Canadian Entry Denied

[LHP]

Perhaps Carnival (I can't speak about other cruise lines) does not mention it, because they only have 2 ships that go to Canada and only for a few months out of the year.

 

So it probably does not come up in "normal conversation"....however, TAs and PVP (and even Internet sales) need to make sure their antenna goes up when the cruise they are booking has a Canadian port.

 

Of course, individual travelers have the responsibility to be as informed as they can be about where they are going. That is why I love Cruise Critic!!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Have heard others talk about this situation.

 

The Canadians are tough.

[rkdkk]

I appreciated the information I recieved from your site so I would like to share our experience. We wanted to book a cruise to Alaska but one member of our party has a DUI in his past.

 

Because of this site I was informed that he may be prevented from entering Canada. None of the cruise sites provided this insight. I had read that Canada prevents people with a DUI on their record from boarding in Seattle (becasue the ship passes through Canadia waters). I contacted several travel agents and most were not aware of any issues with DUI. One did tell me of a Canadian citizen that cruised from Canada to Florida and was apprehended by US officials and driven back to Canada. Apparently his cruise ended in Florida and he could not remain on his ship.

 

I called a customs official at Pier 91 in Seattle and he said that he had never seen anyone prevented from boarding in Seattle. The worst that would happen is that Canada would not allow the person to enter at Victoria and he would need to remain on the ship. I contacted an immigration lawyer that handles cases involving people caught in Canada. She stated that Canada could not prevent him from taking the cruise but might prevent him from entering at Victoria.

 

I then booked a cruise from Seattle to Seattle instead of Vancouver to Seattle like originally planned. We took the cruise with no incidents. He did not attempt to enter Canada at Victoria but those of us that did get off at Victoria did not see any customs officials at all.

 

 

I have read message boards where they say if you are taking a cruise starting in Canada (like Vancouver) your best bet is to purchase the ship transportation from the airport. That will bypass customs in the airport but you will still need to get by customs at the pier.

 

I hope this helps and alerts others that have this issue. If it hadn't been for the message boards I would have booked from Vancouver. Our DUI person could have been driven to the US side and dumped and we would not have had a clue what was happening.

[Travelcat2]

My step-daughter was refused admission into Canada (Ottawa) due to a 10 year old DUI. However, if she paid $200, she would be allowed to enter on a temporary basis. Since she was attending a wedding, we gave her the $200 and she was allowed in.

 

What really bothers me about this is this: Although I find this policy a bit strange, either you do not want people with DUI's and other convictions in your country or you don't. Paying $200 does not change who you are or who you were. To me, this is simply a way to make money.

 

Does the U.S. allow people in IF they pay?????

[paul929207]

Thanks for the update. I had seen a couple of threads on Cruise Critic dealing with this problem. All were hypothetical. Canada could do this or Canada could do something else. It is nice to hear what really happened. I am glad your cruise went well.

[G'ma]

Just cruised on NCL to New England and Canada in September. There were several passengers that were denied entry into Canada when we docked in Halifax. They were told that they could not leave the ship until we got back to Boston. After many discussions among the group, it seems that these folks all had "incidents" on their records that in a couple of cases went back over 30 years. (The young and not so smart years). Everyone had passports, we would like to know if anyone else knows of this same situation, and would also like to know where else you cannot go, no sense planning a vacation , get there and find out that you cannot get off the ship.

 

Any information is appreciated. Thanks:confused:

 

Others have provided the link that shows how tough Canada is. Anyone with a felony is denied no matter how old it is. In Canada, they consider drunk driving a felony...they are much tougher on drunks than we are.. So, if you have a DUI or DWI on your record, you're a felon in Canada and won't be allowed to leave the ship. There's also no such thing as misdemeanor drug possession.....even small amounts of marijuana is considered a felony there. Same with shoplifting and other "minor" crimes here in the U.S. such as vandalism, etc.

 

Anyone considering travel to Canada should find out their status... There are ways where this restriction can be waived by the Canadian government under certain circumstances but it take some action by the person involved....

 

Wish we'd adopt the same laws here.. Maybe then, folks would realize that actions have consequences.

[G'ma]

Do they check the criminal history of EVERY passenger? How do they know if you had a DUI 30 years ago - what if she married and has different last name now? Will they still find out? Just can't see how they do this with the tousands of passengers.

 

Except for cruising, a passport is required to enter Canada.... At the time the passport application is being processed, a background check is done and all information found is attached to your passport number in the computerized system or paper list....

 

For cruising, passenger manifests have to be submitted prior to cruising...Homeland Security and Customs share information with Canada....

[G'ma]

So if you book an Alaskan cruise out of Vancouver and are stopped at the airport, you are SOL. Guess my question is, do the cruise lines mention this?

 

These regulations are all over their website for any cruises into Canada....in the FAQ's and, most importantly, attached to ALL documents received whether paper docs or e-docs.

 

All one needs to do is be able to read.....and to actually read the information sent them and/or available to them.

 

As usual, it is ALWAYS the persons responsibility to make sure he/she has whatever is needed when leaving the country and to know the basic entry requirements of the countries they are visiting.

[G'ma]

Not sure it is the same... people know that they need passports, visas, etc. I have recently booked a cruise. Don't remember seeing anything that would have made me even think that I might not be able to enter a country if I had been arrested. If it's in the docs you receive after final payment... it is too late.

 

And looking at the link you included, I couldn't find anything.

 

Well, only YOU know if you've ever had trouble with the law. It would behoove YOU to check to see if that is going to be a problem entering a foreign country. Canada isn't the only country in the world where this applies.

[Cruise Junky]

Have heard others talk about this situation.

 

The Canadians are tough.

 

It goes both ways, anyone with a criminal record would have a hell of a time entering the US.

[G'ma]

My step-daughter was refused admission into Canada (Ottawa) due to a 10 year old DUI. However, if she paid $200, she would be allowed to enter on a temporary basis. Since she was attending a wedding, we gave her the $200 and she was allowed in.

 

What really bothers me about this is this: Although I find this policy a bit strange, either you do not want people with DUI's and other convictions in your country or you don't. Paying $200 does not change who you are or who you were. To me, this is simply a way to make money.

 

Does the U.S. allow people in IF they pay?????

 

The $200.00 fee is for a "Temporary Resident" status that permits her to enter on the short term. The fee would have been the same had she applied ahead of time.

 

Really, folks need to understand that bad behavior and irresponsible behavior have consequences. Just because WE give people a slap on the wrist doesn't mean the rest of the world does.

 

This law isn't new in Canada....it's been on the books for years. Like the U.S., Canada is tightening it's borders in this new environment we find ourselves in.

[startraveler]

My husband and I sailed to Alaska from Vancouver, B.C. in August 2003. We had no problems at all. Does this mean we're good to go? Never knew about these laws, so I am sure glad we didn't have trouble. We've never had any DUI's or any of these things, but there was a guy in Tennessee that had my husband's name, and his birth date was exactly the same except 2 years younger. This guy had a DUI in Tennessee like 5 or 6 years before) and my husband went to renew his driver's license (Wyoming) and was denied it because they thought he was this guy. This all happened in 1996, so well before we had entered Canada by airplane. If this mix up had happened when we landed in Vancouver, I can't imagine how much money we would have been out ($4000 just on the cruise alone!!!) if they turned us away.:eek: :eek: The disappointment would have been unbearable.

 

Q: Same middle name, too? Or does your husband not have one? I would think use of a middle name (or NMI, for no middle initial) would have solved this....

[linkerbink]

Q: Same middle name, too? Or does your husband not have one? I would think use of a middle name (or NMI, for no middle initial) would have solved this....

 

My brother had some police come to his house to arrest him but it really was for someone with the same name (not an extremely common name, by the way). Fortunately, my brother did not fit the description...he's 6'6" and I take it the other guy was quite a bit shorter!

[DanJ]

Except for cruising' date=' a passport is required to enter Canada....[/quote']

 

An American doesn't need a passport to enter Canada. They need one (or other WHTI compliant document) to get back in the US at land and air border crossings. Closed loop cruises are excepted.

[koolforkatz]

 

Does the U.S. allow people in IF they pay?????

 

Yes, they do. My best friend's husband has a criminal record that goes back over 30 years when he was arrested with one marijuana joint. One. As such he couldn't visit the States either for years However, they found out that he could apply for some type of pardon. He had to pay, I think, $500 up front without any guarantee he would even get it. Fortunately, he did but I do believe he has to reapply every year.

[reallyitsmema]

This thread is from [SIZE=6][B]2007. [/B][/SIZE][SIZE=2]Travel rules between the US and Canada have changed since then.[/SIZE]