m61376, ... The hold-ups at Nassau Airpost used to be:
Upon entry: Immigration. Long lines and few Bahamas agents. The ones working seemed to delight in keeping the lines long. They had an uncanny knack of periodically walking away from their post and leaving their line completely stalled while the other lines (the ones you were not in, lol!) moved along until their agents took an unexpected break. That's what Ken and lyndor may have been talking about.
Bahamas entry customs was next and was a joke. If you let a porter get your bags to the waiting cabs and limousines, they would nod at the customs agents and whisk you right through. Even if you didn't use a porter, almost all the time you shot/walked right past the customs agents with nobody asking to look or looking at anything.
Upon exit: It used to be that after you checked in you were responsible (after a long walk and usually a long line) to clear Bahamas customs by merely showing your boarding pass and then drop off your checked luggage on a conveyor belt. Or, the ever-present porters could carry the bags from your cab, stand around while you waited at the air lline check-in counter (long lines) and, after the lugggage claim checks were attached, cart the luggage over to Bahamas customs.
Then, until the last few months, you had to clear US immigration at the airport and clear US customs at the entry airport. The last few months (as practice for the new terminal in Nassau?) you cleared US customs and immigration in Nassau. But, there was no inspection of bags. The checked ones were dropped off at Bahamas customs (God knows what happened to them next) and the carry-on luggage was screened in a manner similar to the US. Usually there were only 2 US immigration agents working and the lines could get quite long. Maybe that's what Ken and lyndor were talking about.
Then, until a few months ago, surprise, surprise! You walked 100 or so feet and around a corner and Bahamas security awaited you. Another US-style screening of you and the carry-on luggage! But it was slightly quicker (didn't have to take your shoes off)!
Usually only two agents doing the Bahamas security check but the big delay came from US security. Thankfully, the last few months there has been no Bahamas security check (except random ones by unsmiling agents when you would board the plane after the 1-1.5 hour long wait in the old terminal after clearing these security measures).
It looks like now the checked baggage is screened by x-ray cameras and you may be asked to identify yours and lines are shorter and the terminal is more user-friendly. How could it not be?
I was at HRA in mid-March. That was a few weeks before the new terminal opened. People have generally praised the new terminal as an improvement,
But, there has been nothing said that would indicate Bahamas entry customs at Nassau Airport is any less of a joke. If you are worried about it, use a porter. If not, you are probably not going to be stopped and checked anyway. (The contraband, money and weed is safe! lol!) ... eom
