Yes, passengers on closed-loop cruises (cruises that start and end at the same U.S. port) must go through a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspection upon their return, though the process is often much more streamlined than at an airport. Even though you are returning to the same city you left from, you have visited foreign territories and are technically re-entering the United States. During the "disembarkation" process, you will be required to declare any high-value items, alcohol, tobacco, or agricultural products you purchased abroad. In recent years, many major U.S. cruise terminals have implemented Facial Recognition technology, which allows the majority of U.S. citizens to pass through customs in seconds without even showing a passport or filling out a paper form. The system simply matches your live image against the manifest provided by the cruise line. However, CBP officers still have the right to pull any passenger aside for a manual bag search or questioning. If you have exceeded your "duty-free" allowance (usually $800 per person), you may be required to pay a tax on the excess. While the process is generally fast, it is a federal requirement, and all travelers must clear customs before they are allowed to exit the cruise terminal and head home.