Canada requirement’s on an Alaska cruise question.

[kona_wahine]

We have a large group cruising NCL in July and we all got a letter today from NCL as follows:

On behalf of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), we thank you for your loyalty and for making us your vacation of choice. We have important information regarding your upcoming voyage.
In advance of your cruise vacation, we want to ensure that you are fully aware of the local travel requirements for entry into Canada.
If arriving to, or transiting through, Canada by plane many nationalities need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or Visitor Visa that must be applied for in advance of arrival.
For guests arriving to Canada by cruise ship, only a Visitor Visa is required of many nationalities.
To check requirements for individual nationalities, and for further information, we strongly recommend all guests visit
https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp as soon as possible, in order to allow enough time for any required applications.
Failure to provide the required visas and documentation will result in denial of boarding for your cruise and the inability to extend
any refund of your cruise fare.
For more information on the required documentation to sail, please visit www.ncl.com/traveldocs. As a reminder it is your responsibility to ensure you have the necessary documentation and/or visas for your itinerary. (END)

 

Most of us have passports but a couple in our group are using their government ID and birth certificate. I’ve looked at the website and am totally confused. We are all US citizens. A couple years ago it was the ArriveCAN and now this letter. Do we need a travel visa? When I put in the info it asks what doc we are using for travel and BC isn’t listed. We leave July 21 so exactly 2 months out. 

[Luv2cruz1000]

No longer have to do arriveCan. I wonder if they are referring to different countries citizenship than the USA. Anyone correct me If I am wrong, but no visa required, just passports ( I am unsure what alternate ID is acceptable.) 

[kona_wahine]

A birth certificate is ok, and they sent a letter a while back about Mexican citizenship requirements. We don’t even plan to get off the ship for the short stop in Victoria. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

If you are US citizens, or US Permanent Residents (Green Card holders), no Canadian Visa is needed to board a cruise ship in Seattle with the stop in Victoria, BC.,  Same is true for passport holders from EU countries, Australia, NZ, Japan, South Korea (as well as some other countries)

 

The big change was that now (2024) Mexican passport holders now are required to have a Canadian Visa, or they will be denied boarding in Seattle.  

[Aquahound]

👆 What he said.  He would know.  He's the one checking you in.  

 

I just cruised Quantum of the Seas with a stop in Victoria and can confirm he is 100% right.  

[kona_wahine]

Thank you! NCL sent us a letter a while back about the Mexico citizenship but then this new letter came and didn’t say anything about the Mexico citizenship, so it was confusing. 

[AlbaCrush]

21 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

If you are US citizens, or US Permanent Residents (Green Card holders), no Canadian Visa is needed to board a cruise ship in Seattle with the stop in Victoria, BC.,  Same is true for passport holders from EU countries, Australia, NZ, Japan, South Korea (as well as some other countries)

 

The big change was that now (2024) Mexican passport holders now are required to have a Canadian Visa, or they will be denied boarding in Seattle.  

My wife is a U.S Permanent Resident and has a Philippines Passport. Would she still need a visa to take a cruise to Canada? The Philippines isn't a nonexempt visa country but she does have her U.S Green Card 

[Ferry_Watcher]

12 hours ago, AlbaCrush said:

My wife is a U.S Permanent Resident and has a Philippines Passport. Would she still need a visa to take a cruise to Canada? The Philippines isn't a nonexempt visa country but she does have her U.S Green Card 

 

No Canadian visa is needed for US Green Card holders (US permanent residents) sailing to Alaska with a stop in Canada.   Just make sure that the Green Card hasn't expired, or if it has, she needs to have the paper work showing that she applied for the renewal and received the 24 or 48 month extension.

 

When you are checking in for your cruise, please have her present the check-in agent her Green Card and Philippines passport.  Expect to be sent to a counter check-in agent to complete the check-in process.

[AlbaCrush]

23 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

No Canadian visa is needed for US Green Card holders (US permanent residents) sailing to Alaska with a stop in Canada.   Just make sure that the Green Card hasn't expired, or if it has, she needs to have the paper work showing that she applied for the renewal and received the 24 or 48 month extension.

 

When you are checking in for your cruise, please have her present the check-in agent her Green Card and Philippines passport.  Expect to be sent to a counter check-in agent to complete the check-in process.

 

We received a letter from Carnival with a heading of Canadian Visa. It had her name and Country listed. It stated that some Legal Permanent Residents may need a visa based on their Nationality. Calling Carnival twice and they wouldn't tell us she was good but the agent at the gate knows what documents and if a visa is needed. We cancelled our cruise for this Sunday. I only lost $100 because it was a last minute deal. No biggie but it's so hard getting an answer. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

3 hours ago, AlbaCrush said:

We cancelled our cruise for this Sunday. I only lost $100 because it was a last minute deal. No biggie but it's so hard getting an answer. 

 

So sorry that this happened to you.  I think that the folks at the Cruise Lines don't/can't answer these inquiries about Visas due to liability reasons.   There are so many ports worldwide that these ships visit, and with so many nationalities involved, that it would be almost impossible to keep up with it all.   For what it is worth, I am one of those people at the pier who knows what citizenship documents are needed to board a RT trip cruise from Seattle to Alaska.

 

On the flip side, we have some US cruise passengers showing up at the terminal because they claim that someone from (cruise line) told them that their Driver's License was enough to get them on the ship to Alaska.  These passengers, if they can't get their US birth certificate from home, are still denied boarding.

 

Alaska is such a beautiful place to visit, I hope you decide to rebook in the future.

 

Here is some additional information regarding US Permanent Residents and travel to Canada.

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/entry-requirements-country.html#lawful-pr-us