Forced to get off in Miami

[Al Miller]

So on Anthem out of NJ this week and since it's an 8 day they added a stop in Miami. And they are telling us that everyone on the ship has to get off in Miami and go through security. Even if you had no intention of getting off in Miami. At 7:30am! Is this normal? Cause it seems like BS to me. Why add the stop at all if this is the way the passengers are treated? This is punishment for booking an 8 day itinerary. If this is how it's always been, I super regret booking the Feb 4th 8 day now. Such crap. Like I didn't hate Miami enough already...

[LizzyBee23]

That honestly sounds like they're looking for someone. Don't think it has anything to do with 8 day vs 7 day.

[Al Miller]

Verbatim "In accordance with United States customs and border protection (cbp) law, all guests are asked to complete immigration upon arrival to Miami Florida. This inspection is mandatory for all guests, even if you are not planning to visit Miami." And this whole convoluted plan of going to stations around the ship and wait to be called. What utter nonsense. If this is how it is going forward then Miami needs to be dropped as a port of call. Only for embark and debark. I am still absolutely fuming over this!

[LizzyBee23]

Huh, interesting. 

[fireclan]

We had to do that once in Port Canaveral because we went to Nassau first (left from Baltimore), so had to go through some sort of customs thing by getting all of us off the ship, sitting in a freezing terminal pre-breakfast with NO COFFEE until 9:30 or 10:00am. I sympathize. It sucked. 

[Al Miller]

Then this needs to be made clear in the booking process. This is actually worse because it means Royal knew this would be the case and still made the brilliant call to book Miami last. Royal basically said "Screw your vacation, we are going to schedule a worthless port of call in order to ruin half of one of your days with us. You're welcome!"

[Pattycruise]

1 hour ago, Al Miller said:

Then this needs to be made clear in the booking process. This is actually worse because it means Royal knew this would be the case and still made the brilliant call to book Miami last. Royal basically said "Screw your vacation, we are going to schedule a worthless port of call in order to ruin half of one of your days with us. You're welcome!"

So you left NJ and went to foreign ports first, then Miami before heading back?  If that’s the case I’ll need to look at my future cruises to see what’s what.  I’ve never heard of this before.  Crazy as I am not a morning person!

[FionaMG]

We're booked on that 8-night itinerary in April but it has our ports in a different order, Port Canaveral and Miami first and then Coco Cay and Nassau, so immigration would be done on arrival back at Cape Liberty, which definitely sounds like a better option. I don't fancy having to be up that early to go through immigration even though we are planning on getting off in Miami. 

[wordell1]

It's a US immigration rule, not a Royal Caribbean policy. 

 

[twangster]

Must be the first US port of call after visiting a foreign port.  It's been that way for some time.  For NE cruises often immigration is done in Bar Harbour for the same reason.  I've done the same thing in Key West because it was our first US port before arriving back to our home port.  When Symphony first arrived in America we stopped in Port Canaveral and everyone had to go through the terminal and be processed by CBP before the cruise ended the next day in Miami.   It's US federal policy as implemented by CBP.  

Coordinating ports on an itinerary is like trying to negotiate a game of musical chairs in advance.  There are a lot of ships from various cruise lines all trying to find ports to call on.  The order ports occur on an itinerary is typically driven by what is available on each day of the week considering the speed and range of the ship.  

You may not like Miami.  That doesn't mean everyone doesn't like Miami.  If you want complete control and the ability to inform the Captain where you shall visit consider renting your own yacht.  Or maybe don't book a cruise that visits ports you don't like.   

[ScooterScott22]

It is not something you will encounter JUST in the US or Royal.  It was a number of years ago but we encountered a similar thing sailing in Europe on Disney.  Every guest had to go to the theater at a designated time, with passports, to meet with customs and immigration.  
 

[OCSC Mike]

7 hours ago, Al Miller said:

This is punishment for booking an 8 day itinerary.

Good grief.

[tonyfsu21]

I agree with OP re: Miami sucks, however, I wouldn’t allow a forced stop in Miami to ruin my cruise! I also don’t see how you can pin this on RC? Seems like you need to take this gripe up with the US Customs and Border Patrol!

[baltodave]

It is not punishment for going on an 8-night cruise.  As @twangster pointed out, Miami is the first US port of entry after visiting a foreign port.  That is why you need to clear customs/immigration there.  The same rules apply if you're flying to the US from a foreign airport. 

[GatorCruiser]

good info in this thread

[teddy]

As far as I’m concerned, a bad port day in Miami beats a good day at work. 
 

Sometimes it’s very hard to behave in threads like this. 

[GatorCruiser]

Man, people have been extra spicy on here of late. Ya'll need to go on a cruise hehehe! 

[Xaa]

It's ok to vent a little.  @Al Millergot what to him, appears to be a procedural slap in the face.  It hurt and he griped.  Now he knows why and when the pain of the slap wears off, he'll likely avoid instances of that particular pain point in the future.  It appears he's in for it again in Feb.  He's better equipped from the information he received today but also still currently in a group of other passengers similarly "slapped" by the unknown requirement.  

[GatorCruiser]

I will say, as usual, @twangster provided very useful info. I had no idea about the CBP policy with first port after an international one. Thats good to know for the future.

[Matt]

11 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said:

I will say, as usual, @twangster provided very useful info.

The twangster machine learning algorithm is getting better every day!

[GatorCruiser]

The breadth of cruise knowledge on this board is staggering. This place is like an Askjeeves website for all things cruise related. 

[karl_nj]

Is Miami the last port?  If so, you may not need to do Immigration when you get back to NJ.  Not that it's a big deal in Port Liberty anymore, since they use the facial scanners there these days.

 

[karl_nj]

21 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said:

I will say, as usual, @twangster provided very useful info. I had no idea about the CBP policy with first port after an international one. Thats good to know for the future.

Usually it's less of an issue, because at a port like Bar Harbor, most people want to wake up and visit the port.  In fact, people are usually annoyed because they wanted to get an earlier start on the day (not sleep in) and they have to get on a line and walk by a CBP officer while holding up their passport.  Then they can get their tender ticket and start their day.

If one was planning on staying onboard in Miami and have a nice pseudo-sea day, I could certainly see this being quite annoying.

I guess now it makes sense why on every NYC to Bahamas cruise with a stop at Port Canaveral, Florida is always the first stop.  No matter what cruise line.

[KevinK]

10 hours ago, Al Miller said:

So on Anthem out of NJ this week and since it's an 8 day they added a stop in Miami. And they are telling us that everyone on the ship has to get off in Miami and go through security. Even if you had no intention of getting off in Miami. At 7:30am! Is this normal? Cause it seems like BS to me. Why add the stop at all if this is the way the passengers are treated? This is punishment for booking an 8 day itinerary. If this is how it's always been, I super regret booking the Feb 4th 8 day now. Such crap. Like I didn't hate Miami enough already...

I also, booked Feb 4 Anthem of the Seas also..  hmmmm

[BrianB]

Typical CBP procedure for cruises to Canada/New England. The first US port visited after a Canadian (foreign) port requires the process. Usually, pre-Covid, it was done onboard. First thing in the morning, we had to report to a designated area on the ship (ie; SeaPlex) where we were hustled through a line which moved pretty quick…displayed our passports to the CBP officer…then a crew member affixed a colored sticker to our SeaPass cards. We then went back to our room to put our passports back in the safe. Going ashore they checked to make sure we had the sticker. 

[beccaball]

This is interesting. I understand the frustration.... Good to know for future cruise bookings.....I wouldn't let it ruin my vacation, but I do understand how the early call on a vacay day does indeed suck. 

Maybe switch cruises?

 

Thank you for the insight that I'd never even thought of before.....

[Jenna Delvey]

Looking forward to February 4th saying hi to CBP.  Stay safe everyone! 

[CrimsonCruiser]

I remember having to do something similar on our Bahamas cruise that stopped in Key West on the way back up from the Bahamas.

Fortunately we never had to get off the ship, just take us, our passports and our seapasses down to the theater. It was early but it was fast and I don't think they did more than a cursory glance at my US passport. (this was years ago though so things may have changed. We were also on  Enchantment which is a MUCH smaller ship)

[FionaMG]

1 hour ago, KevinK said:

I also, booked Feb 4 Anthem of the Seas also..  hmmmm

That one appears to have the ports in a different order, Port Canaveral and Miami both before Nassau and Coco Cay. This particular itinerary only runs a few times in the season and the order of the ports seems to vary from cruise to cruise.

[SpeedNoodles]

You just have to go through immigration - you can get back onto the ship after that.  Nobody said you have to go into town and find something to do.   Personally, for me, it's just not that big of a deal (and it has happened to me).  On our last Canada sailing we had to go through immigration before stopping in Portland (which was our last port).  They did do it on the ship, but we did have to go through it.  It just wasn't that big of a deal. It went very quickly.

[Ampurp85]

OP has every right to vent. I would be upset to be forced to put on clothes at 7am, stand in line with others who probably put on clothes but didn't wash their butt, when I had no plans to do that. 

I guess the issue with these threads turning "spicy" is that most people acknowledge the "rant" but provide reasononing. When most people vent they don't want to hear solutions to their vent, just people agreeing. 

[KevinK]

30 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

That one appears to have the ports in a different order, Port Canaveral and Miami both before Nassau and Coco Cay. This particular itinerary only runs a few times in the season and the order of the ports seems to vary from cruise to cruise.

Yup,

 

I looked at on my Feb 4 & April 23, both of them is 8 days, and both of them is Miami then Nassau then back to NJ port.  Being Nassau the last port then coming back to NJ.

[Cruisegirl1976]

This happened years ago on NCL when we stopped in Miami. 

[LJay0301]

1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said:

I guess the issue with these threads turning "spicy" is that most people acknowledge the "rant" but provide reasononing. When most people vent they don't want to hear solutions to their vent, just people agreeing. 

I can understand this right here, so many times I am annoyed by something (mostly work related or from my own causes) and I want to rant but my boyfriend is reasonable and is providing solutions - I didn't ask for a solution I wanted to just get it off my chest and go about dealing with it - that is how OP feels and he has a right to feel this way, he wants to vent his frustration without getting answers, which is fine. 

However, now in the future OP and many others,  know that when you get to a US port after a foreign port you must go through customs at the first US port (even if it is not your final port), this information is probably new to many who haven't had an itinerary this way before - but I can agree that maybe this information should be made known while booking maybe it is in the fine print. 

 

:edit - to fix typo 

 

[Kathleen]

We just sailed to Hawaii and Maui was our first port. We all had to go through immigration because it was our first US port, although done on the ship. When we disembarked in Oahu, just a few days later, we did not have to go through immigration. We grabbed our luggage from the area where they were placed and walked out the door. I liked the easy disembarkation at our final stop which no longer included immigration. It will take a while. Sleep in and catch the end of the line! 

[FireFishII]

2 hours ago, karl_nj said:

Is Miami the last port?  If so, you may not need to do Immigration when you get back to NJ.  Not that it's a big deal in Port Liberty anymore, since they use the facial scanners there these days.

 

I don't think you have a choice.  At the first US port after traveling out of the country, EVERYONE needs to go thru immigration.  If everyone is asked to exit the ship, then the ship is keeping count so they know when they reach 0.  

It would be nice to have an option.

Here is another tidbit, a few years ago, I had traveled to Ireland.  We got to the airport in what we thought was plenty of time.  What we did not know was we had to go thru US Preclearance before boarding.  This is immigration, customs, and agriculture all in one place. We almost missed our flight.  

[BDunn]

Interesting topic… made me think.  

Why doesn’t this CBP process (first US port after foreign visit) apply to Puerto Rico or St Thomas stops after visits to St Maarten/St Kitts/Bahamas?  They are after all, US Territories.  #askingforafriend

[karl_nj]

20 minutes ago, FireFishII said:

I don't think you have a choice.  At the first US port after traveling out of the country, EVERYONE needs to go thru immigration.  If everyone is asked to exit the ship, then the ship is keeping count so they know when they reach 0.  

It would be nice to have an option.

Here is another tidbit, a few years ago, I had traveled to Ireland.  We got to the airport in what we thought was plenty of time.  What we did not know was we had to go thru US Preclearance before boarding.  This is immigration, customs, and agriculture all in one place. We almost missed our flight.  

Sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem like there was a choice.  Just trying to say there may be a bright side to the situation—quicker disembarkation for all back in NJ.

[FireFishII]

20 minutes ago, BDunn said:

Why doesn’t this CBP process (first US port after foreign visit) apply to Puerto Rico or St Thomas stops after visits to St Maarten/St Kitts/Bahamas?  They are after all, US Territories.  #askingforafriend

Different rules between territories and states? Maybe? 

[karl_nj]

24 minutes ago, BDunn said:

Interesting topic… made me think.  

Why doesn’t this CBP process (first US port after foreign visit) apply to Puerto Rico or St Thomas stops after visits to St Maarten/St Kitts/Bahamas?  They are after all, US Territories.  #askingforafriend

Along the same lines, one could also ask why it's ok for a foreign flagged ship to do a repositioning cruise from NYC to Puerto Rico, but not from NYC to Miami.