B2B2B and Customs question

[Kmcspoon]

We are taking a B2B2B NCL cruise leaving from LA and arriving in Copenhagen many weeks later.

 

I read somewhere that we will be required to disembark in Miami at the end of the first portion of the trip.

 

We have the same cabins the entire trip.

 

Do you know if we have to pack up and leave the ship in Miami and re-board as if we were starting all over again, or can we just get off, leave our stuff in the cabin and take our passports off to show as we get back on the ship.

 

This may be a question for the NCL forum, but thought I'd ask here first.

 

Kmcspoon

[LHT28]

We are taking a B2B2B NCL cruise leaving from LA and arriving in Copenhagen many weeks later.

 

I read somewhere that we will be required to disembark in Miami at the end of the first portion of the trip.

 

We have the same cabins the entire trip.

 

Do you know if we have to pack up and leave the ship in Miami and re-board as if we were starting all over again, or can we just get off, leave our stuff in the cabin and take our passports off to show as we get back on the ship.

 

This may be a question for the NCL forum, but thought I'd ask here first.

 

Kmcspoon

 

if you have the same cabin just treat it as another port day except for the immigration/customs officials

 

You will usually get a letter a few days before the turnaround day to tell you what to do & where to report & new S & S cards

 

Usually you do not have to check in again just take your new S & S card to the entry of the ship

You usually need to stay off for a short time ...we usually just go to Bayside Mall

[SadieN]

if you have the same cabin just treat it as another port day except for the immigration/customs officials

 

 

 

You will usually get a letter a few days before the turnaround day to tell you what to do & where to report & new S & S cards

 

 

 

Usually you do not have to check in again just take your new S & S card to the entry of the ship

 

You usually need to stay off for a short time ...we usually just go to Bayside Mall

 

 

Whether you check in again or not depends on the cruise line. Carnival in NOLA we had to check in again. (It was pretty painless and we were first on for the second leg.) Princess in Los Angeles just gave me my new card. In both cases didn't pack up if we stayed in the same cabin.

 

Best to ask on the NCL board about their procedures.

Edited February 18, 2015 by SadieN

[MilVet]

I have a similar question. Doing a B2B on CCL Triumph, Galveston - San Juan - Galveston. Like the OP, we will end the first cruise in a U.S. port (SJ). Some people will continue on the B2B (like us) back to TX but some are only doing the first cruise and some will get on in SJ and only do the second cruise. We will be in SJ from 8AM to 10 PM, 14 hours. I know we have to clear customs and have done that on previous B2B's but was wondering how the process will work if we want to get off/on several times during the day, i.e., get off early, clear customs, go into Old SJ for a while, get back on the ship, clean up and then get off again for some more on shore time. I am aware of the in-transit pass and getting new S&S cards before initially getting off but not sure if that will be the thing used to allow people to come and go as they wish.

[Hlitner]

Ok, there are 2 different issues here which are "Customs" and "Immigration/Passport Control." As to "Customs" there is no issue on a Back to back (with a USA port as the turnaround) and no Customs inspection...except that anything you take off the ship is subject to inspection if CBP decides to be a pain.

 

But Immigration is another story. CBP (Customs and Border Protection) agents take the ship through a "zero out" procedure which essentially means they will account for everyone on the ship. They do this by requiring that all passengers (including infants) must depart the ship at the port. If the B to B passengers want to leave the port they are free to do so and can spend their time similar to any port. When they later return to the ship there is usually a special line for them so they do not have to go through the same hassles as the newly embarked passengers.

 

But those that do not want to leave the ships area will be hoarded off (usually around 9:30am) into the terminal building and held in a designated secure area until such time as the ship has been completely "Zeroed Out." At that point they will be allowed to reboard. The amount of time you are held in the terminal depends on how long it takes to zero out and can vary from less then a half hour to several hours (this happened to us on one cruise when they could not locate 2 passengers who had decided to simply stay on the ship).

 

Hank

[LHT28]

We will be in SJ from 8AM to 10 PM, 14 hours. I know we have to clear customs and have done that on previous B2B's but was wondering how the process will work if we want to get off/on several times during the day, i.e., get off early, clear customs, go into Old SJ for a while, get back on the ship, clean up and then get off again for some more on shore time.

 

We normally just come & go as we like after the 1st stage of disembarkation

I guess it depends on the cruise line