Good Time To Embark?

[door60]

We will be sailing in 10 days from Vancouver to Alaska. Embarkation begins at 12:30pm, and the ship sails at 4:30pm.

When is the best time to embark to avoid long line for check in?

Thank you in advance for your advice.

[Retired_Army]

The length of the line depends more on how many ships are in port that day rather than the hour. In Vancouver all ships. whether it is 2 or 4, all board about the same time. Everyone, regardless of ship, first must go through Canadian security, then through US Customs and Immigration. Only after that do you split off into a Cruiseline specific que.

[JimmyVWine]

The fastest way to sail through the lines (pardon the pun) is to arrive later. After 3:00. Most people are anxious to begin their cruise and arrive at the terminal between 10:00 and noon, and queue up. The advantage is that these people are typically on board by 1:00 in time for lunch, cocktails, Beyonce concerts on MUTS, etc. The tradeoff is being held in what amounts to Ellis Island for 3 hours. People who arrive during the last hour or so of boarding can get out of their cab and get on to the ship, barely stopping along the way. Security, check-in and boarding can be done without sitting down or waiting in anything that one could complain of as being a line.

[fishywood]

The length of the line depends more on how many ships are in port that day rather than the hour. In Vancouver all ships. whether it is 2 or 4, all board about the same time. Everyone, regardless of ship, first must go through Canadian security, then through US Customs and Immigration. Only after that do you split off into a Cruiseline specific que.

.

 

Not my experience. When boarding Island Princess at Vancouver Place in May, after being directed to the correct porters for Princess luggage (I walked to the terminal from the Sky Train--though yes, everyone for all four ships was initially ushered together through the main port lobby) the first step was Princess check-in. Then US immigration. Then security scan of your person and your carry-ons. Then returning through a sterile corridor back to the Princess check in area--where the gangway was open and I was in my cabin less than an hour after arriving at 10:45.

 

Now if your notice of embarkation time specifically mentions why it is not starting until 1:30 (some sort of inspection or deep cleaning scheduled for that morning) you may want to arrive relatively late. But if not I advise getting there well before noon else instead of 45-50 minutes to go through the above procedures it could be triple the wait.

[Colo Cruiser]

We will be sailing in 10 days from Vancouver to Alaska. Embarkation begins at 12:30pm, and the ship sails at 4:30pm.

When is the best time to embark to avoid long line for check in?

Thank you in advance for your advice.

 

 

We always arrive around 10:30.

Boarding usually starts by Noon. :D

[rockdoctor]

As long as you arrive after embarkation begins and the initial throng is aboard, any time is fine.

[Desert Cruizers]

I have always arrived by 11 AM and gotten through fairly quickly. the important thing to remember, is all passengers need to be checked in & on board 90 minutes before sailing. if your ship leaves at 4:30 PM. you will need to be walking on the ship by 3 PM.Arrive a moment or two after that deadline, you could be denied boarding. I would say by 1 to 2 PM you could find smaller lines.

[moki'smommy]

The only thing that is predictable is that if you receive an e-mail about a boarding delay, you should abide by it--they are probably doing a deep cleaning. Other than that, we have been pleasantly surprised to walk into the terminal at 11 (on both Princess and Celebrity), and check in and board with no waiting. On the other hand, we've arrived at 11-12 and had to wait till almost 1 to board. There is not a good way to know in advance, but we've either been lucky or hit the timing right on most cruises. We try to check out of the hotel about 10:30 and make our way to the port. So far, we've always been boarded in time to have a sit down lunch on the ship. This excludes the times when an event beyond control of the cruise line caused delayed boarding for everyone.

[satxdiver]

Usually arrive after 3 PM to board to avoid a long line but sometimes that is not that great. Do not wait until the last hour however. We like to start our cruise ASAP and show up at 10:30 or so to be one of the first to board. We love to have lunch on the ship in the MDR on boarding day so we endure the longer lines.

[DrivesLikeMario]

IME in Vancouver, it's best to arrive as late as possible - like 2 hrs. prior to sail time.

[frugaltravel]

Since the day after boarding is a full day of sailing on the ship with no ports, I maximize my time in Vancouver before boarding the ship. I will be on the ship for a full 7 days, so why not see more of Vancouver, not to mention avoiding the longer check-in lines like others said above?