Embarkation in Vancouver for Alaska Cruise - a question

[mrgabriel]

We sailed out of Vancouver in June. Zero issues. There were at least two other ships in portat both ends.
 

 Processing for boarding took about 30 minutes in a very long line. They were efficient, however. 
 

Super fast through Customs & Immigration on the return. Note that my husband is American but we are residents of Canada. 

[Northern Aurora]

21 hours ago, Tinknock50 said:

Just some clarification…. Will the Pan Pacific take your luggage only if you have purchased the cruise package they offer or do they do that for everyone that stays there?

We have stayed there several times prior to boarding at Canada Place.  The bell men have always picked up our luggage from our hotel room and we never had any sort of cruise package.  So unless there has been some sort of recent change they seem to do so for all of their guests.  
 

Our most recent stay was April 2022.

[Tinknock50]

9 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

We have stayed there several times prior to boarding at Canada Place.  The bell men have always picked up our luggage from our hotel room and we never had any sort of cruise package.  So unless there has been some sort of recent change they seem to do so for all of their guests.  
 

Our most recent stay was April 2022.

Thanks!  Two ladies are sharing a room at Pan Pacific and I am staying at a low priced hotel nearby. That will be a big help for the ladies…..even if they are traveling light.

 

So do you have to inform them when you check in to the hotel or do you request them to come and get it when you depart the room?

Edited April 2, 2023 by Tinknock50

[Homosassa]

Just a FYI for anyone flying into Vancouver for a cruise:

 

You clear US Customs and Immigration at the airport when entering the country.

 

The procedure is clear Candia I & C, pick up luggage, then clear US I & C before  being allowed to leave the airport.

 

As your passport has been scanned by both the Canadian and US officials, that information show at the port check in. No need to see any US officials at the port. 

[AmberCascades]

12 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Just a FYI for anyone flying into Vancouver for a cruise:

 

You clear US Customs and Immigration at the airport when entering the country.

 

The procedure is clear Candia I & C, pick up luggage, then clear US I & C before  being allowed to leave the airport.

 

As your passport has been scanned by both the Canadian and US officials, that information show at the port check in. No need to see any US officials at the port. 

It's been a while since I've done a cruise out of Vancouver, but I'm pretty sure I had to go to US customs somewhere at the port.  I'm Canadian, flying from one Canadian airport to another.  The only time we've gone through US customs at the airport was when flying into the States.

[sunviking90]

14 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Just a FYI for anyone flying into Vancouver for a cruise:

 

You clear US Customs and Immigration at the airport when entering the country.

 

The procedure is clear Candia I & C, pick up luggage, then clear US I & C before  being allowed to leave the airport.

 

As your passport has been scanned by both the Canadian and US officials, that information show at the port check in. No need to see any US officials at the port. 

Arriving in Vancouver by air you are clearing Canada Customs. The only Us customs cleared at YVR would when departing for US. I’ve never heard of anyone being able to bypass US customs at the port.

We’ve taken many many cruises out of Vancouver and I agree the set up is very confusing. I notice as the ships are bigger and more passengers are being processed, they are using more of the convention centre rooms. We still get confused as to where to go.

Having said that, we usually arrive around 10:30 am and are usually on the ship by 11:30. We’ve taken 2 post pandemic cruises out of Vancouver and with the staff using iPads as long as we had completed our required check ins, etc it was pretty fast. We did have to wait a bit when Celebrity’s computers went down but it wasn’t bad. Our cruises are usually closer to the end of the season though. 

 

 

[bigbenboys]

18 hours ago, lynncarol said:

Our whole family has global entry.  However, I'm pretty sure it only works for getting into the USA.  I don't think it will help at all in Canada.

While I have GE. I dont remember being able to us it at the port of Vancouver. But thing might have changed. One thing you must understand is you have 3 check points before getting on the ship. You have Canadian departures. Next is USA entry as you are going to Alaska. 3rd is Celebrity checkin.

[JLMcruise]

Funny story - I do believe you pass US C+ I when embarking. My husband and I were waiting in a quick moving line and an Official, in uniform, pointed to us to come to his counter while everyone else passed by. He stated our passports had failed. The horror on my face and stuttering of my voice "they aren't expired" - must of made his day. He quickly apologized and stated "you didn't press hard enough when scanning your passports we just need to rescan them - I didn't mean to scare you". My heart rate quickly went back down!! Moral of the story - press on your passport when self scanning them in the machines!

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, sunviking90 said:

Arriving in Vancouver by air you are clearing Canada Customs. The only Us customs cleared at YVR would when departing for US. I’ve never heard of anyone being able to bypass US customs at the port.

 

Again people, for US citizens arriving by air into the Vancouver airport, there is a  US I&C  booth after the luggage claim but before leaving the airport.   

 

Canadians citizens and people from countries other than the US, were directed  to the exit after clearing Canadian  I&C, US citizens were directed to the US I&C.

 

Maybe the US I&C booth is not manned  for arriving passengers at all times, but it was definitely open when we arrived this past July when we arrived for our Millennium cruise (one night pre embarkation hotel).

 

We were surprised to be directed to US I&C upon ARRIVAL into Canada at the airport, but the US officer told us that we no longer had to go through at the embarcation port in Vancouver or arrival in Seward.

 

 

[sunviking90]

1 hour ago, JLMcruise said:

Funny story - I do believe you pass US C+ I when embarking. My husband and I were waiting in a quick moving line and an Official, in uniform, pointed to us to come to his counter while everyone else passed by. He stated our passports had failed. The horror on my face and stuttering of my voice "they aren't expired" - must of made his day. He quickly apologized and stated "you didn't press hard enough when scanning your passports we just need to rescan them - I didn't mean to scare you". My heart rate quickly went back down!! Moral of the story - press on your passport when self scanning them in the machines!

Last year I had a US customs officer at the port look at my passport and say “your passport is expired”. I felt like he’d kicked me in the stomach. Then he said “just kidding. Have a good trip”. Not funny at all. I wasn’t amused.

[sunviking90]

48 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Again people, for US citizens arriving by air into the Vancouver airport, there is a  US I&C  booth after the luggage claim but before leaving the airport.   

 

Canadians citizens and people from countries other than the US, were directed  to the exit after clearing Canadian  I&C, US citizens were directed to the US I&C.

 

Maybe the US I&C booth is not manned  for arriving passengers at all times, but it was definitely open when we arrived this past July when we arrived for our Millennium cruise (one night pre embarkation hotel).

 

We were surprised to be directed to US I&C upon ARRIVAL into Canada at the airport, but the US officer told us that we no longer had to go through at the embarcation port in Vancouver or arrival in Seward.

 

 

I stand corrected. I haven’t ever heard of this. Is it only for passengers arriving same day and going directly to the port? OP is staying at least one night pre cruise. Are people being precleared even if spending a few days in Canada?

[JLMcruise]

10 minutes ago, sunviking90 said:

Last year I had a US customs officer at the port look at my passport and say “your passport is expired”. I felt like he’d kicked me in the stomach. Then he said “just kidding. Have a good trip”. Not funny at all. I wasn’t amused.

Maybe it was the same guy...we were there in August. I guess his since of humor is -- scarring the passengers.

[maggie.1008]

We boarded in Vancouver last September at the end of the Alaska season.

 We stayed at the Pan Pacific and were not impressed. Over priced.

we were in AQ and no priority. The he prioritiy line was very long and general boarding took about two hours. Not a great way to start our Hawaii cruise.

[LeeW]

3 hours ago, Tinknock50 said:

Thanks!  Two ladies are sharing a room at Pan Pacific and I am staying at a low priced hotel nearby. That will be a big help for the ladies…..even if they are traveling light.

 

So do you have to inform them when you check in to the hotel or do you request them to come and get it when you depart the room?

I expected it to take 20 minutes last September but the bellhop showed up 2 minutes after I called him.  When you check in if you don't have a cruise package they give you a paper with the bellhop number and suggested tip ($5).  He did have some problems getting an elevator with space but sent us down on the first elevator that arrived and waited for free space.  Hotel elevators don't go down to the port level - that bank is closer to the front door.

 

We also stayed in the hotel lounge for a few hours after the B2B since Vancouver airport required masks at that time.  Then took the train to the airport.

[Arizona Wildcat]

40 minutes ago, maggie.1008 said:

We boarded in Vancouver last September at the end of the Alaska season.

 We stayed at the Pan Pacific and were not impressed. Over priced.

we were in AQ and no priority. The he prioritiy line was very long and general boarding took about two hours. Not a great way to start our Hawaii cruise.

No priority for Aqua or Elite either.  Only Zenith and suites.  One truly needs to be flexible to travel today 

[rjwex]

We cruised in September 2022 - last sail for the longer cruise. I believe there were four ships in port. Had special status and 11:30 boarding. Luggage a little confused but easy. They dumped passengers for all ships in the same line for processing, so endless lines with no payoff. Our celebrity check in probably took five minutes, but getting through the terminal was 2.5 - 3 hours, and we heard it got worse for later check in.

[Chardonnay Char]

We are flying into Vancouver from Pittsburgh in September to cruise to Hawaii.  Will there be any kind of COVID test issues for the airplane on either side of the flight?

[Tinknock50]

4 hours ago, LeeW said:

I expected it to take 20 minutes last September but the bellhop showed up 2 minutes after I called him.  When you check in if you don't have a cruise package they give you a paper with the bellhop number and suggested tip ($5).  He did have some problems getting an elevator with space but sent us down on the first elevator that arrived and waited for free space.  Hotel elevators don't go down to the port level - that bank is closer to the front door.

 

We also stayed in the hotel lounge for a few hours after the B2B since Vancouver airport required masks at that time.  Then took the train to the airport.

I do recall that bank of elevators that took you down to port level. I will have to remember to walk past the regular hotel elevators.

[newcruzer2]

On 4/1/2023 at 12:03 PM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

I had the worst boarding experience of my life in Vancouver.  Stood in line for four hours.  You had better hope that there is only one ship in port the day you leave and that US Customs is functioning well.

 

DITTO, if your taking the train from seattle go ANYWHERE else until around 1:30 or 2:00, even if your draging your bags around...... it will STILL be better