Key Aspects:
- A cruise guest from India ran into an issue in Saint John, New Brunswick, after failing to declare that they were sailing with just over $23,000 in cash.
- While Canada does not limit the amount of cash visitors can travel with, any amount greater than C$10,000 must be declared while going through the customs process.
- The cruiser had to pay a fine of over $1,000 for their mistake.
One cruise guest made a very costly mistake while visiting Saint John, New Brunswick, in Canada, on September 3, 2025.
The passenger, who has only been identified as a citizen of India, failed to report that they were cruising with $23,260 USD in cash, which is well above Canada’s C$10,000 limit.
The funds were identified when CBSA agents boarded the cruise ship as part of the standard customs process at the cruise port.
Canada does not actually have a maximum set for the amount of money that can be brought into the country, but any amount of $10,000 or higher must be reported to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) while going through customs.
“CBSA officers in #SaintJohn #NB seized US$23K in undeclared cash from a traveller arriving on a cruise ship,” the CBSA posted on social media.
“The traveller paid a penalty in order to have the funds returned. Entering Canada with CAN$10K or more? Remember to declare it,” the post continued.
While the cruise ship the guest was sailing on has not been explicitly confirmed, cruise tracking data shows that Enchanted Princess was the only ship in the port that day.
The Princess cruise ship would have been in the middle of a 7-night sailing to destinations throughout New England in the US and Canada.
Notably, the US has the same rule where cash amounts over $10,000 must be reported upon leaving or entering the country – but there are no reports of this passenger having additional issues stateside.
Passenger Gets Fined
Because the cruise guest did not declare their big chunk of change, they were subject to a fine that ranges between 5% and 50% of the total cash amount.
As this cruiser’s funds did not appear to be connected to anything illegal (and the lack of reporting may have been a genuine mistake), they were hit with the lowest 5% penalty.
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This means that they had to shell out C$1,600 to get the remainder of their funds back and continue on with their cruise.
Even if the guest’s actions were made by complete accident, Canadian authorities still have to enforce their policies. Extreme cases can result in much bigger fines, or even jail time.
“Reporting currency is an important part of helping the Government of Canada fight money laundering, organized crime, and terrorist financing,” CBSA spokesperson Luke Reimer said about the matter.
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Saint John, New Brunswick, is one of 12 cruise ports in Canada where first arrival customs checks take place.
This means that customs and border control officers check passengers directly onboard their cruise ships before allowing them to go ashore – and all passengers must clear customs even if they have no plans of disembarking.
This is when the cruise guest should have declared their funds, which they could have done by filling out the Cross-Border Currency or Monetary Instruments Report.
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This form can usually be obtained onboard cruise ships in advance, but can also be completed while going through customs.
When in doubt, never be afraid to respectfully ask questions of the guest services team in advance or the officers during the customs process – you might avoid a hefty fine!
