Is ArriveCAN really needed for embark in Vancouver for Alaskan Northbound cruise?

[mpk]

For the typical Northbound Alaska cruise that starts in Vancouver, never touches another Canadian port, and ends in Anchorage, is ArriveCAN needed?  We intend to fill it out based on the posts we read on CC, but my reading of Canadian requirements shows that it conflicts with itself.  The sections are pasted below.

 

What am I missing here?

 

 

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/cruise

 

 

Seems like ArriveCAN is needed

----------------------------------------------------

Entering Canada by land or air before embarking on a cruise

You must complete your ArriveCAN submission before entering Canada, no more than 72 hours of boarding your flight or before entering Canada by land.

    If you’re flying in to join a cruise immediately, enter the address of your terminal.

    If you’re not joining the cruise immediately, enter the address of your hotel.

You must also submit a second ArriveCAN submission no more than 72 hours before boarding the cruise. This applies even if your second ArriveCAN submission is within 72 hours of the first submission.

 

 

Seems like ArriveCAN not needed

------------------------------------------------------

Boarding cruises and shore excursions

Some requirements for boarding a cruise, either at the beginning of the cruise or as part of a shore excursion, may be different depending on where you are boarding and which countries your ship will visit.

Mandatory requirements for all travellers, including Canadians, include pre-embarkation testing and can include ArriveCAN if your ship is coming to or returning to Canada.

Choose the scenario below that best fits your cruise plans:

• Starting an international cruise in Canada or arriving by cruise from another country
• Cruises that are staying in Canadian waters or not returning to Canada

All travellers are required to take a pre-embarkation COVID-19 test before embarking on a cruise in Canada, even if the cruise ship is not leaving Canadian waters

Travellers who are staying within Canada throughout their entire journey or who are leaving Canada and not returning don’t have to complete ArriveCAN.

[Cruiser Nonna]

Yes you do need to complete the Arrive Can within 3 days of arrival in Canada or if sailing from Whittier/Seward to Vancouver need to be completed within 3 days of boarding the ship - or at least this is what we had to do 3 weeks ago - there is a new version of the Arrive Can online thought doing it online rather than downloading the APP was easier and thought it was pretty easy and when in doubt suggest doing it and not having to worry - have a great cruise

[Kathscof]

I heard reports in May about the first northbound one asking for it inexplicably.....they were leaving Canada.....but I would do it just in case? It could have changed since then too....

[Joseph2017China]

Well, it is free to complete.  It is easy to complete.  It is a government requirement.  Anyone that wants to try to analyze words, and find some gray area should do so, but when denied entry, your argument will not work.  I don't even know if it was needed, but it is attached to your passport info, I filled it out, flying in, and the day before cruise, I filled it again for the cruise, and it took, just a few minutes to complete.

 

So just do it, and no need to discuss

[twangster]

In the app they've greatly expanded the list of ships you can sail into Canada on.  The list now includes Empress of the Seas and Legend of the Seas for example.  Just in case those ships come back into the fleet I guess.  Yorktown as well.  The list includes the Carnival Fascination that was sent to the breaking yard.  Maybe they are expecting ghost ships?  Oh Canada.  

 

Meanwhile they are expanding the use of the app.  They now allow CBSA declarations to be made for residents.  They are trying to find reasons to keep the app alive sensing the pandemic is coming to an end.   

 

It's interesting they now ask you to enter your cabin number on the ship (optional).  

 

It appears ArriveCAN is here to stay including and beyond cruise ships.  They recently announced a one time exemption for folks that forget.  Second offense as a resident can mean a $5,000 fine.  For foreign nationals a second offense can mean denied entry. 

 

Indeed going to Canada means doing ArriveCAN.  If you don't like giving up so much personal information to a foreign government don't go to Canada.  You don't have a choice in the matter.  I plan to write my elected officials as I don't think a foreign government should be allowed to require giving up so much personal information so I can tour around Alaska on a cruise ship.

[joyandjerry]

Am traveling on RCCL to Canada/NE  as the second part of a B2B on the same ship in October. I CA complete the form prior to leaving for the first cruise, but how can I get it to them three days prior to the second cruise when I am on the ship without WiFi? Check with customer service on the ship?

[CruiseCriticAaron]

 

10 hours ago, mpk said:

For the typical Northbound Alaska cruise that starts in Vancouver, never touches another Canadian port, and ends in Anchorage, is ArriveCAN needed?  We intend to fill it out based on the posts we read on CC, but my reading of Canadian requirements shows that it conflicts with itself.  The sections are pasted below.

 

What am I missing here?

 

 

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/cruise

 

 

Seems like ArriveCAN is needed

----------------------------------------------------

Entering Canada by land or air before embarking on a cruise

You must complete your ArriveCAN submission before entering Canada, no more than 72 hours of boarding your flight or before entering Canada by land.

    If you’re flying in to join a cruise immediately, enter the address of your terminal.

    If you’re not joining the cruise immediately, enter the address of your hotel.

You must also submit a second ArriveCAN submission no more than 72 hours before boarding the cruise. This applies even if your second ArriveCAN submission is within 72 hours of the first submission.

 

 

Seems like ArriveCAN not needed

------------------------------------------------------

Boarding cruises and shore excursions

Some requirements for boarding a cruise, either at the beginning of the cruise or as part of a shore excursion, may be different depending on where you are boarding and which countries your ship will visit.

Mandatory requirements for all travellers, including Canadians, include pre-embarkation testing and can include ArriveCAN if your ship is coming to or returning to Canada.

Choose the scenario below that best fits your cruise plans:

• Starting an international cruise in Canada or arriving by cruise from another country
• Cruises that are staying in Canadian waters or not returning to Canada

All travellers are required to take a pre-embarkation COVID-19 test before embarking on a cruise in Canada, even if the cruise ship is not leaving Canadian waters

Travellers who are staying within Canada throughout their entire journey or who are leaving Canada and not returning don’t have to complete ArriveCAN.

 ArriveCAN is as mandatory as a passport these days to enter Canada or cruise from or to Canada (and I say this as a Canadian that has to complete this app many, many times). For my recent Alaska cruise from Seattle, passengers couldn't even enter the terminal if their ArriveCAN QR code wasn't presented.

Edited August 15, 2022 by CruiseCriticAaron

[twangster]

10 minutes ago, joyandjerry said:

Am traveling on RCCL to Canada/NE  as the second part of a B2B on the same ship in October. I CA complete the form prior to leaving for the first cruise, but how can I get it to them three days prior to the second cruise when I am on the ship without WiFi? Check with customer service on the ship?

 

Do it on the ship on the morning of turn around day using cellular.  Three days is the maximum time but not the required time.  

[TwinMamainMN]

Yes, it's needed.

 

Here's a cautionary tale from our family from late July this summer: we camped in the UP of Michigan and moved locations to camp in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario We knew about ArriveCan and I did all that stuff before we left. It was easy and didn't take much time. Arrival into Canada was a piece of cake. Answer some questions, show passports and go. The next day we crossed back to Michigan to go on the Soo Lock Boat Tour. Tried to re-enter Canada to get to our RV, but didn't even think to create a NEW ArriveCan entry. The Canadian Immigration officer said we had to U-turn, drive back over the International Bridge ($4 fee each way), complete the ArriveCan entry and drive back. No ArriveCan completed, no entry.

 

We didn't care about the bridge fee, or the extra time, but it was annoying and totally our fault. If you FLY to Canada and don't have it done when you arrive, it could be expensive and a big delay. Would the airline prompt you to do it before you depart? No idea. Not worth the risk.

 

Just fill it out at home, answer the health questions when it's time, and enjoy your trip. Better safe than sorry!

[twangster]

1 hour ago, TwinMamainMN said:

If you FLY to Canada and don't have it done when you arrive, it could be expensive and a big delay. Would the airline prompt you to do it before you depart? No idea. Not worth the risk.

 

IME an airline asks to see the QR code during boarding.  When I boarded Delta in Seattle for Vancouver everyone had to show a boarding pass, passport and ArriveCAN to get on the plane. 

 

On a different trip to Canada with AA Verifly allows you to the screenshot of the ArriveCAN QR code in the Verifly app.  

[planeprincess]

Yes, its mandatory to enter Canada by Air, Land, Rail or Marine Vessel. We live on the Canadian/NY border in the Thousand Islands.  We travel to Canada several times a month by car.  We just went on Saturday and filled out the ArriveCan 10 minutes before we reached Customes.  After the first time you fill out the application the next time is just answering 3 questions and your done.  It is so easy and much quicker to enter than berfore ArriveCan started. 

[Seville2Cabo]

13 hours ago, mpk said:

For the typical Northbound Alaska cruise that starts in Vancouver, never touches another Canadian port, and ends in Anchorage, is ArriveCAN needed? 

The short answer is NO.  You need ArriveCAN for your flight into Canada, but you do not need to do it again for the cruise since it leaves and does not return to Canada.

 

I am on Radiance Northbound now.  We boarded Friday and I did not complete it and no one asked.

[Ashland]

In addition to needing to fill it out before we fly into Vancouver for our round trip itinerary out of Vancouver, will we need to fill it out again before we arrive back into port for our same day flight back to the US?

[martincath]

52 minutes ago, Ashland said:

In addition to needing to fill it out before we fly into Vancouver for our round trip itinerary out of Vancouver, will we need to fill it out again before we arrive back into port for our same day flight back to the US?

Ashland, you'll definitely need to complete it again since you are on an RT which comes back to Canada - the only question is whether it's a 'true RT' or a combo of B2B cruises, which informs WHEN you will need to complete it. If it's a cruise that is only sold as a loop, then you'll definitely need to do it before boarding (I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned the many free WiFi options around town, so that after you have successfully crossed the border you can then start the Cruise trip entry).

 

If it's a combo of North- and South-bound one-way cruises though, the first post is correct - Canadian government does not require ArriveCAN checks because your vessel is not 'Arriving in Canada' on that first northbound leg! So all the folks who get off in AK have no need to complete it (well, for non-locals they will of course have had to complete a Flight/Drive/whatever entry for crossing the Canadian border to get to Vancouver from wherever they started their travels!)

 

As to when you'll be asked to display a valid ArriveCAN code - if Royal are playing it ridiculously safe, they might be telling all check-in staff to verify ArriveCAN for all cruises out of Vancouver at all times, even if not needed, to avoid any risk of them being fined for not enforcing the rules... if they're willing to assume that they have hired sensible people and trained them well, then they'll flag folks who booked B2Bs as doing an RT and check YOU have done ArriveCAN but that folks on one-ways North don't need it. Personally I would guess that most likely is the in-between case, in which they have their staff up in AK checking all the Southbound cruisers at embarkation/turnaround rather than having an either/or choice down here in Vancouver...

 

Since you'll have your apps loaded with Traveler profiles it's literally 2 minutes to add a Trip, so whether you want to play it safe and load the 14 day trip in advance (worst case they don't want it and you have to spend another two minutes before turnaround day redoing a 7 day trip) or assume Royal will obey the laws but nothing extra (worst case they do demand it, you have to spend 2 minutes adding the Trip while in the check-in queue at Canada Place) is up to you... but I'd do the former myself to avoid annoying all the other folks behind me in the queue!!!

[Ashland]

Thank you so much. We are just doing the roundtrip 7 nights out of Vancouver and back.

 

Then let me understand, I'll do the ArriveCan on Friday or Saturday for our sail on Sunday for my extended family (DH, myself and DS and his family as I have all the necessary info on my desktop at home and scan/print out the QR Code). Can I do one for us all or must I do two?

 

I'll then do this again on my laptop end of cruise (so we have to enter Canadian waters or is it also 72 hours prior to our arrival back into Vancouver?

 

We arrive and depart on our flight day of and day end of cruise.

 

With much appreciation.

[martincath]

12 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Thank you so much. We are just doing the roundtrip 7 nights out of Vancouver and back.

 

Then let me understand, I'll do the ArriveCan on Friday or Saturday for our sail on Sunday for my extended family (DH, myself and DS and his family as I have all the necessary info on my desktop at home and scan/print out the QR Code). Can I do one for us all or must I do two?

 

I'll then do this again on my laptop end of cruise (so we have to enter Canadian waters or is it also 72 hours prior to our arrival back into Vancouver?

 

We arrive and depart on our flight day of and day end of cruise.

 

With much appreciation.

While I've actually answered part of this on another thread, since you've given very explicit details fo your trip here I'll keep all the info in one place and give a similarly exact reply!

 

1) unless DS & family live as home with you, or are all Minors, you & Spouse need to do your own ArriveCAN for each stage, and DS & Spouse (& <18 kids) will need one entry for them. While you can load up to 8 travelers on a single Trip entry, the rules now confirm they must reside at the same address as you or be dependents (main FAQ text refers explicitly to kids <18, so even college-age kids residing outside your home definitely need their own ArriveCAN entries now)

 

2) you'll both need to complete ArriveCAN before flying into Vancouver - since you're risking a same-day fly-in use the local address of the pier (999 Canada Place) if you can't access the ship name on a non-cruise Trip. This you have plenty of time to do, so on a PC and printing out the code is fine and dandy. However, because of the tight timing I would suggest using the App on a smartphone or tablet, so that you are used to how to work it! It's a lot easier filling out the info on a smal handheld device than on a sunstantial laptop if you're standing around!

 

3) AFTER arriving in Canada and being processed - personally I'd do it while waiting for bags at YVR using their free WiFi - but BEFORE getting onboard the ship, you'll need a second ArriveCAN entry each for your cruise. You won't have time to print this, so a small device is much easier to display at check-in than dragging your laptop out to show the code!

 

If bags come quickly and you're hustling to make the cruise in time, you can also try Canada Place or general Vancouver city (#VanWiFi) networks when you get downtown (of course, if you have free data on a smartphone - or don't mind paying - you could add the trip entry while cabbing to the pier too).

 

What to enter on this trip? If Vancouver is the only Canadian stop, your Marine date of entry is your disembarkation day - but if it stops at Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert etc. then the first Canadian port after you visit at least one US port is the location to use for entry, on that scheduled date. As long as multiple Canadian ports are contiguous, with no return to a US port in-between, you only need the one cruise entry - I can't imagine any 7 day RT managing to do alternating Canadian and US ports easily, but just on the off-chance it's some super-whacky route that goes Vancouver > US > Victoria > Seattle > Vancouver, you would actually need a third ArriveCAN entry to reflect leaving Canada and returning yet again!

 

Other Problem - Random Arrival Testing: I'd strongly advise that you have at least one smartphone or tablet, on which email can be checked by both households soon after landing - the random Covid tests are now arranged by email centrally rather than you being physcially handed an At Home test. They now require attending a physical lab for testing by no later than end of next day after arrival. Since you are cruising same day as flying in, that means if any one if you get chosen you MUST find the time to get to an accepted lab and test before you board the ship... there's already been one posting here from a fellow US cruiser who got selected, called up and explained they were cruising out, and was told 'tough cookies' to paraphrase.

 

The email address used on your ArriveCAN is how you are notified if selected for testing - it might arrive as soon as a few minutes after entry while you're still at YVR, and it will contain contact info to call and arrange the required test(s). I have no idea what % of folks are being sampled these days, so even a big group might have a low chance of anyone being chosen, but with your same-day flight and cruise it's crucial you have your ducks in a row in case one or more of you get tapped!

 

Most of the labs are out in Richmond, near YVR, but there are also some Shoppers Drugmarts and physical Lifelabs locations downtown - so if you get the email after leaving YVR you might just have to walk a few blocks to find a test location. If the email isn't sent until after you're on the ship, I have no idea what the expectation is from our federal government but at the very least you'll have to call and explain or they'll keep hassling you...

 

Ironically, the folks who do get tapped for random testing receive a result that is totally compliant with cruise protocols - a PCR test by government authorised lab. Unfortunately there's no way results will arrive in time for a same-day cruiser, so it's only the folks who have a long precruise stay and would need to test locally who get the little silver lining of not needing to pay for another test...

 

OK - I think that covers all of your specific Definite and Possible travel hassle requirements Ashland... unless you'e going to tell me DS married someone who is a citizen of a Visa-requiring country for Canadian visits and they haven't got their US green card yet!!!!!!

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, martincath said:

While I've actually answered part of this on another thread, since you've given very explicit details fo your trip here I'll keep all the info in one place and give a similarly exact reply!

 

1) unless DS & family live as home with you, or are all Minors, you & Spouse need to do your own ArriveCAN for each stage, and DS & Spouse (& <18 kids) will need one entry for them. While you can load up to 8 travelers on a single Trip entry, the rules now confirm they must reside at the same address as you or be dependents (main FAQ text refers explicitly to kids <18, so even college-age kids residing outside your home definitely need their own ArriveCAN entries now)

 

2) you'll both need to complete ArriveCAN before flying into Vancouver - since you're risking a same-day fly-in use the local address of the pier (999 Canada Place) if you can't access the ship name on a non-cruise Trip. This you have plenty of time to do, so on a PC and printing out the code is fine and dandy. However, because of the tight timing I would suggest using the App on a smartphone or tablet, so that you are used to how to work it! It's a lot easier filling out the info on a smal handheld device than on a sunstantial laptop if you're standing around!

 

3) AFTER arriving in Canada and being processed - personally I'd do it while waiting for bags at YVR using their free WiFi - but BEFORE getting onboard the ship, you'll need a second ArriveCAN entry each for your cruise. You won't have time to print this, so a small device is much easier to display at check-in than dragging your laptop out to show the code!

 

If bags come quickly and you're hustling to make the cruise in time, you can also try Canada Place or general Vancouver city (#VanWiFi) networks when you get downtown (of course, if you have free data on a smartphone - or don't mind paying - you could add the trip entry while cabbing to the pier too).

 

What to enter on this trip? If Vancouver is the only Canadian stop, your Marine date of entry is your disembarkation day - but if it stops at Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert etc. then the first Canadian port after you visit at least one US port is the location to use for entry, on that scheduled date. As long as multiple Canadian ports are contiguous, with no return to a US port in-between, you only need the one cruise entry - I can't imagine any 7 day RT managing to do alternating Canadian and US ports easily, but just on the off-chance it's some super-whacky route that goes Vancouver > US > Victoria > Seattle > Vancouver, you would actually need a third ArriveCAN entry to reflect leaving Canada and returning yet again!

 

Other Problem - Random Arrival Testing: I'd strongly advise that you have at least one smartphone or tablet, on which email can be checked by both households soon after landing - the random Covid tests are now arranged by email centrally rather than you being physcially handed an At Home test. They now require attending a physical lab for testing by no later than end of next day after arrival. Since you are cruising same day as flying in, that means if any one if you get chosen you MUST find the time to get to an accepted lab and test before you board the ship... there's already been one posting here from a fellow US cruiser who got selected, called up and explained they were cruising out, and was told 'tough cookies' to paraphrase.

 

The email address used on your ArriveCAN is how you are notified if selected for testing - it might arrive as soon as a few minutes after entry while you're still at YVR, and it will contain contact info to call and arrange the required test(s). I have no idea what % of folks are being sampled these days, so even a big group might have a low chance of anyone being chosen, but with your same-day flight and cruise it's crucial you have your ducks in a row in case one or more of you get tapped!

 

Most of the labs are out in Richmond, near YVR, but there are also some Shoppers Drugmarts and physical Lifelabs locations downtown - so if you get the email after leaving YVR you might just have to walk a few blocks to find a test location. If the email isn't sent until after you're on the ship, I have no idea what the expectation is from our federal government but at the very least you'll have to call and explain or they'll keep hassling you...

 

Ironically, the folks who do get tapped for random testing receive a result that is totally compliant with cruise protocols - a PCR test by government authorised lab. Unfortunately there's no way results will arrive in time for a same-day cruiser, so it's only the folks who have a long precruise stay and would need to test locally who get the little silver lining of not needing to pay for another test...

 

OK - I think that covers all of your specific Definite and Possible travel hassle requirements Ashland... unless you'e going to tell me DS married someone who is a citizen of a Visa-requiring country for Canadian visits and they haven't got their US green card yet!!!!!!

Are they now doing the rapid test at Canada Place or is there a cheaper/free place to go. We are arriving by cruise ship Seattle to Vancouver and then staying at Pan Pacific for three nights and boarding Quantum to Hawaii. Your advice will be appreciated. Still hoping all this testing crap is over by Oct. 

[constantcruiser]

We were on Radiance's second northbound sailing this season, which departed Vancouver and disembarked in Seward.  Fortunately we flew into Vancouver the day before the cruise departed, because we spent 2 hours in Immigration when we arrived.  Although we've visited Canada many times, this was our first visit since the start of COVID and I assumed that was the reason for the strict enforcement.  However, I met a Canadian woman on the cruise who said it was due to a rash of gun smuggling.  Handguns and assault rifles are illegal in Canada, and apparently there have recently been a number of cases of Americans smuggling weapons across the border where they can be sold for a higher price than they could get in the US.

[martincath]

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

Are they now doing the rapid test at Canada Place or is there a cheaper/free place to go. We are arriving by cruise ship Seattle to Vancouver and then staying at Pan Pacific for three nights and boarding Quantum to Hawaii. Your advice will be appreciated. Still hoping all this testing crap is over by Oct. 

To the best of my knowledge, the testing location nearest Canada Place (technically also with that same name, but in the West building at 1050 rather than 999) remains available but ferociously overpriced at CAD$79+tax for antigen testing. To be fair, no more overpriced than 99% of the other labs in the province!

 

Unfortunately here in BC we suffer from some insane vagaries of pricing when it comes to matters medical - compared to Ontario for example where Costco pharmacy with do tests for $17 - the cheapest discretionary testing you can do here at a lab is Shoppers Drugmart for $50pp. The West Pender location is easily walkable from your hotel - you'll can arrange to walk right past if you are visiting Stanley Park, English bay etc. without adding extra distance - and is one of three in Vancouver offering antigen tests for travel.

 

Personally I always suggest bringing your own telemedicine Antigen tests since you can acquire them for less, do the tests in the comfort of your hotel room, at a time that is convenient for you, and avoid queuing up with randos at a pharmacy... it's a win on every front unless you don't travel with a smartphone, tablet, laptop etc. so cannot make use of a webcam.

[taglovestocruise]

2 hours ago, martincath said:

To the best of my knowledge, the testing location nearest Canada Place (technically also with that same name, but in the West building at 1050 rather than 999) remains available but ferociously overpriced at CAD$79+tax for antigen testing. To be fair, no more overpriced than 99% of the other labs in the province!

 

Unfortunately here in BC we suffer from some insane vagaries of pricing when it comes to matters medical - compared to Ontario for example where Costco pharmacy with do tests for $17 - the cheapest discretionary testing you can do here at a lab is Shoppers Drugmart for $50pp. The West Pender location is easily walkable from your hotel - you'll can arrange to walk right past if you are visiting Stanley Park, English bay etc. without adding extra distance - and is one of three in Vancouver offering antigen tests for travel.

 

Personally I always suggest bringing your own telemedicine Antigen tests since you can acquire them for less, do the tests in the comfort of your hotel room, at a time that is convenient for you, and avoid queuing up with randos at a pharmacy... it's a win on every front unless you don't travel with a smartphone, tablet, laptop etc. so cannot make use of a webcam.

Thanks,  we were planning on bringing the emed test sold by Royal Caribbean. We will stick to the plan and use Canada place as a backup if needed.  

[Ashland]

6 hours ago, martincath said:

While I've actually answered part of this on another thread, since you've given very explicit details fo your trip here I'll keep all the info in one place and give a similarly exact reply!

 

1) unless DS & family live as home with you, or are all Minors, you & Spouse need to do your own ArriveCAN for each stage, and DS & Spouse (& <18 kids) will need one entry for them. While you can load up to 8 travelers on a single Trip entry, the rules now confirm they must reside at the same address as you or be dependents (main FAQ text refers explicitly to kids <18, so even college-age kids residing outside your home definitely need their own ArriveCAN entries now)

 

2) you'll both need to complete ArriveCAN before flying into Vancouver - since you're risking a same-day fly-in use the local address of the pier (999 Canada Place) if you can't access the ship name on a non-cruise Trip. This you have plenty of time to do, so on a PC and printing out the code is fine and dandy. However, because of the tight timing I would suggest using the App on a smartphone or tablet, so that you are used to how to work it! It's a lot easier filling out the info on a smal handheld device than on a sunstantial laptop if you're standing around!

 

3) AFTER arriving in Canada and being processed - personally I'd do it while waiting for bags at YVR using their free WiFi - but BEFORE getting onboard the ship, you'll need a second ArriveCAN entry each for your cruise. You won't have time to print this, so a small device is much easier to display at check-in than dragging your laptop out to show the code!

 

If bags come quickly and you're hustling to make the cruise in time, you can also try Canada Place or general Vancouver city (#VanWiFi) networks when you get downtown (of course, if you have free data on a smartphone - or don't mind paying - you could add the trip entry while cabbing to the pier too).

 

What to enter on this trip? If Vancouver is the only Canadian stop, your Marine date of entry is your disembarkation day - but if it stops at Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert etc. then the first Canadian port after you visit at least one US port is the location to use for entry, on that scheduled date. As long as multiple Canadian ports are contiguous, with no return to a US port in-between, you only need the one cruise entry - I can't imagine any 7 day RT managing to do alternating Canadian and US ports easily, but just on the off-chance it's some super-whacky route that goes Vancouver > US > Victoria > Seattle > Vancouver, you would actually need a third ArriveCAN entry to reflect leaving Canada and returning yet again!

 

Other Problem - Random Arrival Testing: I'd strongly advise that you have at least one smartphone or tablet, on which email can be checked by both households soon after landing - the random Covid tests are now arranged by email centrally rather than you being physcially handed an At Home test. They now require attending a physical lab for testing by no later than end of next day after arrival. Since you are cruising same day as flying in, that means if any one if you get chosen you MUST find the time to get to an accepted lab and test before you board the ship... there's already been one posting here from a fellow US cruiser who got selected, called up and explained they were cruising out, and was told 'tough cookies' to paraphrase.

 

The email address used on your ArriveCAN is how you are notified if selected for testing - it might arrive as soon as a few minutes after entry while you're still at YVR, and it will contain contact info to call and arrange the required test(s). I have no idea what % of folks are being sampled these days, so even a big group might have a low chance of anyone being chosen, but with your same-day flight and cruise it's crucial you have your ducks in a row in case one or more of you get tapped!

 

Most of the labs are out in Richmond, near YVR, but there are also some Shoppers Drugmarts and physical Lifelabs locations downtown - so if you get the email after leaving YVR you might just have to walk a few blocks to find a test location. If the email isn't sent until after you're on the ship, I have no idea what the expectation is from our federal government but at the very least you'll have to call and explain or they'll keep hassling you...

 

Ironically, the folks who do get tapped for random testing receive a result that is totally compliant with cruise protocols - a PCR test by government authorised lab. Unfortunately there's no way results will arrive in time for a same-day cruiser, so it's only the folks who have a long precruise stay and would need to test locally who get the little silver lining of not needing to pay for another test...

 

OK - I think that covers all of your specific Definite and Possible travel hassle requirements Ashland... unless you'e going to tell me DS married someone who is a citizen of a Visa-requiring country for Canadian visits and they haven't got their US green card yet!!!!!!

Thanks so much..So we'll need to do two ArriveCan. One for DH and I and one for DS and his spouse including 8 & 5 years olds all of us are US citizens with valid passports.

 

As far as arriving cruise day we had no choice but to take the earliest non-stop flight from LAX-YVR arriving at 11:40am with a sailout at 5:00pm.

 

No wacky itinerary with RCI Serenade...Sitka, Juneau & Ketchikan.

 

Now I'm concerned about one of us being selected for a random test...just how would we manage that scenario...Oh My 

 

At that point could that person do a test at Canada Place before boarding?

Edited August 16, 2022 by Ashland

[Meekomist]

If selected for a random test - at least when crossing the land border you are given a test kit to do via video. Then you have it picked up/dropped off.  (…and then wait a week for the result, so pointless) My mom has been “randomly” selected the last two times she’s crossed the border.

 

 I’m going on Ovation at the end of the month …I’ll be filling out ArriveCan twice - for stop in Victoria, then next day to drive home. Once you have your info in the app, it’s pretty straightforward (expect when it crashes your phone and have to reboot - that was fun)

[martincath]

3 hours ago, Ashland said:

At that point could that person do a test at Canada Place before boarding?

Unfortunately not - the gov't tests must be completed by the specifcally-contracted labs (Lifelabs here in BC, plus a few Shoppers Drugmarts). But there are both downtown, so potentially a walkable/short cab ride. Like I said, the important thing is check your email for both sets of folks as soon and as frequently as possible after leaving YVR - if you need to board by 3pm to comply with gov't rules for a 5pm departure time, and they only email you after 2:30pm, it's totally justifiable to explain 'hey, your one set of federal rules clashed with the other so it was literally impossible to comply with both!' but if you get email timestamped noon, you could easily have called to try and have time to go test... so any repercussions for future Canadian travel would be a lot harder to explain away!

1 hour ago, Meekomist said:

If selected for a random test - at least when crossing the land border you are given a test kit to do via video. Then you have it picked up/dropped off.  (…and then wait a week for the result, so pointless) My mom has been “randomly” selected the last two times she’s crossed the border.

Us too in terms of land border, although that was some time ago now so I suspect that land border randoms will also be 'go get tested at a lab near your home' once they have finished up giving out the supply of testkits! Airport tests since they restarted now have the random flagging done behind the scenes so you may not even know you have been chosen until after you are out of the airport, making it impossible to collect a take-home kit... the point of the changed process is to shift everything related to testing outside the limited number of international airports.

[Kathscof]

I’ll go ahead and say it, but it makes no sense to require it if you’re leaving Canada and not returning having already done it to enter Canada (aka Radiance northbound).....at least it’s easy and quick! 

 

Maybe they say “just in case” the ship has to return to port shortly after leaving? Haha

[mpk]

On 8/15/2022 at 9:36 AM, Seville2Cabo said:

The short answer is NO.  You need ArriveCAN for your flight into Canada, but you do not need to do it again for the cruise since it leaves and does not return to Canada.

 

I am on Radiance Northbound now.  We boarded Friday and I did not complete it and no one asked.

 

Isn't there a Canadian requirement for a virus test when boarding a cruise ship in Canada?  If so, did you show the virus test since they did not ask for ArriveCAN?