Cruising News*: Just checked in yesterday Friday, 1/21/11 at Chub Cay. No problems with 180 day stay. The officer I worked with was a junior inspector (single stripe on his shoulder). He said there was no problem with 180 days and gave me same.
However, his boss (a three stripe man) walked in about 3/4 of the way through the process. I related to him all of the concern in the U.S. about the 30 day vs. 90 day vs. 180 day stay. He told me he was only granting 90 immigration permits.
The junior officer looked over at his boss having already done all the paperwork for me for a 180 day permit. His boss just waved his hand and said that was ok. I guess the junior man just learned something new.
The boss said you could get an extension to the first application approximately 80 to 89 days after the first one for an additional 90 days, without any problem at any immigration office in the Bahamas.
Scott Harris