No more immigration in St. Thomas?

[vacruizer]

Don't know if maybe the laws changed January 1 or something. Just back from the Glory yesterday and we did NOT have to do the immigration thing in St. Thomas. Just a plain old clear the ship and go. We were also in St. Thomas in July but did have to do the thing where we went by deck to appear before immigration with our passports before we could leave the ship.

 

Both itineraries included a stop in the Bahamas first so we had visited a foreign port first in both cases. Anyone know for sure if this is no longer required? There were six ships in port so I wasn't sure if it was maybe waived due to that or if the laws had changed.

[MrPete]

Were you were still visiting a foreign port after St. Thomas. I though immigration was only performed if St. Thomas was followed by another American port.

[njs]

Don't know if maybe the laws changed January 1 or something. Just back from the Glory yesterday and we did NOT have to do the immigration thing in St. Thomas. Just a plain old clear the ship and go. We were also in St. Thomas in July but did have to do the thing where we went by deck to appear before immigration with our passports before we could leave the ship.

 

Both itineraries included a stop in the Bahamas first so we had visited a foreign port first in both cases. Anyone know for sure if this is no longer required? There were six ships in port so I wasn't sure if it was maybe waived due to that or if the laws had changed.

 

Well that is good news if it is changed for good, but I cant imagine why. i thot the law was you have to go thru immigration if you have been to a foreign port. The Glory one Christmas was a disaster for disembarkation in St Thos but the next yr was smooth sailing on Costa

[SouthernCaribbean]

Were you were still visiting a foreign port after St. Thomas. I though immigration was only performed if St. Thomas was followed by another American port.

No, immigration is done when you return to the US AFTER visiting a foreign port.. So it wouldnt matter where you went after St Thomas.

 

This could be something new for 2009 or maybe they just didnt do it. I guess we will have to wait and see if this is a pattern.

[Azure Moon]

Was St. Thomas your first port following embarkation day?

I think that is the reason we've never had to do the customs (oops! editted to add immigration here) procedure. We hadn't made any stops between the time of embarking and getting to the first port -St. Thomas, so no reason for the customs process.

[vacruizer]

Was St. Thomas your first port following embarkation day?

 

I think that is the reason we've never had to do the customs (oops! editted to add immigration here) procedure. We hadn't made any stops between the time of embarking and getting to the first port -St. Thomas, so no reason for the customs process.

 

No - we were in Nassau first on the cruise. Last July we were in Half Moon Cay so both times we had a port stop in the Bahamas prior to reaching St. Thomas.

[vacruizer]

Were you were still visiting a foreign port after St. Thomas. I though immigration was only performed if St. Thomas was followed by another American port.

 

Hmm- hadn't heard that but we did go straight on to San Juan after St. Thomas on the Liberty last year. This time we were heading to St. Maarten afterward.

[MrPete]

Hmm- hadn't heard that but we did go straight on to San Juan after St. Thomas on the Liberty last year. This time we were heading to St. Maarten afterward.

 

I do think that makes the difference. Your first enty point INTO the US and STAYING in the US after leaving should be where immigration occurs.

 

But I'll defer that to the experts.

[vacruizer]

I do think that makes the difference. Your first enty point INTO the US and STAYING in the US after leaving should be where immigration occurs.

 

But I'll defer that to the experts.

 

We did go on to Grand Turk after San Juan on that cruise so we actually weren't staying in the US for the rest of the cruise. I should have asked onboard but was just curious. I just assumed that since it was a January cruise that maybe a new regulation had gone into effect. But you may be on to something if it has to do with more than one US port or amount of time in US ports.

[Cruzaholic41]

No - we were in Nassau first on the cruise. Last July we were in Half Moon Cay so both times we had a port stop in the Bahamas prior to reaching St. Thomas.

 

The rules have been relaxed with the Bahamas. For example, if you take a weekend cruise that only visits the Bahamas and you are a U.S. citizen, you no longer clear Customs when disembarking. You still present your Customs forms after claiming your baggage, but you no longer go through the Customs/Immigrations lines when first exiting the ship.

 

As for St. Thomas, this holds true. First, you only clear Immigration if you visited a foreign port prior to St.Thomas. But with the Bahamas being first, U.S. citizens are no longer required. It appears as though this now pertains to the whole Caribbean. This is a matter of Homeland Security finally realizing that what they were doing to U.S. citizens was not necessary.

 

The manifests provided to CBP prior to cruise embarkation goes into a database. If there is a passenger they are concered with, they will find them. Otherwise, the rest of us are no longer punished.

[krystalkruzer]

The rules have been relaxed with the Bahamas. For example, if you take a weekend cruise that only visits the Bahamas and you are a U.S. citizen, you no longer clear Customs when disembarking. You still present your Customs forms after claiming your baggage, but you no longer go through the Customs/Immigrations lines when first exiting the ship.

 

As for St. Thomas, this holds true. First, you only clear Immigration if you visited a foreign port prior to St.Thomas. But with the Bahamas being first, U.S. citizens are no longer required. It appears as though this now pertains to the whole Caribbean. This is a matter of Homeland Security finally realizing that what they were doing to U.S. citizens was not necessary.

 

The manifests provided to CBP prior to cruise embarkation goes into a database. If there is a passenger they are concered with, they will find them. Otherwise, the rest of us are no longer punished.

 

You mean DHS finally "pulled their heads out of sand" and will finally start treating us US citizens like we are not all terrorists ? :):):)

[Chigirlcruzin]

Hmm- hadn't heard that but we did go straight on to San Juan after St. Thomas on the Liberty last year. This time we were heading to St. Maarten afterward.

 

I don't think where you were going after St Thomas has anything to do with it. I did Nassau, St Thomas, St Martin on the Valor (same itn you just did on Glory) and we did have to go through immigration in St Thomas.

[nybumpkin]

I'd love to hear that they're eliminating this "jump through the hoops" on this itinerary. We're sailing on Glory's Eastern route next month, and it would be nice to be able to skip the Customs visit in St. Thomas.

[vacruizer]

I'd love to hear that they're eliminating this "jump through the hoops" on this itinerary. We're sailing on Glory's Eastern route next month, and it would be nice to be able to skip the Customs visit in St. Thomas.

 

Looks like maybe you won't then - we certainly didn't have to last week. :) It wasn't that bad when we did have to do it last summer but was still nice for it to be like any other port. Dock, wait 10 or 15 minutes for them to announce they've cleared the ship, and leave. :D

[david08]

I'd love to hear that they're eliminating this "jump through the hoops" on this itinerary. We're sailing on Glory's Eastern route next month, and it would be nice to be able to skip the Customs visit in St. Thomas.

 

We just got off the Triumph today and can tell you we did not have to go through customs in St. Thomas. We even woke up and extra hour early to make sure we got through on time. Our itinerary was San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Maarten...so that may have had something to do with it.

[Chigirlcruzin]

This is nice! It wasn't a huge deal doing it, but it's one less thing you have to do.

[Kaboochi]

We leave San Juan 2/1, and arrive St Thomas 2/2. Do you need to go through immigration? Thanks

[SouthernCaribbean]

We leave San Juan 2/1, and arrive St Thomas 2/2. Do you need to go through immigration? Thanks

No..not until you return to San Juan.

[yst347]

We leave San Juan 2/1, and arrive St Thomas 2/2. Do you need to go through immigration? Thanks

 

If a ship goes directly to St. Thomas from San Juan it does not need to clear immigration. San Juan is part of the United States as is St. Thomas.

[spikester]

This is good news! I have been avoiding the ships that go to the Bahamas before St Thomas so I didn't have to deal with the immigration issue on board.

[MonaCK]

We just got off the Triumph today and can tell you we did not have to go through customs in St. Thomas. We even woke up and extra hour early to make sure we got through on time. Our itinerary was San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Maarten...so that may have had something to do with it.

 

San Juan and St. Thomas are both US ports.