U.S. customers often select Seattle over Vancouver as a departure point these days when booking a cruise simply because they don't want the hassle of Canadian immigration and customs. To stem the flow of more cruise passengers south of the border, the Port of Vancouver has launched a U.S. Direct initiative for this year's Alaska cruise season. Basically, cruisers who arrive at Vancouver International Airport will now transfer directly to a same-day-departing ship without clearing customs and immigration. Similarly, passengers arriving on a cruise and flying out on the same day will disembark their ship and transfer to the airport without passing through Canada Border Services Agency and immigration at the cruise terminal. The cruisers will travel on so-called "bonded" buses and enter the airport from a designated cruise ship facility. Canadian authorities will still have the right to talk with specific passengers should the need arise. The North West Cruise Ship Association and Holland America Line have publicly praised the Canadian port's actions to assist U.S. passengers. Vancouver's cruise season began this past Sunday with the arrival of Holland America's Statendam. Some 273 sailings onboard 30 ships are planned from Vancouver this year.
The big delays in Vancouver airport that we ran across after returning from our cruises was not with Canadian Customs or Gvt. It was US customs and security that caused all the major delays. What headaches!
However, we wouldn't hesitate to sail to/from Vancouver again.
Canadian customs was pretty fast on our arrival to Vancouver to begin our cruises.
DP,
Thats great news, so unlike when we flew in and out of Vancouver. We were lucky to not have mass crowds to deal with, but still a lot to do at the airport, so this will really speed things up, great idea!
We got to use this last fall while using Vancouver to cruise to Hawaii (I think it was still in the trial stage) and it worked very well . You are herded into a separate area and escorted onto the bus WITHOUT going through the long lines you used to when arriving in Vancouver.
Question, we are flying into Seattle and taking a shuttle to Vancouver. We will not have passports but my husband and I have our naturalization papers. My children have their original passports. Many have told me that I shouldn’t have any problems, but I guess that as close as I am to our cruise date, I’m getting a bit concerned.
I meant to say that our children will have their original birth certificates (raised seal). I've been told by a few people that for now, that should be enough but after December, only passports will be accepted.
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