Latest entry/exit details

[ReefHound]

We have a group coming next weekend and I'm trying to find some info for them. First, I know how to look up official tourism and state department policies so don't think I haven't done that. Sometimes those policies can lag what is happening on the ground and I'm looking for recent firsthand experiences.

As I read it, you don't need a test if you have a vax card (no boosters req). Is the crappy handwritten CDC cardboard ok or do they need something more. For the test, it needs to be antigen within 72 hours. Is a print of the results ok? And with countries dropping testing lately, is this even still looked at?

Departure tax. Flying United to Houston. In 2016 I know we had to fill a form, wait in line, and pay cash. I *think* I recall in 2019 not having to do that nonsense. What is the current case? Included in ticket or pay in cash?

10pm curfew. If it's still on the books, it sounds like it's not enforced? I haven't heard any reports of tourists being checked.

ATMs/cambios. Best place to get lempira in West End? Is using USD for everything possible? How much is the "penalty"?

Weather. Yeah I know November is wet. Not when I would have booked a trip but we wanted to join our club trip. How is it going right now? We are staying and diving with Seagrape.

 

[Doc]

Go to CoCoView’s Before You Arrive! - CoCo View Resort website and look at the FAQ.
Forms: You will find the specific words Honduras wants entered on the forms so you won’t have to fret over specifics. The difference from CCV’s instructions is that you will be residing in Roatan/West End (not St Guardiola…/French Harbor) Don’t overthink it, just put stuff in the spaces. There are no grades for “the Final”. They really are not motivated to pick nits.

Why Sea Grape doesn’t provide this, I can not fathom.

Fanboys also host CocoView Divers on Facebook. Go join and see answers to most everything, but this is NOT nuanced to West End type concerns per-se.

Your paid departure tax should be shown on the detail of your ticket receipt. I think that’s a ‘given’ with UAL. But, BEWARE… United (and others?) view their schedules and your theoretical reservations as if they were on a chalkboard in the rain. UAL has altered and cancelled numerous flights on me through Houston. BE CAREFUL. I book flights with huge layovers because I require handicap transport. Two hours and more. When I discover on my own that they now have me on a 25 minute layover, not happy. Keep checking, they simply do not notify.

My personal comment: DO NOT use ANY cash machine on Roatan unless tied ONLY to a limited debit card. Exhaust them, rotate to a new one. They will be hacked, it is more the norm than exception. The use of $US on Roatan is well established and discussed.

Here’s a plain, simple, irrefutable FACT: November is the height of rainy season. <that there is a “period”. This is why your club booked it, it was very discounted because… refer to the first sentence. How’s it going right now? YGTBFKM. You did just see LISA come through, yes?

For those reading who are not arriving next week? November is the single worst weather month to visit. You may parse this out as many do…does it rain all day? Etc, etc, etc. Simply put: It will NOT be optimum. But your discounted price reflects that.

Best bet is April through September. But… here’s hoping you give us a full trip report and gush about how nice the weather was!

 

[ReefHound]

Thanks Doc.

I don't inherently trust some website's interpretation of the rules when I cannot see who wrote it or when they wrote it. Maybe yesterday. Maybe six months ago. With an SB post I have a username and a posted date. SeaGrape will surely offer their interpretation as well but again, they are interpreting or relaying what they have been told. Doubt the hotel staff has personally been entering or exiting Roatan as a tourist.

YGTBFKM? You're Going To Be Fked, Man? Lisa coming through last week is a positive in my view. Tropical systems are usually spaced apart several weeks or more. No guarantees. It's never raining at 60'.

Airline receipt:

September 11th Security Fee:	5.60 USD
TaxCode D1:	34.74 USD
TaxCode D2:	13.70 USD
U.S. APHIS User Fee:	3.96 USD
U.S. Immigration User Fee:	7.00 USD
U.S. Customs User Fee:	6.11 USD

I have no idea what tax code D1 or D2 are. D for Departure? Nothing expressly says departure. Update: discussions on Flyertalk seem to confirm D1 and D2 are departure taxes.

 

[Doc]

Lisa coming through last week is a positive in my view. Tropical systems are usually spaced apart several weeks or more. No guarantees. It's never raining at 60'.

 

[ReefHound]

Best bet is April through September. But… here’s hoping you give us a full trip report and gush about how nice the weather was!

Not ready to write up a full report yet but here's a few notes.

Immigration was a breeze. I left my customs form on the plane, got a new one, and while filling it out the porter guy got my bags through and out the door and motioned me over. I'm not sure he even ran them through the x-ray. I left the airport with the customs form still in my hand! Security was tighter leaving than entering. Few places make you fill a customs form, fingerprint and photo to depart. At least three people checked our passports.

Our club had a great time and didn't miss any scheduled dives. It did rain a lot but it didn't disrupt us as much as I thought it would. It was mostly in the mornings and afternoons. I'm very glad we brought our boat coats and rain ponchos, though. Several times it busted loose when we were on the water and the boat coats kept us warm even though water was being driven into them by the bucket. They do get rather heavy when soaked and don't dry fast. The ponchos are just a few ounces, dry fast, and roll up into a small carry case. Since we always carried a backpack into town we kept them with us at all times. I wore mine a lot going between room and dining area or dive shop. One night we were with other people and ready to leave Ginger's at closing time and the skies opened up. I gave another lady my poncho and the guys cowboyed up. If I had worn my dive computer I think it would have logged a dive.

 

[nwflyboy]

Hey @ReefHound, thanks for your trip notes above - it's helpful to hear something recent.

I got a few questions about what to expect when arriving on an international flight in Roatan. I'm going in February.

You mention a potential bag x-ray above (which your bags may have actually bypassed). It is the norm to have bags x-rayed upon arrival in RTB? Checked bags, carry-ons, or both? And is that simply a search for security/prohibited items (looking for guns, drugs, etc. - not unusual), or is there any connection to "customs" imposing an "import duty" on cameras, housings, and other gear perceived to be expensive "imports"?

For example, I'm quite familiar with arriving to Mexico and going through customs where you push-the-button for a green light (proceed without stopping) or a red light (stop for hand inspection and possibly a surprise "fee" for "importing" that fancy camera and housing, potentially other things)?

I'm heading to the Bay Islands in February (arriving RTB from Houston on United) and just trying to understand what I should expect, how much to be concerned about surprises from the customs folks. I will not be bringing firearms, other weapons, drugs or prohibited items. I will be bringing a decent camera and other electronics, which I'm hoping will not be the source of any surprise "fees". Is that a thing there when arriving in RTB?

And when you departed, did you get hit up for a cash donation ("exit tax"), or was that rolled into the airline ticket/fees you already paid?

Thanks.

BTW, I believe "YGTBFKM" would translate into "You've got be be f-in' kidding me."

 

[ReefHound]

The plane pulls up right next to the airport building. You exit front and rear down stairs then go into the building. You enter into a big room laced with queues for immigration.

There are 4 or 5 immigration islands with several agents in each. Point is, the line might look really long but it moves fast. As you near the front of the line there may be workers pre-checking your vax/tests. The islands are surrounded with plexiglass and you go to a window and hand your passport, get your picture taken, and your fingerprints scanned. I think they asked where we were staying but not much else.

After immigration are a couple of baggage carousels. Since the plane is so close to the building, they get the bags unloaded fast and they don't let them go round and round forever. They pull them off and set them aside. You'll wander among them looking for yours. Workers will check your baggage stubs with the bags so when you check bags in Houston don't throw the claim stubs away.

Right near there is a single x-ray scanner. I think he put our bags through but clearly agents didn't match them up with a customs form or passenger. Not sure what they look for but they didn't appear to be hassling anybody or doing many secondary searches. None of our group was searched. In our 3 previous trips we were not searched. I've never heard of anyone being shaken down.

There is a departure tax but it's included with US airlines. I did see one guy from Europe get turned away from the first departure checkpoint and told to go pay his departure tax somewhere and bring the receipt. We handed in our exit customs form at the first little kiosk, showed our passports at a second, did photos and fingerprint scans at a third more formal counter, then came to a little kiosk where a guy looked at our passports and barked at us to put on our masks. This was the only point in the whole airport that we or most others wore a mask, for like 30 seconds. Then put our carryon on a conveyor scanner, walked through a people scanner, got our bags and found a seat in the gate. The whole airport building is about the size of a Kroger grocery store.