customs

Buying Salmon In Alaska

A Short Story Recently (pre Covid) we were on an end of season cruise in Alaska that was to be followed by a cruise down the California coast. Near the end of the Alaska itinerary the cruise ship was liquidating all the smoked and canned salmon in their gift shop. Generally the cruise ports inContinue reading “Buying Salmon In Alaska”

A Fast Lane Through U.S. Immigration

A bit of an introduction on U.S. Customs & Immigration – On an average year we pass through Customs & Immigration almost a dozen times. Years ago, when returning to the United States, there weren’t a lot of choices getting through Customs & Immigration. You fill out your custom declaration form before arrival, pick aContinue reading “A Fast Lane Through U.S. Immigration”

U.S. Customs Duty Free Policy

How much can I bring back to the U.S. duty-free? There is a lot of confusion about bringing back purchases from foreign countries duty free, especially liquor and tobacco, what amounts and from where. The following is information directly from U.S. Customs: Duty-Free Exemption The duty-free exemption, also called the personal exemption, is the totalContinue reading “U.S. Customs Duty Free Policy”

A FastPass Thru U.S. Immigration

A bit of an introduction to our adventures with Customs and Immigration. Before a few years ago, when returning to the United States, there weren’t a lot of choices, so we would fill out our custom form, pick a line (always the slowest moving) and wait for our turn with an agent. Rarely did thingsContinue reading “A FastPass Thru U.S. Immigration”

Travel Tips and Technology

As we travel we’ve made some mistakes and have learned a few things over the years as we have planned itineraries. Avoiding issues with TSA, U.S. Customs and Immigration, jet lag and loyalty programs. Hopefully our experiences can help you avoid delays, save money and help you get ready for your next adventure. More articlesContinue reading “Travel Tips and Technology”

A FastPass Thru U.S. Immigration

Did you know there’s an App for that? I don’t even want to get into telling stories about coming home and getting delayed in Customs and Immigration. I’m sure we all have our stories. We were excited some time ago with the self-service kiosks that were being installed at a number of locations. After aContinue reading “A FastPass Thru U.S. Immigration”

U.S. Duty Free Policy (Update)

How much can I bring back to the U.S. duty-free? There is a lot of confusion about bringing back purchases from foreign countries duty free, especially liquor and tobacco, how much and from where. The following is from the web site of U.S. Customs: Duty-Free Exemption The duty-free exemption, also called the personal exemption, isContinue reading “U.S. Duty Free Policy (Update)”