Customs check

When we disembark in Vancouver, where is customs? Is customs at the ship's terminal or at the airport prior to flying out? If it's at the terminal approx. how long should it take? Are you given the declaration cards on the ship?

Are the motor-coaches to the airport a good idea or will a taxi be a better choice?

When we disembark in Vancouver, where is customs? Is customs at the ship's terminal or at the airport prior to flying out?

Both: You clear Canadian immigration and customs at the port, since you visited US ports in Alaska or Hawaii, and you pre-clear US customs at Vancouver airport, if you're returning to the United States.

If disembarking in Vancouver and flying to the US from Vancouver you will go through Immigration and Customs TWICE. The first time will be at Canada Place as you leave the ship and are processed by CANADIAN authorities for your brief visit to Canada.

At the airport you will probably be processed by US Immigration and Customs. Once through your flight will leave an area that is effectively a US enclave in Canada, and you will be treated as domestic passengers when you reach your destination.

My last cruise the checks in Canada place went very quickly. I was one of the exceptions on the domestic side. I was routed through Toronto so I met US Immigration transferring there. I have heard the US Immigration line at Vancouver can be a bit slow.

Roy

Since this thread will be seen by more folks than the Q in your roll call OP, I'll give my 2 cents here:

Yes, as BuU says, you have the joy of two sets of customs (and immigration!) at both pier and airport. Declaration cards for Canada are distributed onboard and sometimes collected onboard also the day before the first Canadian stop (so if you are e.g. visiting Victoria then Vancouver, you may be asked to hand cards in to the front desk onboard the day before the Victoria stop). For folks like you who are only in Canada briefly en route to the airport, CBSA questioning is usually very short.

If by motorcoach you mean the HAL transfers then yes, run screaming from these insanely poor value offerings. Why spend US$29 on one seat on a bus that makes you wait until it's full to leave, when you can spend CAD$35 (~US$28) on your very own cab? Traveling as a couple or group - even LIMOS are cheaper than cruise transfers!

Canadian Customs on my last disembarkation in Vancouver involved handing your Customs Card to an agent at the end of the hallway leading from the gangway to the terminal. I never broke stride but just put the card in an awaiting hand.

I just did this at Vancouver a few weeks ago. The Canadian Customs Card was given out on the ship and I just handed it to an agent on the way out of the terminal. I usually don't take the cruise line's transfer but this time I did since I was traveling solo. The bus filled up quickly and we were on our way.

At the airport, you check in at your airline and then take your bags with you behind the check-in counter for a short walk and put your checked bags on the baggage screener.

If you are in the International terminal (United States), next you stand in line for security which in my case took about 25 minutes. There is no TSA Pre Check here even if it says so on your boarding pass. If you have Nexus or Global Entry, there is a separate line.

Following security (there were 10 screening lines), there is US Immigration which is all electronic kiosks (put in your passport, answer questions, have your picture taken). You then wait for a border agent to look at your passport and your recently taken picture and at you. He may ask you questions - in my case "did you check one bag?" and after that you are done and can wait peacefully for you airline's departure.