Embarking Process Alaska Cruise in Vancouver

We will be embarking an Alaska cruise in the near future. We do not have a pre-cruise transfer package thru the ship so we will be on our own from our hotel very near Canada Place to the Canada Place Cruise Terminal. We plan on walking from the hotel with our luggage to Canada Place. Looking for the best advice and directions as to where we drop off our luggage and from there directions to the start of the passenger check-in process.

We did the same 2 years ago and plan to again this cruise coming up in August. As we got to Canada Place there were workers out by the curb directing you to where you needed to go.

As you face the entrance to Canada Place, there will be a ramp to your right down to the luggage drop off. After dropping off your luggage, pass through the terminal entrance doors and there will be lots of cruise line personnel to direct you where to go for check-in.

The folks dressed in black near the bottom right of this photo are at the entrance to the ramp down to the luggage drop off:

I've always found the signage at Canada Place to be clear and easy to locate. I doubt our OP will have any problems.

We stayed at the Marriott hotel and walked with our luggage to Canada Place, just 10 days ago. Don't go to the ramp at the right side. You can walk in the big front door, take the elevator at the right, down to CS (Cruise) level, then go drop off your luggage for your cruise. After that, there're people directing you to security and check-in for your cruise.

We stayed at the Marriott hotel and walked with our luggage to Canada Place, just 10 days ago. Don't go to the ramp at the right side. You can walk in the big front door, take the elevator at the right, down to CS (Cruise) level, then go drop off your luggage for your cruise. After that, there're people directing you to security and check-in for your cruise.

Coming from the Skytrain, I use the ramp all the time. I disagree with your claim not to use it. Did you? The Pan Pacific can be very congested and it can take more time, finding and waiting for the elevators.

^Agree 100% with BQ - the ramp is virtually always the best way to go, as no congestion waiting for the elevator. There is only one elevator bank that leads to the luggage drop, so unless you literally cannot handle walking (down!) a slope, it's faster and easier to take the ramp. Just yesterday I saw someone bemoaning the length of the queue for that elevator on their trip report - and they are far from the only person to do so over the years.

Horizontal distance is the same, so unless the entire 'wait to get in, push button, doors close, go down, doors open, get out' elevator trip is done in about 5 seconds, the ramp is faster - save the elevator for folks in unpowered wheelchairs or other mobility problems who might have a problem using the ramp!

I presume that all cruise lines drop luggage at the same area? Someone mentioned in a trip report to be sure and go to P2. I have that in my notes.

You can check and see if there are other cruises embarking the same day as you. We're on Seabourn embarking Aug 31 and Celebrity Millennium is embarking the same day, just the two of us. I assume I'll make sure to read the signs carefully to make sure we're heading to the right drop off spot (we're staying 3 nights in YVR at a nearby hotel and plan to walk over for embarkation). https://www.portvancouver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2018-Cruise-Berth-Schedule-2018-.pdf

I presume that all cruise lines drop luggage at the same area? Someone mentioned in a trip report to be sure and go to P2. I have that in my notes.

If you use the ramp rather than the elevators it leads you to the correct level for luggage drop, with zero possibility of getting to the wrong floor. I must admit to never having paid attention to floor numbers, but since this is the first 'underground' level logically to me this means it should be P1 not P2 - but like I said, the ramp takes you to it with no chance of error!

The different drops are clearly signposted as to which ship they are for - not just which line, as we do get days with e.g. 2 Princess or 2 HAL vessels. Read the signs and hand your bags over AT THE RELEVANT CONVEYOR BELT! If you hand your bags to the roaming 'porters' with luggage cages, you introduce a chance, however small, of them putting your bags onto the wrong ship - if you hand it over at the belt, no such possibility.

What I haven't seen mentioned in this thread so far is that folks should not be surprised if, after they drop off their luggage, they are directed to go back upstairs (to Hall C) to check-in. The port facilities are constrained by the space available, and especially on busy Saturdays the port facilities are simply not big enough to serve the need.

Thanks. You guys are awesome. Yes, I don't want to wait for the elevator. Will look for my ship. Under 30 days!!!!

We just embarked yesterday on the Nieuw Amsterdam. We walked from the Marriott Pinnacle with 2 large suitcases, 3 carryon size bags, and two personal items. We left the Marriott at 11:50 and were in our cabin within an hour. We walked through the main doors of Canada Place not the hotel. Walked the short distance to the elevator. NO line at the elevator! Followed the signs.....very easy. We did a dry run the day before. We took the downhill route! Map doesn’t show elevation.

We just embarked yesterday on the Nieuw Amsterdam. We walked from the Marriott Pinnacle with 2 large suitcases, 3 carryon size bags, and two personal items. We left the Marriott at 11:50 and were in our cabin within an hour. We walked through the main doors of Canada Place not the hotel. Walked the short distance to the elevator. NO line at the elevator! Followed the signs.....very easy. We did a dry run the day before. We took the downhill route! Map doesn’t show elevation.

That's exactly the way we did it, from the same hotel. There was NO congestion walking through main doors of Canada Place. No waiting at the elevator. The elevator has clear button for the Cruise level.

Coming from the Skytrain, I use the ramp all the time. I disagree with your claim not to use it. Did you? The Pan Pacific can be very congested and it can take more time, finding and waiting for the elevators.

Of course we didn't use the ramp. It's NOT good, with luggages. With the downward slope of the long ramp, you'd need to constantly exert force to hold on the luggages with wheels so they don't run away from you. The ramp surface is not smooth but has a lot of indentation (for traffic to not slip) so it's not an easy smooth walk down. The ramp is also outside and if it's hot, you'll be sweating lots by the time you get down the ramp.

Walking inside Canada Place, on level smooth floor, with AC, and elevator (still with AC), no congestion, no need to exert force to prevent run away luggages, is a no brainer. But if someone wants to do it the much hard way, and possibly needing to deal with traffic hazard (it's a car ramp, not a walkway) sure they can do that.

 

 

 

Of course we didn't use the ramp. It's NOT good, with luggages. With the downward slope of the long ramp, you'd need to constantly exert force to hold on the luggages with wheels so they don't run away from you. The ramp surface is not smooth but has a lot of indentation (for traffic to not slip) so it's not an easy smooth walk down. The ramp is also outside and if it's hot, you'll be sweating lots by the time you get down the ramp.

 

Walking inside Canada Place, on level smooth floor, with AC, and elevator (still with AC), no congestion, no need to exert force to prevent run away luggages, is a no brainer. But if someone wants to do it the much hard way, and possibly needing to deal with traffic hazard (it's a car ramp, not a walkway) sure they can do that.

It's an alternative suggestion that I have used numerous times. Being you didn't take it, interesting the claims- that I haven't run into. My bag doesn't run away, rolls smoothly and I do just fine. It's simple to enter this way if you come off the Skytrain.

It's an alternative suggestion that I have used numerous times. Being you didn't take it, interesting the claims- that I haven't run into. My bag doesn't run away, rolls smoothly and I do just fine. It's simple to enter this way if you come off the Skytrain.

I agree, have taken the ramp several times and no problems with our luggage on the ramp.

^I've also used the ramp every trip (with rolling luggage except 1-nighters where I just have a backpack), and found it a smooth and gentle slope. I could certainly imagine someone with very weak grip strength having issues, or someone who uses a walker or wheelchair and is also trying to wrangle a suitcase - another point in favour of the able-bodied actually using the ramp so that the folks who genuinely cannot navigate it aren't fighting for elevator space with them!

As to the cars - the pedestrian part of the ramp is completely separated from the car part by not just the curb, which is at least as high as regular sidewalks on the ramp, but also a metal safety barrier and several extremely large pillars. Walking the sidewalks from the Marriott is significantly riskier in terms of being hit by a car - anyone brave enough to do that certainly has nothing to fear from vehicular violence on the ramp;-)

Not air-conditioned, true, but it is under cover so no rain or direct sun to worry about (in fact, since Canada Place curves around to the conference centre entrance at sidewalk level you would be exposed to the outside air, rain etc. for a few yards extra by heading inside to the elevator instead of using the ramp). Given our mild climate (current and rare heatwave excepted!) being rained on is more of a concern than being too warm, even in summer.

Really though, elevator or ramp is a pretty minor difference in convenience - avoiding busy hours by coming early or late will have a much bigger impact on your curb to cabin time.

I've used the ramp and it is a fine pedestrian ramp just as Martin has described. Anyone who can walk from their hotel to the port with their bags would have no trouble with the ramp.

I've also used the elevator debarking from a cruise because I was staying in the Pan Pacific so it was a convenient way to get from the cruise level to the Pan Pacific escalators to check-in at the hotel. There were no lines, but it was an extremely light day - two small ships in port: Silversea Silver Shadow and Windstar Star Legend so under 600 passengers between them.