Nassau cruise and customs

[Stelkp]

What are your thoughts on dealing with customs if flying to Nassau and getting a cruise from there? Would we have to go through regular customs, I’m thinking they may fast track us and do customs entering the ship as if we were on an excursion. Not sure how that’s going to work.

[smokeybandit]

I'd imagine you'd go through regular customs at the airport.  Then customs again on disembarkation. Then again at the airport (for Americans flying back home, since there's USA customs pre-clearance in the Bahamas so you won't have to do it when you land in the USA)

[jticarruthers]

I'm sure it would be the "full" process each time , but I suspect that its not a super major ordeal given the (usual) volume of US->Bahamas travel.

[Zacharius]

2 hours ago, Stelkp said:

What are your thoughts on dealing with customs if flying to Nassau and getting a cruise from there? Would we have to go through regular customs, I’m thinking they may fast track us and do customs entering the ship as if we were on an excursion. Not sure how that’s going to work.

Once you land in Nassau, you have access to the entire country of The Bahamas and need to be treated as such. It's definitely different than arriving on a cruise for a day trip. It will likely be, and should likely be, full Bahamian immigration and customs upon coming off of that plane. It's also very, very difficult to take a plane full of people (sometimes hundreds) and process them differently based on if they are staying for a "regular" vacation versus leaving on a cruise ship. 

Think of it this way - would, or should, Italy treat you differently because you are flying in to take a cruise? No...you're entering Italy, on a plane with other types of tourists, Italians, business people, etc. You all need to be processed in to Italy the same because you all will have full access to Italy after you leave the airport. This goes for both immigration and customs.