How long to get through Vancouver customs?

[evandbob]

Our South boumd Alaskan cruise ends in Vancouver. Our airline has given us a short hop Vancouver to Seattle and long haul Seattle to NY flights.

 

How much time on average should we allow for both Canadian and US Customs?

Edited June 3, 2014 by evandbob

[cruiseryyc]

Do not book a flight out of Vancouver before noon; you will need two hours at the Vancouver airport (that's after going through Canadian Immigration at the port) to go through US Immigration and Security. How long it will take going through Canadian Immigration at the port depends on how many ships are arriving at the same time. Every single person on your ship will have to clear through Canadian upon arrival.

[xbatt8]

Well, I can only answer the cruise terminal part as we didn't fly anywhere.

 

On our repo from LA to Vancouver (via Hawaii) we got off the ship and walked through the port building to the luggage area. Once we found our luggage we rolled them past a customs person and handed them our customs form and kept walking. We never even stopped.

 

Just past the customs person is the area for pick-ups, busses, and cabs. There were several cab stations so the line went very fast (almost no line at all).

 

From the lounge on the ship to sitting in our hotel room took 40 minutes (including the cab ride, luggage load and unload, and checking in at the hotel).

 

One of the quickest and smoothest ship exits in all my cruises.

 

Now what customs does at the airport I cannot speak to.

 

Bob

[karatemom2]

We just flew from Vancouver to LAX after a repo cruise and it was so easy at the airport. We checked our luggage and got our boarding passes as soon as we entered the terminal. Then we proceeded through Security which was very quick even though my daughter and I were randomly selected to have our carry on bags swabbed. The customs was almost completely handled at a kiosk where you checked in and then scanned each passport. Upon completion it printed out a receipt for each of us that we then handed to the agent that checked us through. He took our receipts, asked a couple of standard questions and waived us on. It was a breeze!

Edited June 3, 2014 by karatemom2

[mr green]

These are normally the fastest customs that I have encountered.

 

john

[sept10dsm]

These are normally the fastest customs that I have encountered.

 

john

 

This is very true! We were off our ship, through customs and in our shuttle as quick as we could walk there. We couldn't believe the service there.

[evandbob]

Thanks for the replies!

[MNfamilycruiser]

Each portion was very quick, just be aware that there are several steps involved. Getting off the ship - they only wanted our customs declaration form - handed as we walked out.

 

At the airport - first step is to scan each passport to get the boarding pass, I believe we showed passports and boarding passes as they weighed and tagged our luggage. We attempted to print boarding passes from the ship - it didn't work and I am sure this is why - don't bother.

 

Then a line to put luggage on belt - showing boarding passes for each piece. Then through security - needed to show boarding passes.

Then additional customs - US? scanned passports again, posing for photo, a receipt printed - some with big X's on them. Take receipt, passport, boarding passes to agent who looks at passport and each person - they call up the image of you loading your luggage on the belt while they are looking at all your information.

 

Each step was accomplished very quickly and easily - it was just more steps than I was expecting. We would walk down a hall or around a corner and find another step in the process.

[LaurieCM]

Our time in the airport was HELL!! It took forever. We used Princess transfer- basically a big bus to the airport- the driver asked the crowd if we wanted a little tour before we got to the airport- thankfully the consensus was No. We got there- had to find our luggage and then report to our airline counter- all looked good. Then we went through the door......long lines going back and forth across a large room-this was for Canadian customs. Once you were at the front of the line it only took a minute. Then.....another set of long lines- USA customs, again forever in the line and a minute at the counter. The.....airport security, by this time our flight had been called and we ran for it (my husband had to carry his shoes!) When we filled out the form for the Princess cruise line airport transfer i put our flight time, but it was just too crowded. Next time I would probably leave the ship earlier than they had thought correct and just take a cab. The whole process once we got to the airport took almost 4 hours.

[cruiseryyc]

......long lines going back and forth across a large room-this was for Canadian customs. Once you were at the front of the line it only took a minute. Then.....another set of long lines- USA customs,

 

I'm sorry but you do not go through Canada Customs to depart from Vancouver; the only immigration you go through is US. Canada Customs/Immigration would have met the ship and gone through the paperwork there.

Edited June 4, 2014 by cruiseryyc