Crossing U.S./Canada border by bus

[Lisa63]

For those of you who have used a cruise line's bus to transfer from the U.S. to Canada --

 

Did you have to actually get off the bus at the border and carry your luggage across? Someone told me about this tonight...

 

We are taking a HAL bus from Boston to Montreal to begin our C/NE cruise.

 

Thanks in advance.

[jp2001]

Last December, I went from Montreal to New York and return after my cruise and both time we had to step out the bus, once with our luggages, the other time only with our carry-ons and had to go to customs desk. It took a little over an hour each time (once the full hour waiting in line, the other time had to wait in the bus for about 45 minutes then about 20-30 minutes in line). It is faster with passports than other ID, I wish everyone had their passport but it's never the case.

[rag doll]

Well, I've never crossed the border on a "cruise bus", but I've done it several times with tour buses and the procedure will probably be the same.

 

In my experience, it depends on who the border guard as to how the border crossing goes. Usually, the border guard will get on the bus, and ask to see everyone's id (recommend you take your passport). If everyone on board is U.S. or Canadian citizen, this goes fast. He will also ask about cigarette, firearms, etc. He will collect any immigration paperwork you have been instructed to complete.

 

I suppose if he didn't feel comfortable with the information he collected during this phase of your crossing, he could request that all passengers disembark with their luggage for further inspection.

 

In this day and time, I am sure border officials feel lots more pressure to catch "the bad guys" before they enter the country. If there are security alerts due to warnings of potential terrorist activities or other criminal activities, I am sure that would increase the level of scrutiny at border crossings.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[jp2001]

For me, it was not a cruise-bus, it was with Greyhound bus.

[Lisa63]

Thanks jp2001 and rag doll. I had a feeling that getting across the border would take a lot of time, although I was hoping that being in a bus on which everyone was going to a cruise ship might cut down the time a little. I hadn't expected the possiblity of having to walk our luggage across the border, though, so thanks for confirming that might be the case. We have our ten-year-old traveling with us, so I'd like to prepare him for a long wait.

[C-Lark]

Re: Border Crossing. We did a cruise from Boston to Montreal on Holland American. Returning via bus, which we booked on our own.

When we were approached by the border guards, we were told to take all our belongings from the bus and wait in line outside - Meanwhile, all the luggage was emptied from the bus and we were told to pick up our luggage and proceed into a building where we along with our luggage would be checked. They checked at random, but there were quite a few people that were checked. We then had to take our luggage back to the bus to be reloaded. In all we spent 1 hour and 45 minutes from the time , the bus lined up at the border. To me, this was a long wait.