Do you go through Customs sailing from NY?

[rescuetink]

We are sailing from NY and our only stops are in Fl going to WDW, and stopping at CC, which I know is in the Bahamas. We are driving and I was planning to carry our luggage on and off the ship. So can you do that, or do you have to take your luggage through customs?

Thanks all!!

 

[dcassetta]

We are sailing from NY and our only stops are in Fl going to WDW, and stopping at CC, which I know is in the Bahamas. We are driving and I was planning to carry our luggage on and off the ship. So can you do that, or do you have to take your luggage through customs?

Thanks all!!

If the stop in the Bahamas is after your stop in Florida, you will go through customs in New York. However, this doesn't stop you from carrying your bags on and off the ship if you wish.

 

[mmouse37]

Agree with above. You can carry your own stuff off the ship and get on line for customs to show your passport. Pretty easy process. We have done the exact itinerary as you mention except we put our bags out the night before and just claimed them in the terminal and then headed to the line for customs.

MJ

 

[MaleficentRN]

It is nothing at all like customs at an international airport. Blink and you miss it.

 

[rescuetink]

Agree with above. You can carry your own stuff off the ship and get on line for customs to show your passport. Pretty easy process. We have done the exact itinerary as you mention except we put our bags out the night before and just claimed them in the terminal and then headed to the line for customs.

So was it easier to have them sent down and just pick them up at customs as opposed to dragging them around onboard the morning you disembark?

It is nothing at all like customs at an international airport. Blink and you miss it.

Do they actually do bag checks? And do you need a passport? We never needed them before on cruises, even when we went out of the country, so we weren't going to spend the money this time since we were only stopping in CC!

 

[MaleficentRN]

Do they actually do bag checks? And do you need a passport? We never needed them before on cruises, even when we went out of the country, so we weren't going to spend the money this time since we were only stopping in CC!

I've never seen them check any bags. They've barely even looked at my passport, truth be told. And if your cruise is "closed loop", starts and ends at the same US port, you don't need a passport but will need a government ID (driver's license or non driver's license) and a state issued birth certificate. Children under 18 will just need a birth certificate if they have no passport. Passports may not needed, but can come in very handy if an emergency leaves you at a foreign port.

 

[mmouse37]

above is correct. Let's say you are in the Bahamas and something happens that you need to fly home it would be a tricky situation without a passport. But, as mentioned all you need on a closed loop cruise is the Photo Govt ID and certified birth certificate.

Personally I found it MUCH easier to put my bags out for them to take off the ship and just claim them in the luggage hall. They are sorted by color and character (each section of the ship is assigned a color/character luggage tag) and there are big signs with same color/character set up in the luggage hall with the corresponding luggage lined up. From there you get on the line for customs. We have also found it a much easier process with a porter if we have more than one bag each.

MJ

 

[rescuetink]

I've never seen them check any bags. They've barely even looked at my passport, truth be told. And if your cruise is "closed loop", starts and ends at the same US port, you don't need a passport but will need a government ID (driver's license or non driver's license) and a state issued birth certificate. Children under 18 will just need a birth certificate if they have no passport. Passports may not needed, but can come in very handy if an emergency leaves you at a foreign port.

I'll have to check our passports, but I'm sure they expired. Then I'll have to determine if the cost is worth the risk of not having them!

above is correct. Let's say you are in the Bahamas and something happens that you need to fly home it would be a tricky situation without a passport. But, as mentioned all you need on a closed loop cruise is the Photo Govt ID and certified birth certificate.

Personally I found it MUCH easier to put my bags out for them to take off the ship and just claim them in the luggage hall. They are sorted by color and character (each section of the ship is assigned a color/character luggage tag) and there are big signs with same color/character set up in the luggage hall with the corresponding luggage lined up. From there you get on the line for customs. We have also found it a much easier process with a porter if we have more than one bag each.

I knew most of this from past cruising on DCL, but I like your idea of putting them out the night before and not having to lug them around till we get called to disembark!!

Thanks for the great information!!!

 

[mmouse37]

I'll have to check our passports, but I'm sure they expired. Then I'll have to determine if the cost is worth the risk of not having them!



I knew most of this from past cruising on DCL, but I like your idea of putting them out the night before and not having to lug them around till we get called to disembark!!

Thanks for the great information!!!

Another last morning tip is that we no longer have breakfast in the MDR. For the last few years we have left our cabin about 7:20 or so and headed up to Cabanas for breakfast. We leave our carry ons in the cabin. We make sure we are back to our cabin before 8:00 (the time they want you out of your cabin), collect our carry ons and head off the ship. No more lugging our carry ons into the MDR on the last morning. Much less stressful for us.

MJ

 

[disneylove69]

Also check your state ID rules. For example California in 10/2020 if you don't have the REALId TSA will not recognize it as a govt ID so no flying anywherr or entry/ exit of US unless you have a passport.

 

[rcchello]

The only time I have seen customs open bags is when the food sniffing dog sit in front of a bag. I then would watch people eat or discards the fruit they took off the ship for kids snacks.

They probably have drug dogs at the port also.

 

[Megster67]

I've never seen them check any bags. They've barely even looked at my passport, truth be told. And if your cruise is "closed loop", starts and ends at the same US port, you don't need a passport but will need a government ID (driver's license or non driver's license) and a state issued birth certificate. Children under 18 will just need a birth certificate if they have no passport. Passports may not needed, but can come in very handy if an emergency leaves you at a foreign port.

It might be important to note that this is true only if your birth certificate proves US citizenship. My children are internationally adopted, so their birth certificates are not enough. We bring passports for them to prove they are US citizens rather than risk losing their certificates of citizenship.

 

[rescuetink]

Another last morning tip is that we no longer have breakfast in the MDR. For the last few years we have left our cabin about 7:20 or so and headed up to Cabanas for breakfast. We leave our carry ons in the cabin. We make sure we are back to our cabin before 8:00 (the time they want you out of your cabin), collect our carry ons and head off the ship. No more lugging our carry ons into the MDR on the last morning. Much less stressful for us.

I don't think I could have my family out of the cabin, up to Cabanas, eat and get back to the room in 40 minutes!!

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I don't think I could have my family out of the cabin, up to Cabanas, eat and get back to the room in 40 minutes!!

Oh? That's easy. Just get them out of the cabin to breakfast earlier.

How does 6:30 AM work for you?

 

[DCLPrincess]

When we did this cruise we actually went through customs twice. When we got off in port canaveral we had to show customs our passports and the agent asked us if we were going to the park. Then when we got off in NYC we had our luggage and showed our passports. That agent didn't even speak to us let alone check bags.

 

[hrhdhd]

When we did this cruise we actually went through customs twice. When we got off in port canaveral we had to show customs our passports and the agent asked us if we were going to the park. Then when we got off in NYC we had our luggage and showed our passports. That agent didn't even speak to us let alone check bags.

At Port Canaveral, you went through immigration, not customs. At the end of the cruise, you go through both.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

So was it easier to have them sent down and just pick them up at customs as opposed to dragging them around onboard the morning you disembark?



Do they actually do bag checks? And do you need a passport? We never needed them before on cruises, even when we went out of the country, so we weren't going to spend the money this time since we were only stopping in CC!

You can either leave your luggage outside of your room the night before (be sure to hold onto some clothes to wear off the ship in the morning) and it will be right before customs when you disembark. You would be given luggage tags with a character, and told to pick up your luggage in the area that corresponds (so you'd have a Goofy tag and pick up your bags in the Goofy area). There are porters available to help you (expect to tip them), but we never use them (one suitcase each so really no need). It can be a little chaotic but really not too bad. The "pro" here is that you're not wheeling your suitcase around with you to breakfast and then off of the ship.

If you choose to keep your bags and roll them off yourself, you will roll them to breakfast with you and skip the process of finding your luggage amongst the rest of the luggage for your section. The "Pro" here is not fishing for your suitcases (but really the fishing isn't so bad).

In either case, once you get your bags you will wait in line to go through customs. An agent will ask for your ID (because yours is a closed loop cruise, a government issued photo ID and birth certificate are sufficient). Sometimes they will ask questions (DH had lost 50 lbs and 14 yo had drastically changed her hair since the passport photos were taken and the agent did ask about both, it wasn't really an ordeal by any means). They CAN possibly have your suitcases searched. In all of the cruises I have been on, I have never seen this happen but it absolutely could.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

I don't think I could have my family out of the cabin, up to Cabanas, eat and get back to the room in 40 minutes!!

My kiddos call this the "breakfast Olympics." We did this once and now every time we sail they ask if they're going to have to do the breakfast Olympics again

 

[chrisnb]

When we did this cruise we actually went through customs twice. When we got off in port canaveral we had to show customs our passports and the agent asked us if we were going to the park. Then when we got off in NYC we had our luggage and showed our passports. That agent didn't even speak to us let alone check bags.

This sounds horrible I don't want to have to worry about lugging are passports around the parks!
chris

 

[dcassetta]

This sounds horrible I don't want to have to worry about lugging are passports around the parks!
chris

It really wasn't a hassle. We just put them in the inside pocket of that nice a sling backpack Disney gives you!