A dream vacation became a nightmare for an Australian cruise passenger who was denied entry to the United States after flying to New York via Hong Kong.
Upon arrival at JFK Airport, the cruise passenger en route to Florida for a $15,000 cruise vacation was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Denied Entry into the USA
Despite holding a valid visa waiver and having no criminal or immigration violations, he was detained for eight hours, interrogated three times, and had his phone and laptop searched before being sent back to Australia on the next available flight.
The issue? His itinerary.
CBP officers reportedly flagged the man’s travel route—from Sydney to New York with a stopover in Hong Kong—as unusual. They repeatedly questioned why he didn’t take a direct flight.
Ultimately, officials were unsatisfied with his explanations and exercised their discretion to deem him “inadmissible” into the United States.
This flight route is popular among travelers using airline points and miles, especially those within the Oneworld Alliance network, which includes American Airlines.
The cruise passenger’s removal resulted from the U.S. government’s new “enhanced vetting” protocols, introduced under a January 2025 executive order to tighten border security.
The incident has raised concerns among international tourists, particularly from the continents of Australia and Asia, where long-haul flights with stopovers in Hong Kong or China are common.
What People are Saying
One Cruise Radio reader in Australia who shared this story via our tip line was rattled by the story. “For many of us in the eastern hemisphere, flying through Hong Kong is simply the most practical and affordable route to the U.S., especially with Cathay Pacific operating its hub there,” he said. “It’s not suspicious, it’s smart travel!”
CBP has not publicly commented on the specific case but said that officers can deny entry based on the “totality” of a traveler’s situation.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection manages traveler entry at border checkpoints nationwide, including airports and cruise terminals.
