US Direct, how does it work

[Live2vacation]

I'm so excited!!! Will be sailing Sept. 17 on the Zaandam's Inside Passage, from Vancouver.

 

Included in my HAL documents was a pink paper that briefly mentioned a new way of processing you through the Vancouver airport by using US Direct. I think it's probably a wonderful thing to participate in, and we will satisfy all the necessary criteria to be elegible (according to the pink paper).

 

My BIG question is when do we catch up to our luggage? Do we claim our luggage before we go on this US Direct path (or somewhere along the way)? Does someone at the airport claim our luggage and deliver it to the ship (since it will have the ship's tag on it)? Will there be any luggage signs (in addition to the US Direct signs)? What do we do?

 

I even went to the YVR website and looked into the US Direct, but I still couldn't find much information, and no mention was made as to when you claim your luggage (unless I missed it). You can imagine this is a big concern. It greatly surprises me that HAL didn't supply a little more information.

 

Anyway, I need your help. I just know someone out there has participated in the US Direct thing. Your input is really appreciated!!!

 

- Gail

[CPT Trips]

I only did the return from the cruise this way. You see your luggage on the baggage carosel at your final destination. Based on that, I assume that your baggage catches up with you on the ship. They truck the luggage, you just handle your carry ons.

[dare2dream]

DH & I just did Hal AK Cruisetour #13 Aug 14-25, Veendam nb from Vancouver, land tour ending in Fairbanks.

 

We had Hal air and transfers and completed the immigration form on HAL website. We tagged each of our 3 checked bags with tags provided by HAL in our cruise documents as instructed. When we arrived in Vancouver we followed the US direct crowd, practically the entire planeload of passengers. We checked in at a desk and had to provide our names and we were checked off a pre printed list. We also had to show proper ID, I had a passport and DH had a drivers license and birth certificate. We also had to show our HAL voucher for transportation. I am not sure if US Direct is available if you are not using the cruise ships transportation.

 

We were then forwarded to a seating area. Shortly after we went to the bus loading area and were separated into lines according to which cruise line we were sailing with. When we got to the front of the line our transportation voucher was surrendered and we boarded a HAL coach to the pier. It was about a 30 minute ride to the pier.

 

Our embarkation was crazy. The computers had gone down twice that day so there were people waiting everywhere, orderly arranged and seated. I think we waited about an hour until it was our turn to check in. Our luggage was waiting for us in our room on the ship.

 

US Direct worked great for us.

 

Brenda from beautiful Del-Mar-Va

[sail7seas]

Great description of how it works, Brenda.

 

Will you be posting some comments about your cruise/about Veendam?

[kruzkeen]

My experience was the same as Brenda's was. Only difference that the computers for Zaandam worked well and there was no wait to check in. Within 40 minutes of touch down at YVR airport we were having lunch in the Lido.

 

The important thing to remember is to have your luggage tags on your bags when you leave your home airport. The airport people in Vancouver put it on the truck and know your cabin number if you are a guarantee and have not had an assignment yet. You must buy a HAL transfer. I know it can be cheaper to take a taxi if there are 2 or more people, but this is not an option with US Direct.

 

What this policy does is to eliminate 3 line ups. 1. Canadain immigration at YVR 2. Security screening at the pier and 3. US Customs and Border protection at the pier. The bus came in under neath the pier at Canada Place and we just went up an escalator to check in. We missed all the crowds. The ships must feel that the security screening at your home airport is good enough to get on the ship.

[Live2vacation]

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I'm so glad to know this system works. It will be a big plus not to have to lug suitcases around (except the small carry-on). And, not having to stand in long lines sounds great! Now let's just hope the computers don't decide to take time off.

 

We will satisfy all the requirements to be able to go US Direct. I have already completed the imigration form the HAL website (I even printed out copies and put them in our docs folder). We have passports. We have bus transfers that I purchased from HAL. We're American (born and raised). And, I've already filled out the information on my Zaandam luggage tags (including state room number). You can bet that those tags will be on the luggage before we leave the house. We chose our state room when we booked the trip; I like to know exactly where I'll be on the ship.

 

Anyway, I really appreciate all the info. Many thanks.

[cdkempton]

Bon Voyage !! :D

[cruznon]

Have a wonderful cruise! What a great service!!

[kruzkeen]

I only did the return from the cruise this way. You see your luggage on the baggage carosel at your final destination. Based on that, I assume that your baggage catches up with you on the ship. They truck the luggage, you just handle your carry ons.

I did not do this on the return to Vancouver last Saturday as I stayed over for a few days.

 

My friends did and they tell me that it is great. You do not see your baggage until you get home and you do not have to line up at Vancouver airport.

 

However, you must read the instructions, not sleep in and be alert as you are hustled off the ship before 8AM and onto busses to the airport and go up a special escalator to the airline boarding lounges.

 

The ship gives you airline barcoded baggage tags to your home airport the night before. You put them outside the cabin as usual. At 7:30 you go to the show lounge and the red jacketed ladies from the pier give you your airline boarding passes and a colored sticker for your lapel. Shortly after this you are hearded down a seperate gang way and to the busses. This is before anybody else comes off the ship.

 

This sounds good to me, not having to look around for your suit cases in the big rooms and then pull them out to the bus and not having to line up to check in at the airport.

[Live2vacation]

:) I'm so happy to hear all the positive remarks about this US Direct option.

 

It sounds like it will be a big help to us, as I'm traveling with my 82 year old mother. She has worried about having to deal with luggage since we booked this trip (in Feb. - so let me see, that's 7 months). We will check out large 28" pullman suitcases, but we will keep our smaller 21" bags with us as carry-on.

 

So far the only negative part of this option I've heard is that you must be off the ship and on the way to the airport by 8:00 am. We are from Maryland and will be traveling all the way back to the east coast (our flight doesn't leave YVR until almost 2:00). Wow, it's going to be a very long day. But, if we don't have to deal with dragging luggage around the airport, and standing in never ending lines, it may very well be worth getting up and out early.

 

NEW QUESTION: I assume I do not need to put the Zaandam luggage tag on our carry-on, but I'm guessing it would be a good idea to have it done anyway? If in the event our cabin is not ready when we board, and we place our bags in the holding area on the ship, it would have all the necessary info they would need (for any reason). Sorry, I didn't think to address this issue when I originally posted.

[kruzkeen]

:)

 

NEW QUESTION: I assume I do not need to put the Zaandam luggage tag on our carry-on, but I'm guessing it would be a good idea to have it done anyway? If in the event our cabin is not ready when we board, and we place our bags in the holding area on the ship, it would have all the necessary info they would need (for any reason). Sorry, I didn't think to address this issue when I originally posted.

 

Yes, I think it is always a good idea to put cruise ship luggage tags on carry-ons. You do not say at what time you will arrive in Vancouver. In our case the ship started boarding at 11:30 and after lunch in the Lido we just sat on the aft deck and looked at the mountains and harbor until 1:00 when an announcement was made that the cabins were ready. We only had shoulder bag carry-ons.

 

Regarding the Lido: I had not read anything about its improvement after the SOE upgrade. Not as major as the Explorations Cafe and the Spa, but they have changed about the Salad Bar and Dessert Station. I thought it was easier to get around. It seemed brighter and had new decoration and floor tiles.

 

There were several other decoration changes. For example HAL, like RCI, now change the carpets in the elevators every day with the name of the day on it. Everything about the ship looked new.

 

I hope you and your mother have a great cruise.