Back2Back as a non US citizen-visa question

[Rienchen]

I'm interested in doing 2 Carribean Cruises back to back, both leaving from Miami.

 

I am currently booked on one of the Cruises but would like to add the second one as it isn't THAT much more money.

 

Cruise 1:

Day 1:Miami

Day 2:Freeport, Bahamas

Day 3:On Sea

Day 4:Miami

 

Cruise 2: (the one I'm already doing)

Day 1:Miami

Day2:On Sea

Day 3:Cozumel, Mexico

Day 4:Grand Cayman

Day 5:Ochos Rios, Jamaica

Day 6:On Sea

Day 7: Miami

 

I can travel to the US under the Visa Waiver Programm and will not need a visa for any of the Countries we're travelling to, but I am worried about re-entering the US 2 more time while on the Cruise.

Will I get into trouble with US Immigrations? Or do you think they will be fine seeing that I have a return ticket booked back to Europe the day the second Cruise ends?

 

M.

[SelectSys]

I'm interested in doing 2 Carribean Cruises back to back, both leaving from Miami.

 

I can travel to the US under the Visa Waiver Programm and will not need a visa for any of the Countries we're travelling to, but I am worried about re-entering the US 2 more time while on the Cruise.

Will I get into trouble with US Immigrations? Or do you think they will be fine seeing that I have a return ticket booked back to Europe the day the second Cruise ends?

 

M.

 

I would be stunned if you had an issue with this. I am sure you aren't the first person from a visa waiver country to take back to back cruises out of Miami. DHS would likely see this situation almost every day.

[LHT28]

I would check with Immigration as they are the ones that will cause you problems if any.

[dforeigner]

Try contacting someone at www.cbp.gov or www.state.gov. You can also do some searching through their Web pages.

[kitty9]

Call the cruiseline and ask them. But, I've known quite a few non-US citizens who've done b2b's and the only thing they needed to do was report to US Immigration after both cruises.

[Wilba]

There is no problem. I have done B2B out of Miami. Your visa will state the length of time your total stay in the US is valid for. BTW I'm European.

[Rienchen]

There is no problem. I have done B2B out of Miami. Your visa will state the length of time your total stay in the US is valid for. BTW I'm European.

 

So does that mean that the green I-94W form stapled into my passport is not removed until I'm leaving the US after both my Cruises? I thought they would remove it before stopping in the Bahamas and that I would have to fill out a new visa waiver form before getting back to Miami.

 

Try contacting someone at www.cbp.gov or www.state.gov. You can also do some searching through their Web pages.

I did that yesterday but everytime I clicked on a link that promised me the right information, I got a 'couldn't find what you're looking for' site. Seems like they need to clean up some of the broken links on their website.

[Wilba]

So does that mean that the green I-94W form stapled into my passport is not removed until I'm leaving the US after both my Cruises? I thought they would remove it before stopping in the Bahamas and that I would have to fill out a new visa waiver form before getting back to Miami.

 

I did that yesterday but everytime I clicked on a link that promised me the right information, I got a 'couldn't find what you're looking for' site. Seems like they need to clean up some of the broken links on their website.

 

I've done Bahamas twice on cruises. Have never taken my passport off the ship, just your normal cruise card. I think your worrying about nothing. Regards

[Mydnite]

Nothing to worry about, the visa waiver slip that they staple into your passport wil be removed hen you leave the country for the last time. B2B is nothing to worry about at all.

[bluesea777]

No need to worry - there are plenty of people doing B2B cruises and the cruise lines know who they are, and whether they are US or non-US. We are non-US going on B2B in March - both on same ship and out of Miami.

 

When ship returns to Miami after the first cruise everybody has to disembark the ship to go thru US Immigration and this includes all the B2B cruisers. So they can declare the ship cleared. Being a non-US passport holder, after the entry Immigration you will again be doing the exit Immigration!

 

So, these procedures are likely to happen ....

 

1) entry into US by air - fill out green visa waiver form - you go thru Immigration - they staple it to your passport

 

2) embarkation onto ship first cruise - they take the green waiver form off your passport

 

3) disembarkation off ship - you fill in another green waiver form - you go thru Immigration again - they staple the form to your passport

 

4) embarkation onto ship second cruise - they take the green waiver form off your passport

 

5) disembarkation off ship (final) - you fill in yet another green waiver form - you go thru Immigration yet again - they staple the form to your passport

 

6) exit from US by air - they take your green form off passport.

 

Another thing you need to remember, all cruise lines NEED to know all pax's nationality/passports. On all cruises we have been on, they fully knew we were non-US and we have been receiving notes in our cabin about our non-US disembarkation and Immigration procedures.

 

SO, DON'T WORRY and enjoy the cruise!! You'll be taken care of. :D :D

 

A TIP from me: when you are given those green waiver forms by flight attendent, ask sweetly for extra forms, so you can fill them all out before you go on first cruise to save time! Ever since I started booking all our US flights online (and no longer use TAs (who used to give out US Imm forms with tickets)), I have been taking batches of those US Imm forms from airports, planes, etc. I prefer to fill out all forms at home for myself and my family before going on trip.

[bluesea777]

Nothing to worry about, the visa waiver slip that they staple into your passport wil be removed hen you leave the country for the last time. B2B is nothing to worry about at all.

 

Well, I'm not sure about this, especially since the US have really tightened the Immigration procedures ... OP will be on US soil again so need to go thru Immigration again. All B2B cruises have to go thru Imm anyway before returning to ship for next cruise. Also, some B2B cruisers leave the port to go on tour or shopping for the day.

 

We still have to go thru Immigration with US Imm forms when we are passing thru US (in transit) when travelling between home and another country via the US - even if the layover is for 1 hour.

[bluesea777]

Nothing to worry about, the visa waiver slip that they staple into your passport wil be removed hen you leave the country for the last time. B2B is nothing to worry about at all.

 

Hi, me again!

 

I notice you're from the UK. But have you been on a B2B cruise before? If yes, may I ask when was the last B2B cruise?

 

We live a 2 hour plane hop from US and we go to US a lot, and for the past year and two the US Immigration have become stricter - they now like to take our mug shots and fingerprints! We like to smile but they told us not to show our teeth! Mind you, we have never had any bad encounter with any Imm official - if you are pleasant and say Good morning/afternoon/evening you'll be making their day - try that - even after a long flight across the pond!

[peterv]

No need to worry - there are plenty of people doing B2B cruises and the cruise lines know who they are, and whether they are US or non-US. We are non-US going on B2B in March - both on same ship and out of Miami.

 

When ship returns to Miami after the first cruise everybody has to disembark the ship to go thru US Immigration and this includes all the B2B cruisers. So they can declare the ship cleared. Being a non-US passport holder, after the entry Immigration you will again be doing the exit Immigration!

 

So, these procedures are likely to happen ....

 

1) entry into US by air - fill out green visa waiver form - you go thru Immigration - they staple it to your passport

 

2) embarkation onto ship first cruise - they take the green waiver form off your passport

 

3) disembarkation off ship - you fill in another green waiver form - you go thru Immigration again - they staple the form to your passport

 

4) embarkation onto ship second cruise - they take the green waiver form off your passport

 

5) disembarkation off ship (final) - you fill in yet another green waiver form - you go thru Immigration yet again - they staple the form to your passport

 

6) exit from US by air - they take your green form off passport.

 

Another thing you need to remember, all cruise lines NEED to know all pax's nationality/passports. On all cruises we have been on, they fully knew we were non-US and we have been receiving notes in our cabin about our non-US disembarkation and Immigration procedures.

 

SO, DON'T WORRY and enjoy the cruise!! You'll be taken care of. :D :D

 

A TIP from me: when you are given those green waiver forms by flight attendent, ask sweetly for extra forms, so you can fill them all out before you go on first cruise to save time! Ever since I started booking all our US flights online (and no longer use TAs (who used to give out US Imm forms with tickets)), I have been taking batches of those US Imm forms from airports, planes, etc. I prefer to fill out all forms at home for myself and my family before going on trip.

 

In quite a few B2B cruises we have never had to fill out the I-94W more than once, and that was on the plane trip to the states. The green stub remained in the passport until we left for the return to the UK. The cruise lines do not take the stubs, and immigration officials just looked at the stub, we did not need to fill out any more I-94W's for each of the cruises.

 

Regards,

Peter

[bluesea777]

In quite a few B2B cruises we have never had to fill out the I-94W more than once, and that was on the plane trip to the states. The green stub remained in the passport until we left for the return to the UK. The cruise lines do not take the stubs, and immigration officials just looked at the stub, we did not need to fill out any more I-94W's for each of the cruises.

 

Regards,

Peter

 

When did that happen?

 

When we cruised in Dec 2006 out of New York they took the form off our passports before we boarded and we needed new ones when we returned to New York.

[Rienchen]

Just in case anybody is interested how it went:

 

Arrived by plane in the US February 1st, filled out my visa waiver I-94W.

Boarded the ship in Miami.

Carnival didn't take my passport from me and I was told that I wouldn't need it to get back on the ship, only my sail&sign card!

Went to Freeport, Bahamas and nobody wanted to see any id.

Arrived back in the US on February 4th, went through US Immigrations and they told me that I would simply keep the original i-94w in my passport until I leave for good.

The second Cruise stopped in Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Mexico, and again never needed to show the passport.

 

Like someone suggested earlier in this thread, my airline removed the i-94w when I eft to go back to the UK.

 

I was really worrying about nothing!

 

Had a blast!

[bluesea777]

Just in case anybody is interested how it went:

 

Arrived by plane in the US February 1st, filled out my visa waiver I-94W.

Boarded the ship in Miami.

Carnival didn't take my passport from me and I was told that I wouldn't need it to get back on the ship, only my sail&sign card!

Went to Freeport, Bahamas and nobody wanted to see any id.

Arrived back in the US on February 4th, went through US Immigrations and they told me that I would simply keep the original i-94w in my passport until I leave for good.

The second Cruise stopped in Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Mexico, and again never needed to show the passport.

 

Like someone suggested earlier in this thread, my airline removed the i-94w when I eft to go back to the UK.

 

I was really worrying about nothing!

 

Had a blast!

 

Thank you! We're going on our B2B next month!

[Mydnite]

Glad it was as easy as we thought it would be.

[OVgirl]

They don't take it off, and when you see immigration in PR or ST USVI they just look at it and leave it in your passport. (I'm referring to an intinerary that we cruised, not the one you are planning.) Nothing to worry about. Enjoy your cruise.