Taking off your luggage then reboarding and continuing on to final destination?

[IJustWantToGo36]

 

This is a cruise starting in the United States and ends in  South America.

 

This is not early departure. Simply being able to take suitcases off a stop before the final destination
and then continuing the cruise.

 

This way we do not have to check luggage  to the airport to go back to city we just came from.

Any experience with this?

[caribill]

2 hours ago, IJustWantToGo36 said:

 

This is a cruise starting in the United States and ends in  South America.

 

This is not early departure. Simply being able to take suitcases off a stop before the final destination
and then continuing the cruise.

 

This way we do not have to check luggage  to the airport to go back to city we just came from.

Any experience with this?

 

Seek approval from Princess in advance. Customs policies of that country may or may not allow you to do this.

[riffatsea]

Where will you leave those suitcases??

How is leaving them somewhere before you need to go to the airport helpful??

The only thing you cannot bring into most countries is food so as long as there is none in the suitcases there should not be a problem walking off the ship with them but it sounds very strange and I doubt anyone has any experience doing this.

[skynight]

6 minutes ago, riffatsea said:

Where will you leave those suitcases??

How is leaving them somewhere before you need to go to the airport helpful??

The only thing you cannot bring into most countries is food so as long as there is none in the suitcases there should not be a problem walking off the ship with them but it sounds very strange and I doubt anyone has any experience doing this.

Sounds to me that the person lives at the drop off port, will return the luggage home, continue on the voyage and then fly home at the end. Sounds reasonable to me.

Just get approval from Princess before boarding. There may have to be arrangements for Customs. 

[riffatsea]

Person says they need to go to airport at the end of the cruise so I doubt they live in South America

[Colo Cruiser]

Need more info as to what port are you talking about?

I agree about checking/clearing this with Princess ahead of time.

You don't want to be detained at the gangway trying to walk off with your luggage at a mid cruise stop.

It could be more of a headache than you think.

 

[partybarbie]

It would need to be cleared with the ship/customs.  We were on a California Coastal cruise this spring, which stopped in Seattle before disembarking in Vancouver.  I had thought about dropping off some luggage in Seattle, because my brother lives there and we were going to visit him after the cruise.  It would have been easier  to debark in Vancouver without the extra bags, however, there were notices in the daily patter that this was not allowed.  Your situation may be different, but don't assume that it will be allowed. 

[JF - retired RRT]

1 hour ago, riffatsea said:

It sounds very strange and I doubt anyone has any experience doing this.

I've done it...sort of.

We were moving to HI and had a cruise booked that went there. Took 3 suitcases stuffed full of household goods to take off the ship and leave at our "new" home.

Turns out, you need permission from the Port Authority, not necessarily from Princess.

Passenger Services contacted the PA, the PA met us at the gangplank and walked us off the ship.

It would likely be a little more difficult when doing it in a foreign country (customs will surely be involved).

OP: Start with Passenger Services and be ready with a fall back position if all the answers are "NO".

Edited September 18, 2019 by JF - retired RRT

[capriccio]

1 hour ago, riffatsea said:

Person says they need to go to airport at the end of the cruise so I doubt they live in South America

 

Why?  Many of the ports on an SA cruise are great distances apart necessitating a flight between them. 

[denmarks]

All luggage must go through customs and they are not going to do it for one couple at a port.

[IJustWantToGo36]

OP here.  

Appreciate responses so far.

Yes- have to fly back to a country we passed through on the cruise.

Hypthetical question-  What is the largest bag / package you can take off a cruise ship without getting customs involved?

[riffatsea]

The size of the bag is not the issue.

What matters is which country and what their regulations are for customs checks.

It may also matter if you are a citizen of that country or a visitor.

For example when a USA citizen enters a European country you just pass through the "nothing to declare" line and no one checks inside your luggage.

In Mexico when entering they press a button and green means go without a check and red means they check your luggage.

Each country is different.

[Colo Cruiser]

29 minutes ago, IJustWantToGo36 said:

OP here.  

Appreciate responses so far.

Yes- have to fly back to a country we passed through on the cruise.

Hypthetical question-  What is the largest bag / package you can take off a cruise ship without getting customs involved?

Landing any items at a port mid cruise would most likely have to be declared.

[riffatsea]

What country is involved???

[Colo Cruiser]

43 minutes ago, IJustWantToGo36 said:

OP here.  
Hypthetical question-  What is the largest bag / package you can take off a cruise ship without getting customs involved?

I think smugglers once asked this question.  🤔

[JF - retired RRT]

59 minutes ago, IJustWantToGo36 said:

Hypothetical question-  What is the largest bag / package you can take off a cruise ship without getting customs involved?

Probably a purse, maybe a backpack?

[IJustWantToGo36]

In Morrocco and Panama and other REAL shopping ports,  women get off the ship with suitcases to go shopping.

Edited September 18, 2019 by IJustWantToGo36

[riffatsea]

4 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Probably a purse, maybe a backpack?

Really??? I a purse or backpack could be stuffed with tons of illegal items that a customs inspector would just love to find!

[riffatsea]

Just now, IJustWantToGo36 said:

In Morrocco and Panama women get off the ship with suitcases to go shopping.

Aren't they empty suitcases??

Didn't we say it depends on the country??

[skynight]

1 hour ago, IJustWantToGo36 said:

OP here.  

Appreciate responses so far.

Yes- have to fly back to a country we passed through on the cruise.

Hypthetical question-  What is the largest bag / package you can take off a cruise ship without getting customs involved?

Size has nothing to do with a country's import regulations. If you are returning to your country of residence and are taking ashore used personal effects there probably will not be any issues. Authorities may or may not want to examine. Each country has their own laws and documentation requirements. As mentioned before you should contact Princess before you board.  Princess has crew and entertainment staff that board and disembark at many ports during a cruise. With pre-approval Princess' on board staff should be able to make arrangements with the proper port authorities.

[Te Aroha]

I have done this with excess luggage but it was to leave it in my home country. I was travelling around the Pacific circle and dropped luggage in Auckland (New Zealand is where I live) before continuing on to Sydney Australia. The whole procedure was a lot more involved than I thought.

 

Princess did arrange this for me, they had to get customs to check every item removed from the ship. I had to list every item in the luggage example 6 t shirts 4 pairs socks etc. I had to go to a special area on the ship where customs opened and inspected the items and compared it to the list. They were looking to see if items were used or new, so I can only assume they were checking I was not bringing goods into the country to sell but also checked I was not concealing anything it all took some time to sort out.

 

I was cleared and then I could take the bags from the ship. Hope this helps 🙂

[cr8tiv1]

18 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

I've done it...sort of.

We were moving to HI and had a cruise booked that went there. Took 3 suitcases stuffed full of household goods to take off the ship and leave at our "new" home.

Turns out, you need permission from the Port Authority, not necessarily from Princess.

Passenger Services contacted the PA, the PA met us at the gangplank and walked us off the ship.

It would likely be a little more difficult when doing it in a foreign country (customs will surely be involved).

OP: Start with Passenger Services and be ready with a fall back position if all the answers are "NO".

 

You were lucky you did this in Kauai...

 

I've done this (in Honolulu) three times.  This was a round trip LA to LA.  All were LA to Hilo, HNL...Long story short:  First time, I don't remember much except I dragged off a piggy bank full of coins.  Must not have been a hassle.  

 

The second time, I was stopped with shopping bags full of Christmas gifts, Trader Joes, etc.  I was told I was suppose to "declare" the goods two days ahead of time.  They would look for Port Authority to clear me.  One hour later...security returns to let me go (no PA).

 

Third time, I "declared" items with Passenger services 3 days ahead.  Went back 5 times before seeing an "Admin Officer".  She made me fill out a customs form and be sure to meet with the Customs Officer at 6:30 AM.  I was there by 6 AM.  Thrown out of the room at 8 AM and called back at 8:30 AM.  Mind you...This is US to US city with no stop in Ensenada before arriving in HNL.  These are gifts (like a Disneyland popcorn bucket, Trader Joes' stuff, my daughter's things when she was a youth, wrapping paper).  Customs officer wanted receipts.  Come on now.  No opened packages of food, etc.  Nightmare.  Won't do this again.  Will transport it by plane (luggage).

 

11 hours ago, IJustWantToGo36 said:

OP here.  

Appreciate responses so far.

Yes- have to fly back to a country we passed through on the cruise.

Hypthetical question-  What is the largest bag / package you can take off a cruise ship without getting customs involved?

 

I was told that I could take a backpack off the ship and wouldn't have been questioned.  

[IJustWantToGo36]

25 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

The second time, I was stopped with shopping bags full of Christmas gifts, Trader Joes, etc.  I was told I was suppose to "declare" the goods two days ahead of time.  They would look for Port Authority to clear me.  One hour later...security returns to let me go (no PA).

 

Third time, I "declared" items with Passenger services 3 days ahead.  Went back 5 times before seeing an "Admin Officer".  She made me fill out a customs form and be sure to meet with the Customs Officer at 6:30 AM.  I was there by 6 AM.  Thrown out of the room at 8 AM and called back at 8:30 AM.  Mind you...This is US to US city with no stop in Ensenada before arriving in HNL.  These are gifts (like a Disneyland popcorn bucket, Trader Joes' stuff, my daughter's things when she was a youth, wrapping paper).  Customs officer wanted receipts.  Come on now.  No opened packages of food, etc.  Nightmare.  Won't do this again.  Will transport it by plane (luggage).

--------------------------------------------------
Appreciate response

Was it ships security that stopped you from going off or someone in the port?

 

 

 

[Colo Cruiser]

5 hours ago, IJustWantToGo36 said:

 

Security will be watching for people disembarking with luggage etc.

If they don't Princess could be exposed to fines from the officials there.

I would imagine the reference to a "customs officer" would have been one from shoreside.

[cr8tiv1]

Ship security stopped me at the gang way and would not allow me off the ship until they found someone from Port Authority.  An officer was summoned.  I stood on the side until the ship's officer returned.  I am guessing they did not find anyone to "clear" me so allowed me to take things off the ship.  

 

My argument was that I was "transporting" goods from a US city to another US city without any international stop between.  But I guess....I can understand...the ship is a foreign flagged vessel.  Never the less, Princess needs to have a clear policy in place.  It is handled with such irregularities that no one knows what the other is expecting.  

 

Time to get rid of the Jones Act and PVSA for the good of all.  Coming from Hawaii, we are penalized "hugely" for this archaic act.  Goods coming from China (Far East) needs to be shipped to California then placed on an American ship to be brought back to Hawaii.  This almost doubles the cost of goods.  Surprisingly, gasoline is cheaper in Hawaii than California.  But that's another soap box discussion.

 

Sorry for my digressions....back to OP...I would think foreign ports are much stricter than my incidents in Honolulu.  Not sure they will have the personnel to screen passengers taking luggage off the ship at a port that is not considered a disembarkation site.  When we were docked at Cartegena for the day, there was a really, really, really long line going into a custom's office from passengers off of another ship.

Edited September 19, 2019 by cr8tiv1