Any news on US Direct reinstatement?

[somethingdifferent]

Just wondering if anyone has heard about the possible reinstatement of US Direct out of YVR? Princess is still listed as participating in the program. Putterdude, have you heard anything? Anyone else know anything?

[ONT-CA]

Pardon our ignorance and of course our curiosity. We note that there are no replies to your posting and because we too have no idea what is the subject of this posting, we have to post a reply asking for some sort of help in it's explanation.

[1025cruise]

I believe US Direct was a program out of Vancouver where if you were arriving at the Vancouver airport on the day of your cruise and going straight to the ship, and then turning around and going back to the airport when you returned to fly back to the US, that you would pretty much have an expedited Customs and Border Patrol passing since you would be going straight to the ship.

 

I understand the program was discontinued this year, probably because so many people fly in the day before.

[Putterdude]

No, there is no new news on its reinstatement. When I spoke with a representative of the Metro-Port of Vancouver 6 weeks or so ago it was explained to me that the airport authority, YVR, wanted to levy a fee for each passenger using the program. The result was the airlines and the cruise lines said "not a chance". So while I think this was a dumb move on the part of YVR...sorry, it doesn't look like there will be any "US Direct" this year and I noticed the other day that the link has been removed from the port's website.:(

For the benefit of those who don't know what the program was, it was a collaborative imitative of Canadian Customs, US Customs, the port, a number of airlines and YVR wherein passengers could move in sealed buses between YVR and their ship (and visa-versa) thereby save having to clear either country's customs. The caveat was that you had to move directly between the two locations, so no sightseeing or shopping could be done in Vancouver.

[somethingdifferent]

That is what I was afraid of. Thanks Putterdude and all for the timely info.