Arriving in Halifax from Bar Harbor

[Fouremco]

I'm wondering what length of delay we can anticipate for clearance by Canada Border Services Agency when going ashore in Halifax. Also, is there a separate line for Canadian citizens as we sometimes see in US ports for US citizens?

[cruz chic]

Unless I'm having a senior moment you do not have to report anywhere. You fill out the customs form and drop it by the front desk. You do not need to report anywhere. My last visit was in May 2015.

[sail7seas]

No delay. We've sailed that route many times and we are permitted off the ship reasonably fast each time. Of course, ship has to be cleared but that happens quickly.

[Fouremco]

Thanks, Ladies, much appreciated. We want to get an early start and were hoping that this would be the case. :)

[nycruiser80]

I was on the cruise two weeks ago and we all had to present ourselves to a customs official. The custom declaration forms are not taken on Bar Harbor day visit, they will be collected the next day in Boston, at least that's how they did it on my sailing. They started the customs meeting at 8am and it was in deck order. The line moved quickly and the ship had everything in order. Canadian citizens had a separate line that was much shorter.

 

It should be painless.

[cruz chic]

I was on the cruise two weeks ago and we all had to present ourselves to a customs official. The custom declaration forms are not taken on Bar Harbor day visit, they will be collected the next day in Boston, at least that's how they did it on my sailing. They started the customs meeting at 8am and it was in deck order. The line moved quickly and the ship had everything in order. Canadian citizens had a separate line that was much shorter.

 

It should be painless.

 

It sounds like you are talking about going from Canada and ending in Boston. That is entirely a different story. When you go into the USA it's a pita ( for Canadians ) USA into Canada is painless.

[ellieanne]

On most of my cruises along the Canada/New England route, there were no issues or delays on arrival in Halifax. We pulled into port, the ship was cleared by Canadian officials and passengers were getting off and headed to whatever fun they had planned in less than a hour.

 

The last time I was cruising along the Canada/New England route, there was a delay of well over an hour and a half between when the ship pulled into port and was boarded by Canadian officials and when passengers were allowed to get off the ship. No explanation was ever given and I was on the Promenade Deck watching and never saw anything that would explain the delay, but it definitely had to do with the clearing the ship by Canadian officials -- the officials came and went with ship staff several times before passengers were allowed to get off.

[Lauranne]

On our very recent cruise we had to present ourselves to a Canadian official at Halifax. It seems that if you check off yes to any of the questions on the customs form, you will be asked to appear in person. There were probably 50 of us and it delayed leaving the ship ( compared to those not having a face to face) by about forty five minutes.

Laurie

Edited July 12, 2015 by Lauranne

[Fouremco]

On our very recent cruise we had to present ourselves to a Canadian official at Halifax. It seems that if you check off yes to any of the questions on the customs form, you will be asked to appear in person. There were probably 50 of us and it delayed leaving the ship ( compared to those not having a face to face) by about forty five minutes.

Laurie

Thanks Laurie. We'll be ticking off only "no" boxes, so hopefully a quick debarkation. :)

[sail7seas]

On our very recent cruise we had to present ourselves to a Canadian official at Halifax. It seems that if you check off yes to any of the questions on the customs form, you will be asked to appear in person. There were probably 50 of us and it delayed leaving the ship ( compared to those not having a face to face) by about forty five minutes.

Laurie

 

Since when is there a custom's form to complete when leaving Bar Harbor and entering Canada at Halifax? We've never been given a Canadian Custom's form until we reached Montreal.

 

[cruz chic]

Since when is there a custom's form to complete when leaving Bar Harbor and entering Canada at Halifax? We've never been given a Canadian Custom's form until we reached Montreal.

 

 

They seem to be rushing it now. I rec'd mine before we got to Bar harbor and they want it filled out pretty quickly, before we were done the USA ports. I refused as that would have meant falsifying information. The front desk couldn't understand why that was a problem :rolleyes:.

[Lauranne]

We received the form at check in and they wanted it back by 6 o'clock that night. As we were assured that we could get the form back to adjust it if we purchased items in Bar Harbour, I handed it in.

Laurie

[sail7seas]

They seem to be rushing it now. I rec'd mine before we got to Bar harbor and they want it filled out pretty quickly, before we were done the USA ports. I refused as that would have meant falsifying information. The front desk couldn't understand why that was a problem :rolleyes:.

 

Wow.........

 

Surely they are aware there are penalties for an incomplete or erroneous Declaration?

 

Why would anyone sign their name to a form when they know it well could not be complete?

 

Thanks for filling me in.

It does remind me Kazu and others on her cruise encountered something similar.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

On our recent cruise from Boston, we filled out the form as others mentioned and we never saw a Canadian customs/immigration person in Halifax. When we left the ship in Quebec....no customs there either.

[cruz chic]

Wow.........

 

Surely they are aware there are penalties for an incomplete or erroneous Declaration?

 

Why would anyone sign their name to a form when they know it well could not be complete?

 

Thanks for filling me in.

It does remind me Kazu and others on her cruise encountered something similar.

 

Exactly. They just didn't get it. I think they thought I was being difficult. No matter how I tried to explain I was getting the dear in the headlights look. With the exception of one person at the front desk who was stellar I would say it wasn't Hal's best and brightest at the front desk.

 

I was looking at a message I sent to a friend on this matter just to see when I got the form. I was on a b2b Bermuda Canada New England cruise. We got the form before we got to Boston and they wanted it handed in before Bar Harbor. I told them they would not get it from me before I got back on the ship from Bar Harbor and that is when I turned it in. There was a box beside the front desk and I saw many people depositing theirs before Bar Harbor.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

The items that may change on the Canadian declaration after you visit Bar Harbor are shown below. Most people pretty much know if they are planning on buying more than their allowance before they arrive in Bar Harbor. If they change their mind, ( decide to buy a case of wine in Bar Harbor) then they can submit an updated form - they will tear up the old and replace with the new.

 

It would only be erroneous if you didn't submit an updated form. There is no penalty for submitting incorrect forms to HAL....only if you allow HAL to submit the incorrect form on arrival in Halifax...but you have plenty of time to submit a new form if you bought something in Bar Harbor you have to declare.

 

This way HAL can process the limited number of changed forms the night before Halifax rather than the entire ship.

 

If you didn't turn in any form, they would never figure it out until you left Bar Harbor anyway and then they would hunt you down

 

Most people have a pretty good idea if they plan on buying wine or cigarettes in Bar Harbor before they arrive.

 

 

The following duty-free allowances apply to each visitor entering into Canada:

 Gifts (excludes alcohol and tobacco) valued at no more than CAN$60 each.

 1.5 L of wine or 1.14 L of liquor or

24 x 355 ml cans or bottles (8.5 L) of beer or ale.

200 cigarettes, 200 tobacco sticks, 50 cigars or cigarillos and

200 grams of manufactured tob

Edited July 12, 2015 by Pete and Judy

[Fouremco]

Since when is there a custom's form to complete when leaving Bar Harbor and entering Canada at Halifax? We've never been given a Canadian Custom's form until we reached Montreal.

 

Customs and immigration formalities are normally addressed at the first port of entry encountered when entering or returning to a country. So, as an example, on a Western Caribbean cruise that stops at Key Largo, clearance is conducted there, not in Fort Lauderdale. The same applies in this case, where Halifax is the port of entry to Canada and customs and immigration requirements should addressed.

 

Otherwise, what is to stop a returning Canadian from making purchases in the US far in excess of allowed amounts and get off the ship with them in Halifax to ship home, or even take home if they lived in Halifax? Waiting for clearance in Montreal would be closing the barn door well after the horses have bolted.

[cruz chic]

The items that may change on the Canadian declaration after you visit Bar Harbor are shown below. Most people pretty much know if they are planning on buying more than their allowance before they arrive in Bar Harbor. If they change their mind, ( decide to buy a case of wine in Bar Harbor) then they can submit an updated form - they will tear up the old and replace with the new.

 

It would only be erroneous if you didn't submit an updated form. There is no penalty for submitting incorrect forms to HAL....only if you allow HAL to submit the incorrect form on arrival in Halifax...but you have plenty of time to submit a new form if you bought something in Bar Harbor you have to declare.

 

This way HAL can process the limited number of changed forms the night before Halifax rather than the entire ship.

 

If you didn't turn in any form, they would never figure it out until you left Bar Harbor anyway and then they would hunt you down

 

Most people have a pretty good idea if they plan on buying wine or cigarettes in Bar Harbor before they arrive.

 

 

The following duty-free allowances apply to each visitor entering into Canada:

 Gifts (excludes alcohol and tobacco) valued at no more than CAN$60 each.

 1.5 L of wine or 1.14 L of liquor or

24 x 355 ml cans or bottles (8.5 L) of beer or ale.

200 cigarettes, 200 tobacco sticks, 50 cigars or cigarillos and

200 grams of manufactured tob

While that may be true for residents of the USA it is not the case for Canadians. I have a nexus card and I'm not going to take the chance on submitting incorrect information. An updated declaration may get lost. Hal shoukd not be asking for this info so early.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Customs and immigration formalities are normally addressed at the first port of entry encountered when entering or returning to a country. So, as an example, on a Western Caribbean cruise that stops at Key Largo, clearance is conducted there, not in Fort Lauderdale. The same applies in this case, where Halifax is the port of entry to Canada and customs and immigration requirements should addressed.

 

 

 

Otherwise, what is to stop a returning Canadian from making purchases in the US far in excess of allowed amounts and get off the ship with them in Halifax to ship home, or even take home if they lived in Halifax? Waiting for clearance in Montreal would be closing the barn door well after the horses have bolted.

 

 

A while back on a 4 day from Vancouver to LA, stopped in San Francisco, cleared immigration in San Francisco, but did nothing with customs till LA. We could have easily taken stuff off in San Francisco if we wanted to.....I guess they don't think the effort is worth it

[Fouremco]

Customs and immigration formalities are normally addressed at the first port of entry encountered when entering or returning to a country. So, as an example, on a Western Caribbean cruise that stops at Key Largo, clearance is conducted there, not in Fort Lauderdale. The same applies in this case, where Halifax is the port of entry to Canada and customs and immigration requirements should addressed.

 

Otherwise, what is to stop a returning Canadian from making purchases in the US far in excess of allowed amounts and get off the ship with them in Halifax to ship home, or even take home if they lived in Halifax? Waiting for clearance in Montreal would be closing the barn door well after the horses have bolted.

Make that Key West, of course, not Key Largo. :o Missed the edit time too, so new post.