St. Thomas Immigration

[Slam308]

What is the process? Do you have to go through this if you do not get off the ship? How long does it usually take? Do you get off after your turn or wait until everyone is done?

Never been to this port before and any info would be appreciated.

Is this just St. Thomas or are there other Caribbean ports (I am assuming US territories) that require this.

[DiverDavid]

If St Thomas is the first port after a US departure port (like San Juan), you do not have to do anything. If the ship is coming from a foreign port to St. Thomas, everyone has to go through Immigration on the ship. Our experience a couple years ago on Adventure of the Seas was pretty painless. They set it up in the dining room. It was a long line, but it moved right along. They kept track of who came through so yes, you do have to go through even if you are not getting off. They hold letting people off until completed.

[PoohUnderstands]

You only have to go through St. Thomas immigration if it is your last port of call before returning to South Florida. You must go through immigration at the first US port after leaving the U.S. Since St. Thomas is American, that is why you go thru the hassle of immigration.

 

And yes, you must all go through immigration even though you don't get off the ship. Each ship tries to do it the best way possible, but it is still a hassle like the lifeboat drill is a hassle. When we did it on the Summit recently, the line literally was the whole length of the ship. We just made to best of it and was through in about 25-30 minutes. Then to breakfast to relax!

 

I just wish that they would put St. Thomas at the beginning or middle of the ports visited and then immigration would be a moot point!

 

Pooh

[Coralc]

Immigration in St. Thomas starts about 7:30. First call is for people with excursions, then Non-US Citizens, then everyone else. It concludes by about 9AM on Mariner. Each person has to present themselves to immigration, whether you are getting off or not. The line is long but it runs quickly. Both times we have been through it, on Enchantment and last week on Mariner, you are free to disembark after your card has been marked:)

[Slam308]

Thanks for the quick info.

We are going in March on the Mariner. Our only previous stop will be RC's private island of Cococay. Will we still have to do the immigration? (Is a private spot considered a US port?)

 

Strange...I've been checking around these boards for about three years and hadn't heard about this before.

Thanks again, Slam

[Coralc]

Isn't CocoCay in the Bahamas? If so, then yes, you will have to go through immigration, I believe. :)

[logan1_2000]

yes. coco cay is a bahamian island. that it is privately owned in its entirety is not a question of sovereignty. i own my house and the half acre lot it is on, but i'm still in the u.s. RCI did not declare independence, it just bought property. so early wake up in St. Thomas and immigration. I've done it twice on Disney, where the cruise line was organized well, but the U.S. Immigration service sent just two agents onto the ship, and one was slower than slow, so it dragged on as eventually the faster agent (how hard is it to do a perfunctory review of passports, especially since the cruise line has checked doc's a few times so gotta believe everyone is matching up w/ their doc's pretty well?) ended up checking about 3/4 of the guests.

[brn2crz]

You only have to go through St. Thomas immigration if it is your last port of call before returning to South Florida. You must go through immigration at the first US port after leaving the U.S. Since St. Thomas is American, that is why you go thru the hassle of immigration.

 

And to relax!

 

I just wish that they would put St. Thomas at the beginning or middle of the ports visited and then immigration would be a moot point!

 

Pooh

 

Maybe I am not reading or understanding right,but this does not seem to be correct to me.

We had to go to Immigration,prior to going to St Thomas (following Nassau) and went to St Martin the following day.

[madisonms]

You only have to go through St. Thomas immigration if it is your last port of call before returning to South Florida. You must go through immigration at the first US port after leaving the U.S. Since St. Thomas is American, that is why you go thru the hassle of immigration.

 

 

That info is not correct. You have to go through immigration when coming into a US Port from a foreign port. In the case of the cruises that stop at Nassau or Coco Cay (a foreign port) before going into St. Thomas, you go through immigration when coming into St. Thomas b/c it is a US Port.

 

To say you only go through immigration in St. Thomas b/c it is the last port of call is totally false. It doesn't matter at all if it is your 1st, 2nd or 3rd port of call. You also never go through immigration when going from 1 US Port to another.

[phantom728]

In January we were in San Juan first, did not have to go through immigration. Our second stop was St. Martin with St. Thomas being the 3rd stop.

Before we were allowed to leave the ship for St. Thomas we had to go through immigration. It was a painless process and took no more than 10 minutes.

[momofmeg]

What is the process? Do you have to go through this if you do not get off the ship? How long does it usually take? Do you get off after your turn or wait until everyone is done?

Never been to this port before and any info would be appreciated.

Is this just St. Thomas or are there other Caribbean ports (I am assuming US territories) that require this.

 

Yes everyone had to go through it even- if staying on ship-and they know if you did it or not as they scan your seapass-but it was no big deal-took 10 minutes max-and the immigration official just barely glanced at my passport and waved me on-no big deal.

 

I asked why Mariner did not do Nassau last and go to St. thomas first and I was told it had to do with scheduling ships in port-that RCCL had tried to arrange that Mariner go to St. Thomas first to avoid this problem-they had just not been able to do that. RCCL does not like this hazzle either- but it did seem both RCCL and the US immigaration officials had made this as painless as possible.

[momofmeg]

You only have to go through St. Thomas immigration if it is your last port of call before returning to South Florida. You must go through immigration at the first US port after leaving the U.S. Since St. Thomas is American, that is why you go thru the hassle of immigration.

 

 

That info is not correct. You have to go through immigration when coming into a US Port from a foreign port. In the case of the cruises that stop at Nassau or Coco Cay (a foreign port) before going into St. Thomas, you go through immigration when coming into St. Thomas b/c it is a US Port.

 

To say you only go through immigration in St. Thomas b/c it is the last port of call is totally false. It doesn't matter at all if it is your 1st, 2nd or 3rd port of call. You also never go through immigration when going from 1 US Port to another.

 

I understood what this person was trying to say-you are nitpicking a bit aren't you? But you are right if we go to a US port after going to a foriegn port this is necessary.

 

You know though this must be new. Back in 2001 BEFORE 9-11 we took an Alaskan cruise out of Vancouver, a non-US port. Our first stop was Ketchien, Alaska (a US port) and we did not have to go through immigration there. I wonder if this is a new procedure since 9-11.

[madisonms]

 

I understood what this person was trying to say-you are nitpicking a bit aren't you? But you are right if we go to a US port after going to a foriegn port this is necessary.

 

You know though this must be new. Back in 2001 BEFORE 9-11 we took an Alaskan cruise out of Vancouver, a non-US port. Our first stop was Ketchien, Alaska (a US port) and we did not have to go through immigration there. I wonder if this is a new procedure since 9-11.

 

Nope, not notpicking at all. The information given wasn't even close to being truthful. I simply stated the facts.

[gja360]

The last time I went through the St. Thomas Immigration on the ship it was in the dinning room. My fiance and I had become separted during the line splitting and I wound up with her ID and my birth certificate...the customs agent did not even notice that I did have the correct ID...he barley even looked at it!

[cinnarose]

The last time I went through the St. Thomas Immigration on the ship it was in the dinning room. My fiance and I had become separted during the line splitting and I wound up with her ID and my birth certificate...the customs agent did not even notice that I did have the correct ID...he barley even looked at it!

Grrrreat, that gives me a lot of faith in our border. I see a new, illegal way to get into the country, take a cruise! :D

[redcat72]

Sorry, this is not about St. Thomas, but about the immigration in general.

Our upcoming itinerary is: Baltimore, Freeport, Cococay, Key West, Cozumel, Port Canaveral, Baltimore.

We received the Bahamas immigration form in our docs. When will we have to go thru that immigration. Also, why is there no immigration form for Cozumel, Mexico??

[wrp96]

You'll turn in the Bahamas immigration form when you check in at the terminal. That is the only Bahama's immigration you'll have to go through. Mexico has different immigration requirements than the Bahamas - hence no immigration card required. You may have to go through U.S. immigration in Key West and again in Port Canaveral since you are stopping in a foreign port right before you stop there (I may be wrong about this).

[redcat72]

Thanks for the info - I like to be prepared!

[clott]

We have been taking cruises since 1997 and have always had to go through immagration in St. Thomas. Last week on the Mariner it was a breeze. They scanned your card and looked at passports and out the door you went. We didn't see a long line at all as we left the dining room

[Slam308]

Okay, one more question to throw in the works...

DH and I were thinking of leaving our passports at the purser's desk so they could be stamped on every stop. Any idea how this changes things? Do I get the passport back the night before to present the next morning or do the immigration agents have it there? Has anyone ever done this before?

I know, I'm full of questions....drives my hubby crazy too:rolleyes:

[Coralc]

Well...if you are doing the Eastern Caribbean on Mariner, the only place you really might be able to get it stamped is for St. Marten, which is after St. Thomas anyway. I haven't been to Coco Cay, but I rather doubt if there are any stamping sort of officials there. The Bahamas immigration forms are completed, I think, so that they can collect an entry tax without having to meet every ship and visitor.

 

Let us know how that goes. I have heard about passport stamping through purser's desk, but have never talked to anyone who has actually had it done. That seems like it would be more available in Europe and the Med.:)