2023 Canada Place Cruise Terminal, Vancouver Embarkation: Your Experience?

[richart]

What was your experience in 2023 embarking from Canada Place?

I've read horror stories about how badly run the process is and the extensive time spent in line.  We are cruising the first weekend of May 2024...looks like there will be two large ships in port...about 6500 passengers. We are staying at the Pan Pacific which should help because we can have hotel staff handle the luggage and we can walk to the terminal. While not handicapped my wife does have some orthopedic issues which cause problems when standing for extended periods. My initial thought is stay in the hotel until check out time, go somewhere within walking distance for lunch, and then head to the cruise terminal. Maybe the lines will have diminished by then.

Anyway, I would really like to hear  about your experience this past cruising season out of Canada Place.

[CruiserBruce]

Have you looked down the board? It has been reported on many times. Early season seems to be worst.

[richart]

5 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Have you looked down the board? It has been reported on many times. Early season seems to be worst.

Yes, I have in fact. But most of the experiences are dated so was looking to find out how things went this past summer.

[CruiserBruce]

Just now, richart said:

Yes, I have in fact. But most of the experiences are dated so was looking to find out how things went this past summer.

There were dozens of discussions about people's experiences. Its crazy crowded with long lines. 

[Milhouse]

Disney Wonder just sailed out of Vancouver earlier this week on Monday.  Maybe also hit them up on their roll call to see how it went, though one ship in port won't be as chaotic as two big ships lie your situation, let alone three or four.  

The next sailings out of Vancouver aren't until April IIRC.  

Edited March 15 by Milhouse
type

[jeromep]

Sailed out of Canada Place a few years ago.  Our sailing was the first Princess ship calling at Vancouver for the spring/summer season.  With only one ship in port, I wouldn't call it chaotic, but unlike other embarkation ports, there were very slow lines and many switchback queues.  It isn't a huge open facility like most modern cruise ship port buildings.  It's a lot like waiting in line at the DMV... with all your luggage.  On the outside Canada Place is a striking piece of mid-80s architecture, on the inside (at least in the cruise terminal portion) it looks like a Carter administration government building.  My local post office was built during the Carter administration, so I know how drab and boring that looks.  Come to think of it, when Canada Place is filled with cruisers trying to embark, it looks a lot like our local Social Security office... but everyone has luggage.

[Urban trekker]

One thing - you mentioned you are sailing the first weekend of May - is that the May 3- 5 weekend.

If so that the weekend that the Vancouver International Marathon and over 18,000 runners will converge on Canada Place to pick up their race kits etc. and then on the morning of May 5 will finish the race just to the west of Canada Place.

Thankfully you are staying at the Pan Pacific so other than been busier than usual shouldn't affect your getting on the ship.

There is a food court in the waterfront center across the street from the Pan Pacific which you can access from Canada Place - no need to go outside - there is an underground connection.

I will arrive on the Bliss on April 5 but we are the only ship in town that day so I won't be able to give you much help.

Hope this helps you somewhat.

 

[auntmeg]

I embarked in Vancouver on July 2, 2023. I thought that the process was fairly well organized. Yes, we had to wait in line, but my mindset was that some waiting was to be expected. The process took about 1.5 hours from beginning to boarding the ship and that included a delay of about 30 minutes because the ship arrived late into the port and the ship was not ready for us to board. But even with that, I was on the ship at 11:30am.

[martincath]

Hopefully you'll get some more personal feedback OP, but failing that I suggest perusing last years trip reports and roll calls - if you focus on just the ones in April/May you'll get a better idea about early vs. late season issues.

 

Personally I think your plan of let the hotel deliver bags, do lunch, come back later is a good idea - but I would add that you should request a wheelchair for your missus. Organizing one on the day without booking it in advance will be challenging - much better to request it right now. When it comes to ortho issues, sleeping in an unfamiliar bed after a flight is likely to magnify any kind of bone and joint pain/stiffness - better to play it safe!

[Piperpals]

Many don't realize that when sailing Alaska out of Vancouver you are required to go through US Border and Customs during the embarkation processes which adds another line that you wouldn't experience if departing from a US port.  The declaration piece at customs is done via electronic terminals that scan you passport and do require some help if you haven't done it before which also slows down the process, as does the number of Customs officers available.

[DogLover]

On 3/14/2024 at 9:52 PM, Urban trekker said:

One thing - you mentioned you are sailing the first weekend of May - is that the May 3- 5 weekend.

If so that the weekend that the Vancouver International Marathon and over 18,000 runners will converge on Canada Place to pick up their race kits etc. and then on the morning of May 5 will finish the race just to the west of Canada Place.

We are departing May 6th on the Celebrity Solstice from Canada Place and booked the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown to be in close proximity the prior weekend. From the BMO Marathon website, it looks at though the entire area around the hotel will be taken over for the weekend.

 

Should we consider staying elsewhere? We've been to Vancouver MANY times both for cruising and long weekend getaways and don't "need" to be in the center of the action. Actually, we were hoping to do the Sea to Sky Gondola since it's been out of service due to the sabotages when we were last in town. That said, not even sure if we could get the shuttle with road closures on May 5th.

 

Any and all feedback from locals welcomed!

[Urban trekker]

At least when you embark the marathon mess will be over but you are actually near ground zero on Sunday May 5, 2024. You are in the chute area for the finish of the race. If you are going to change get a hotel that is east of Burrard.

I am a long time volunteer with the Marathon - this will be my 18th year of volunteering and believe me it is real zoo - even to cross the street you sometimes have to walk a whole block to get around the barricades.

Hope this helps.

Dennis

 

[julia]

We will be embarking our cruise on the Noordam on Sunday, May 5th. Arriving YVR at 11am, and taking SkyTrain to Waterfront Station...  hoping to arrive Canada Place around 1:00-1-30 (after immigration and such, only carry-on luggage).  It doesn't appear that the marathon will affect these plans.... correct?  Not correct?

[Kevin's girl]

On 3/15/2024 at 12:39 AM, jeromep said:

Sailed out of Canada Place a few years ago.  Our sailing was the first Princess ship calling at Vancouver for the spring/summer season.  With only one ship in port, I wouldn't call it chaotic, but unlike other embarkation ports, there were very slow lines and many switchback queues.  It isn't a huge open facility like most modern cruise ship port buildings.  It's a lot like waiting in line at the DMV... with all your luggage.  On the outside Canada Place is a striking piece of mid-80s architecture, on the inside (at least in the cruise terminal portion) it looks like a Carter administration government building.  My local post office was built during the Carter administration, so I know how drab and boring that looks.  Come to think of it, when Canada Place is filled with cruisers trying to embark, it looks a lot like our local Social Security office... but everyone has luggage.

Something to truly look forward to 🤣

[martincath]

On 3/18/2024 at 9:31 PM, julia said:

We will be embarking our cruise on the Noordam on Sunday, May 5th. Arriving YVR at 11am, and taking SkyTrain to Waterfront Station...  hoping to arrive Canada Place around 1:00-1-30 (after immigration and such, only carry-on luggage).  It doesn't appear that the marathon will affect these plans.... correct?  Not correct?

In theory the marathon shouldn't impact you in the slightest - all the road closures are west of Canada Place, and whether you disembark at the back of the train and pop out at Granville & Hastings, or the front and come up through Waterfront station itself on Cordova, you should be able to walk without anything preventing you accessing the direct routes... but there will be many people walking from the finish toward SkyTrain, or just to go for brunch somewhere in Gastown, so the sidewalks will be unusually full of sweaty, tired people with medals on! Feel free to congratulate any of the finishers you pass, and try not to trip anyone up with a wheely bag! 😉

 

Hopefully your inbound flight is on time and your passage through CBSA is smooth - I would consider precompleting ArriveCAN if I were you (it's no longer required, BUT it allows you to predeclare your customs paperwork and skip to head of that line - when scanned at the kiosk, instead of answering all the questions you should just see 'You already completed this - any changes or still the same?') It's not a big time saving, you answer the same couple of minutes worth of questions as at the kiosks, but literally every second might make the difference if your flight ends up delayed so doing that preflight, on your own phone at home, is one less worry for the airport as the clock counts down toward "Oh crap, the ship sailed already!" o'clock...

 

 

[memoak]

In almost every embarkation port we are boarding later. So many people want to board early that makes for long lines everywhere. We now go have lunch and then show up around 2:00 for a 4:00 or 4:30 departure and there are no lines

[richart]

On 3/18/2024 at 4:30 PM, Piperpals said:

Many don't realize that when sailing Alaska out of Vancouver you are required to go through US Border and Customs during the embarkation processes which adds another line that you wouldn't experience if departing from a US port.  The declaration piece at customs is done via electronic terminals that scan you passport and do require some help if you haven't done it before which also slows down the process, as does the number of Customs officers available.

From what I've been reading you are absolutely correct. The shuffling from baggage check, to cruise line check in to U.S. customs all on different levels seems confusing and slow. The hotel will check our bags for us and I have ordered our Princess medallions so that will speed up checking in with the cruise line. Now if U.S. Customs at the cruise port has a Global Entry lane, that will speed things up even more...maybe.
Regardless, it is what it is and we are there to have a good time so we're not going to let any issues at embarkation dampen our spirits. Departure time is supposed to be 3:45 pm so we plan to have lunch and start the check in process about  1:00 to 1:30 pm. Hopefully by then the lines will have died down, our bags may be in our cabin, and we will be ready to enjoy the week.

[memoak]

1 minute ago, richart said:

From what I've been reading you are absolutely correct. The shuffling from baggage check, to cruise line check in to U.S. customs all on different levels seems confusing and slow. The hotel will check our bags for us and I have ordered our Princess medallions so that will speed up checking in with the cruise line. Now if U.S. Customs at the cruise port has a Global Entry lane, that will speed things up even more...maybe.
Regardless, it is what it is and we are there to have a good time so we're not going to let any issues at embarkation dampen our spirits. Departure time is supposed to be 3:45 pm so we plan to have lunch and start the check in process about  1:00 to 1:30 pm. Hopefully by then the lines will have died down, our bags may be in our cabin, and we will be ready to enjoy the week.

The US customs takes almost no time at all. Basically you are scanning your passport and looking at a screen. There are usually at least a dozen or more stations there

[Windsailer]

I am staying at the Auberge Hotel and plan on walking over with my suitcase to Canada Place. Are there signs so I will know where to find the porters to give them my bag? I have only arrived by cab in the past. Thanks in advance. 

[richart]

Hopefully someone can give you a better answer than I since I have yet to embark out of Vancouver, I have read the following on posts on this board:

1. Porters are available at curbside.
2. Baggage drop off is on Level P2.

3. Princess used Level D4 (Convention Center) for baggage drop off during one passenger's cruise.
 

[Windsailer]

52 minutes ago, richart said:

Hopefully someone can give you a better answer than I since I have yet to embark out of Vancouver, I have read the following on posts on this board:

1. Porters are available at curbside.
2. Baggage drop off is on Level P2.

3. Princess used Level D4 (Convention Center) for baggage drop off during one passenger's cruise.
 

This is really, really helpful. Thanks!