reasonable being, you can't bring such a quantity back as to sell). I know that they only advertise the duty free allowances and never actually say that you can buy more, but you can. My husband and I bring back a case of rum every cruise. You just need to declare it. They may or may not make you pay the duties on the bottles that are over the duty free allowance. On one cruise we were not charged any duties on the case and another time we paid around $5 in total duties. Just talk to the cashiers in the shops onboard and they will tell you about it.

 

Please don't be scared...it is NOT illegal :) Once a customs agent told us that it was "excessive" and we couldn't bring back that much. We insited that she talk to her supervisor...she was wrong and we walked out with our liquor.

[nomadron]

Nope! My still full rumrunners made it off the ship too! :D

[Vitamin_Sea]

You are a wild man. LOL actuallu fruit can be a major offense.

 

Living on the edge :p

[ldlewis45]

Living on the edge :p

Failure to declare agriculture products is a minimum $300 penalty. And yes, I am a CBP Agriculture Specialist.

[OCruisers]

Does Carnival turn over purchases that you made on your S&S card? That would be one way of getting caught--you might be flagged by customs.

 

Just confirming what "Jimbo" said ... Absolutely they do!

 

LuLu

~~~~

[cv322]

I always buy 15 or so cartons & always declare them. Duty is $10 per carton.

 

And with regard to the fruit...One time, a few years ago, I was randomly pulled over for an "agriculture inspection". They brought me to a separate room, opened my luggage & went through it. I didn't have any...but they said they examine about every 50th person disembarking ;).

[fireman935]

Carnival has no ideal what you bought in port... Pay cash. We always declare what we bought just cause so what if the charged us a few extra $'s on a few extra bottles. I am under the assumption its only like 2 $ a bottle and only like 2 $ for cigarettes. if you had 15 30$ more so what!!!

[MIZZ_K]

In 12 cruises I've never was pulled to the side, on my most recent cruise I came home with 10 bottles of alcohol and 4 cartons of cigs, in August I had 8 cartons and maybe 10-12 bottles of booze.

[2 cruzen]

Does Carnival turn over purchases that you made on your S&S card? That would be one way of getting caught--you might be flagged by customs.

 

Don't know the answer to that, but you can buy cigs cheap in certain ports, like St. Thomas.

[terryinal]

Does Carnival turn over purchases that you made on your S&S card? That would be one way of getting caught--you might be flagged by customs.

 

They had me go to custom because I spent over 1500 in the shops. Customs told me to get out.

[jimbo5544]

Just confirming what "Jimbo" said ... Absolutely they do!

 

LuLu

~~~~

 

We had somebody in our group get snagged. Pulled them in a room asked them again, then pulled out their sign and sail. All over but the tears from that point.

[fouremmetts]

Just off a cruise that ported in my favorite shopping place - St. Thomas! We spoiled ourselves this year and bought a tad over the allowance (try around $8000 in jewelry). Since we didn't buy on ship, we didn't put anything but the one bottle of booze we had in a bag we were carrying on the declarations. When disembarking, I wore most as did my DH. The customs guy looked right at me and the form and asked "No new jewelry this trip?" I said "Nope, not this time" and off we went. :D

 

Oh and Secret deodorant does work!

[oldmedic]

Oh and Secret deodorant does work!

 

 

?????????

 

explain please

[rdler]

I got snagged coming into Miami a few weeks ago. I had 6 cartons of cigarettes, which I declared. I figured I'd pay the duty.

 

Well, they practically strip searched me, and I was with my son. They told me I couldn't pay duty and they would have to destroy the cigarettes.

 

And they actually did take them from me.

[fouremmetts]

Oh and Secret deodorant does work!

 

 

?????????

 

explain please

 

Just my way of saying that I was sweating the entire time and it didn't show! Whew! :rolleyes:

[boaterette]

I got snagged coming into Miami a few weeks ago. I had 6 cartons of cigarettes, which I declared. I figured I'd pay the duty.

 

Well, they practically strip searched me, and I was with my son. They told me I couldn't pay duty and they would have to destroy the cigarettes.

 

And they actually did take them from me.

That by law is what they are supposed to do if bringing over the alowance of cigs made in the states. If made out of the country then you can pay duty on them.