US Direct Program / Onboard Check-in

[DKJ]

Has anyone used this program on NCL? It would be nice to take advantage

 

of something like that in Vancouver after our cruise.

[peg013]

Never heard of it. What is it?:confused:

[DKJ]

Features and Benefits

 

• Sterile and secure passenger and baggage transfer between the Port and airport.
  
• For embarking passengers, baggage is transferred direct from the plane to your ship.
  
• For disembarking passengers, baggage is transferred to ‘final’ airport destination.
  
• Significantly reduced wait times for departing and arriving passengers.
  
• Expedited US / Canadian immigration and customs process.
  
• Works in conjunction with a cruise line pre-purchased bus transfer to airport / ship.
  
• 100% security screening for all passengers and baggage in a designated area for participants only.
  

[njhorseman]

According to this Web site, NCL is not listed as a cruise line that participates in this program:

 

http://www.portmetrovancouver.com/en/about/cruiseandtourism/usdirectprocess.aspx

 

By the way...I don't see many NCL itineraries that end in Vancouver...which is a pretty likely explanation of why they don't participate in this program. Yours is one of only 4 or 5 in all of 2011 and 2012...the vast majority of NCL's Alaskan cruises are roundtrips from Seattle.

[njhorseman]

According to this Web site, NCL is not listed as a cruise line that participates in this program:

 

http://www.portmetrovancouver.com/en/about/cruiseandtourism/usdirectprocess.aspx

 

By the way...I don't see many NCL itineraries that end in Vancouver...which is a pretty likely explanation of why they don't participate in this program. Yours is one of only 4 or 5 in all of 2011 and 2012...the vast majority of NCL's Alaskan cruises are roundtrips from Seattle.

 

To follow up on this...one of the requirements for this process is that your cruise has to arrive in Vanouver directly from a US port. Yours doesn't, as your final port call before Vancouver is Prince Rupert, which is in Canada.

[DKJ]

To follow up on this...one of the requirements for this process is that your cruise has to arrive in Vanouver directly from a US port. Yours doesn't, as your final port call before Vancouver is Prince Rupert, which is in Canada.

 

 

Program Participants

Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines

Celebrity Cruises

Holland America Line

Norwegian Cruise Line

Princess Cruises

Royal Caribbean

 

 

Eligibility

Passengers are eligible to participate in the US Direct program if they meet the following criteria:

Port to Airport

US Citizen or US Permanent Resident (Green Card Holders).

Arriving on a cruise ship that either originated in or was pre-cleared into the US. :)

Returning to the US on a pre-cleared flight on a participating carrier.

With a flight on the same day as the ships arrival in Port and completed onboard air check-in.

In possession of cruise line bus transfer to Vancouver International Airport

 

Read more: http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/transportation/cruise_vancouver/#5#ixzz1CnkbAWTQ

[njhorseman]

Program Participants

Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines

Celebrity Cruises

Holland America Line

Norwegian Cruise Line

Princess Cruises

Royal Caribbean

 

 

Eligibility

Passengers are eligible to participate in the US Direct program if they meet the following criteria:

Port to Airport

US Citizen or US Permanent Resident (Green Card Holders).

Arriving on a cruise ship that either originated in or was pre-cleared into the US. :)

Returning to the US on a pre-cleared flight on a participating carrier.

With a flight on the same day as the ships arrival in Port and completed onboard air check-in.

In possession of cruise line bus transfer to Vancouver International Airport

 

Read more: http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/transportation/cruise_vancouver/#5#ixzz1CnkbAWTQ

 

All I can say is that the web page to which I provided a link has a different list of participating cruise lines, does not include NCL, and lists slightly different requirements. I can't say which one is correct, but the link I provided is the first one that appears on a Google search of "US Direct Program", and the page carries a 2011 copyright, as does the page you've referenced.

 

One of the requirements listed on the page you've cited is that the ship has to be "pre-cleared into the US". I'm not sure that can be done for an itinerary whose previous port call was in Canada, as yours is.

[Chipster2]

NCL no longer participates in the U.S. Direct program. Here is a link to the site.

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=UsDirect