2nd to last port is in USA. customs there or when disembark?

[luckyinpa]

if you leave from the USA and on your way home you stop in a USA port  before getting to your USA disembark, do you have to get off the ship and do customs in that 2nd to last port instead of the last port? someone posted in another forum about this and gotta admit i never heard of this before.  seems like a pain if you werent getting off the ship and just wanted to enjoy it

[chengkp75]

11 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

if you leave from the USA and on your way home you stop in a USA port  before getting to your USA disembark, do you have to get off the ship and do customs in that 2nd to last port instead of the last port? someone posted in another forum about this and gotta admit i never heard of this before.  seems like a pain if you werent getting off the ship and just wanted to enjoy it

Don't know about getting off ship, this is frequently done on the ship, but yes, you will do immigration at the first US port, and customs at the final disembarkation port.

[luckyinpa]

i admit i never ran into this before. last time in NYC i just walked off and did facial recog. no forms to fill out or anything. was that customs or was that immigration? 

 

so what will likely happen on NCL in norfolk immigration wise. i admit i never differentiated between customs and immigration since it was never apparently in any other cruise i took

[chengkp75]

3 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

i admit i never ran into this before. last time in NYC i just walked off and did facial recog. no forms to fill out or anything. was that customs or was that immigration? 

 

so what will likely happen on NCL in norfolk immigration wise. i admit i never differentiated between customs and immigration since it was never apparently in any other cruise i took

In NYC you did both customs and immigration at the same time.  Most commonly, in Norfolk CBP will come onboard and ask for those passengers that they have questions about, or whose passports are from certain countries, or who have visas, to meet with them.  Everyone else is free to disembark once the immigration officials are done.

[CruiserBruce]

35 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

i admit i never ran into this before. last time in NYC i just walked off and did facial recog. no forms to fill out or anything. was that customs or was that immigration? 

 

so what will likely happen on NCL in norfolk immigration wise. i admit i never differentiated between customs and immigration since it was never apparently in any other cruise i took

Facial recognition is about Immigration. Immigration is about you and your ability to enter the country involved. Customs is about property, items or money you might be bringing into a country. 

 

I have to admit Customs has become a fair less serious affair. But Immigration,  with the threat of terrorism has become more focused, and most significantly, more high tech.

 

But, as someone who, a couple decades ago, got a very thorough, but random Customs check, definitely understood the difference between Immigration and Customs. All because,  I believe,  I  declared a liter of limoncello in my checked bag.

[Charles4515]

18 hours ago, luckyinpa said:

if you leave from the USA and on your way home you stop in a USA port  before getting to your USA disembark, do you have to get off the ship and do customs in that 2nd to last port instead of the last port? someone posted in another forum about this and gotta admit i never heard of this before.  seems like a pain if you werent getting off the ship and just wanted to enjoy it

 

Have had that situation several times. Immigration  came onboard and passengers reported to a specific location to show documents. They had  staggered times, I think alphabetically,  so you might have to stand in line 10 minutes or so in a lounge. We did not have to get off the ship. 

[Zach1213]

20 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

But, as someone who, a couple decades ago, got a very thorough, but random Customs check, definitely understood the difference between Immigration and Customs. All because,  I believe,  I  declared a liter of limoncello in my checked bag.

 

Damn...I bring alcohol back from a high percentage of my 20-30x yearly international trips and have never once been searched. 

[Charles4515]

17 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

 

Damn...I bring alcohol back from a high percentage of my 20-30x yearly international trips and have never once been searched. 

 

I was searched flying back from a weeks land vacation Iceland a few years ago. It must have been a random search. What was annoying was that the officer made a big deal about the paper customs form which I had not done because I have Global Entry and answered the questions on the kiosk. He had me fill it out. I did feel a little bad for the officer feeling through a weeks worth of dirty clothes. 

[luckyinpa]

posted for this weeks cruise. glad we wanna get off. not fun if you dont

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, luckyinpa said:

posted for this weeks cruise. glad we wanna get off. not fun if you dont

Glad to see we're protecting our "boarders".  

[luckyinpa]

15 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Glad to see we're protecting our "boarders".  

 i appreciate that protection.  i dont wanna room with any undesirables! so they can inspect my boarders anytime. 

[slidergirl]

4 hours ago, luckyinpa said:

 i appreciate that protection.  i dont wanna room with any undesirables! so they can inspect my boarders anytime. 

As long as they aren't TSA doing the checking - they hire people from putting ads on pizza boxes!!!  (Kid you not)

[luckyinpa]

35 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

As long as they aren't TSA doing the checking - they hire people from putting ads on pizza boxes!!!  (Kid you not)

 

which is why i paid for precheck. less groin touching. 

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

As long as they aren't TSA doing the checking - they hire people from putting ads on pizza boxes!!!  (Kid you not)

 

Haha.  You know, I read this and somehow the more I think about it the less it bothers me!   But I'm afraid to want to know more!  Lol.   

[Extra Kim]

Going from Vancouver to Hawaii, you go through immigration in Vancouver.

[Hlitner]

On 3/1/2022 at 1:07 PM, Zach1213 said:

 

Damn...I bring alcohol back from a high percentage of my 20-30x yearly international trips and have never once been searched. 

Nothing wrong with bringing back alcohol as long as you declare it if/when asked.  In fact, we have often brought back more then our duty free allowance and were always honest with our declaration.  The Customs folks just smile and wave us through.  The paperwork (and actual duty) for a bottle of booze is quite small and not worth the trouble for CBP.

 

Hank

[Mike981]

18 hours ago, slidergirl said:

As long as they aren't TSA doing the checking - they hire people from putting ads on pizza boxes!!!  (Kid you not)

 

Kind of like advertising for military service.

[jazdax]

i know this post was last year but i have a couple of questions.

 

We will be coming from Europe to USA.  our first stop in USA is new York.  then we do Bermuda and Bahamas before disembarking Miami.  When/where will customs be done?  and how long will it take? We want as much time as possible in NY.

 

Thanks in advance

[CruiserBruce]

See the response on your other question:

 

Immigration is the issue, not Customs. It will likely be done in both New York and Miami, as you have left the US, and then returned.

 

I can't give you a real solid estimate, but would think in New York, non-US citizens will require a little more close check, where in Miami all will probably get the same check.

 

Probably would just been easier to start a new thread, as this is a noticeably different situation.

 

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[mom says]

Is this all on one cruise? As noted by CruiserBruce, you will have to deal with Immigration every time you enter the US. Customs is usually on disembarkation. There is no way to accurately  predict how long it might take.

Edited June 2, 2023 by mom says

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, jazdax said:

i know this post was last year but i have a couple of questions.

 

We will be coming from Europe to USA.  our first stop in USA is new York.  then we do Bermuda and Bahamas before disembarking Miami.  When/where will customs be done?  and how long will it take? We want as much time as possible in NY.

 

Thanks in advance

There will be as others have mentioned a passport check in New York. There are several ways I have seen it done. Usually they will have immigration officers in a lounge and you will present your passport. Another way is they collect passports on boarding and return them at the immigration check onboard. No one will be allowed off the ship until everyone clears immigration. If someone does not report you will hear names called on the PA. They will have to find them before anyone can disembark. So the time can’t be predicted as someone previous posted. There is often someone who does not follow instructions and everyone has to wait. Like someone who has decided to stay onboard at the port and thinks that means they don’t have to go through immigration. When you get to Miami you will clear immigration again and then customs. 

Edited June 2, 2023 by Charles4515

[jazdax]

2 hours ago, mom says said:

Is this all on one cruise? As noted by CruiserBruce, you will have to deal with Immigration every time you enter the US. Customs is usually on disembarkation. There is no way to accurately  predict how long it might take.

all same cruise.  Amsterdam to Miami.  we recently did australia to hawaii.  the immigration process took forever. (first stop in Kona disembarking HNL)  We didnt get off till 1.30 pm.  and what we wanted to do closed at 2pm.  so we got off turned around and went back on.  if we had done a shore excursion thru the ship we would have been first thru immigration and off.  Just trying to decide if i want to pay for a very expensive shore excursion so we get off early enough to do what we want. 

[jazdax]

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

 

Probably would just been easier to start a new thread, as this is a noticeably different situation.

 

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maybe.  I tried to ask question elsewhere and no one knew answer,  considering what i read here people seemed to have an idea so i thought i would ask.  😁