usvi-on-line
Leaving the Islands, Question
Leaving the Islands, Question
Browsing the forum, I have come up with a couple of questions about what goes on at the airport. Shhh, yes, I understand the whole airplany flying thing.
Specifically I was wondering what happens when you have to leave and go home. I see references to long lines, customs, immigrations, porters, customs forms...would someone just give a quick factual rundown of the indignities we can expect on top of being booted out of paradise and having to go back home?
Hopefully we will have our US Air boarding passes printed off before we reach the airport. We're going to be carryon only for the trip to STJ but I don't care if I check bags on the way home.
Because I am agoraphobic knowing things like this ahead of time helps reduce travel anxiety.
Specifically I was wondering what happens when you have to leave and go home. I see references to long lines, customs, immigrations, porters, customs forms...would someone just give a quick factual rundown of the indignities we can expect on top of being booted out of paradise and having to go back home?
Hopefully we will have our US Air boarding passes printed off before we reach the airport. We're going to be carryon only for the trip to STJ but I don't care if I check bags on the way home.
Because I am agoraphobic knowing things like this ahead of time helps reduce travel anxiety.
I am not going to give the full run down, but I once left with my daughter's passport. I grabbed it by mistake as I was leaving and actually handed it to the immigration agent - who looked pretty surprised. But I had my NJ driver's license with me and that was enough to leave - post 9/11.
Anthony for Virgin Islands On Line
we print our boarding passes before we leave stj (at keep me posted in coral bay). makes the whole process go much smoother- no lines to wait in until you get to customs. i hope you have that option.
we also get there at least 2 hours beforehand cuz things can get crazy.
when we had checked bag to deal with, it seems as if the whole process went smoother if we got a porter. don't remember why this was but it was.
once you deal with bags, there's a small form you have to fill out- one form covers one family so if you have hubby with you, only one form needs to be filled out. it's pretty simple.
then you wait in a line for customs, show your passport or whatever id you have. they look in some carry-on bags- i've had mine poked and prodded once- but most likely they'll give you stern looks then let you pass through.
then you wait in another line for basic airline security the you mosy on into the general airport waitng area.
the airport waiting area is one big ass room with sections of seats, a few gates, a gift shop, a cafeteria-style food place and a very small bar. there are some tv's too and a huge wall o windows looking out into the tarmac. the food is edible (it's actaully improved), the gift store is all st thomas stuff plus candy and reading material and the waiting to go home sucks.
we also get there at least 2 hours beforehand cuz things can get crazy.
when we had checked bag to deal with, it seems as if the whole process went smoother if we got a porter. don't remember why this was but it was.
once you deal with bags, there's a small form you have to fill out- one form covers one family so if you have hubby with you, only one form needs to be filled out. it's pretty simple.
then you wait in a line for customs, show your passport or whatever id you have. they look in some carry-on bags- i've had mine poked and prodded once- but most likely they'll give you stern looks then let you pass through.
then you wait in another line for basic airline security the you mosy on into the general airport waitng area.
the airport waiting area is one big ass room with sections of seats, a few gates, a gift shop, a cafeteria-style food place and a very small bar. there are some tv's too and a huge wall o windows looking out into the tarmac. the food is edible (it's actaully improved), the gift store is all st thomas stuff plus candy and reading material and the waiting to go home sucks.
Last edited by LysaC on Fri Feb 20, 2009 11:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
If you seen long lines checking in when you arrive at the airport for departure then grab a porter. They take your passports and your bags along with your airline travel docs and go right to the front of the line and take care of checking your bags and printing your boarding passes. Then they accompany you through the immigration check and drop your carry on bags at the security line for you to go through security. It happens so fast that you almost think you forgot something. It takes a 30-60 minute process and makes it about a 5 minute one. The cost is $4/bag I believe, but well worth it, especially if you have a bigger party traveling.
If there are no lines or very few people checking in when you arrive then by all means do it yourself and save the $$. Just depends upon how busy check in is when you arrive.
If there are no lines or very few people checking in when you arrive then by all means do it yourself and save the $$. Just depends upon how busy check in is when you arrive.
When you arrive at the airport:
Checked Bags & No Boarding Pass - Go to the USAir counter and wait in line to get your bags tagged. This line is often long. And hot. When you are done, you'll take your checked bags with you to customs.
Carryon & Pre-Printed Boarding Pass - Bypass the line and walk through to the customs area.
Customs Forms Area:
Get a form at the counter and fill it out. It's a good idea to have a pen because none of them ever seem to work.
Customs Line Area:
Get in the queue for Customs. Wait, and wait, and wait until it's your turn. Hope you get a nice customs guy that doesn't drill you about liquor or jewelry or contraband seashells he feels certain you have hidden in your underwear.
Security Area:
Drag your bags to the Security Area.
Checked Bags: Get in the line for those with checked bags and wait, and wait, and wait. I think you put your checked bags into a thing before you get to the metal detector, but since I don't do this, I don't know.
Carryon Only: Get in the line for carryon only (always shorter) and wait, and wait.
Be prepared to take off almost everything you are wearing and shove it onto the belt while you go through the metal detector. Be prepared for your new STJ hook bracelet to set the thing off unless you unhook it. Also be prepared for at least one "Ray of Sunshine" security personnel member to say something less than pleasant to you and heighten your already ill temper. Wipe the grime off your feet (since you are undoubtedly now barefoot because you were wearing flip flops in one last attempt to cling to your island joy) and put your clothes back on.
Airport Gate:
Walk to your gate and sit for two hours watching the smiling, happy faces of those who just arrived pass by the window outside until you are finally driven to the airport bar where you can have one last frozen drink while still offically on island time.
Seriously, it's really not that bad. This is worst case scenario (aka "What Always Seems To Happen To Vicki"). Besides, this is from my very faulty memory and I am usually drunk by the time I get to the airport, so minor details may vary.
Happy Travels!!
Checked Bags & No Boarding Pass - Go to the USAir counter and wait in line to get your bags tagged. This line is often long. And hot. When you are done, you'll take your checked bags with you to customs.
Carryon & Pre-Printed Boarding Pass - Bypass the line and walk through to the customs area.
Customs Forms Area:
Get a form at the counter and fill it out. It's a good idea to have a pen because none of them ever seem to work.
Customs Line Area:
Get in the queue for Customs. Wait, and wait, and wait until it's your turn. Hope you get a nice customs guy that doesn't drill you about liquor or jewelry or contraband seashells he feels certain you have hidden in your underwear.
Security Area:
Drag your bags to the Security Area.
Checked Bags: Get in the line for those with checked bags and wait, and wait, and wait. I think you put your checked bags into a thing before you get to the metal detector, but since I don't do this, I don't know.
Carryon Only: Get in the line for carryon only (always shorter) and wait, and wait.
Be prepared to take off almost everything you are wearing and shove it onto the belt while you go through the metal detector. Be prepared for your new STJ hook bracelet to set the thing off unless you unhook it. Also be prepared for at least one "Ray of Sunshine" security personnel member to say something less than pleasant to you and heighten your already ill temper. Wipe the grime off your feet (since you are undoubtedly now barefoot because you were wearing flip flops in one last attempt to cling to your island joy) and put your clothes back on.
Airport Gate:
Walk to your gate and sit for two hours watching the smiling, happy faces of those who just arrived pass by the window outside until you are finally driven to the airport bar where you can have one last frozen drink while still offically on island time.
Seriously, it's really not that bad. This is worst case scenario (aka "What Always Seems To Happen To Vicki"). Besides, this is from my very faulty memory and I am usually drunk by the time I get to the airport, so minor details may vary.
Happy Travels!!
Hah! Amusing AND educational. Thanks, you guys. I guess the whole customs thing took me by surprise. What are they looking for, anyways? You mentioned ilicit things like booze, jewelry, sea shells...the first two I'm guessing they want you to pay some sort of tax on? And the last thing is because you aren't supposed to take natural items out of the National Park? Does this mean I can't purchase a rock or seashell in a gift shop even?
Vicky's rundown is pretty darn accurate in my experience.....right down to the very necessary departure cocktails to take the edge off of the pain. To add insult to injury my husband on our first couple of trips with the kids forgot where he stashed his passport and insisted that he gave it to me for safe keeping. I fell for it 2 years in a row and tore my carry-ons apart in the security line only to have him find it in a pocket. I carry all the important documents now and I think maybe that was his plan all along.
NO RED pens. Tehy don't like that. Blue or black ink please.
You are allwoed a certain number of bottles of liquor duty free and up to a certain amount in other goods tax free. If you buy anything really expensive just wear it like it's yours or pay the duty on it whichever you prefer.
If you have any checked bags I just get a porter and pay them $20 and they do the rest you never have to touch your bags again and they walk you through the process often ahead of others. Just porter magic I guess. It's wrth every penny as far as I am concerned.
We always plan way ahead and get there at least 2hours in advance casue you just never know.
Keep in mind that you can only pass through customs once in a single day so you can't just check in and check your bags and turn around and leave and go shopping in STT cause you (and your porter) are forced to escort your baggage all the way through the process.
Just allow at least 2 hours and you'll be fine.
You are allwoed a certain number of bottles of liquor duty free and up to a certain amount in other goods tax free. If you buy anything really expensive just wear it like it's yours or pay the duty on it whichever you prefer.
If you have any checked bags I just get a porter and pay them $20 and they do the rest you never have to touch your bags again and they walk you through the process often ahead of others. Just porter magic I guess. It's wrth every penny as far as I am concerned.
We always plan way ahead and get there at least 2hours in advance casue you just never know.
Keep in mind that you can only pass through customs once in a single day so you can't just check in and check your bags and turn around and leave and go shopping in STT cause you (and your porter) are forced to escort your baggage all the way through the process.
Just allow at least 2 hours and you'll be fine.
*Another fine scatterbrained production
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piscesgirl0314
- Posts: 598
- Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:31 pm
- Location: Chesapeake, VA
At the custom office where you come back from the BVI's it's in the parking lot behing uncle joe's they have a stack right inside the door just don't take any with out asking I made that mistake once. 
He yelled at me asked if I would like it if he came to my house and took my things. I said sorry wanted to ask him where he slept. But I figured I'd be flagged every time I went through customs.
He yelled at me asked if I would like it if he came to my house and took my things. I said sorry wanted to ask him where he slept. But I figured I'd be flagged every time I went through customs.We have experienced a little of everything you just read. Of course, Vicki's experience is always bigger than life itself. 
Her trips always sound like "Ricky and Lucy Go to the Islands." 
Lucy, stay away from the donkeys!
We have arrived at the airport at the end of our Walk of Woe and found lines that would rival Disney World and other times when we were the only passengers at the counter. In the case of the former, she is right. The porter is worth EVERY penny.
We have a stack of cutoms forms in our bags that we carry with us. "Why would you do that?" you ask? Because we fill them out during the week and arrive with them completed. Except, the last time I forgot to sign it.
The "very nice" customs agent asked me to sign it when I got there. If memory serves me well, the limit is $2,600 and 10 (12 if two are VI products) bottles of adult beverages. We, without any plan in mind, have been within $20 of our limit twice. They really want to look closely at you when you do that. To put an end to his repeated questions, I told him to pick any bag off the porter's cart and we will open it right here. He then waved us on. We also found that, in the late 1990's, a box with Bose speakers gets X-rayed in every possible position and carfully examined. We list every tee shirt and baseball cap we buy. If they see that level of detail, their index of suspicion goes down. We keep an envelope with all the customs related receipts so that when we are flung into depression in those last hours of "Island Time" we are not trying to reconstruct our shopping week.
As for slipping one by them, I don't bother to try. These people do this for a living every day. What chance of success would I have against an agent who has probably seen all kinds of pros try to get past him?
We did purchase sea shells in Cruz Bay and listed them on the form. They did not get a second glance.
It's all part of the price of admission that we pay for the privilage of going to Pardise.
"If it was easy everyone would do it!" Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks), A League of Their Own
JIM
Her trips always sound like "Ricky and Lucy Go to the Islands." Lucy, stay away from the donkeys! We have arrived at the airport at the end of our Walk of Woe and found lines that would rival Disney World and other times when we were the only passengers at the counter. In the case of the former, she is right. The porter is worth EVERY penny.
We have a stack of cutoms forms in our bags that we carry with us. "Why would you do that?" you ask? Because we fill them out during the week and arrive with them completed. Except, the last time I forgot to sign it.
The "very nice" customs agent asked me to sign it when I got there. If memory serves me well, the limit is $2,600 and 10 (12 if two are VI products) bottles of adult beverages. We, without any plan in mind, have been within $20 of our limit twice. They really want to look closely at you when you do that. To put an end to his repeated questions, I told him to pick any bag off the porter's cart and we will open it right here. He then waved us on. We also found that, in the late 1990's, a box with Bose speakers gets X-rayed in every possible position and carfully examined. We list every tee shirt and baseball cap we buy. If they see that level of detail, their index of suspicion goes down. We keep an envelope with all the customs related receipts so that when we are flung into depression in those last hours of "Island Time" we are not trying to reconstruct our shopping week.As for slipping one by them, I don't bother to try. These people do this for a living every day. What chance of success would I have against an agent who has probably seen all kinds of pros try to get past him?
We did purchase sea shells in Cruz Bay and listed them on the form. They did not get a second glance.
It's all part of the price of admission that we pay for the privilage of going to Pardise.
"If it was easy everyone would do it!" Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks), A League of Their Own
JIM
ok I know what you mean. Thanks!waterguy wrote:At the custom office where you come back from the BVI's it's in the parking lot behing uncle joe's they have a stack right inside the door just don't take any with out asking I made that mistake once.