Quote:
Originally Posted by billdomb
Just got back to the Bahamas and did checkin at West End, Old Bahama Bay.
Took well over an hour, since, it turns out, they now have some sort of computerized system that we could have used prior to arrival. Seems it began 1 July.
Without any notice being given, all the paper forms had to be typed into their new system.
No, I do NOT know where the new forms are to be found. They couldn't tell us.
Nor have I the least clue why they'd not alert potential arrivals to this change. Could easily be done, for instance, on the pages accomplishing the health visa.
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An HOUR to check in??? OMG!!! How uncivilized!
Seriously, sarcasm aside. You write as if you found this annoying and unacceptable. You need to relax and chill. If you are visiting the islands, you have to be ready to adapt to “Island Time.” For us the slower pace of life and a more relaxed attitude to clock and calendar is one of the reasons we love the Bahamas and other small countries.
It has already been pointed out that “Click2Clear” can easily be found via
google. Use that.
In most of these places the local officers handling check in do not always know all of the rules around dealing with cruising
boats. It is in your interest to educate yourself carefully before you arrive so you know what to expect, and so you can correct the paperwork if needed. Just as an example, the last time we checked into the Bahamas the official did not know that a one year cruising permit for $600 was an option in addition to the $300 for 90 days. We had to walk him through it. He kept confusing the cruising permit with the visa.
All that said, the officials with the lowest understanding of cruising
boat regulations have always been the ones we interact with when returning to the
USA.