thumbs down to St. Thomas as first port of entry after TA

[cle-guy]

I think the deal is:

No strong immigration check if the ship departs and returns to the same US port

Strong immigration check if the ship departs and returns at a DIFFERENT port even in the US.

US law requires any NON-US Flagged ship to make a stop at a 'distant foreign port' enroute, thus the simple stops in Nassau and Ensenada on those routes, and why there is no round Hawaii trips, except for Norwegian has a single US-flagged ship to make it able to do so.

Strong immigration check for any ship arriving from a foreign port having not started from the same US port it is returning to, even if a US port was visited prior en-route to the final stop

[BEAV]

[quote name='cle-guy']I think the deal is:

No strong immigration check if the ship departs and returns to the same US port

Strong immigration check if the ship departs and returns at a DIFFERENT port even in the US.

US law requires any NON-US Flagged ship to make a stop at a 'distant foreign port' enroute, thus the simple stops in Nassau and Ensenada on those routes, and why there is no round Hawaii trips, except for Norwegian has a single US-flagged ship to make it able to do so.

Strong immigration check for any ship arriving from a foreign port having not started from the same US port it is returning to, even if a US port was visited prior en-route to the final stop[/QUOTE]

Our 4 cruises this year went like this:

Round Trip Miami - visited Cozumel - full immigration check upon return to Miami

Round Trip Ft Lauderdale - visited Nassau, St Maarten, St Thomas - full immigration check upon return to Ft Lauderdale

Round Trip San Francisco - visited Victoria - no immigration check whatsoever at any time.

Round Trip San Francisco - visited Ensenada - no immigration check whatsoever

????????????

[CaroleSS]

The take away is to sail out of San Francisco not FL!!!! Edited November 19, 2013 by CaroleSS

[TeaBag]

I had no idea you were on this sailing, cruisestitch. I would like to have met you.

I feel very sorry for the non US/Cdn people who had to wait in such long lines. I can't understand people queuing for immigration without their passports or one person taking the passports for others not present.

We were very lucky in that we had an early private excursion and we were off the ship by 8:10 and on a sailboat by 9. We had no idea of the problems till we returned and heard others talking about them. We also had no idea that the sailing time had been delayed and rushed back for a 4PM sailing. We did not get any letter to our SR telling us we would have to go through the process again but maybe that was because we are Cdn. Immigration in FLL went quickly when we got off the ship one hour later than we were supposed to. Announcements were made periodically stating that our suitcases would not be there if we got off before our number was called. We spent the time waitng in the library.

Yes, pendlecruiser, we saw the US Coastguard with the machine gun patrolling up and down beside the ship and we were just as shocked as you. Such a welcome!

[stag]

In March, we cruised Singapore to Hong Kong on Millennium. Hong Kong Immigration boarded the ship in Hanoi. They did not inspect passports until the last sea day. In April, we went eastbound trans Atlantic from FLL to Southampton on Eclipse. British Immigration boarded the ship in Sint Maartin. They had 6 days to inspect all passports.

[Oville]

[quote name='BEAV']We were on Oasis of the Seas earlier this year and stopped in Nassau between Ft Lauderdale and St Thomas. I was fully expecting to have to clear U.S. Immigration upon arrival in St Thomas, but for whatever reason we didn't. But I've had to do it under the same type of circumstances in years past. [/QUOTE]

That practice stopped a few years ago. There is no longer a need to go through US Immigration while cruising from Florida to the Caribbean and back and stopping at a US port in between foreign stops.

Some things have changed for the better.:) Edited November 20, 2013 by Oville

[grayjay]

Reading all these posts I start wondering if it really was a good idea to be booked on a westbound transatlantic that ends in Miami... :(
As I will have definite problems with standing in line for hours on end I'm not sure yet how I will manage it. And I'm surely not the only elderly person on the ship???

[Piggeldy]

[quote name='cruisestitch']The non-US/Canadians were all given green forms to fill out. Most did not, because the forms are now obsolete, since approximately June, and they figured that the forms were handed out in error.[/quote]

HAD I gotten green forms in advance, I swear I would have filled them out and brought them to immigration with me! We didn't. We brought everything we were supposed to bring (passports, printed ESTA confirmations and customs declarations) as we wanted to get through immigration as quickly as possible.

The first time a I94 was handed to me was arround 8 am after waiting in line for an hour, when I had just been pulled out of a then moving waiting line and moved to the "side entrance" infront of the elevators, where a line for tours that were supposed to be leaving at 8/8.15 had been formed. I have to admit that I was somewhat unhappy when I noticed that people who had been waiting behind me in the regular line passed us and cleared immigration quite a while before we did... because the "quick line" didn't get moving while the regular line at least slowly moved.

We had a group of Germans (after going to a few "German speaking cruise guests" get-togethers I now know why everybody hates German tourists... I now do too!) behind us who yelled at the lady who was passing out the green forms. Had I heard the sentence "I don't speak English. Speak German to me" once more, I would have been glad to kick them. Hard. I understand that they were stressed out as their tour started at 8 (which had then come and gone) but really? How many languages is that poor woman supposed to speak?
I was nice and did help them to fill it out but still :rolleyes:

Fortunately, our tour did wait.
And I think I had a nice quick chat with kasi while waiting in the teatre ;)

What I found stressful was that there were no green forms passed out in advance (and no, of course I did not have a pen), that immigration did start nearly an hour late, that groups were asked to show up in too quick succession and especially that no public announcements were made (okay, maybe two? all before 8?), that we got pulled out of a moving line which would have gotten us out of the ship approximately 30 minutes quicker, that two rows were sat down in the theatre while people that had been waiting behind us were allowed to procede to the front because one poor lady was supposed to keep 1900 people in check and people did not like to listen to her. Oh and the five immigration officers for... 2.000 people?!

When we got out of the theater the last people in the "tours line" could shake hands with the last people in the "regular line"... they stood back to back. The whole deck 3 was full of people and it was quite a zoo.

I think people might have been less grumpy had they known what was going on and been informed by someone official. A quick announcement or two about ship tours waiting (or not, as some did not) might have been nice. Or some water being passed around (maybe at least outside where the tours were waiting)? Fortunately, we did have a quick room service breakfast before we went to immigration (though I don't usually "do" breakfast at 6), otherwise I would have gone on a 6h snorkling tour (cut down to 4 1/2 hrs because we weren't informed the ship would leave an hour late due to the delays) without anything in my stomach. They did hand out crackers on the boat but by then it was 10 and crackers in my eyes don't count as "breakfast".

When we were back in our room at 3pm the crew saftey drill which had been roughly scheduled for 10.30am was still taking place! Talk about delays that day...

However, we DID get the green forms before we arrived in Fort Lauderdale, where the immigration officer just dumped them on a growing pile of more (unneeded) green forms and we didn't even need the printed out ESTA confirmations as we had the green forms from St. Thomas.

There were at least three different informations given (differing between Sue's announcement on tv, Shane's [int. hostess] announcement on tv and the letter sent to the stateroom on the last sea day) for immigration in Fort Lauderdale... so we went prepared. And I have to admit that I thought this went rather smoothly. We were in group 16 and were through immigration by 9am, which I was happy with.

I was really not happy with how the whole St. Thomas immigration was handled... I see where it wasn't Celebrity's fault (number of immigration officers, officers showing up late, no computer system for immigration) but they knew how many non-US/Canada citizens they had on board (75+%) and I feld that their information strategy was severly lacking. Oh well. Over and done with. Home, sweet home. And snow in the weather forecast. Brrrr. Edited November 20, 2013 by Piggeldy

[Tiggertastic]

[quote name='stag']In March, we cruised Singapore to Hong Kong on Millennium. Hong Kong Immigration boarded the ship in Hanoi. They did not inspect passports until the last sea day. In April, we went eastbound trans Atlantic from FLL to Southampton on Eclipse. British Immigration boarded the ship in Sint Maartin. They had 6 days to inspect all passports.[/QUOTE]

what a nice job to have, 6 days on a ship to check passports - I'm sure they got downtime too

We have been through this mess twice. It happened on RCCL when we queued for over 3 hours - the instructions said passport and cruise card then as we were in the queue passengers were running past shouting, 'you need your ESTA' - interestingly the ESTA states that you do not need to carry it as it is electronic - good job we had it.

It happened in Key West too on christmas day - that was fun - lines of people in santa hats - but I have to give the customs staff their due, they all wanted to go home so whisked everyone through.

I've now gone through our next cruise and realise we are going to have to do it twice

[Vol fan]

We were on an 11 night southern Caribbean cruise on NCL Sun that stopped in Cartagena in October. When we stopped in St. Thomas after the stop in Cartagena, we had to go through the same process discussed here. We were in line a few minutes after the appointed time and through the line and off of the ship within 30 minutes. The line moved very fast and everyone seemed to have the proper documentation. I don't know how the non-US line moved. We did not have to wait until all passengers were seen to debark. Edited November 20, 2013 by Vol fan

[wwcruisers]

Don't want to drag a very important thread OT here, but I feel that I must respond to the two posters who expressed dismay at seeing armed US Coast Guard vessels on patrol around their ship. Those vessels are not there to frighten or intimidate passengers -- they are there to protect them. I love seeing those guys escorting us out of port -- I always feel safer with them around. When it comes to a potential attack, any ship is at its most vulnerable point while in harbor. Those of us who have loved ones serving in the US Navy will never forget the USS Cole. :(
Next time you see a Coast Guard vessel patrolling around your cruise ship, give them a little wave and say "Thank you!" :cool:

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

[quote name='BEAV']Our 4 cruises this year went like this:

Round Trip Miami - visited Cozumel - full immigration check upon return to Miami

Round Trip Ft Lauderdale - visited Nassau, St Maarten, St Thomas - full immigration check upon return to Ft Lauderdale

Round Trip San Francisco - visited Victoria - no immigration check whatsoever at any time.

Round Trip San Francisco - visited Ensenada - no immigration check whatsoever

????????????[/QUOTE]

[FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="3"]Your trips were all RTs from US ports. Completely different process from a ship that leaves from a European port and ends at a US port.
[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

[quote name='wwcruisers']Don't want to drag a very important thread OT here, but I feel that I must respond to the two posters who expressed dismay at seeing armed US Coast Guard vessels on patrol around their ship. Those vessels are not there to frighten or intimidate passengers -- they are there to protect them. I love seeing those guys escorting us out of port -- I always feel safer with them around. When it comes to a potential attack, any ship is at its most vulnerable point while in harbor. Those of us who have loved ones serving in the US Navy will never forget the USS Cole. :(
Next time you see a Coast Guard vessel patrolling around your cruise ship, give them a little wave and say "Thank you!" :cool:[/QUOTE]

[FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="3"]I agree. They're in every port and they are there to protect you.

We have seen the same thing in Canadian waters, except that it is armed helicopters. We also wave to them.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Fouremco]

[quote name='Happy Cruiser 6143'][FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="3"]I agree. They're in every port and they are there to protect you.

We have seen the same thing in Canadian waters, except that it is armed helicopters. We also wave to them.[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]
[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][SIZE="4"]I can assure you, unless there is a specific, identified threat to a particular vessel, there are no Canadian helicopters deployed to protect cruise ships. To the extent that you might see them in a port such as Halifax, they are simply overflying you on the way to or from other duties.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[cle-guy]

[quote name='Happy Cruiser 6143'][FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="3"]Your trips were all RTs from US ports. Completely different process from a ship that leaves from a European port and ends at a US port.
[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

We're trying here to determine why all these round trips from US ports, had varied amounts of immigration...or none at all.

Any idea? Some of the trips had full immigration, others none, and we can't determine why (excluding the European routes )...

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

[quote name='Fouremco'][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][SIZE="4"]I can assure you, unless there is a specific, identified threat to a particular vessel, there are no Canadian helicopters deployed to protect cruise ships. To the extent that you might see them in a port such as Halifax, they are simply overflying you on the way to or from other duties.[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

[FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="3"]Please note that I said Canadian waters, not Canadian ports. Not being privy to what the Canadian military is up to, I have no idea why they were there. I was just replying to the Canadians who found the presence of our Coast Guard in our ports threatening. The helicopters practically flew into our balcony, they were so close. As I said, we just waved and went about our business.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Fouremco]

[quote name='Happy Cruiser 6143'][FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="3"]Please note that I said Canadian waters, not Canadian ports. Not being privy to what the Canadian military is up to, I have no idea why they were there. I was just replying to the Canadians who found the presence of our Coast Guard in our ports threatening. The helicopters practically flew into our balcony, they were so close. As I said, we just waved and went about our business.[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]
[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][SIZE="4"]Waters and ports. If you were at sea, it was probably curiosity, and I'm sure that they appreciated the waves! [/SIZE][/FONT]

[Big_G]

What can we say, Americans just love showing off their guns. :D

[BEAV]

[quote name='BEAV']Originally Posted by BEAV View Post
Our 4 cruises this year went like this:

Round Trip Miami - visited Cozumel - full immigration check upon return to Miami

Round Trip Ft Lauderdale - visited Nassau, St Maarten, St Thomas - full immigration check upon return to Ft Lauderdale

Round Trip San Francisco - visited Victoria - no immigration check whatsoever at any time.

Round Trip San Francisco - visited Ensenada - no immigration check whatsoever

????????????[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Happy Cruiser 6143'][FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="3"]Your trips were all RTs from US ports. Completely different process from a ship that leaves from a European port and ends at a US port.
[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

Yes, having sailed several Transatlantics, I'm aware of that. The point of my post was to ask why round trip sailings from San Francisco to
Alaska and/or Mexico don't have Immigration checks while round trip sailings from Florida to the Caribbean do have full checks.

[gw2fll]

Different port, but similar...

We sailed the 17 May 2013 sailing on Solstice from Seattle to Alaska, with a port day in Victoria (concluding back to Seattle). Oddly, everyone on the ship received paperwork for Canadian immigration before arriving in Victoria. (I use "odd" as I have never experienced that if you are not disembarking the ship.)

Well, every passenger and crew member had to clear Canadian immigration before anyone could leave the ship for shore excursions, etc. (Even if you planned to stay on the ship, you had to complete the paperwork - although you did not have to personally appear before immigration.)

Keep in mind we did not arrive until 6:00 pm and our scheduled departure was midnight.

There were certain countries that had to present themselves to immigration. Those passengers were given individual letters advising them of the process and the requirement to present themselves (everyone in their party) before anyone else on the ship would be allowed to leave. Guess what, about 4 - 5 people did not pay attention to the letter or even the announcements resulting in a delay of the ships clearance of about an hour.

I'm glad we do not have to do that for every port. I guess times are changing and we are learning experiences could be different. How the ship handles it is from our perspective will form our impression of the event for years to come. Of course, we have to keep in mind we are talking about ~3,000 individuals - some of which feel they are special and above all requirements that they do not want to participate in (the 4 - 5 that decided to delay everyone else instead of doing what they were instructed to do.) It will be interesting to see if over the years this approach expands to other ports - hope not, but I guess it is possible.

I'm sorry about your experience and hope you had a wonderful and relaxing cruise otherwise.

Happy Holidays...

[travelberlin]

[quote name='cinnamon']Interesting to read of your experience. We were in line from 7.20 having been sent the time of 7.30. We heard that people had become angry due to mismanagement of the queue system. Celebrity must take some responsibility for this. Using young dancers to try and control grumpy people rather than security staff or people who routinely have face to face experience of dealing with passengers.[/QUOTE]

You have a good point there. The young dancers that you mention are also the ones who conduct the drills. I always get a funny feeling thinking how they could really help us in case of an emergency. I will rather have at the inmigration procedure and specially at the drills and emergencies some other professionals better able to cope with distressed passengers. Edited December 21, 2013 by travelberlin

[Nancyquilts]

why when we take X or RCCL, we have to stand in long lines for immigration.:( When we take Princess on the same route we fill out the forms and turn them in ahead of time and then just walk off the ship without standing in an immigration line.:D
Maybe some of the higher-ups at X should try a Princess cruise to see how immigration can be done without being so difficult for the passengers as the method X uses.

[cinnamon]

[quote name='Nancyquilts']why when we take X or RCCL, we have to stand in long lines for immigration.:( When we take Princess on the same route we fill out the forms and turn them in ahead of time and then just walk off the ship without standing in an immigration line.:D
Maybe some of the higher-ups at X should try a Princess cruise to see how immigration can be done without being so difficult for the passengers as the method X uses.[/QUOTE]

This is not possible when entering a US port after a Transatlantic cruise from Europe.