Embarkation Process in Vancouver

I work in shoreside operations in Vancouver for the Alaska and repositioning cruises at beginning and end of summer season. If you have any questions related to embarkation at this port I will be glad to answer.

We are flying in on 6/10 for a cruise on the Celebrity Infinity. We have cruised out of Galveston and Miami before.

1. Is there anything different about Vancouver?
   
2. How long will it take for us to get through customs at the Vancouver airport.
   
3. How long and how much is the taxi ride from the airport to the cruise terminal?
   
4. We are staying at the Marriott Renaissance Harbourside after the cruise. How far is it from the cruise terminal? They say it is close.
   
5. Can you recommend any things to see in Vancouver while we are there?

Thanks

Hi Lizalot,

We're sailing from Vancouver in late August, and I'll be very happy if you can answer Meriminge's questions. They're just about the same things I'm wondering about.

I work in shoreside operations in Vancouver for the Alaska and repositioning cruises at beginning and end of summer season. If you have any questions related to embarkation at this port I will be glad to answer.

I have noticed that the American customs officials are tardy at times showing up for work at Vancouver. Two, are hardly enough for the first couple of hours. It has made me wonder if they are trying to put Vancouver in a bad light, so that more cruise ships will turn to Seattle.

In your opinion I ask is there any truth to this?

john

1. If you are sailing from Vancouver and arriving by air you must clear Canadian Customs at the airport.

2.That depends on how many agents are on duty at the time and how many people are being processed because of arriving flight schedules. So with proper documentation, it should take about 3-5 minutes for questioning and document inspection. Lineups are another matter.

3.It should take about 30 to 40 minutes from the airport to downtown Vancouver and the fare will be approximately $Cdn35-40 depending on traffic. All taxis are metered but you can pay in $Cdn or US$, or credit card.

4. Marriott Residence Harbourside is in the downtown area and close to Canada Place Pier. However, you are sailing on Infinity which sails from Ballantyne Pier on Sundays. Ship check in usually begins 11:30 to noon. You will definitely need to take taxi to the pier. Please ask your hotel if they offer a complimentary shuttle service.

5. This would depend on how long you have to visit Vancouver. Gray Line has a morning city tour with hotel pickup about 8:45am. They will take your luggage on the tour with you. This tour offers a free drop-off at either pier about 2:30pm. You will avoid the lineups at check in at this time. A shorter tour of 90 minutes is offered by Big Bus. They have several types of vehicles including a double decker and an open top bus. You can visit the websites for either of these companies and order tickets online.

If you have more than a day, then you could do a day trip to Victoria on Vancouver Island and visit Butchart Gardens and have High Tea at the Empress Hotel. Victoria is our Provincial capital. Trip offered by Gray Line, Pacific Coach Lines, and a couple of other smaller tour companies. Again, all offer hotel pick up and drop off. Another option is the day trip to Whistler which is the co-host city with Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Because you are leaving on your cruise from Canada and re-entering the USA you will need to go through US Customs and Border Protection at the cruise ship terminal. On your return, you will be flying back into the US. and will need to preclear US customs again. Please ensure that you have proper documentation for inspection by US officers or you may be denied boarding or have difficulties at the airport.

And please, don't put your documentation in your luggage. This will cause very long delays in boarding.

I also worked on board and am familiar with the shore excursions so please don't hesitate to ask.

Hope you have a wonderful time.

Mr. Green,

It is my understanding that the USCBP officers are working at the Vancouver International airport in the morning. They are then transferred to the cruise ship terminals. The volume of preclearance at the airport and traffic to downtown sometimes delay these officers. They are doing their best to process as many passengers and travellers as possible. I doubt very much this is done with any alternative agenda. If you arrive at the Canada Place Pier about 2:30 pm or later the line up for USA and Canadian citizens is much shorter.

We are sailing July 9, 2007 on the Island Princess. Can you tell me which pier Princess uses? We fly into Vancouver on the evening of the 8th and I'm looking for a hotel that would be near the pier. Any suggestions on reasonably priced accomodations for 1 night?

Island Princess departs from Canada Place Pier. Hotels close to the pier are:

Pan Pacific Hotel - part of Canada Place complex right above the pier facility.

Fairmont Waterfront Centre - right across the street.

Delta Suites, Marriott Residence, Renaissance are all very close but would need either hotel shuttle or short cab ride.

Hyatt and Four Seasons are a little farther away, as are the Sheraton Wall Centre and the Century Plaza hotel.

Reasonable prices in July at a downtown hotel just don't connect. At the height of the season prices do tend to be high but the convenience may be worth it.

Please visit the website tourismvancouver.com and follow the selection for the pre-post-cruise listings with prices listed.

Lizalot, how kind of you to offer your help!

I have been wondering about boarding time for our Mercury repo out of Vancouver on Nov. 2, 07. It leaves a minute before midnight.

We'll be arriving around noon on the Amtrak from Seattle.

Can we check in our luggage that early, so we can go explore Vancouver a bit? And do you know around what time they'll probably start letting people board? (I've noticed on most cruises it's a couple hours before the stated time.)

TIA for advice!

Regards,

Jan

I can tell you the ship will sail from Canada Place Pier. It appears that the ship arrives the same day in Seattle after a four day West Coast trip. If that is the case then the ship would not arrive in Vancouver until later in the day. I will know more after the season starts and will give you further information at that time.

Due to security reasons there are no baggage storage facilities open at the train terminal or at the pier. I might suggest that you approach the bellman at the Pan Pacific hotel and for a small fee they may store your baggage for you. The hotel is directly above the pier. Also. given the late departure of the ship arrangements may be made by the cruise lines and their shoreside reps - Gateway Services, to rent a reception/courtesy room for arriving pax. Will know more later.

Canada Place is very close to Gastown, the old historic downtown of Vancouver and is very easy walking from the pier, only about 5 minutes away. A company called Big Bus also runs 90 minute tours of Vancouver with their last departure about 4pm. They have a reception centre at 317 Water street in Gastown where you can purchase tickets or on their website bigbus.ca. The tour will take through Stanley Park - named after Lord Stanley of Stanly Cup fame - as well as many other areas of the city.

Hope you enjoy our city and your cruise.

..... Hope you enjoy our city and your cruise.

Lizalot, thank you SO much, that is very helpful! Hope you don't mind if I share your answer on our rollcall?

Will definitely check out the Pan Pacific if Celebrity doesn't have a courtesy room or checkin set up. And will check back here in case you hear more after the season starts!

It is very kind of you to answer our questions!

Regards,

Jan

A year ago we used the baggage storage at Canada Place -- it was attendant supervised not lockers. The fee was reasonable.

Here is an excerpt I got today from their website:

Baggage Storage - Short-term storage for your baggage is available at Canada Place.

/Sultan

Based on the Vancouver airport website, the US Direct program is still available for USA citizens flying into/out of Vancouver and transferring directly to/from a cruise ship for an Alaskan cruise.

This program allows USA citizens to bypass customs at the Vancouver airport. Instead you are transported directly to/from the cruise terminal on motor coaches without claiming luggage or going through customs at the airport. This transfer service is available for minimal extra $$$ and includes luggage transfer at Vancouver.

We used the service on a Celebrity cruise during the summer of 2005 and it took less than 1-1/2 hours from stepping off the aircraft at Vancouver to having the "Welcome Aboard" glass of champagne on the ship. We checked our luggage at the Pittsburgh airport and it was outside our cabin when we arrived on the ship.

Les

Appreciate the info about checking luggage, thanks, Sultan!

Les, I wish we could do the direct thing too, but we're flying into Seattle to save $ and to meet up w/friends there. It's a great program, though, isn't it!

Regards,

Jan

How far is the Amtrak train station from the Fairmount?

For anyone interested, here is a link for information on using US Direct if you are transferring directly to or from a cruise from the airport. It avoids all customs inspection of luggage at Vancouver airport.

Les

http://www.portvancouver.com/vanAlaCruise/content/infoPassengers/usDirect.html

Does anyone know if Stanley Park has been restored after the storms last fall? We're looking forward to visiting September.

Thanks,

Susan

Does anyone know if Stanley Park has been restored after the storms last fall? We're looking forward to visiting September.

 

Thanks,

 

Susan

I'm not the OP, but found this page on the Park's website, and there are some good links over on the left side of the page. This is good too, and was updated mid-March.

For others, I was able to get my bridesmaids and I around for my stagette party (OK OK I'm American so I should call it bachelorette), then I got my new hubby and I around pre-honeymoon cruise, then I got us and our new son around a year later, with the help of some great maps. :)

I didn't use this, but this interactive map looks amazing!

The Amtrak station is a fairly cheap taxi ride to any hotel close-ish to Canada Place. Ballantyne is another story, but then again, I'm not sure there are any nice hotels near that place. :rolleyes:

We will be sailing on the Mercury out of Vancouver on 9/14/07. More than likely we will book our own air. The flight will arrive at 12:00 noon into Vancouver. According to the Celebrity site, Celebrity does not begin transferring passengers to the port until 2:00 PM. Is there a better way to be transferred to the port? Does anyone know if Celebrity possibly transfers passengers any earlier than 2:00 PM? We've sailed out of Vancouver before on Celebrity but I don't recall waiting until 2:00. The total price for transfers for this cruise (which would include a transfer in Vancouver and Seattle) is $43 per person which I didn't think was too bad, considering that last time it cost us almost $40 to be transferred from the Port of Seattle to the airport alone. Any info or advice is appreciated.

Molly - Thanks for the info. It looks like some of the park is open and in another 9 months I'm sure more will be available.

Susan

The park suffered a loss of 28,00 trees during the severe storm last November. the roadways through the park and most of the trails are open. However, the seawall walk and parts of the park that were hit worst are still closed to foot traffic. Still worth a trip through the park though.

The Amtrak train pulls out of Pacific Central Station. It is a short taxi ride from either Canada Place or Ballantyne Pier. If you are travelling light, you can also use public transit via the Skytrain from Canada Place, Waterfront Station to Main Street Station - travel time about 10 minutes.

The Mercury sails from Canada Place. Security clearance and Customs clearing begin about 11:30 am. Check in process for each cruise line follows. Actual boarding may start as early as noon but may also begin later at 1:30. Taxi ride is about 30 to 40 minutes and cost is about $Cdn35. If you have pre-arranged a transfer with Celebrity then you will find lots of shops, restaurants etc. at the airport. Although your flight arrives at noon you will need to go through Canadian customs so the 2pm transfer seems appropriate timewise.

What are some hotels close to where the Serenade of the Seas is docked?

Lizalot,

what a great thread you are hosting. Very helpful.

We are sailing on the Serenade mid August and I am looking at the Holiday Inn on Broadway for precruise. Are there any Vancouver trolley stops near this hotel? What can I anticipate for cab fare from the hotel to the port? And from the port to the airport after the cruise? We are hosting a group of novice travellers so I appreciate as much pre-info as I can gather.

Thanks again for being generous with your time.