Dui - Alaskan Cruise from Seattle

[LdyMags]

Hi all,

 

My sister has a 2 year old DUI, we are cruising from Seattle then back to Seattle on Disney Cruise line. I've read old threads about whether she could or could not be denied boarding in Seattle... but never saw anybody post a resolution-if it happened to them or not... so if you had a DUI and did a seattle cruise to Alaska... were you able to board the ship? Were you able to get off in Victoria?

 

Thanks!

[Putterdude]

This is a question that gets asked a couple of times each season. There is no reason why your sister could not take a closed loop cruise from Seattle to Alaska to Seattle. However she "may" not be allowed ashore in Victoria thats all.

In the past Canadian customs officers tended to close a blind eye to an offense that occurred 5 or more years ago....now they are directed not allow anyone in with an DUI that is less than 10 yrs old. However the officer still has a great deal of discretion in this regard and it may not prove to be a problem in Victoria at all. There is a permit process that can be taken through your local Canadian consulate office but it takes time, which you don't have, and it costs a few hundred dollars.

[pacruzer02]

My client is going on the solstice may 23 and just got a dui 6 months ago, it goes seattle to seattle, will he have a problem boarding the ship ?? Celebrity said it is fine, just worried.

[fishin' musician]

I would not expect any issues with US ports, only Canada. And does Canadian Customs scrutinize the entire manifest of every ship that sails into Victoria? It seems highly unlikely to me.

[MojitoMadness09]

I'm dealing with the same issue. I called Celebrity and they said my boyfriend won't be denied boarding as Celebrity itself doesn't look at any criminal background. I imagine it's just when the border patrol runs your name/passport at the place of crossing. I've emailed the LA consulate for Canada to see about us going into Canada on our way to Emerald Lake and in Victoria. I'll post if I get a response.

 

And as far as the fee goes for a Temporary Resident Permit, as of March 2012, they no longer charge this fee for US Residents. But yes, it's already too late to apply I'd assume for this season. We may try anyways depending on what we hear back from the consulate.

[pacruzer02]

I just got off the phone with celebrity, i've talked to 3 different people today, one of the reps had resolutions call the solstice and the cruise port staff, and they said there is no policy on not letting you on in seattle, so should be fine. Just advised maybe can't get off at victoria.

[Eileen G]

It only becomes a problem for people who are sailing from Vancouver and need to enter Canada before they board the ship. The immigration at the airport or border will check and may stop someone with a DUI. They usually don't check if you are departing a cruise ship.

[cavecreekguy]

I can only tell you my experience. YMMV.

 

I had a DUI in 2002. No one questioned me on the two Alaska cruises I took out of Seattle (2010 and 2012).

 

On the 2010 cruise, I wasn't even interested in getting off the ship in Victoria as we were only there from 6 p.m. to midnight. We had dinner in one of our ship's specialty restaurants.

 

On the 2012 cruise, our stop in Sitka was cancelled, so we ended up in Victoria in the morning and were there a full day. I went ashore. I didn't even know that my DUI could possibly be an issue. I don't remember being asked any questions. I just remember presenting my passport, making some small talk, and being sent onto our excursion to Buchart Gardens. It was lovely by the way, and I highly recommend seeing it if you can.

 

Hope this helps!

[Skai]

Speaking from experience (having recently taken a closed loop RT Seattle), there was no passport scan/customs/immigration check at the shorter port stop @ Victoria. The herd of disembarking passengers were just directed through the customs/border patrol port building and beyond.

 

What could arise is if one were wanting to cross the (Yukon)border at the port of Skagway via rental car. In this situation, one's passport will likely be scanned, and one's prior criminal record could present an issue with the CBSA.

 

For those opting to take an organized (White Pass) train tour to do the crossing, I've read from a few different accounts that the CBSA agent usually only does a visual inspection to verify that every passenger on the train has a passport in their possession -- Likely to make sure that no issues will arise when crossing the U.S. border on their return.

 

As for being denied boarding -- I've never read that this has been an issue for anyone doing a RT from Seattle. So you ought to feel 99% sure that this won't be a problem. While the ship will be travelling through Canadian waters, the only time one would be subjected to a passport check and/or criminal background check would be upon entering onto Canadian soil.