em-sk

As others have said, I would try to close your eyes on the flight. 

Just after departure, the crew will prep to do a meal service.  Have dinner then get some sleep.  The wine Air Canada gives away in Economy is drinkable, I usually just have one glass but otherwise avoid alcohol.  Then try to get some sleep, does not have to be good sleep, even napping a little on the flight helps.  Worse thing to do is spend the night watching movies on the entertainment system.  

When you arrive try as much as possible to stick to local time.   You will likely want to go bed early the first night.  That is fine.

7 hours ago, netpj said:

I was under the impression that for  Canadian citizens and Canadian passports, it is not necessary for the passport to be valid for 6 months from the date of entry into Canada.  Have I missed something?  My passport (10 years) expires next July but I'm hoping to be away over the winter and will have less than 6 months remaining on my passport when I return.  If that is likely to be a problem, I'll apply early have been avoiding doing that due to all the passport wait time issues etc.  

Not a requirement to come back to Canada but it is usually a requirement to enter other countries and does very from country to country.   

As Flyer Talker indicated, the communication path could deviate based on any special arrangements between NCL and WestJet.

What will not change (even if it is a charter or consolidator ticket)  is the airline is required to rebook you at their expense if they cancel or the delay is over 3 hours.  That is defined in Canadian Transportation Agency regulations that would apply since your connecting through Canada.  Not as good as European rules, but better than US rules.   

The legal requirement is to get you to your destination with 48 hours or the original ticketed time,  and to use competing airlines if necessary to meet that requirement.

22 minutes ago, jkbec101 said:

We have our flights through NCL on WestJet (LAX-YYZ-BCN).  

 

I have been very nervous given all the cancellations.  So I have been tracking our flight from Toronto to Barcelona and it was cancelled three times since 8/22/22.  

 

Each time the flight was cancelled it was done 24 hours in advance.  

 

If your flight cancelled and you had 24 hours notice, would you (A) Call NCL to rebook; or (B) Work with the Airline?  

 

Second question, if the flight continues to be cancelled each week, would you reach out to NCL, present the proof that the flight schedule is unreliable and ask to be rebooked or would you just let it roll (we have travel insurance)?  

 

I'll be honest, all indications are the NCL won't do anything since the flights have already been ticketed.

 

We're flying in two days early also.

 

Just curious

Usually the airline take control of the reservation around 24 hours before departure.  Until that point the travel agent is your main contract.  

If it cancels, WestJet will automatically rebook you onto another flight at their expense.   If the travel agent is still in control of the reservation they will tell the travel agent of the change and the travel agent is then responsible for configuring the change with you.

All airlines generally try to rebook onto their own flights, if that is not available they use their partners and if that is not available anyone else.  

WestJets main partner in North America is Delta.  Their main European partners are Air France, KLM and Virgoan American.  

On 8/28/2022 at 10:50 AM, ABabel78 said:

So I was given the same scenario for my Sept 2nd cruise next week and had no idea it was such a distance. My bad for not paying enough attention! My flight actually leaves Montreal at 2pm on our return date. Is this doable? We’ve considered car rentals, trains, transfers, and others… any thoughts? 

I would say it is possible but tight.   

There is a train that leaves at 5:25 AM in the morning that would work.  The next train leaves at 8:10 that arrives at Dorval (near the airport) at 12:20.  At the airport around 1 pm.  You then need to do security and US Customs if on a direct flight to the US.  That is tight. 

if you get off the ship quickly you might be able to make it.  Driving would be faster than the train.

3 hours ago, gilboman said:

vaccination is requrired still and they're expanding it to take place of the old sheets you filled out or filled out on arrival at kiosk. so they're going to expand it for custom declaration and etc as well as passport info and etc for pre flight review

AriveCAN 2.0 is in the works.  It is expect to replace the need to fill out any declaration card or use the kiosk when entering Canada.   The should speed up the entire customs immigration process.

5 hours ago, cruisethirsty said:

Dan G got it right but I'll add some---we did the Quick Shuttle once and it is a VERY long ride with the stops. It left Seatac on time but was quite late getting into Vancouver. I don't know about Amtrak but their reliability reputation is, shall we say, less then stellar.

One way car rentals are sometimes available. They are expensive but it is another option.

Amtrak on the Vancouver to Seattle run is generally good.  It is not your typical Amtrak service, this one is actually a service using trains owned by the Oregon and Washington state department operated by Amtrak.   

There are several bus companies that operate between Seattle and Vancouver.

If you travel light there is also float plane service between Seattle and downtown Vancouver.  Baggage is limited. Ticks are sold through Harbour Air website.  Baggage is limited. The service is mostly used by the tech industry with Expedia, Amazon and Microsoft having significant software engineering offices in both cities.          

50 minutes ago, Milhouse said:

Not sure if the overall labour issue has been resolved yet so I suspect there would be value in keeping an eye open for potential issues with other upcoming sailings.  However, based on their comment in the article, it sounds like the Port Authority is going to be more proactive if issues do pop up(??).

There are three or four tug boat operators in Vancouver.  Only one of them is on strike.  So this may come down to the one the cruise line normally uses and it may have to try to use a different provider until this is resolved.  However the other tug boat operators are going to have a lot of extra work to deal with until the strike at Seaspan is resolved. 

On 8/23/2022 at 9:30 AM, jkbec101 said:

Anyone flown WestJet internationally (Canada to Europe) recently?  

 

How was it? Did you leave on time?  How was service once in the air?

The 787 is excellent.  On par with Air Canada in all three classes.

They run some 737 from the east coast to Europe.  Not as nice as on the bigger aircraft..  

11 hours ago, neeuqdrazil said:

I had PP the last few times I traveled (the card I got it through has now changed to a different offering, so I no longer have it.) 

 

Depending on your airport/airline/terminal combination, there may or may not be a lounge that you can access, so definitely check what is available at the exact airport/terminal that you are departing from. 

 

For example, when I flew to the UK in 2019 from Toronto Pearson, I was able to access a lounge with my PP card, but when I few domestically (Toronto-Vancouver return) this April, there were no PP-accessible lounges available at either end of my trip. I was able to use one of my 'lounge access' passes to get a discount (effectively a free meal) at a restaurant in the terminal, however. 

 

Also, a number of airport lounges are still closed, so double check not only what lounges are available, but whether or not they're open. I would recommend checking the airport website, instead of the PP app/website, for that. 

 

Do also check what your membership includes - the number of visits, whether it requires a copay, etc. 

Plaza Premium lounges in domestic areas of Toronto and Vancouver use to be part of Priiority pass.  Sometime during COVID that stopped being the case.  I still get access through WestJet loyalty program and American Express.   Those lounges are quite busy these days.   

4 hours ago, oakridger said:

I googled and only partially found my info needed.

 

Do ABM(ATM) machines routinely give out money in C$20 denominations or can I choose to get C$10 denominations?   I'm trying to get some for tips in Canada so the recipients don't have to exchange for USD.  I know most any service people will accept USD; I'm trying to keep it simple for them if possible.

 

I'm not having much luck getting C$ from my bank in time to take with me.  I'll check the airport map to find out where the machines are at YVR.

 

Any information on getting smaller bills is appreciated!

 

And cruising cockroach indicated you want to look for a new machines that provides a choice.  

Older machines are $20 only.   The $2 and $1 bills have been out of circulations for many years, these days those are almost always coins.

35 minutes ago, Tango99 said:

If I’m not mistaken, arrivals in any European port right now each still have their own formalities and forms to submit before sailing. So it’s still a bit iffy and worth checking out to be sure.  Any future fees to EU are likely taking after the model Canada set years ago with the ETA fee for arriving foreign nationals travelling here. Crazy world. 

Australia started doing this a few years before Canada.  

Looks to be the way the western world is going.

4 hours ago, Lobbylin said:

Do they insist on a PCR test, or can you have a Rapid Test? I ask as they say with a PCR you can still show as positive upto 180 days after having caught covid.

For the random test they ask some people to take on entry into Canada, the test is paid for by the government and done through labs under contract to the Canadian Public Health Agency.  I believe they first do the PCR and then do the gene sequencing if it is positive. 

What they are trying to do is map out the genetic profile of infections coming into the country so they understand how the virus is mutating and what variants to be concerned about.

If it is the test for getting onto the cruise ship, that is completely different and they are just trying to make certain people getting on are not infected.

7 hours ago, KimCHouston said:

My husband and I booked a cruise out of Vancouver.  We are hoping to spend a couple of days in Victoria and a couple in Vancouver.  My husband doesn’t walk well, which leaves me juggling luggage, carry-on, etc.  I’ve been looking at different options to visit Victoria.  Here’s what looks easiest to me, but I could use validation or other ideas.  I’m not familiar enough with Vancouver/Victoria/ferries/other to know whether or not this would be the best way for us to do it.  My thought is to fly to Vancouver, rent a car, drive to Tsawwassen, take the ferry to Victoria, then reverse a couple of days later and return to Vancouver before the cruise.  Does this seem easiest or are there other options that might be better for us?  If this is the best way, how much time would you allow between flight arrival and ferry departure?  Is there anything else that I need to know about booking/using the ferry?  I’m new to that mode of transportation.  Again, any ideas and/or advice to make this as easy as possible will be appreciated.  Thanks.

My husband and I booked a cruise from Vancouver in early October.  We are hoping to go a few days early and spend a couple of days in Victoria and a couple in Vancouver.  My husband doesn’t walk well, which leaves me juggling the luggage, carry-on, etc.   I’ve been looking at different options to visit Victoria before the cruise.  Here’s what looks like the easiest option to me, but I could use some validation or any other ideas.   I’m not familiar enough with Vancouver/Victoria/ferries/etc to know whether or not this would be the best way to do it.  We would fly to Vancouver, rent a car and drive to Tsawwassen to take ferry to Victoria, then reverse a couple of days later and return to Vancouver.   Does this seem best or are there any other options that might be better?  In booking the ferry, how much time would you allow between flight arrival and ferry departure?   Again, any ideas and/or advice will be appreciated.  

 

Kim

husband and I booked a cruise from Vancouver in early October.  We are hoping to go a few days early and spend a couple of days in Victoria and a couple in Vancouver.  My husband doesn’t walk well, which leaves me juggling the luggage, carry-on, etc.   I’ve been looking at different options to visit Victoria before the cruise.  Here’s what looks like the easiest option to me, but I could use some validation or any other ideas.   I’m not familiar enough with Vancouver/Victoria/ferries/etc to know whether or not this would be the best way to do it.  We would fly to Vancouver, rent a car and drive to Tsawwassen to take ferry to Victoria, then reverse a couple of days later and return to Vancouver.   Does this seem best or are there any other options that might be better?  In booking the ferry, how much time would you allow between flight arrival and ferry departure?   Again, any ideas and

Kim

You could fly into Victoria Airport.  Spend a few days in Victoria then transfer to Vancouver by shuttle bus.   Air Canada, WestJet and Alaska are the major airlines the serve Vancouver.  Sometimes it cheaper to fly into Vancouver and other times Victoria.  That means you only need to do one crossing on the ferry.  

The is a downtown to downtown coach bus service details are at:  https://bcfconnector.com/ 

If you do want to fly into Vancouver and rent a car that sounds reasonable it just takes time.  There are two options for the ferry.  You can show up and travel standby or you can pre-book a reservation.  Reservations are cheaper on less popular sailing and more expensive on the peek period.  Standby is a flat fee.  I would go with reservation.  

If your husband qualifies for special disability parking, bring the car tag along and put in the front window of your car.  When the crew load the ship they will try to position those vehicles close to elevators. 

11 hours ago, marktwothousand said:

Damn… not looking good 

bet they’ll start closing things like spice H2O and the pool deck during my cruise because it’s port intensive and they probably figure most people are getting off anyway…

 

and I was hoping to use this cruise as a good way to stay on board on a quiet ship. What a bummer. 

When new crew come on board they have to quarantine in cabins for around a week or two.  If they are coming on the week before dry dock it may turn out to be a very quite cruise.   

On 8/19/2022 at 9:54 AM, Greenpea2 said:

Yes, that would be nice. I imagine if it happens there will be a lot of upset booked passengers so they might do something like that. 

I think you would be talking about a very small percentage of passengers.   In Canada vaccination levels are around 90% of those who qualify.  Western Europe and even China are at similar rates.

If vaccination requirements come back it is more likely to be region and driven by controls put in place by the specific countries the cruise visits. 

2 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

The same goes for a box of tissues. Sometimes, none are provided. 

If you ask, do they show up?

2 hours ago, gabbygal99 said:

We also received a number of automated emails from Air Canada with flight changes prior to our recent Escape sailing, all prior to receiving any correspondence from NCL with flight information. When NCL finally sent our air confirmation, we signed into Air Canada and our flight had been completed cancelled! (They had been emailing us every few days to let us know about delays but never bothered to informed us of the cancellation?) 

 

We called NCL to let them know the flight was cancelled and they rebooked us on new flights within a few days - this time on nonstop flights, on ITA and Delta. 
 

It worked out in our favor, because everyone in our roll call who flew Air Canada had their luggage lost!!!

Between Air Canada and the airport authority (who run the baggage system in Toronto) they have had a lot of problems with bags this summer.  Most of its looks to be associated with getting new people hired and trained.  They finally decided to step back and just cancel 15% of all their flight for the summer.  They have had less problems at the other hubs.   It has mostly been flights connecting in Toronto.

Hopefully they get back to the pre-COVID service levels.  They use to be quite good with bags.

If you don't want to do Shoppers there is also a testing company in Sinclair Center (at 757 West Hastings).  Sinclair Center is an office building that houses federal government offices, with the bottom two floors are full of retail shops.  There is a COVID testing location there among the retail locations.  They are about 1-2 blocks away from the cruise ship terminal. 

https://covidtravelvancouver.ca/

The shoppers on W Pender is a slightly longer walk from the cruise ship terminal but would have longer hours.

22 hours ago, OBSESSIVEWORLDTRAVELER said:

Within the last couple of years prior to Covid they stopped automatically giving it to every stateroom. I found out when I didn't bring any, didn't see any in my cabin, and asked my cabin steward. Thankfully he was able to provide me with a tube. Since then I bring my own. It just another way for the cruise line to save money.

That actually makes sense.  If a large percentage of people don't want or use the ship tubes and they all get tossed out for hygiene at the end of the cruise it is better to turn it into something that is available on demand. 

On 8/16/2022 at 7:01 PM, Fouremco said:

Yes, I remember the post and the follow-up discussion. Essentially the same as here, saying Viking's policy was off base, as all they were looking for was proof of vaccination. IIRC, Viking didn't ask for ArriveCAN receipts during embarkation. Either way, GOC policy didn't require a submission. 

 

 

There may some minor differences between cruise lines.

Transport Canada issues high level guidelines and then before the start of the cruise season it required each cruise line to submit its own detailed procedure manual outlining the specifics on the ship and in port the cruise line will use to meet those requirements.   Once Transport Canada reviewed and accepts the manual the cruise line follows its manual.  There is going to be some slight variations between each.

1 hour ago, Ashland said:

My cruise is roundtrip from Vancouver. We land at noon and sail that same day at 5:00pm. We usually keep our phone on airplane mode the whole time we're away from home (USA). I'm so stressed about this whole random testing. We'll test before we leave home per RCI policy to board the ship. So just what happens if we don't see the possible email ?

Not the first e-mail from the government that someone misses and will not be the last.

Their goal is not to go punish people.  They are trying to get a statistically representative sample of people coming into the country.   If you miss the e-mail or text give them a call when you finally do get it even if it is a few days later and your back in the US.  Based on where you are at the time they may decide it is not practical or useful for you to do the test and just close it out.

The penalties for not complying are there for those people who have a political agenda they are trying to push and are trying to make a point. 

If you come across as trying to comply to the extend that it is practical they will be practical and reasonable in return.   

On 8/18/2022 at 11:13 AM, Ashland said:

What happens if you don't have access to a phone/email and don't know that you may have been chosen for random testing when arriving at YVR for a same day cruise and just go straight to the ship ??

If your in transit your suppose to do the test when you arrive at your final destination.  The feds have contracted different companies in different regions, if they don't have a local provider at your final destination they are suppose to ship you a home test you can do and return.  

I would assume in your case give your final destination is anchorage or something like they they would do something practice. 

14 hours ago, Crazy planning mom said:

It seems to me that the least NCL should do was to offer to arrange from a transfer for the people from Montreal to Quebec.  I thought that's why they were doing for the people sailing out of Trieste, Italy.

It is a silly move by NCL.  Quebec City may not be a major international airport but it still has regular air service to major Canadian airports through the day.  Even has regular service to Paris France.

If the timing works, VIA Rail is the national railway in Canada.  They run trains from Dorval Station to Quebec City (Gare du Palais).   On the VIA rail website if you book "Montreal Airport" to "Quebec City - Gare du Palais" that would include the 5 minute shuttle bus from the airport terminal to the train station.  

2 hours ago, davencl said:

Just received an email from Air Canada that my flight schedule has changed.   Thought it was spam but then realized it was for my Jan13-27 2023 trip to Aus/NZ.  They changed the return date from Jan. 27 to Jan. 26, a day before ship debarkation.   Here's the strange part.  It's 150 days out.  I have received no notification from NCL about an air arrangement.  Final payment isn't until Sept. 17.   It's a valid reservation as the email from Air Canada has a confirmation number that works on their website.   I guess I just wait for notification from NCL.  Obviously a Jan. 26 flight doesn't work.  NCL must be working thru issues(At least I hope they are).

Winter is high season for flights between Aus/NZ and Canada (Vancouver).   Air Canada flies into Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland as well as codeshare on the Air New Zealand flights.  A lot of Australians like to ski in Whistler and Canadian like to go to places that are warm in winter. 

I have always found Air Canada is very accommodating in fixing the booking to whatever you want when the made an adjustment that significant.  That said it should be NCL making sorting it out.