B2B in Vancouver - Volendam

[DaveOKC]

We have done a back to back in Fort Lauderdale before and know the basic procedure.  However, now we are doing this in Vancouver and am wondering how the process will be, especially since the second cruise will be ending in San Diego.  Do we clear customs in Vancouver after our 7 day Vancouver to Vancouver cruise and what else should we know.

Thanks.

 

[CruiserBruce]

You should expect to have to clear US Immigration and Customs in Vancouver. 

[martincath]

In my experience, there is a high chance that Repo cruises do NOT get precleared - Victoria is often the stop right after Vancouver on the one-ways trips down the coast, sometimes even odd ports like Nanaimo.

 

Regardless, you'll still have CANADIAN customs and immigration after the first cruise (I assume that it leaves Canadian waters?) but then there may be no need to see CBP before embarking the second. Immigration is done remotely for cruises here - and the fact you start in Vancouver means you flew/bus/trained/drove here, crossing a border, so if you got in then it should be smooth when your name gets transmitted from ship to shore. Customs likewise - if you're not a resident, or gifting expensive things to Canadians, you'll just be taking it all out again on the next ship so CBSA really doesn't care, but you will have to fill out an oldschool paper form and either hand it in onboard or else hand it over to CBSA on arrival in Vancouver (depends on routing - Victoria stop right before Van usually means 'hand in form onboard')

 

If you are visiting a Canadian port first on the second cruise, you will of course then have the joy of finding out how incredibly inefficient CBP are at ports without constant cruise arrivals! Whether it's Seattle, Astoria, or San Francisco prepare for an extended delay on arrival - don't book any tours, except through the ship!

[DaveOKC]

Anyone have experience in Vancouver with a back to back (alaska first then San Diego) as to the procedure in Vancouver?

[martincath]

3 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Anyone have experience in Vancouver with a back to back (alaska first then San Diego) as to the procedure in Vancouver?

It differs cruise to cruise Dave - without your exact routes, explicitly where and when any other Canadian ports fall relative to the end of cruise 1/start of cruise 2 Vancouver visit, someone who did this last year could report 100% correctly what they experienced but you have a totally different one.

 

Edit - dearie me, I'm not paying enough attention, you did mention your ship in the title and there's only one southbound repo this Fall!!!!

 

So - since Volendam seems to be sea days after Vancouver, then San Francisco, the good news is you should be Precleared here as normal. However bad it gets at Canada Place, it's more efficient than Pier 27 by a huge margin!

 

So in terms of the B2B experience, you can open it up to anyone who cruised HAL B2B on the regular loops, not just the repos, as you should have the same CBP experience as they did.

Edited June 22, 2023 by martincath

[DaveOKC]

7 minutes ago, martincath said:

It differs cruise to cruise Dave - without your exact routes, explicitly where and when any other Canadian ports fall relative to the end of cruise 1/start of cruise 2 Vancouver visit, someone who did this last year could report 100% correctly what they experienced but you have a totally different one.

OK, here are the itineraries:

First cruise - Vancouver to Vancouver.  Ports all US - Juneau. Skagway and Ketchikan.  No Canadian stops.

Second cruise - Vancouver to San Diego.  One Port, San Francisco.

 

Basically the only place we stop in Canada is Vancouver for both cruises combined.

 

[martincath]

4 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

OK, here are the itineraries:

First cruise - Vancouver to Vancouver.  Ports all US - Juneau. Skagway and Ketchikan.  No Canadian stops.

Second cruise - Vancouver to San Diego.  One Port, San Francisco.

 

Basically the only place we stop in Canada is Vancouver for both cruises combined.

 

Well that was bad timing on my front - I realized you gave me enough info and Edited by answer above, then saw this...