Boston Disembarkation - Time to clear customs/immigration

[sandyss]

We will be disembarking in Boston.  Boston will be our only US port - the prior port is Halifax.  Has anyone had experience with a similar itinerary and know how long it will take us to clear customs/immigration after we leave the ship?  Our ship arrives in Boston at 7:00 am and we will be picked up for a private tour at 9:00 am.  (We are the only ship in port that day.)  Thanks for any advice that you can provide.

[Mary229]

What are the terms of your private tour?  Do they give you an arrival window.  You should be able to do it especially if you are on one of the smaller ships and have nothing to declare.

 

when I am in Boston I have noticed that the dock workers union run a tight schedule   

Edited May 1, 2019 by Mary229

[sandyss]

We just need to call or text our guide when we walk out of the terminal.  He will pick us up in front of the terminal.  We will be arriving on the Zuiderdam, and should have nothing to declare.

 

I'm trying to figure out if we should self-disembark or request an early disembarkation time.  We could also ask our guide to start our tour a little later. (Its a 3 hour tour from the port to the airport.)

[Mary229]

Sign up for expedited disembarkation when you get the card in your room.  Usually customs allows people to start leaving by 7:30.   As long as your guide can give you a little leeway you should be fine.   Boston is such a great city to drive around.  

[sandyss]

Do we need to disembark that early in order to be out of the terminal by 9:00 am?  The reason for my question is to find out how much time to allow once we depart the ship. 

 

How efficient is the customs/immigration procedure for US citizens at Black Falcon?  How long should we allow for that?

[Mary229]

The customs is pretty quick.  I would allow at least a half hour, me being cautious would allow 45 minutes 

[sandyss]

Thank you. That is just the kind of information that I need.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I've had horrifically slow experiences with Boston customs/immigration when it was the first US port but not disembarkation. Maybe it was slower without the dockworkers to drive the schedule, but those agents took their own sweet time. I would do the self-disembark, even though it means being out earlier than the tour requires.

 

[sandyss]

We're hoping to avoid the self-disembarkation if we can, since we will have heavy luggage (after a 24 day cruise).  That's why I posted this question.