ST THOMAS/Immigration??

[S. C.]

I read where at ST.Thomas everyone has to check in before anyone is allowed to go ashore, and that sometimes they start checking passengers as early as 6:30 am. Did i understand this right that they check every passenger on the ship before anyone on the ship can go ashore?

Can anyone tell me about there experience with this. We are late sleepers & do not usually go to sleep before 2am.

This means we would have to wake up at 5:30 to take showers and get to immigration when we don't get to sleep till 2?

We was wanting to take the eastern 7 day next yr. We have already been everywhere that the western goes. Really wanted to see st thomas but won't remember a thing with no sleep.

 

[markey]

We just returned, 8/9, and yes everyone has to go to get checked, even children. If you have an excursion you can go starting at 6, for everyone else you must report between 7 and 8. You go and sit in a row at the WDT and are called row by row. You have to have a picture ID and your birth certificate. And yes it is a pain, but on a port day we want to be off the ship early so it really doesn't matter. We were thru had breakfast and were done by 8. Of course since it was a day when the ship did not dock we had to go and wait again for tickets to get on a small boat which took another 30 minutes, but were still on our way to Megans Beach by 8:45.

 

[S. C.]

Our normal everyday life style is staying up till around 2 or 3am & waking up around 9am. So while on vacation we sure don't want to wake up at 5;30 am.

We do not do early excursions....tried it once and was so tired that we couldn't enjoy it.

Anyone know why st thomas does this? All the other ports do not make everyone go thru this. You would think they would just have you show identification & birth certificates as you get off the ship.

So I guess we will have to go on a different 7 day. OH well glad there are great reports to read & pics to see online, because it looks like i will not ever be cruising into st thomas...LOL

 

[markey]

This has only been since 9-11, we cruised the Eastern in 2001, Aug. and only non-US citizens had to go. It is because you visit a non US Island before you go to St. Thomas. All you have to do to avoid this is to find a cruise that goes to St. Thomas first and you will not have to report. Actually if you like to stay up that late I think you probably don't want a Disney Cruise anyway. After 11 tha ship looks pretty dead, everyone goes to bed. But there are lots of people up early. Can't speak for the clubs, never went, but I do think they close at 1.

 

[PenskeSth1]

Geesh that really stinks, I have severe insomnia and usually don't get to sleep until 4 or 5 am, wake up around noon. Well guess for this trip I will be really tired during excursions at this port But it is vacation-- and I plan to enjoy. It is good to know about this ahead of time, I had no idea this happened.

 

[markey]

If you would sleep till noon, get up and get ready, go eat something you really would not have much time on St. Thomas because you have to be back on the ship by 4:30 and she sails at 5.

 

[musicgirl]

I haven't done this yet, but I'm guessing they really don't care what you look like. I would imagine that as long as you are dressed and present, it doesn't matter. You could check in and go back to your rooms.

Do they do this on the Western? If they do it on the DCL ship, then they must also do it on other lines. You might have a difficult time finding a cruise these days that don't have little security checks.

 

[PenskeSth1]

hey -I have never been to St. Thomas before so I will drag my tired butt out of bed and do whatever it takes to go and see the Island. Good thing is we are not breakfast people. There will be plenty of time to sleep in- later.

 

[musicgirl]

I'm with you PenskeSth1. I've never been and I can hardly wait to do some snorkeling. I'm looking forward to sleeping in on the days at sea. But the other days, I like to be off as early as I can. I don't know when I'll get another chance to experience other places so I'm doing as much as I can.

 

[Kabuli1]

No early check-ins on the Western! You can sleep as long as you like! You think this is bad? Consider that those of us going on the 10 Christmas cruise get to do this on CHRISTMAS morning! How's that for planning! Thanks DCL!!!

Karyn

 

[disney6]

There is really no reason to get up that early and take a shower! Just drag yourself out of bed, put on a robe or quick comfy outfit, go to the theater and show your id (it took us all of 15 min total) , then go back to bed. We saw LOTS of people in their pj's (especially the kids - including ours). I certainly don't see it as a sole reason to not go on the Eastern cruise!

 

[CruzNMom]

We were told that the id check is done in St. Thomas because we visited a non-US country first. I'm guessing if the first stop had been, say, Puerto Rico, we would not have done the immigration thing.

We were told to be there at 6:15 and had a 7:00 excursion to St. John. So, we had to be up & ready to go. Unfortunately, the immigration officials were apparently late boarding so they didn't start checking until late. At 5 til 7 we ran upstairs to grab a muffin and make it over to our excursion. The excursion didn't actually leave until closer til 7:30 - probably because so many people were trickling in late.

 

[PenskeSth1]

I can't wait to try and get DS5 up before 6:30, LOL He fights with me now to get up at 7:00 for school. Him and I will be one of those with pjs on.

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by PenskeSth1
I can't wait to try and get DS5 up before 6:30, LOL He fights with me now to get up at 7:00 for school. Him and I will be one of those with pjs on.

I Wouldn't even wake him up, just carry him down and back and put him back in his bed!

I would not like to HAVE to be up at 6am either but I certainly would not think it was a reason to switch cruises, its just a one day thing. Normally I am not in bed before 1am but there were nights on the cruise I was in bed by 9pm and I was up every day by 7 due to the docking noise every morning....

 

[krhardy]

Here's my input, for what it's worth.
As to the comment about the ship closing down at 11....not the case at all. The main bar is open until 2 am, and after the "theme night" is done, the DJ plays music. He will take requests, and we had some of our best fun late at night/early in the morning. Not sure about pool hours, but the adults pool might also be open later as well.
As to getting up for immigration...I will admit it is a pain, but so is the lifeboat drill. But, they are both mandatory, and everybody has to participate in both. If you are late sleepers, set your wake up call for 7:30, get up and go down in your PJ's....we saw LOTS of people in their PJ's. You can always go back to bed if you're not planning on taking an excursion.
Just a couple of thoughts.

 

[markey]

If you reread my post I did not say that the ship shuts down at 11. What I said was that the ship looks pretty dead after 11. Kids stayed in the clubs almost every night until 12 or 1, and there were hardly any kids left. When I picked them up the halls were empty. We walked past some of the late night clubs, and there were just a handful of people in them, compaired to the amount of people actually on the ship. We usually went to the 10:45 movie, so yes there is stuff to do, all I was saying that compared to a Carnival Ship the Magic is more of a family ship.

 

[S. C.]

UMMMM......CAN I WEAR MY BUNNY SLIPPERS....LOL

I don't have a problem with security..I'm glad they have it. It's just the early morning thing that i don't like.

We found the best time to walk around & explore the ship was when everyone was sleeping. You can get some great pictures without anyone walking in your pics & your not blocking the halls to take them.

We sailed on the wonder last month, our late hours was not a problem for us.....and we've been on 2 carnival cruises.

Hated having to get up early on the days the cruises was over...We've always been late nite people, both of us working either all nite or late into the nite....or should i say early morning.

Ok I'll be the one in pj's & bunny slippers.

 

[kalama]

Kids just need a birth certificate, right? DH and I have our passports but DS (6 yrs old) doesn't have one yet.

 

[PenskeSth1]

Getting up early is Not a reason for us to give up our cruise that is for sure. After last years cruise was cancelled--- There is nothing that would keep us from going on this cruise. (well MAYBE a strong category HURRICANE) Notice I said maybe

 

[S. C.]

Kalama

Yes just a b-certificate for the kids, Adults only need b-certificates and picture I-d.
We took our GS so we had to have a notorised card (comes in the packet with your tickets etc) from our son that it was ok to take his child out of the country and we were able to take him to a doctor if nessasary.