How long does it take to get through USA customs

[chubby Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chubby]

We are just back from a trip from Canada and Alaska had a wonderfull time but USA customs in Vacouver we was let of our bus at 1.00pm in the afternoon we did the line trip up and down to 3.30pm to get our hand bagage through then we was hearded into a very big room with no food or water to drink thank god there was rest rooms we finely got on the New Holland ship at 10.15 pm and we was not the last on we sailed at 11.30pm should have sailed at 5.30 it was very noticed that all USA and Canada citizens could go in a line and get through in a very short time the rest of the world was in room with us Aussies there was 2 ship of people in this room some were near a 1000 people at one stage some of us had to give up seats for older people we had a person running around with a megaphone telling the ship will not go with out us very kind he was could have put his megaphone up where he sits
But sit around and stand with out food or water for 9.15 hours is a discrase there should be some thing done about it but I will say we had a grand time on the ship when we got on and also in Canada

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I had a similar, though less lengthy experience a couple of years ago on the ferry from France to the channel island of Jersey. All the French and Brits went through quickly and the 3 or 4 of us from anywhere else were put through the wringer. I was asked very detailed questions about that trip, such as where I was staying in France, where I flew into, long long I was staying, how was I getting around in France, where I flew from in the US, etc. They then went through my passport and asked similar questions every time they came to a passport stamp for either the US or France. I was there over an hour answering questions, and a couple of others that had started about the same time weren't through yet when they finally let me pass.

I was expecting the same on my return, but the French did not have either customs or immigration even manned!

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

When I landed in London (Heathrow) last month, it took over an hour and a half to clear customs/passport control.
Three planes had landed, yes, I understand that there were a lot of us. There were 4-5 passport control officials to clear us, however, there were 2 passport control officials at the E.U./U.K area who had at the most 10 E.U./U.K. passengers at all.

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

My information is quite old because I haven't been to England in about 10 years, but when I flew on United, we were in line for more than 2 hours. When we flew on British Air, which I did much more frequently, it took less than 1/2 hour.

Sue

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Getting into the UK is due to get a whole lot worse soon. All EU passports will have to be checked as well as non-EU and the immigration people aren't being given any more staff to do the job with.
At present EU passports are checked at random and immigration officials have the authority to reduce the level of checking at very busy times. I have to say that I think increased checks are actually a good thing, but they should also be given the staff to do the job.
An immigration official was saying on the radio that he has concerns that people will have to be held on planes at very busy times as the immigration halls will not hold everybody at busy times.
Sounds like another beaurocratic lash up again!!!

[mishugana Member Find all posts View Profile Close mishugana]

Getting into the UK is due to get a whole lot worse soon. All EU passports will have to be checked as well as non-EU and the immigration people aren't being given any more staff to do the job with.
At present EU passports are checked at random and immigration officials have the authority to reduce the level of checking at very busy times. I have to say that I think increased checks are actually a good thing, but they should also be given the staff to do the job.
An immigration official was saying on the radio that he has concerns that people will have to be held on planes at very busy times as the immigration halls will not hold everybody at busy times.
Sounds like another beaurocratic lash up again!!!

My last trip to london i flew Aer Lingus via Shannon Took me less than 10 minutes to clear in shannon at Heathrow i avoided customs

[mshatty Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close mshatty]

My last trip to london i flew Aer Lingus via Shannon Took me less than 10 minutes to clear in shannon at Heathrow i avoided customs

Unless you are a diplomat, how did you do that?

[mishugana Member Find all posts View Profile Close mishugana]

Unless you are a diplomat, how did you do that?

I was on the first flight in the plane also continued to dublin there were only 3 people ahead of me in the line

[jericap Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close jericap]

a few years ago we were coming back from the Dominican through Miami and were delayed for about 1/2 hr in customs. we missed the time that our luggage could be put on the connecting flight by 30 seconds (literally, we saw people ahead of us give the porters their luggage) Well they were taking people to hotels by the busloads to stay overnight in Miami. Since then on we have avoided Miami whenever we fly.

[Art Member Find all posts View Profile Close Art]

Since we've cruised from Vancouver twice, I was trying to make sense of the original post in this string. There were a lot of comments about clearing Customs, but the issue is pre-clearing Immigration into the US. The purpose of the whole exercise is to eliminate the immigration hassle when the ship docks at the first US port.

The cruise where we had difficulty was actually on the return to Vancouver. In this case, there were three ships docked and a shortage of Canadian C&I staff. No, the Canadians were expecting three ships. The problem was that because of bad seas coming down from Sitka, our ship arrived two hours later than it should have so we lost our slot in the inspection process. A situation like that could have contributed to the problems the OP encountered.

The lack of refreshments, etc., in the waiting area is a problem that should have been addressed with New Holland (whoever they are). The one or two times that we have been delayed in boarding for any reason, the cruise line (Celebrity in our case) provided food and beverages while we waited. I wonder if the OP or anyone else posted about this problem over on cruisecritic.com That is a much better forum for letting others know about cruise related problems.

Art

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

We returned from a transatlantic cruise from Europe to Miami,FL in April 2007.

To clear custom was about 5 minutes.

[basham Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close basham]

Chubby was complaining about a non US citizen clearing US customs.

With good reason.

No subsequent posts have addressed the issue. The fact that Ryne08 breezed though in 5 min is not relevant.
Nine hours for a non US citizen is beyond belief.

When next at LAX I wonder how I will be treated.

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Art needs to keep taking his pills, trying to make sense of the original post, what the hell is that.

I guess that Art had trouble interpreting a post which is totally lacking in punctuation. I didn't just have trouble making sense of the OP, I actually gave up on it.
I don't know if the first language of the OP isn't English or if they were still so uptight at their treatment that they let their fingers run away with them. Either way it's not an easy post to read.

[chubby Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chubby]

Sorry Keitht for the no puntuation it seems my content on this forum is not needed or up to the standard of you .I can stop doing my thing if that is what is wanted by everyone and we do speak English you should to come out to Australia and see.

Just one thing there was a lot of your country people in that room also and they were not sitting very quiet and happy and injoying there time there very much and I wonder if you would after 9 hours of standing and sitting and most of us last had a lunch at about midday or earlyer.

Now getting back to what the time we had in this room we had one person that was a diabetic that got in a very bad way because of the lack of food all the responce from any one in charge was you should have taken food with if you are diabetic .

Now if you could get food through hand baggage part it would not have happend but the sign said no food must pass this line when the person involved ask if she could take any food through because of diabeties she was told to READ the sign.

And also no one at that stage said you will be going into a room for an other 6 hours .

I am sorry again about the puntuation Keitht but this person was one of your own country people may be if you had diabeties like this lady and got into a bad way you would under stand what I am on about .

And also all through the day there was 16 booths going till 5.30pm then only 4 was going for the rest of the time yes as some one has said there could be more personal to work these booths it might not have happened.

Well I have said my thing to just warn you all off what might happen if you go on an Alaskan cruise and if you have diabeties and get in trouble no one will worry about you.

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Chubby,

My point was simply that a total lack of punctuation does make a post very difficult to read. Simply doing as you have above and splitting it down into seperate paragraphs makes a huge difference.
I do agree with you that being kept hanging around and treated like dirt for hours on end is no way to treat visitors to a country.