Silly luggage questions

[big_guy]

This looks like a great forum.  Hopefully I'm asking this in the right section.

 

Say I'm taking a cruise and want to bring 4 large suitcases of TOTALLY innocent and 100% legal stuff (e.g., clothing, Alexas, bedding, household goods etc.) to a friend in Cozumel.  Would I be able to take the 4 suitcases off the boat at Cozumel without issue and then return to the boat without the luggage?  I have no problem with security searching the luggage before I remove it from the boat, although they may be confused by the contents.

 

Also are there any cruise lines and/or countries that might have a problem with this?

 

Thank you!

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, big_guy said:

….are there any cruise lines and/or countries that might have a problem with this?

Yes.

[CruiserBruce]

It is possible you will have to clear local Customs regulations to come ashore with that stuff.

[Essiesmom]

You would be importing the contents into Mexico and I’m sure they have regulations…. EM

[wcook]

Oh, a funny question about luggage. I thought this thread was going to be a question about funny luggage. Like, with amusing stickers or something. 
 

Don’t have an answer for the OP, but good luck. 

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, wcook said:

… I thought this thread was going to be a question about funny luggage. 
…

Actually, it was a question about silly luggage.

[Hlitner]

Depending on your docking position it can be a very long walk (with your luggage) to get from the ship to the street.  Once you reach the end of the pier you will pass through an area where you are viewed by Mexican authorities.  Whether they care, or not, is unknown to me.  But we do know Mexico (we live here 10 weeks a year) and what happens will most likely be hit/miss.  Just make sure not to bring anything into the country that is prohibited.  Avoid anything that could be construed as a weapon (i.e. knives) or food items that are not sealed in their original form.  If bringing any drugs, that can be an issue and keep in mind that anything containing Pseudofed is illegal here. 

 

What I am not sure about is the Mexican Customs form.  When we fly-in to Puerto Vallarta we must still complete the standard Customs Declaration form.  It is a very simply document that can be completed in less than a minute.  You would not normally get that form on your cruise (cruisers do not normally do any kind of Customs Form) and I have no clue if you would be stopped by the authorities and asked to complete the document.

 

The final issue is whether the security folks on your ship, will question or stop you from taking those pieces of luggage ashore.  For that, you will need to ask on the ship.

 

Hank

[jsn55]

Interesting question, and good answers/opinions.  My question is:  exactly HOW would you leave your cabin and depart the ship with 4 suitcases?  

Edited February 6, 2023 by jsn55
verb

[lenquixote66]

Great question .Looking forward to her or his response.

[navybankerteacher]

Put all four outside your cabin door then carry two down the passage to the entrance to the elevator lobby, put down those two and go back for the other two. Then, bring two bags to right in front of one of the elevators and go back for the other two. When the elevator door opens, block it with one bag while bringing the other three onto the elevator, then bring that first one in, press the button for the floor indicated for debarkation, following up with repeating the shuttling of bags till you get off the ship, when you will flag down a passing van.

 

(You can tell: I had nothing to do for a few minutes.)

[ldubs]

I'm guessing a lot would depend on if the items were intended to be sold in Mexico, in which case I suspect duty might be owed.    And, I suspect that personal items can be brought without duty to be paid subject to some value limit.  All a guess on my part.  I'm interested in the answer.  

[donaldsc]

10 hours ago, Hlitner said:

D

 

The final issue is whether the security folks on your ship, will question or stop you from taking those pieces of luggage ashore.  For that, you will need to ask on the ship.

 

Hank

 

I would ask the cruise line about this before I got onto the ship.  You don't want to have a problem and have to haul all the stuff home.

 

DON

[XBGuy]

Welcome to Cruise Critic, @big_guy.  You have, indeed, asked an interesting question.  I have two ideas which may or may not be helpful.

 

First, contact your cruise line.  It may take a while to connect with the right person, but be persistent.  I can't imagine that they care that you are taking your property off the ship, but I could. very well, be wrong there.  Also, they might have some insight on Mexican customs regulations that you would have to follow.

 

Second, contact the closest Mexican Consulate and ask if your plan has any customs implications.  (I have no idea where you live but it appears that there are five or six of them in Southern California where I live.)  I am not sure that this question would fall under their aegis, but it is a reasonable place to start.

 

As several previous posters have mentioned, if you've dotted all the eyes and crossed all the tees, and you are completely cleared to go, the responsibilty for wrestling these "4 large suitcases" off the ship will be yours and yours alone.  That seems nontrivial to me.

 

[ldubs]

44 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic, @big_guy.  You have, indeed, asked an interesting question.  I have two ideas which may or may not be helpful.

 

First, contact your cruise line.  It may take a while to connect with the right person, but be persistent.  I can't imagine that they care that you are taking your property off the ship, but I could. very well, be wrong there.  Also, they might have some insight on Mexican customs regulations that you would have to follow.

 

I actually would be hesitant to rely on anything a cruise line cust service person says about this and would get it in writing. .  We are not talking about illegal items/contraband.  I wonder  why a cruise line would care about taking personal items off?   I think I would also read the T&C fine print.   

 

 

44 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

 

Second, contact the closest Mexican Consulate and ask if your plan has any customs implications.  (I have no idea where you live but it appears that there are five or six of them in Southern California where I live.)  I am not sure that this question would fall under their aegis, but it is a reasonable place to start.

 

Seems this would be the place to find out what rules are legally applicable.  

 

44 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

As several previous posters have mentioned, if you've dotted all the eyes and crossed all the tees, and you are completely cleared to go, the responsibilty for wrestling these "4 large suitcases" off the ship will be yours and yours alone.  That seems nontrivial to me.

 

  

If a couple traveling then not a huge deal.  

[XBGuy]

3 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

I actually would be hesitant to rely on anything a cruise line cust service person says about this and would get it in writing. .  We are not talking about illegal items/contraband.  I wonder  why a cruise line would care about taking personal items off?   I think I would also read the T&C fine print.   

 

I agree that I would not be terribly reliant on a telephone conversation, and it is highly unlikely that the person who answers the 800 number is knowledgeable in exception conditions such as this.  The OP should consider this as a possible first step that might lead him to other resources.

 

 

3 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

If a couple traveling then not a huge deal.  

 

D'oh.  You're right.  It is highly unlikely that the OP would be traveling alone.  I still think it would be something of a deal, though.  For example how wide will the gangway be at the destination port?  My guess is that will not be as wide as the gangways at most U.S. embarcation ports.  It won't be impossible, but it might take some thinking.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, XBGuy said:

 

I agree that I would not be terribly reliant on a telephone conversation, and it is highly unlikely that the person who answers the 800 number is knowledgeable in exception conditions such as this.  The OP should consider this as a possible first step that might lead him to other resources.

 

 

 

D'oh.  You're right.  It is highly unlikely that the OP would be traveling alone.  I still think it would be something of a deal, though.  For example how wide will the gangway be at the destination port?  My guess is that will not be as wide as the gangways at most U.S. embarcation ports.  It won't be impossible, but it might take some thinking.

This thread is the “poster child” for “Penny wise  and Pound foolish.”

If OP really wants to “help” someone, the easiest thing would be to write them a check.

[navybankerteacher]

5 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

...  I wonder  why a cruise line would care about taking personal items off?   I think I would also read the T&C fine print.   

...

There may be some condition attached to the line accessing the port. If it is strictly to bring passengers, the delivery of goods might be a complication.

[ldubs]

2 hours ago, XBGuy said:

 

 

D'oh.  You're right.  It is highly unlikely that the OP would be traveling alone.  I still think it would be something of a deal, though.  For example how wide will the gangway be at the destination port?  My guess is that will not be as wide as the gangways at most U.S. embarcation ports.  It won't be impossible, but it might take some thinking.

 

I didn't think about tendering.  Now that would be a potential hassle.   

[ldubs]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

There may be some condition attached to the line accessing the port. If it is strictly to bring passengers, the delivery of goods might be a complication.

 

I could see that in order to avoid customs violations.   

[cruisemom42]

On 2/6/2023 at 11:47 AM, navybankerteacher said:

Actually, it was a question about silly luggage.

 

The kind of thing one takes on silly walks?

 

[Essiesmom]

I have, in the past, seen posts with questions like this where a person or group is planning on taking school supplies /various other items to donate to a school/orphanage/charitable organization in a country on their itinerary, usually in a Central American country.  I think they had to get permission from the cruise line, which may have had to get permission from the country.  
I have read that people hoping to take laundry ashore on a longer cruise or B2B were denied at the gangway…EM

Edited February 8, 2023 by Essiesmom

[big_guy]

Thanks everyone!  I wasn’t getting notifications of comments. 😢
 

I’ll look at everyone’s comments later, but to clarify and come clean , I’m referring to Portugal and I’m looking to move some of my stuff from the US without having to pay the airlines or movers.  😂  Plus I will potentially have several additional people with me on the cruise to help carry stuff off (if it would work). 

[XBGuy]

So, the part about "a friend in Cozumel" was a lie.

[Flatbush Flyer]

38 minutes ago, big_guy said:

Thanks everyone!  I wasn’t getting notifications of comments. 😢
 

I’ll look at everyone’s comments later, but to clarify and come clean , I’m referring to Portugal and I’m looking to move some of my stuff from the US without having to pay the airlines or movers.  😂  Plus I will potentially have several additional people with me on the cruise to help carry stuff off (if it would work). 

So, you basically wasted the time of everyone who was nice enough to reply.

In any case, even if the ship allows you to bring more than any baggage allowance they may have, you will still have to deal with Customs officials in Portugal. Just don’t lie to them too.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, big_guy said:

Thanks everyone!  I wasn’t getting notifications of comments. 😢
 

I’ll look at everyone’s comments later, but to clarify and come clean , I’m referring to Portugal and I’m looking to move some of my stuff from the US without having to pay the airlines or movers.  😂  Plus I will potentially have several additional people with me on the cruise to help carry stuff off (if it would work). 

So why don't you check with the Portuguese consulate nearest to where you live?

 

Also, why the BS about household goods going into Mexico?