Customs in San Diego when cruising from Mexico to San Francisco

[denmarks]

On a round trip cruise to Mexico from San Francisco there is a stop in San Diego on the way home. Since it is the first US stop how is customs and immigration handled?

[pris993]

It has been some years since we were on a cruise returning from Mexico, with stop in San Diego.   What I recall is all passengers had to get off the ship, Customs and Immigration cleared the ship, took some time, don't recall if we had to show anything when reboarding.  I recall we all had to get off because we had not planned to get off, we have been to San Diego many times.  We did not have a choice since part of the process.

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, denmarks said:

On a round trip cruise to Mexico from San Francisco there is a stop in San Diego on the way home. Since it is the first US stop how is customs and immigration handled?

You'll have to clear immigration in San Diego. You don't clear customs until your final disembarkation in San Francisco, but the reality is that most will have to do nothing to clear customs. Only those with items to declare will have to interact with CBP at that point.

[jsn55]

We just cruised from Quebec to Boston on NCL Pearl.  At our first US port, Portland ME, we had only a few hours.  We'd already missed two Canadian ports due to Fiona, and Halifax was thick fog with rain.  Portland was sunny, with beautiful clouds in the blue skies ...  and that's when Immigration boarded the ship, about 11am.  We all had to line up and pass through with our IDs.  It took a great deal of time away from enjoying Portland.  I had heard horror stories of people standing in line 'forever' but we were lucky to have a ship shore ex booked, so were in the first group.  The experience was just an inconvenience, wasted about an hour.  The ship's schedule surely could have been set up better so we had a decent time in port after the required formalities.

Edited October 2, 2022 by jsn55
clarity

[travelin.sisters]

we just did this (except ended in LA) as our cruise was rerouted because of hurricane Orlene..PuertO Vallarta was replaced by San Diego..all passengers had to do an in person check with customs & border patrol...they came on board & we were given times to check in with them in one of the lounges (this was on Princess) our medallion was scanned & then there were crew stationed so that we couldn't 'escape' the line...when we got to the agent they took a photo for their software to match our photo with the passport photo & we were able to go off the ship when it was ready...the agent told me that this was both customs & immigration & there would be no checks in LA (which there weren't) we just got off in LA 

[jsn55]

11 hours ago, travelin.sisters said:

we just did this (except ended in LA) as our cruise was rerouted because of hurricane Orlene..PuertO Vallarta was replaced by San Diego..all passengers had to do an in person check with customs & border patrol...they came on board & we were given times to check in with them in one of the lounges (this was on Princess) our medallion was scanned & then there were crew stationed so that we couldn't 'escape' the line...when we got to the agent they took a photo for their software to match our photo with the passport photo & we were able to go off the ship when it was ready...the agent told me that this was both customs & immigration & there would be no checks in LA (which there weren't) we just got off in LA 

Sounds like Princess did a far better job for you than NCL did in Maine.  

[jazdax]

We will be coming from Europe to USA.  our first stop in USA is new York.  then we do Bermuda and Bahamas before disembarking Miami.  When/where will customs be done?  and how long will it take? We want as much time as possible in NY.

 

Thanks in advance

[jsn55]

There's no way to know how long the formalities will take anywhere, so you'll need to remain flexible.  I believe that you do all  this at your first port in the US.  

[CruiserBruce]

21 minutes ago, jazdax said:

We will be coming from Europe to USA.  our first stop in USA is new York.  then we do Bermuda and Bahamas before disembarking Miami.  When/where will customs be done?  and how long will it take? We want as much time as possible in NY.

 

Thanks in advance

Immigration is the issue, not Customs. It will likely be done in both New York and Miami, as you have left the US, and then returned.

 

I can't give you a real solid estimate, but would think in New York, non-US citizens will require a little more close check, where in Miami all will probably get the same check.

[jazdax]

48 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Immigration is the issue, not Customs. It will likely be done in both New York and Miami, as you have left the US, and then returned.

 

I can't give you a real solid estimate, but would think in New York, non-US citizens will require a little more close check, where in Miami all will probably get the same check.

sorry immigration/customs.  i use interchangeable but i guess they are not.  okay.  thanks.  is it likely they would board at stop previously and do on a sea day or not likely.  After the long wait we had with hawaii i dont want to see anytime in New York.  so trying to decide if we do a ship shore excursion or on our own.

 

thanks 

[XBGuy]

OP, you will receive instructions, probably, the evening prior to your San Diego stop, on clearing immigration.  As a previous poster indicated, flexibility is important.

 

We were on Princess the one time we experienced a similar situation,  The evening before our San Diego stop we received instructions to bring our passports and meet with immigration agents in one of the ship's lounges.  Unfortunately, the notice that we received was pretty poorly written.  If you scanned it quickly you could interpret it to say that you had to be at the lounge at 8:00 am.  I read the note more carefully and concluded that the immigration agents would be in the lounge from 8:00 am until 11:00 am.  We had no real plans for that day and, so, that morning I went for my regular breakfast, and five or six cups of coffee, at the buffet.  While there I chatted with several people who joined my table and told me how long it took them to meet with the immigration officials because "They had to meet them at 8:00." 

 

At about 10:00 I returned to our cabin, met my wife, who is a late sleeper, grabbed our passports and went to the lounge,  If you are familiar with Princess ships, it was Club Fusion.  At the entry a Princess crew member scanned our card keys.  There were three or for CBP agents standing around.  We walked up to one of them, held up our passports and he waved us by.

 

Obviously, if you have plans for your San Diego stop, you may not be able to be as casual as I was.  Also, if you have to leave the ship to meet with the CBP agents, it will not be as easy an experience.

[CruiserBruce]

18 hours ago, jazdax said:

sorry immigration/customs.  i use interchangeable but i guess they are not.  okay.  thanks.  is it likely they would board at stop previously and do on a sea day or not likely.  After the long wait we had with hawaii i dont want to see anytime in New York.  so trying to decide if we do a ship shore excursion or on our own.

 

thanks 

What is your previous stop to NY? They might (but I doubt it) if it is in Canada, otherwise no. For Miami, they have ships there everyday...they won't board in advance.

[LHT28]

21 hours ago, jazdax said:

We will be coming from Europe to USA.  our first stop in USA is new York.  then we do Bermuda and Bahamas before disembarking Miami.  When/where will customs be done?  and how long will it take? We want as much time as possible in NY.

 

Thanks in advance

May sure you have  your ESTA  before  getting to the USA

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

 

[jazdax]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

May sure you have  your ESTA  before  getting to the USA

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

 

esta already sorted.  as we were in hawaii in may this year.

[jazdax]

4 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

What is your previous stop to NY? They might (but I doubt it) if it is in Canada, otherwise no. For Miami, they have ships there everyday...they won't board in advance.

st johns.  i was wondering that.  i was hoping someone may have done a cruise similar and would know from experience.  but it looks like i may have to do a shore excursion to make sure i am off early.

[jsn55]

On 6/1/2023 at 7:06 PM, jazdax said:

sorry immigration/customs.  i use interchangeable but i guess they are not.  okay.  thanks.  is it likely they would board at stop previously and do on a sea day or not likely.  After the long wait we had with hawaii i dont want to see anytime in New York.  so trying to decide if we do a ship shore excursion or on our own.

 

thanks 

You gave me my laugh for the morning ... "immigration/customs" ... I use that term all the time because I can never remember who does what and when.  I just follow the signs and do whatever they tell me.