Manda's first trip to jamaica sept 2011

[Manda81]

The only names he got were mine, my ex boyfriend and Andre's and to be honest he could have found out Andre's name since he went through my phone anyways. I had only stated originally on my visa that I was staying at the Riu Montego bay for the whole week. When I entered Jamaica I told them the same thing. When I was asked if I was meeting anyone I said no. I did all of this because i had forgotten Andre's address at home and to be honest I wasn't sure he'd be at the airport. It would have sounded much more suspect if I said "well I haven't seen this guy in 13 years and he may or may not be outside the airport when I get there and if that's the case I may or may not be spending 3 nights in the hills oh and I'll also be in Negril and Montego Bay" It sounds crazy lol

So I guess my question would be without having to get into so much detail what would be an appropriate answer when being asked by customs where are you staying... should I always just say Andre's should I explain my travel plans??

Next time I go I'll be sure to just say I'm staying with Andre.

[northcoast]

Better to just give the name of the hotel....you will get less questions that way....

[sammyb]

yep name of a hotel and keep the travel plans simple meaning one hotel the entire time......no matter where you're actually
staying

[Manda81]

But I dont plan on spending the time at a hotel and can they not check up on this ??

[northcoast]

Suppose they could, but don't think they do....

[MissBlue]

no, they can't/don't care/won't check up on that - i mean imagine it.... there's just no possible way, or reason, to actually keep 'close tabs' on every tourist and where they go once they're on the island. 'technically' the govt needs to know where you're staying, partly in case of, say, a hurricane or natural disaster, in case there becomes a need to look for (or, god forbid, identify) people, or account for them after a disaster, and it's also the 'address of record' they would use for delivering lost luggage or for any potential emergency.

but typically, the information you give to the officer while standing at the immi desk, in reality usually doesn't go any farther than that -

people are always divided on what to actually write on your forms and tell the officers --- most say just always put a hotel name, because once you start getting into "i'm staying with my friend/bf/husband at their house", it opens them up to ask ALL kinds of personal questions, looking thru bags for gifts you 'MUST' be bringing, charging you duty on stuff - even if it's really not a gift but for your own use, etc etc. Anything is possible although it of course doesn't always happen. Others always put the true yard address and take their chances, cause they feel it's better the govt knows where they really are, in case the info is ever needed.

[Manda81]

I get the idea of tracking everyones where abouts would be a bit much but I'm talking my own personal experience. I've already been documented on staying with Andre through the customs agent that interrogated me he pretty much wrote down everything I said. I am almost 100% sure that i've been flagged and will most likely get searched/questioned again. So if I return 6 months after my first visit with a "local" would they not wonder why I hadn't seen him the next trip? I just don't want to get myself in any unnecessary "hot water" because I've lied on my Visa.

[MissBlue]

yah i get what you're saying - but it doesn't necessarily follow, logically speaking, that someone would ALWAYS stay at the same place every time they visit jamaica. so as far as 'wondering why you don't see him next trip' -- that's a level of personal detail that's just not really done. hundreds of people don't see the same people on each trip, and stay at loads of different spots each different time they go - i truly don't think that kind of minutiae of detail would be examined THAT specifically. even for someone who may have been 'red-flagged' - it's still not necessarily always thought that they would 'definitely' go to all the exact same places and do the same things every trip. it's also a very common plan that the visitor has their local freind/bf/spouse/whatever go to stay with THEM at the hotel, instead of the visitor staying at the private home.... so that wouldn't be unusual -- even more so for a potential red-flagged visitor..... it could just as easily be explained that said visitor wants no more issues, and therefore plans the next trip to be completely in a tourist area, specifically to make sure that no more questions would be raised about them. (just an example, but i'm sure you get what i'm sayin')

if you're more comfortable putting the yard address though, just go with that.... whatever you feel is appropriate for you is what you should do!

[Manda81]

Hey Miss Blue,

Ya I completely see where you are coming from I guess I'm just a bit paranoid now but I think I'll have a better idea of what to do when I'm sure of where I'm staying on the island next trip coming

Thanks for everyones input and advice!

[sandy-girl]

Miss Blue, do they actually charge duty on gifts?