Embarkation/check in at Canada Place Vancouver

We are first time cruisers and we will cruise with Regent to Alaska in August. We are really looking forward to our cruise, but we have a question about the embarkation process. Embarkation is scheduled for 5 pm, but at what time are we supposed to check in? We really don't know what to expect. We're from Europe, so we will be in Vancouver for a few days. We prefer to avoid the crowds, so if we should line up at 9 am, we will! :D

Thanks for your help!

Regent typically begins boarding at noon and we generally arrive at 11:30 a.m. However, embarking in Vancouver can be a nightmare -- not because of Regent but due to the passengers boarding other ships. It took us an hour to embark but we've read about some people waiting over two hours.

Some people have posted on CC that arriving around 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. is a good time but I cannot recommend something that we haven't done. All I can say is that boarding in Vancouver is one of the worst boarding experiences in all of our cruises.

Once you get onboard the ship, everything will be great and you'll almost forget about the boarding experience. Enjoy your cruise!

Agree with Jackie. Boarding in Vancouver is a nightmare. But it is because of all the other huge ships. We usually get there about noon. Btw, we are embarking on a Oceania family cruise there on Tuesday, so I will report back if things have improved, which I seriously doubt.

Our embarkation experience in Vancouver for our Regent Alaska cruise on Navigator was entirely positive. We declined the complimentary transfer from the hotel, walked to Canada Place about mid-day, and we were lunching on the Pool Deck in no time.

Hope it works as well for you. I would not get there at 9am, you will likely just be sitting around and lots in Vancouver to see and do.

Bon voyage!

We got to the cruise terminal at about 2:30 pm last week. By that time the lines had shrunk to zero. I was relying on some line to give me time to trade my sunglasses for my indoor glasses and I finally just had to stop and create my own delay. There was never anyone in front of us.

The only downside was that La Veranda was closed by the time we got our carry-ons stowed. Fortunately the Pool Grill was open until 4:00.

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We boarded from Canada Place last month on the same cruise. Thanks to the good advice from this board we headed down around 11.00 am. We walked. Glad we did. We read a book for an hour or so in the holding pen and then we were one of the first board. It was good to be ahead of the wave of passengers that followed. Generally boarding was well organised but it’s a poorly laid out terminal which almost seems temporary it’s so odd. Agree with others, get there early or late.

Thank you so much for your advice! We have plenty of time in Vancouver, so I think we'll be heading for the terminal before noon.

I'm still wondering: what does embarkation at 5 pm really mean? I'm so glad I asked your advice. I expected something like the boarding process at the airport, so I was planning to head for the terminal around 4.30 pm. We probably would have been on time, but it would have been a surprise to see everyone else on board already :-)

Next dillema: shiny dresses or normal dresses? Since Regent is a luxury line, I was hoping that everyone would dress up for dinner. However, there seem to be lots of people who prefer to dress more casual. Well, there's no such thing as overdressed, so I think I'll just pack my shiny dresses. If you're on the same cruise, you'll recognize me quite easily! :-)

Shiny dresses for sure!

....... I'm still wondering: what does embarkation at 5 pm really mean? I'm so glad I asked your advice. I expected something like the boarding process at the airport, so I was planning to head for the terminal around 4.30 pm. We probably would have been on time, but it would have been a surprise to see everyone else on board already :-) ....

Hi Dido1972, The 5pm embarkation time is the latest you can board as you are set to leave Vancouver at 6pm. Getting on board early will give you time to enjoy lunch, explore the ship and maybe make Canyon Ranch reservations. Usually the cruise director will announce around 3pm, sometimes earlier, that you can get into your suite. If your luggage has arrived, you can begin to unpack. You can also meet your room attendant and inform him/her of what special things you may want in your suite.

The muster drill will be prior to leaving port. After that, get ready to leave port up on deck. Vancouver is a lovely sailaway.

Hope you enjoy your cruise.

Local here rather than a Regent cruiser - just to mention that whichever of the two Mariner August embarkation dates you're looking at, there is another factor than Regent's 'all aboard' time to worry about. Since you technically enter the US at the pier here in Vancouver, there are CBP rules which override anything the cruiseline normally does. They require a passenger manifest to be submitted at least 90mins before departure - which means you MUST be physically present and checked-in as a confirmed-to-be-sailing passenger by that point in time!

Personally I'm of the 'arrive late' school of thought, but 4:30pm for a 6pm departure is literally leaving it to the very last second. I'd push it as late as 4pm, provided you were close to the pier doing your last bit of sightseeing, i.e. could walk there so there is no issue with traffic volume, bridge closures, accidents that would delay you. The other sensible time to board is 11am or earlier - regardless of line, that's when the shoreside staff usually begin allowing people through the Security checkpoint.

If you are keen to avoid queues, 10-10:30am pretty much guarantees you being among the first people to start working through the process - but also guarantees you facing a total wait time of an hour or more before you actually get to board. 3pm or later however usually makes for a total 'curb to cabin' time of 20mins or less, no waiting at all in any queues, and your cabin will definitely be ready for you when you get onboard no matter the line you cruise... This also gives you a significant number of extra hours to sightsee, plus the chance to get a REALLY good lunch on land before boarding - although I'm sure Regent serves up a better embarkation day lunch than the lines I cruise on do...;-)

Embarkation todayin Vancouver on Oceania was totally painfree. Regatta was the only ship in port, no holding pen, we walked right on. Sharp contrast to 2 years ago when there were 3 huge ships in port in addition to Regent Mariner. Then there was total chaos as you have to go through customs with everyone else before you can board the ship. Today, no lines at all.

I am of the 11:00 group. I want to be there and have my luggage earlier than later. If there are three ships in port, it is AWFUL. I know someone who waited three hours in line. Very early is good.

Just wondering, what about getting off the ship in Vancouver once your cruise ends. Is it fast or slow? We dock at 7:00AM. Taxi or car service? Thanks in advance.

Just wondering, what about getting off the ship in Vancouver once your cruise ends. Is it fast or slow? We dock at 7:00AM. Taxi or car service? Thanks in advance.

How long is a piece of string? ;-)

Dependencies are similar to Embarkation - how many other ships and what time do they arrive compared to your vessel impacts length of queues for everything from pier to airport. If you have visited a Canadian port just prior, the good news is no CBSA delay - they'll have already processed immigration behind the scenes and customs forms are commonly handed in onboard at the front desk before the first Canadian port too. But otherwise it's much the same issues as boarding - first people off the first ship, no queues. Last folks off on the last ship when three others are in port... an hour or two for cabs plus the full recommended three hours at YVR are quite possible.

Without knowing your exact date and likely disembarkation group, I can only bracket the total time cabin to gate as somewhere between one hour and six hours. If you can figure out SkyTrain and are physically capable of handling your own luggage for ~400 yards you can guarantee being at YVR faster than any other method regardless of how many other ships (if you literally walk right into a cab, and the driver speeds a bit, you might be a little quicker than Skytrain - no car service will be faster as they have to wait for you to check in at the dispatch desk and then call the car to come for you).

Martincath, Thanks---didn't think Vancouver would be that bad. Guess we'll be getting off first---I prefer last, but!

You can always check to see how many ships will be in port the day that you disembark. Vancouver can be a nightmare however, there have been some people that have a good experience there.

Ronrick, when we disembarked in Vancouver we had a late disembarkment time as we were just walking to our hotel where we were staying for a few days. It was quite easy with no delays whatsoever. We did note the very, very long taxi line as we passed.

I agree that walking the short walk to the sky train would be easy and fast.

Good luck!

Although we tried the Skytrain once*, I really cannot see many Regent passengers shlepping luggage to the Skytrain (not an easy walk with luggage). Firstly, Regent includes transportation to the airport if you booked air with them. Most Regent passengers would use a taxi or private car in order to keep the luxury experience going for a bit longer. The Skytrain is definitely not luxury.

*As many know, we live 50 miles from Vancouver and drive to the port. The traffic and crowds during the summer are horrific which is the only reason we used the Skytrain (we don't want to drive anywhere near the cruise port).

Which sailing will you be on? I also love dressing up a bit.

quote=Dido1972;56279470]Thank you so much for your advice! We have plenty of time in Vancouver, so I think we'll be heading for the terminal before noon.

I'm still wondering: what does embarkation at 5 pm really mean? I'm so glad I asked your advice. I expected something like the boarding process at the airport, so I was planning to head for the terminal around 4.30 pm. We probably would have been on time, but it would have been a surprise to see everyone else on board already :-)

Next dillema: shiny dresses or normal dresses? Since Regent is a luxury line, I was hoping that everyone would dress up for dinner. However, there seem to be lots of people who prefer to dress more casual. Well, there's no such thing as overdressed, so I think I'll just pack my shiny dresses. If you're on the same cruise, you'll recognize me quite easily! :-)

We will be embarking from Vancouver as well. Typically, when should we expect our luggage in our room? I have only cruised on larger ships and we always brought a change of clothes on hand in case we did not get our luggage before dinner (which has happened before).

If your hotel offers cruise baggage handling (e.g. Fairmont Waterfront, Pan Pacific) then use it. Otherwise luggage drop off is on the bottom level of the cruise terminal. The easiest way to get there is by taxi, unless you feel like walking (there are police actively monitoring traffic and facilitating pedestrian crossing at the terminal, so this is a low risk activity)

Check in now takes place first (before security) in the convention centre above the terminal. There are plenty of helpful guides to point you to check in (and you get a lovely view of any ships on the West and North piers as you go. Regent will almost invariably be at the North pier, (which is the smallest) unless Mariner is the only ship in. In August she is always here with the Volendam and the Island Princess so it's a pretty good bet.

Check in for each ship is in separate rooms, so you won't be groups with the Princess and HAL passengers. There is plenty of space to sit until your group is called. When you're called you will be escorted down to security, where you will line up for only a handful of minutes. This serves to pace the queue and you will walk through US CBP and onto the ship. Total time from getting called at check in until you are safely onboard shouldn't take more than 20 minutes. Your only real wait will be between check in and getting called to security.

We found it handy to have our Trusted Traveler card with us. As Alaska is in the US you go through US entry process. This saved us a long line. I learned about it from Rachel on Cruise Critic. Thank you Rachel.

We found it handy to have our Trusted Traveler card with us. As Alaska is in the US you go through US entry process. This saved us a long line. I learned about it from Rachel on Cruise Critic. Thank you Rachel.

If there is a Trusted Traveler (or NEXUS card) lane for people inside of the cruise terminal, I didn't see it and am not aware of it (we have boarded in Vancouver several times). There are special lines for people with both cards when you arrive at the airport in Vancouver.

Think that I'll do a search and see what I can find!

Is the Trusted Traveler (NEXUS) card similar to the Global Entry card? Are they interchangeable in this situation?

Peggy

Is the Trusted Traveler (NEXUS) card similar to the Global Entry card? Are they interchangeable in this situation?

Peggy

They are the same but different. NEXUS cards are for people that regularly cross the Canadian border and/or fly into a Canadian port. When we wanted our NEXUS card to also be a Trusted Traveler card, we had to go to YVR (airport in Vancouver) and apply. There was no additional cost. When we arrive in YVR, we go to a iris scanner machine -- it takes a minute and then you are on your way. There are also fingerprint machines but fingerprints are not quite as reliable as your iris since fingerprints can wear out with age (even after cataract surgery, it still recognizes my iris).

I did a search online and could not see where there was a special line for people carrying either card at the cruise port but that doesn't necessarily mean that it does not exist.