Questions about how long it takes to disembark in port..

[palmbaytish]

We are arriving in St. Thomas on the Glory on March 28th and we arrive at 10:00 am. About how long does it take for disembarkation on average and is it true that since we are going to the Bahamas two days before hand, that we have to have a customs check prior to us getting off board?

 

We are not doing a Carnival excursion, but instead plan on hopping a taxi to Red Hook and then taking the ferry, but we don't know the process of how they unload passengers. Whenever we have arrived in different ports (jamacia, Cayman Is. or Cozumel), we have never had a long wait to get off the ship upon arrival, so I just wanted to get other people's thoughts on St. Thomas disembarkation and why it seems to take so much longer.

 

Thanks in advance!!!

[gtalum]

The requirement to clear customs slows things down, especially since some guests are inconsiderate and don't show up when requested. They can't clear the ship until everyone has checked in.

[palmbaytish]

How do they go about checking everyone? Is it done on a certain schedule, etc? Any assistance that you can offer would be appreciated as we are trying to figure our schedule when it comes to catching the ferry to St. John that only travels at the top of the hour.

 

Thanks!

 

Stephanie

[gtalum]

They set up in one of the bars, and everyone files through with their passports (or BC and drivers license). I can't remember for sure, but I think one person from your cabin can take everyone's documents.

 

The ship doesn't clear until everyone's accounted for, and sometimes that takes a while. Once the ship is cleared, it moves fast like any other debarkation.

[jobell]

We are arriving in St. Thomas on the Glory on March 28th and we arrive at 10:00 am. About how long does it take for disembarkation on average and is it true that since we are going to the Bahamas two days before hand, that we have to have a customs check prior to us getting off board?

 

We have done 2 itineraries that included Nassau and St. Thomas (Nassau first and then St. Thomas) and are usually off the ship no more than 30 minutes after we've arrived in port. Of course, I don't really pay attention to the time so don't hold me to that.

 

I have never heard of a customs check prior to getting off the ship in a port of call. I know that when sailing out of Tampa all non-US citizens have to go down to a lounge the morning of debarkation for their customs clearing but that is AFTER the entire cruise.

 

Maybe I misread something and you are asking about the final debarkation and not just at a port of call.

[palmbaytish]

Thanks for your answers, and yes, Jobell, it is us visiting St. Thomas after a stop in Nassau, not the final disembarkation port. I've never have encountered this before in having to clear the entire ship through customs before letting us get off in a specific port, so this is why I was wondering. Maybe it is just me, but this sounds like something that could take forever in trying to check 3000+ passengers before letting anyone off the ship to enjoy their port of call, especially sice we are only there for 8 hours to begin with.

 

Oh the bureaucratic fun of it all!

[gtalum]

I have never heard of a customs check prior to getting off the ship in a port of call. I know that when sailing out of Tampa all non-US citizens have to go down to a lounge the morning of debarkation for their customs clearing but that is AFTER the entire cruise.

 

Maybe I misread something and you are asking about the final debarkation and not just at a port of call.

 

There is always in immigration check when arriving in St. Thomas if you visited a non-US port first.

[palmbaytish]

There is always in immigration check when arriving in St. Thomas if you visited a non-US port first.

 

 

Thanks so much for clearing this up for me. Are you aware of how the procedure goes (is it by cabin location, etc...) and do you have to wait until everyone is cleared before they let you off, or is it a situation that once you are cleared, you can leave?

 

I ask only because I wonder how many people don't bother to show up on time out of totaly ignorace or just a rude nature and figure if they're not getting off the ship, they don't have to clear customs.

 

Sorry to ask so may questions, but this is a new situation for me and i've been on three cruises!

[gtalum]

Thanks so much for clearing this up for me. Are you aware of how the procedure goes (is it by cabin location, etc...) and do you have to wait until everyone is cleared before they let you off, or is it a situation that once you are cleared, you can leave?

 

I ask only because I wonder how many people don't bother to show up on time out of totaly ignorace or just a rude nature and figure if they're not getting off the ship, they don't have to clear customs.

 

I can't remember absolutely for sure (we've only been through this once) but I think everyone was just asked to line up at a certain bar at a certain time. It's in the Fun Times and hey start making ship-wide announcements well in advance.

 

Some people have no consideration for other people's time. That's the only explanation I have. There's no way they don't know about it, because as I noted it's advertised in the schedule and announcements start well ahead of time. I think they even announce it a few time the evening before.

 

Sorry to ask so may questions, but this is a new situation for me and i've been on three cruises!

 

No problem, that's what CC is for! :)

[palmbaytish]

One last question!

 

We dock in St. Thomas at 10:00 am, so am I correct in assuming that the customs check won't start until we arrive in port, or is this something that can happen earlier in the morning.

 

My incination is to think not, as how would the customs agents get on board, but then again, I know bupkus about how those things work, so I am just totally guessing here!

[gtalum]

I don't remember enough to say that with any certainty. In my experience, though, ships tend to arrive at ports a bit early, so it's possible you'll actually be able to walk off the ship at or around 10 AM.

[matj2000]

There is always in immigration check when arriving in St. Thomas if you visited a non-US port first.

 

I don't believe they still do that anymore.

The last 2 times I have been to St.Thomas we did not have to go through that process.

They just let everyone off like any other port.

[gtalum]

I don't believe they still do that anymore.

The last 2 times I have been to St.Thomas we did not have to go through that process.

They just let everyone off like any other port.

 

Did you stop in a foreign port first?

[jobell]

There is always in immigration check when arriving in St. Thomas if you visited a non-US port first.

 

So what exactly goes on? Is this just for non-US citizens or do they just have to clear the ship itself? We've never had to present ourselves or provide documentation other than the norm when exiting and re-entering the ship.

[gtalum]

So what exactly goes on? Is this just for non-US citizens or do they just have to clear the ship itself? We've never had to present ourselves or provide documentation other than the norm when exiting and re-entering the ship.

 

It's for everyone. It only occurs when you arrive at a US port (like St. Thomas, San Juan, or Key West) after visiting a foreign port.

 

They just do a quick document check.

[matj2000]

Did you stop in a foreign port first?

 

 

I think we did Nassau once, and Coco Cay the other..

[gtalum]

If it's changed, it's a recent change. We had to do it in late 2009 on Norwegian Pearl.

[jobell]

If it's changed, it's a recent change. We had to do it in late 2009 on Norwegian Pearl.

 

I'm just wondering if it has changed as we've done Nassau to St. Thomas twice 2010 and just 2 weeks ago and didn't have to do this. :confused:

[gtalum]

Heh, maybe I'm wrong then and it's changed in the last 2 years.

[GTO-Girl]

We were just on the Dream this past October.....went to Nassau....then to St Thomas & St Martin and we did NOT have to go through customs before getting off in St Thomas.

 

Have done this same route on RCI and did not have to clear customs. I remember having to do it one time a very long time ago when we were on the Glory, but not since.

 

So not sure when it was changed. I'm sure there has to be some type of custom cleareance, but it did not involved us doing anything.

[matj2000]

You used to have to parade through the dining room and show them(customs) your passports.

It was a tremendous waste of port time.

I am positive we did not have to do it the last 2 times..

[palmbaytish]

I appreciate all your comments, as it seems from the other threads I have read that this was something they commonly did a few years back (post 9/11) but over the last year or so, have stopped doing. The information from post to post was so widely varying, which is why I asked on this thread.

 

I guess the best thing to do is maybe call Carnival and check with them? We can always plan for the worst, but hope for the best! :)

[zqvol]

We are arriving in St. Thomas on the Glory on March 28th and we arrive at 10:00 am. About how long does it take for disembarkation on average and is it true that since we are going to the Bahamas two days before hand, that we have to have a customs check prior to us getting off board?

 

We are not doing a Carnival excursion, but instead plan on hopping a taxi to Red Hook and then taking the ferry, but we don't know the process of how they unload passengers. Whenever we have arrived in different ports (jamacia, Cayman Is. or Cozumel), we have never had a long wait to get off the ship upon arrival, so I just wanted to get other people's thoughts on St. Thomas disembarkation and why it seems to take so much longer.

 

Thanks in advance!!!

 

St. Thomas is always a quick exit. The biggest problem is the stupid photographers that slow down the line. You can almost be assured of being off the ship within 10 minutes of the ship being cleared which they try to accomplish before the scheduled arrival time. It has gotten much easier than it used to be.

[zqvol]

The requirement to clear customs slows things down, especially since some guests are inconsiderate and don't show up when requested. They can't clear the ship until everyone has checked in.

 

 

They stopped doing that about 5 years ago, even if you arrived from a foreign port.

[zqvol]

Thanks for your answers, and yes, Jobell, it is us visiting St. Thomas after a stop in Nassau, not the final disembarkation port. I've never have encountered this before in having to clear the entire ship through customs before letting us get off in a specific port, so this is why I was wondering. Maybe it is just me, but this sounds like something that could take forever in trying to check 3000+ passengers before letting anyone off the ship to enjoy their port of call, especially sice we are only there for 8 hours to begin with.

 

Oh the bureaucratic fun of it all!

 

They used to do this in STT, but stopped about 5 years ago.