Debarking pulled to meet with customs???

[Rfemle]

Recent cruise, upon leaving ship showing my seapass card, I was told I was randomly identified to have to meet with customs/immigration.  Thought this was some random thing, then I was corralled with a number of other people that seemed to think it was related to what they spent on items on the trip.  I was just at the customs limit for the three of us, others were much higher.  This held us up from what would be a quick departure.  They had taken my passport at the ship and waited for probably 20 minutes then escorted us to luggage where my family and porter gathered our luggage, headed to the passport/facial recognition, which still waited in line and did, then escorted me into Customs office.  Customs took my passport from RCCL and went in back, came out probably 20 minutes later and asked how many in my family, what did we buy on ship and how much was it, then said no duties today thank you.  There were a number of other people in the room as well, some had kids waiting for them and others late for excursions.  Anyone else ever have this happen? it was a first for me after 16 cruises.  HMMM?

[1025cruise]

Yes, all ship's purchases are recorded and handed to Customs. If you are near the limit, or owe, you will be pulled for a visit.

[BND]

Yeah, one reason (besides there's no real value buying on board) we buy ashore and rarely from ship "Suggested" stores.  It's pretty well known that if you go over your allowance onboard, they will stop you and have you meet with Customs.  Apparently there's no way to report it yourself like there used to be.   At most onboard, we might buy a few t-shirts or something, usually nowhere near the allowance.

Edited September 16, 2022 by BND

[Ourusualbeach]

I have also read reports of people being pulled aside because of purchases in ports at stores.  Don't give your ship name if asked. 

[DaKahuna]

Back when you were required to fill out the customs forms and hand in to a customs agent, I reported the purchase of some jewelry for my wife that exceeded the limit.  I expected to be called aside to pay some taxes but he just looked at the form, put it with the others and waved us on.   

If I understand it correctly, if you make purchases that go over the customs limit, you should go to Guest Services and ask for a customs form.  

 

[Rfemle]

All thank you for the feedback and information.  I hope others see this and learn from it as it was a little never racking with trying to manage my family, luggage and Border police.  I also have done the customs form in the past and waved thru even if just over the limit, probably a small amount is not worth the paperwork.  I would imagine if more people know of this it would discourage them from buying big ticket items on board.

Love the detail about not telling shore stores what ship you are on.

I wonder if anyone has experience having to pay duties to customs and what it cost?

[ONECRUISER]

Post 9/11 traveled last minute 8+ times a yr buying ticket sometimes hrs before Flight. Being Solo, Male, Boarding Pass got the mark for Secondary Screening and I was always pulled aside for that. Last 6yrs at least 4 Times it happened getting off Royal Ships when while scanning my Card instead of a Bing a Bong sounded. 2 times I was in last 10 getting off, had late Flight and was Holiday Weekend so no hurry and all 4 times they escorted me to front of long Customs lines. Painless, doesn't bother me... Irony, got off Cruise and arrived home with my Kids on 9/11, was in DC during Sniper situation, arrived in Florida during Anthrax scare and got off another Cruise day of Shoe Bomber. When got to Miami Airport was one first to remove Shoes, wasnt even aware what had just happened. 

[Anton]

They also did this with Luggage Valet.  The ship had to randomly select a number of people who were using that service.  I got nailed once, on Liberty.  Went to card off the ship and got the alert sound.  Security guy hustled me into the infirmary waiting room and took my passport, didn't say why.  Soon there were eight of us, all in the dark about what was going on.  Perp walked us off the ship looking like criminals and into the customs area where our luggage had been pulled aside and we had to open it for inspection.  I did not appreciate how the ship handled it.  They at least should have told us why.  It's not like any of us were in the position to suddenly do anything about it.  I started to worry that someone had planted drugs in my luggage.  Anyway, after that episode (2012) I refuse to use Luggage Valet.  Of course they haven't started it back yet.

[crazyfrazee]

Years ago a friend that was with our group was pulled in by customs. It wasn't for purchases but for a felony drug charge he received when he was younger. They searched him and his and his family's luggage. It was very surprising. That family said they'd never cruise again. lol

[BND]

19 minutes ago, crazyfrazee said:

Years ago a friend that was with our group was pulled in by customs. It wasn't for purchases but for a felony drug charge he received when he was younger. They searched him and his and his family's luggage. It was very surprising. That family said they'd never cruise again. lol

Well, it was a felony and obviously he was an adult when it happened so they checked him more closely.  Family will never cruise again lol.  Cruise line had absolutely nothing to do with it.  CBP gets a final list of cruisers nd they cross check with criminal records.

Edited September 16, 2022 by BND

[njkruzer]

Got looked at by customs years ago when I bought a ring onboard.   That was just about the only purchase and even with the souvenirs didn’t even go above 1 person's limit.  Another time I declared a purchase from I think St. Thomas  jeweler that was being shipped from the jeweler's manufacturer in the US.  Customs wanted a form, which we didn't have, or even knew about.  At one point I asked if they wanted me to get back on the ship, return to the island to get the form!  They searched, found the form, we filled it out and were on our way.  Felt sorry for the porter that stuck with us.

[Charles4515]

3 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I have also read reports of people being pulled aside because of purchases in ports at stores.  Don't give your ship name if asked. 

The stores get a reward if they report you. 

[The Scurvy Pirate]

Non-cruise related, but one time traveling back from the Bahama's and went through customs.  The customs officer started asking super detailed questions about where I lived, employment, actually  down to the neighborhood and street address, which at the time I though was crazy.  Come to find out, he lived in my same neighborhood and was on a 3 month duty for that customs post.  A little nerve wracking going through that inquisition...

[moposh]

40 minutes ago, crazyfrazee said:

Years ago a friend that was with our group was pulled in by customs. It wasn't for purchases but for a felony drug charge he received when he was younger. They searched him and his and his family's luggage. It was very surprising. That family said they'd never cruise again. lol

If I were the fam, I would cruise, just not with him.

[DD]

I was once pulled for no apparent reason, completely random. We hadn't spent anywhere near the limit on the ship or onshore. I was told it was random. It was no big deal. Customs was friendly and polite, as was I. Oddly, it was just me, not my husband that had to meet with them.

 

[Charles4515]

4 minutes ago, DD said:

I was once pulled for no apparent reason, completely random. We hadn't spent anywhere near the limit on the ship or onshore. I was told it was random. It was no big deal. Customs was friendly and polite, as was I. Oddly, it was just me, not my husband that had to meet with them.

 

Friends I was traveling with on a cruise were pulled out for a random agricultural check. Customs does do random checks. I think they are required to do a certain  number. When one of my friends was bonged getting off she had bought a TAG watch onboard and it had been reported. The saleslady had told her since it was duty free she did not have to pay customs tax. That was misinformation. Duty fee means the seller does noy pay tax. 

[MandyMooToo]

A few years ago I was "bonged" getting off the ship and pulled to the side to meet with customs.  I had not made any purchases and was scared to death!  The officer would not tell me why but did let my husband come with me off the ship.  They took us down a back elevator and into a room where they separated us and I met with the customs officer alone.  He said, "What's your password?" I thought he was crazy!  Then it dawned on me...I had been a victim of identity theft a couple years before and the person had gotten a driver's license in my name so I was able to get my real license flagged in case of charges being placed on that ID for an imposter or any traffic violations that were not mine.  I gave him the password and he told me to have a nice day and to expect this every time I came back into the country.  It happened on our next cruise (we were with friends this time) and they held the entire ship until we/I was cleared!  Our friends said an announcement was made after we got off the ship about late debarkation due to customs needing to clear two passengers...with the facial recognition at the ports now I have not had a problem in recent years (knock on wood).  I assume it is because they know I am who I say when I board.

[rudeney]

We never spend enough money on the ship or in port to worry about it.  But once when I was going through customs, the CBP officer decided he wanted to really check out my watch - an older model Rolex GMT Master.  At first he asked had I bought it in port, and I said no, pointing out the obvious years of wear on it.  Then he said something about how transporting fake goods into the country was a felony.  I explained to him that it was not fake and told him the name of the local jeweler where I bought.  He said it didn't look like a real Rolex to him and he was still being prickly about it.  I asked for his supervisor who took one look at it and told him that what I had was a "pilot's watch" and he let me go.  

[reallyitsmema]

3 hours ago, Anton said:

They also did this with Luggage Valet.  The ship had to randomly select a number of people who were using that service.  I got nailed once, on Liberty.  Went to card off the ship and got the alert sound.  Security guy hustled me into the infirmary waiting room and took my passport, didn't say why.  Soon there were eight of us, all in the dark about what was going on.  Perp walked us off the ship looking like criminals and into the customs area where our luggage had been pulled aside and we had to open it for inspection.  I did not appreciate how the ship handled it.  They at least should have told us why.  It's not like any of us were in the position to suddenly do anything about it.  I started to worry that someone had planted drugs in my luggage.  Anyway, after that episode (2012) I refuse to use Luggage Valet.  Of course they haven't started it back yet.

 

The ship did not flag you, customs did and the ship had to turn you over to customs.  Not sure what you expected the ship to do differently, they were following instructions and are trying to get all the passengers cleared so they can board the next sailing.

[ggo85]

Some people mistakenly assume that "duty free" means you don't have to pay duty.  As a general rule, any purchase outside the US is subject to the limit (generally $800 per person with some exceptions) even if it's purchased in a duty free shop.  I believe ships are required to report any purchases close to the limit per passenger, even if you are with a spouse or family such that you aren't even close to the total limit for your family.  

 

Many port stores will tell you that you that their merchandise is "duty free" and that you don't have to pay any fees upon return to the US.  That's incorrect, if you're over the limit.  They ask for your ship and even cabin number under the guise of giving you a "better deal."  Usually the reason is:  (1) to reward the person on the ship (i.e., port lecturer) who recommended them, (2) to know whether the money they pay to the cruise line to recommend them is paying off, and (3) to inform the ship and/or US customs about the purchase.

 

I think US customs got fed up with people not declaring high value items so this approach largely solves the problem.  

 

Finally, the amount of duty isn't huge.  So, if you think you're getting a great deal (and you probably aren't), check before you go and factor the duty into the overall cost.  

[nasa1974]

This isn't customs but a TSA incident. My wife's brothers-in-law's father passed away here in the Cleveland area. They had to come up from Florida for the funeral. Well, his father was a retired Amry artillery officer and had a few spent casings around his office. His one grandson thought they looked pretty cool and not telling his parents placed one in his backpack. You can guess what happened when the backpack went through the X-ray machine. The brother-in-law wasn't put on the no-fly list, but for a few years he did get extra screening going through security.

[BirdTravels]

"Stores reporting you", "ship's purchases", etc. are all urban legends. Fake News. 

[Anton]

1 hour ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

The ship did not flag you, customs did and the ship had to turn you over to customs.  Not sure what you expected the ship to do differently, they were following instructions and are trying to get all the passengers cleared so they can board the next sailing.

I expected them to say "Customs flagged you and we have to take you to them".

[reallyitsmema]

11 minutes ago, Anton said:

I expected them to say "Customs flagged you and we have to take you to them".

 

They were likely told not to tell you so you didn't have the chance to ditch something that you should not have on you.

[crazyfrazee]

4 hours ago, BND said:

Well, it was a felony and obviously he was an adult when it happened so they checked him more closely.  Family will never cruise again lol.  Cruise line had absolutely nothing to do with it.  CBP gets a final list of cruisers nd they cross check with criminal records.

Of course! Felonies as a minor don't follow you as an adult. He was probably 20 years old when it happened but was in his upper 30's when they cruised. I wasn't blaming the cruise line. The cruiselines submit the manifest to CBP and the names are run just as airports do.