Going Through Customs Before End of Cruise

[Maverick927]

I've never been on a cruise that stops at a US location before the end of the cruise, so I never considered having to clear customs before we disembark.

 

We are going on the Enchantment of the Seas in a couple of weeks, and it stops in Key West before returning to Miami, and it looks like we will have to clear customs at that port.

 

My question is, will we have to go through customs again in Miami?

[Lazz]

I have had different experiences. Years ago on one cruise, all US passengers had to go to a central location on the ship and just show their passports. The cruise staff scanned our sea pass cards to make sure that everyone showed up. Non US citizens had a more detailed check. On other cruises we just waited until non US citizens reported and then the ship was cleared. You do not have to worry about customs forms or your luggage until you disembark.

[vavasmom]

You clear immigration not customs in Key West. You do customs in Miami

[matj2000]

I have had different experiences. Years ago on one cruise, all US passengers had to go to a central location on the ship and just show their passports. The cruise staff scanned our sea pass cards to make sure that everyone showed up. Non US citizens had a more detailed check. On other cruises we just waited until non US citizens reported and then the ship was cleared. You do not have to worry about customs forms or your luggage until you disembark.

 

They used to do that in St.Thomas a few years back.

Everyone paraded through a lounge and show your passports/ID before you can get off the ship.

They stopped that about 5 years ago.

Now its just like any other stop...

[ogdenrj]

We just got off Empress of the Seas on Saturday with a stop in Key West the day before. I can't speak for non-US citizens, but the process was just the way Lazz described it. Before we could depart the ship for the day, we had to go to the theater where immigrations looked at our passport, then had our sea pass cards scanned. No forms, no luggage. The whole process took about 5 minutes.

[Saab4444]

What you describe in Key West and St. Thomas is not customs but immigration. Customs is always when you leave the ship with your luggage.

 

 

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[Maverick927]

I have had different experiences. Years ago on one cruise, all US passengers had to go to a central location on the ship and just show their passports. The cruise staff scanned our sea pass cards to make sure that everyone showed up. Non US citizens had a more detailed check. On other cruises we just waited until non US citizens reported and then the ship was cleared. You do not have to worry about customs forms or your luggage until you disembark.

 

I was reading a Cruise Compass from May on the same itinerary, and this is what it sounded like. They referred to it as "immigration" and "inspections" so I assumed this would be similar to customs. We don't go on a lot of cruises, so I didn't know if it was the same thing or not.

 

Thank you for the replies! This makes more sense to me, now.