Vancouver embarkation.

[davy jones]

Is it as bad as online videos make it out to be?  

 

Do you have to go through US CBP in Canada?????

[Ken the cruiser]

Hopefully the Vancouver terminal folks have gotten their act together by now. But it took 90+ minutes to get through the checkin process after a 90 minute transfer from the airport to the terminal. In our case there were 3 ships in port that day who were all routed through the same security stations. 
 

 

Edited June 17 by Ken the cruiser

[startedwithamouse]

6 minutes ago, davy jones said:

Is it as bad as online videos make it out to be?  

 

Do you have to go through US CBP in Canada?????

 

We didn't have a problem, we drop off our bags and explore the city.

 

Yes, you clear US customs in Vancouver since your ports of call are all US. 

[Cruise Raider]

7 minutes ago, davy jones said:

Is it as bad as online videos make it out to be?  

 

Do you have to go through US CBP in Canada?????

Embarkation in Vancouver is indeed, pretty bad but some of that depends on how many cruise ships are in port.  If it’s more than one, it is really horrible.  

Also, only if your first port of call is in the US, Will you go through immigration before boarding the ship.  Then again, if your first port of call is in Canada, your immigration will be when you hit your first port of call in the US and that can be equally as bad.  

 

I just buck up and know it’s going to be bad and try to keep a sense of humor about it all.  I actually just prefer to cruise out of Seattle instead.  

 

[walkingsoon]

15 minutes ago, davy jones said:

Is it as bad as online videos make it out to be?  

Sometimes bad, sometimes great. Hard to predict and usually due to factors beyond the control of the individual cruise line. Nor does there appear to be a direct correlation between number of cruise ships in port and wait time. 

15 minutes ago, davy jones said:

 

Do you have to go through US CBP in Canada?????

Yep.

 

Even when there's a problem in the terminal, it's still a fun port to sail from.

[davy jones]

Two ships in port on the day of our sailing.

[memoak]

We have never had an issue in Vancouver. We avoid the rush and show up after 1:00. Never a line anywhere. We do this in pretty much every embarkation port

[Tristanistan]

Does being in a suite speed up embarkation at all? We are embarking from Vancouver in September, I have lupus and get lightheaded standing for periods of time. We are in a suite and I've seen conflicting info about whether we get priority boarding. The priority boarding is part of why we booked the suite. Thank you.

[Ken the cruiser]

24 minutes ago, Tristanistan said:

Does being in a suite speed up embarkation at all? We are embarking from Vancouver in September, I have lupus and get lightheaded standing for periods of time. We are in a suite and I've seen conflicting info about whether we get priority boarding. The priority boarding is part of why we booked the suite. Thank you.

We were in a Vista Suite and there was no special line for us or Elites for that matter. There were only the Blue and Green lanes when we checked in to our cruise on April 30. But then that was the beginning of the season and a total nightmare. Hopefully the process has changed and is more organized now. 
 

Here is the Vancouver Port Schedule by month. 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/vancouver-port-4

 
Just change the month to when your cruise is and see how many cruise ships will be in port on your embarkation day. If there are 3 or more, good luck. 
 

Edited June 17 by Ken the cruiser

[Tristanistan]

26 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We were in a Vista Suite and there was no special line for us or Elites for that matter. There were only the Blue and Green lanes when we checked in to our cruise on April 30. But then that was the beginning of the season and a total nightmare. Hopefully the process has changed and is more organized now. 
 

Here is the Vancouver Port Schedule by month. 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/vancouver-port-4

 
Just change the month to when your cruise is and see how many cruise ships will be in port on your embarkation day. If there are 3 or more, good luck. 
 

Yay thank you. Just my ship on the 24th of September.

[Ken the cruiser]

5 minutes ago, Tristanistan said:

Yay thank you. Just my ship on the 24th of September.

Perfect! 😁

[Essex Racer]

A few weeks ago we arrived at the terminal around 10:30, and was onboard with drinks by 11:30 - Ruby Princess was the only ship in that day.

[ceilidh1]

Best advice for Vancouver (I live here and used to work at the port) is arrive early! Check in will usually open between 9:30 and 10:00. After you check in, you go through security and then US CBP (there is no priority for either of these - everyone goes through the same lines and this is where it turns into a loooong wait). If you are early, you avoid the line ups in these areas - granted, you will need to wait until they start boarding (usually 11:30am) but at least you will be through the lines and in an area where you can sit. If you can't do the early time, then aim for a late arrival (after 2:30pm) as anything between 12 and 2 is usually horrific if more than one ship in port!

[memoak]

1 minute ago, ceilidh1 said:

Best advice for Vancouver (I live here and used to work at the port) is arrive early! Check in will usually open between 9:30 and 10:00. After you check in, you go through security and then US CBP (there is no priority for either of these - everyone goes through the same lines and this is where it turns into a loooong wait). If you are early, you avoid the line ups in these areas - granted, you will need to wait until they start boarding (usually 11:30am) but at least you will be through the lines and in an area where you can sit. If you can't do the early time, then aim for a late arrival (after 2:30pm) as anything between 12 and 2 is usually horrific if more than one ship in port!

That’s strange a few weeks ago we showed up at 1:30 with one other ship in port and we just sailed through. If Canada works like the US then you would have to be ai check in by 2:30 when the manifest closes for a 4:00 departure 

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, Tristanistan said:

Does being in a suite speed up embarkation at all? We are embarking from Vancouver in September, I have lupus and get lightheaded standing for periods of time. We are in a suite and I've seen conflicting info about whether we get priority boarding. The priority boarding is part of why we booked the suite. Thank you.

No, I would suggest to show up after the rush has gone, you'll breeze on through for boarding. 

 

[ChemistBabe]

We sailed a week ago, two ships in port.

We dropped our bags and checked in around 10:00.  No lines.

 

We then left to explore the port area some more.

We returned around 11:30. Huge lines to check bags (we skipped those).

Substantial line for customs/security but it was moving fast.

 

No complaints.

[Auntiejo]

Just sailed on the Sapphire 6/8 voyage from Vancouver. We were 1 of 2 ships in port that day. We got there early - like 9:40 AM - and were on board by 10:45 AM. It was nowhere near the nightmare I've heard it to be, but I think it's because we went so early. The lines behind us backed up to triple the size they were after we went thru them just in the 30 minutes we were waiting to board, and probably bigger still after that. As everyone here has stated, go early or go later in the afternoon.

Edited June 20 by Auntiejo

[memoak]

On 6/17/2024 at 11:29 AM, startedwithamouse said:

No, I would suggest to show up after the rush has gone, you'll breeze on through for boarding. 

 

We never arrive for boarding till after 1:00 for a 4:00 sailing 

[ijscheer]

IIRC the check-in and the US Border Check were nowhere near one another. It seemed the check-in was at one end of the pier, and the Border check at the other end, and not even on the same level. A lot of time was spent walking back and forth between the two,

[ceilidh1]

34 minutes ago, ijscheer said:

IIRC the check-in and the US Border Check were nowhere near one another. It seemed the check-in was at one end of the pier, and the Border check at the other end, and not even on the same level. A lot of time was spent walking back and forth between the two,

You are correct. Check in is upstairs at street level in Hall C of the convention centre. Security and CBP are downstairs at terminal level. Bag drop is a crap shoot - sometimes on the parking level, sometimes terminal level, sometimes check in level. 

[newbrunswicker]

This is our experience on boarding the Grand Princess on June 5^th. We received an email 2 days before boarding we were notified that the ship will undergo a routine Port State Inspection upon arrival into Vancouver and that boarding would not start until 12:30. We took the Sky Train from our hotel near the airport at 11:30 and got to Canada Place at 12:15. There were 2 ships in that day with the Zaandam being the other. All cruise ship passengers were directed to the left side street level for luggage drop-off. We then headed downstairs where there were signs for each cruise ship. We were in the Blue Lane because we had to pick up our medallions. We walked right up to the counter, collected medallions and headed through security. After that we went through Customs. They scanned our faces, (passports didn’t have to be shown) and we were off to the ship. We were on the ship by 12:40. Disembarkation was even simpler. We chose a late time as our flight home wasn’t until 11:30. We picked up our luggage, handed over our declaration form and off we went. Time picking up luggage until on the street was 2 minutes.

A little info for those wishing to leave luggage at the Pan Pacific Hotel if you have a late flight home. They will check bags for $5 each if picking up by 3 PM. If picking up after 3 it will be $10 per bag.

Hope this info helps.