Ships that terminate in U.S. ports may require passengers to fill out Customs forms and show their passports to border control in the cruise terminal. Some passengers might be required to meet with immigration officials on board prior to getting off the ship.

In 2026, whether you go through customs on a cruise depends on your itinerary and the port of arrival. On a standard "closed-loop" cruise departing from and returning to the same U.S. port, you generally do not undergo a full customs inspection at every international stop; the ship’s manifest acts as a collective declaration. However, upon your final return to the home port, you must pass through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Thanks to technology, this is now often done via facial recognition kiosks that verify your identity in seconds. If you have exceeded your "duty-free" allowance (typically $800 per person) or are carrying restricted agricultural products, you must declare them. For "one-way" cruises that end in a different country than where they started, you will undergo a full immigration and customs check at the final disembarkation port. It is a peer-to-peer "best practice" to keep all receipts for major purchases made in port, as CBP officers can perform random manual bag checks even if the digital screening is green.