Leave cruise in Nassau

I will be taking a 7-day eastern Caribbean cruise in January 2017. The last day, a Friday, is in Nassau. I would like to avoid Saturday morning disembarkation hassles in Miami by leaving the cruise in Nassau, taking a cab to the airport and flying home on Friday afternoon. Is this as simple as it seems to me to be?

I know about the need for advance notice to immigration in Nassau.

If it is a closed loop cruise, and you have not hit a distant foreign port, ie Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao, you would be in violation of the PSVA, so, no, you cannot do it.

I guess I have been really lucky because Miami has been one of our easiest ports for disembarkation.

If it is a closed loop cruise, and you have not hit a distant foreign port, ie Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao, you would be in violation of the PSVA, so, no, you cannot do it.

 

I guess I have been really lucky because Miami has been one of our easiest ports for disembarkation.

Not exactly. The PVSA only comes into play if the beginning port is a US port and the ending port is different US port.

But, changing the cruise from a "closed loop" one (beginning and ending in the same port) to a "foreign itinerary" one (beginning in a US port and ending in a foreign port) is something that most cruise lines do not allow. There was a time they did, but now, with the extra paperwork involved, they just aren't interested.

To the OP, the only way to know for sure if your cruise line will allow it is to give them a call and ask. I do know, if it's going to be allowed, it must be arranged in advance.

Plus, do you have a passport? In order to fly from the Bahamas to the US you must have one.

I do have a passport and I have called Norwegian about it. The agent asked a supervisor and was told that at the time I pay for the cruise arrangements will be made. However, will there be no US customs and immigration when the cruise ends in Miami? That's what I want to avoid.

I do have a passport and I have called Norwegian about it. The agent asked a supervisor and was told that at the time I pay for the cruise arrangements will be made. However, will there be no US customs and immigration when the cruise ends in Miami? That's what I want to avoid.

Typically, if the cruise has been to a foreign port before arriving back in the US, there are Customs and Immigration checks when you return to the US.

But, you'd also have that flying from a foreign country back to the US. So you won't be avoiding it altogether. In fact, wouldn't you have to go through immigration to enter the Bahamas (from the ship) before boarding the plane to the US (where you'd have to go through the Customs/Immigration checks)?

I don't mind US immigration unless it's as unpleasant as the groggy long lines after a transatlantic crossing. It was a miserable way to end two trips.

Hi there

If NCL says they can accommodate you, that is all you need to go ahead.

If you are going to be leaving the cruise in Nassau, you would have to go through customs at the Bahamas port. I can't imagine that would to much of an issue but I would consider verifying how this process is handled. You would still have to go through customs at your home airport upon arrival in the U.S. as well.

You would have to be able to carry off your luggage. If you could book a flight that works for you, you might be OK. Of course if for some reason the ship didn't make it to port, that would be a problem. You would likely be out your money for the flight from Nassau and you would you would need to scramble to book a flight out of Miami.

So is it the big crowd at debarkation that you want to avoid? Have you ever tried to get off the ship as late as possible?

It's up to you. It sounds easy, but there can be complications and you are losing more than a day of your cruise, and now you have to hope that everything goes right. Personally I don't think it's worth it.

either way

have a great cruise

I don't mind US immigration unless it's as unpleasant as the groggy long lines after a transatlantic crossing. It was a miserable way to end two trips.

Well, we've found customs/immigration at airports are either really good (short lines, easy process) or really bad (long lines, rude people). Found the same when getting off a cruise.

I don't mind US immigration unless it's as unpleasant as the groggy long lines after a transatlantic crossing. It was a miserable way to end two trips.

The reason Shmoo mentioned that the cruise lines don't like to allow "upstream" disembarkation is because of CBP.

If you are doing a closed loop cruise (starting and ending in the same US port), then CBP uses the ID information you gave at embarkation (which the cruise line entered into the passenger manifest and delivered to CBP before the ship sails) to screen the passengers throughout the duration of the cruise (let's say 7 days). This is far more time than they get with a land border crossing or airline arrival, so they can go really deep into people, if needed. Therefore, the disembarkation "interview" with CBP after a closed loop cruise is basically look to see that the face on the body standing there matches the ID presented, and that the name on the ID matches the manifest. Quick and dirty.

Now, with a transatlantic, or any voyage that begins in a foreign port, the interview process is required to be more in depth, like an airline arrival from overseas, so your lines get longer and slower.

Now, as to why the cruise lines don't like "upstream" disembarking, or even "downstream" boarding is that every time there is a change to the passenger manifest (one added, or one removed), a whole new manifest must be submitted to CBP (at a cost) for screening, and since most of these changes would occur at foreign ports, this changes the cruise in CBP's eyes to a foreign cruise, and triggers the more in depth interview. This can cause delays and missed flights, so along with the cost involved, the cruise lines don't want the hassles of complaints over CBP delays, and so will normally disallow upstream disembarkation.

You will also have CBP to clear at Miami airport, and for the most part, I would rather have root canal work done than go through that again.

The reason Shmoo mentioned that the cruise lines don't like to allow "upstream" disembarkation is because of CBP.

 

If you are doing a closed loop cruise (starting and ending in the same US port), then CBP uses the ID information you gave at embarkation (which the cruise line entered into the passenger manifest and delivered to CBP before the ship sails) to screen the passengers throughout the duration of the cruise (let's say 7 days). This is far more time than they get with a land border crossing or airline arrival, so they can go really deep into people, if needed. Therefore, the disembarkation "interview" with CBP after a closed loop cruise is basically look to see that the face on the body standing there matches the ID presented, and that the name on the ID matches the manifest. Quick and dirty.

 

Now, with a transatlantic, or any voyage that begins in a foreign port, the interview process is required to be more in depth, like an airline arrival from overseas, so your lines get longer and slower.

 

Now, as to why the cruise lines don't like "upstream" disembarking, or even "downstream" boarding is that every time there is a change to the passenger manifest (one added, or one removed), a whole new manifest must be submitted to CBP (at a cost) for screening, and since most of these changes would occur at foreign ports, this changes the cruise in CBP's eyes to a foreign cruise, and triggers the more in depth interview. This can cause delays and missed flights, so along with the cost involved, the cruise lines don't want the hassles of complaints over CBP delays, and so will normally disallow upstream disembarkation.

 

You will also have CBP to clear at Miami airport, and for the most part, I would rather have root canal work done than go through that again.

Thanks for your in depth explanation.

And, I agree, Miami is not an airport that I really want to have to clear customs/immigration at. And that's just based on that Miami airport TV show that used to be on.

Thanks for the informative replies to my first post here

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I'm leaning toward remaining on the ship to Miami now that I know more about the procedure involved with round trip cruises. My only earlier experiences with ships were two transatlantic crossings.

The trip next January will be my first actual cruise. It will be in a M6 mini-suite on the Norwegian Explorer

I do have a passport and I have called Norwegian about it. The agent asked a supervisor and was told that at the time I pay for the cruise arrangements will be made. However, will there be no US customs and immigration when the cruise ends in Miami? That's what I want to avoid.

Having flown in and out of Nassau a couple of times I can tell you that you clear US customs and Immigration in Nassau and then your flight is treated as a domestic flight.

Thanks for the informative replies to my first post here

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I'm leaning toward remaining on the ship to Miami now that I know more about the procedure involved with round trip cruises. My only earlier experiences with ships were two transatlantic crossings.

 

The trip next January will be my first actual cruise. It will be in a M6 mini-suite on the Norwegian Explorer

Are you sure about the ship's name? I've found a "Norway Explorer", but that is a Hurtigruten Lines passenger/ferry in Norway.

Are you sure about the ship's name? I've found a "Norway Explorer", but that is a Hurtigruten Lines passenger/ferry in Norway.

Probably the Norwegian Escape. Departs Miami every Saturday in Jan 2017.

Norwegian Escape is correct.

Thanks for the informative replies to my first post here

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I'm leaning toward remaining on the ship to Miami now that I know more about the procedure involved with round trip cruises. My only earlier experiences with ships were two transatlantic crossings.

 

The trip next January will be my first actual cruise. It will be in a M6 mini-suite on the Norwegian Explorer

For what it's worth we spent less than 5 minutes with the CBP officer when disembarking in Miami. As chengkp75 said all passengers are vetted during the cruise so the hard part is already over, they check your ID to make sure you are who you say you are and your declaration form and off you go (well, unless you are declaring a lot, then you might have a bit more time to spend with CBP).