Early Morning Immigration Check -- San Juan Eastern?

[CRSNDSNY]

For the special San Juan itinerary, The Passporter reports:

Making the Most of San Juan: Getting There -- Note that there’s no need for U.S. Customs inspection when visiting San Juan, as the previous port of call on the itinerary is a U.S. territory, St. Thomas. See page 174 for a description of U.S. Customs procedures in St. Thomas.

Does this mean we will not have to get up early to get cleared through immigration at all during this particular cruise?

edited to change customs to immigration

 

[TheWog]

depends on what the port prior to St. Thomas is.... if not St. Maarten or some other foreign controlled port you will luck out. Not sure how it will work once you return to Pt. Canaveral from traveling to the Bahamas though. May be slower once you pick up your luggage.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

First, the usual early morning process in St. Thomas involves U.S. Immigration, not U.S. Customs. (Immigration is about people; Customs is about goods.) The process occurs because the ship is returning to a U.S. port (St. Thomas, USVI) from a foreign port. (St. Maarten).

The special itineraries involving St. Thomas and San Juan do not include St. Maarten or any other foreign port prior to visiting these U.S ports. Thus, there should be no early morning U.S. Immigration process at either port.

The process when returning to Port Canaveral will be the same as on other DCL cruises. For U.S. citizens, the process involves filling out a form and handing it in upon disembarkation. It's very quick and painless. However, if you've gone over your U.S. Customs allowances, you need to see a Customs officer early on disembarkation morning to pay a duty in cash.

 

[WILDCATMICKEY]

Because, all your ports on your cruise are US Territories the US CUSTOMS will not have to due the early morning check.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Yes. I meant to write 'immigration' instead of 'customs' but my brain wasn't awake yet. I corrected that in my post.

Thank you for answering my question.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by WILDCATMICKEY
Because, all your ports on your cruise are US Territories the US CUSTOMS will not have to due the early morning check.

Two clarifications to what WILDCATMICKEY wrote:

-- DCL does not have any cruises where "all your ports on your cruise are US Territories." Castaway Cay is in the Bahamas, which is not a U.S. territory.

-- As I wrote in my previous post in this thread, U.S. Customs never does an early morning check during the cruise. U.S. Customs is only involved at the end of your cruise. Depending on how much you spent for goods on the ship and in the ports of call (except for Key West), you may need to pay a duty. On the regular Eastern itinerary, U.S. Immigration does an early morning check on the day the ship arrives in St. Thomas.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar

On the regular Eastern itinerary, U.S. Immigration does an early morning check on the day the ship arrives in St. Thomas.

I don't remember this from our 2001 cruise..... Maybe I was too sleepy then, too.

 

[WILDCATMICKEY]

Just to clear up the earlier post the September 4-11 , eastern cruise ports are San Jaun and St. Thomas which are both US Territories, so therfore US Customs will not have to do the early morning meeting.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by WILDCATMICKEY
Just to clear up the earlier post the September 4-11 , eastern cruise ports are San Jaun and St. Thomas which are both US Territories, so therfore US Customs will not have to do the early morning meeting.

WILDCATMICKEY, It seems you disagree with my explanation about the role of U.S. Customs. Please reread what I wrote in this thread. U.S. Customs never does an early morning check in St. Thomas -- only U.S. Immigration does so.

Also, I wrote, "The special itineraries involving St. Thomas and San Juan do not include St. Maarten or any other foreign port prior to visiting these U.S ports. Thus, there should be no early morning U.S. Immigration process at either port." So, I'm not sure what you're trying to "clear up."

Please do not consider this an attack. I'm just trying to a make sure that this thread contains accurate information.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

Originally posted by CRSNDSNY
I don't remember this from our 2001 cruise..... Maybe I was too sleepy then, too.

If you cruised before September 2001, you wouldn't have had this immigration check. It was instituted after the terrorist attacks.

 

[WILDCATMICKEY]

Horace Horsecollar

Excuse, me I type the incorrect govenrment agency, I should have type immigration not customs. Thank you for correcting my error. Sorry for any confusion.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by Lloyd Dobler
If you cruised before September 2001, you wouldn't have had this immigration check. It was instituted after the terrorist attacks.

It was December 2001.

 

[hydster]

When we did Immigration on our 5=1 Eastern they sent out a note for when to show up

Guests on Morning Excursions 6:30 to 7:00 am
Guests from deck 1, 2 and 5 - 7:00 am to 7:30 am
Guests from decks 6, 7 and 8 - 7:30 am to 8:00 am
Guests who do not wish to go ashore - 8:00 to 8:30 am

It is mandatory that everyone shows up even children. Bring birth certificates, drivers license or passport.

It is very PAINLESS and takes about 10 minutes total. There are doughnuts, juice and coffee you can take into the theatre while you wait!

They check your id, stamp your hand with a black light stamp and you are done.

HTH
Heidi

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

CRSNDSNY,

We sailed in December 2001 and I know that we went through this. This was the first week of December in 2001. I know that this check was suspended for a few weeks, but I think that happened later in 2002, maybe in the spring. You must have sleepwalked through it...

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by Lloyd Dobler
You must have sleepwalked through it...

You are probably right!