Embarkation Day Rules for Boarding Questions (Vancouver)

[SupremeFlounder]

DH and I are taking the May-12 Millennium Alaska cruise (it took forever to get here at first and now the time is flying impossibly fast).

 

He would like to do some shopping at a couple of record stores by Canada Place. Unfortunately they don't open until 12pm and all other things being equal, he could probably spend the 10 days there. As much as I love record shopping, I'd be just as happy to be on the ship and well into my book and maybe a drink.

 

So, the two questions I have are:

 

1.) Once we board the ship, can one or both of us leave prior to departure and return (understanding the importance of not being late). I suspect the answer to this has to be no.

 

2.) We're on the same reservation - do we both have to board at the same time? I imagine the answer here is also yes.

 

I'd certainly call Celebrity, but my concern is that given their documented history of being somewhat inconsistent in their answers, I'd not be able to trust either answer given, so I'm hoping for recent personal knowledge/experience (with all the caveats and provisos that implies).

[maggie.1008]

I believe you can check in without him. You can also leave the ship one at a time ( if need be ) as long as you have your sign and sail card that you will get when you check in.

[WestLakeGirl]

In Canada Place terminal you actually leave Canada and enter US. To leave the ship you would have to go back through US immigration, back through Canadian immigration, and then on return pass once again out of Canada and into US. Lines, queues, hold ups, delays at each procedure. Why torture yourself?

[SupremeFlounder]

In Canada Place terminal you actually leave Canada and enter US. To leave the ship you would have to go back through US immigration, back through Canadian immigration, and then on return pass once again out of Canada and into US. Lines, queues, hold ups, delays at each procedure. Why torture yourself?

 

 

The importance of record store shopping is something that largely eludes my understanding (especially how much time it takes), but alas ...

[rnrcruzin]

In Canada Place terminal you actually leave Canada and enter US. To leave the ship you would have to go back through US immigration, back through Canadian immigration, and then on return pass once again out of Canada and into US. Lines, queues, hold ups, delays at each procedure. Why torture yourself?

 

I concur with Westlakegal. You clear US Customs first. The queue for this is pretty long. It's one line for all ships departing that day. Once you get past this point it's really quick.

[SupremeFlounder]

Thanks WestLakeGirl and rnrcruzin!

 

That makes sense. Standing in line extra times (and for extra time) doesn't seem like great shakes, I'm more trying to get my arms around what the options are.

 

Given that Celebrity offers "suggested boarding times" as late as 3pm (or 2?), it seems like as long as we/he wasn't later than that, it would be as safe as anything subject to chance, no?

[chamima]

I've never boarded at Canada Place so don't know anything about customs there but you can board separately from your husband.

Just make sure each of you has a boarding pass, a passport and a charge card to put on your onboard account.

 

I don't know your husband but if he really could "spend the entire 10 days" in the record store, I'd tell him boarding time was at least an hour earlier than what it really is.

Better safe than sorry.;)

 

 

(I hope he doesn't read Cruise Critic)

Edited May 9, 2015 by chamima

[LooseMoose]

Good Day SupremeFlounder

 

We are also onboard the May 12th sailing. Missed seeing you on the rollcall, there is the usual sailaway party and enough numbers for a connections meet.

See you onboard Cheers Andy

[SupremeFlounder]

I've never boarded at Canada Place so don't know anything about customs there but you can board separately from your husband.

Just make sure each of you has a boarding pass, a passport and a charge card to put on your onboard account.

 

I don't know your husband but if he really could "spend the entire 10 days" in the record store, I'd tell him boarding time was at least an hour earlier than what it really is.

Better safe than sorry.;)

 

 

(I hope he doesn't read Cruise Critic)

 

 

Before I knew about the target rich record store situation, I'd let the cat out of the bag about the real departure time - next cruise, the ship will "turn out" to be leaving at 11:30am.

 

More seriously though, thank you. When you say "boarding pass", does that mean the xpress pass that you print out? I can just print out a second copy for him to have?

 

I'm thinking if this is all the case, I can drag him with me to drop off the bags, send him off to record shop and he can board (with the xpress pass copy and his passport) sometime before uh 3pm (shhh).

 

The customs things notwithstanding, of course.

[SupremeFlounder]

Good Day SupremeFlounder

 

We are also onboard the May 12th sailing. Missed seeing you on the rollcall, there is the usual sailaway party and enough numbers for a connections meet.

See you onboard Cheers Andy

 

 

I've made a couple of posts - We ended up getting seats on the afternoon Island Wings floatplane trip out of Ketchikan. I had some trouble registering for the party on the website and just never got back to it. My plan was to figure it out once we got on board.

 

Looking forward to the first cruise!

[chamima]

Yes, I meant the express pass.

 

Sounds like a good plan.

Oh, and one last thing, pick a specific place to meet him on the ship at 3:00pm (maybe your cabin) so you aren't freaking out looking for him.

[SupremeFlounder]

Yes, I meant the express pass.

 

 

 

Sounds like a good plan.

 

Oh, and one last thing, pick a specific place to meet him on the ship at 3:00pm (maybe your cabin) so you aren't freaking out looking for him.

 

 

Awesome - thank you. That's a fantastic idea, other than me looking forlornly over the side of the ship and yelling his name (original Plan A).

[LooseMoose]

I've made a couple of posts - We ended up getting seats on the afternoon Island Wings floatplane trip out of Ketchikan. I had some trouble registering for the party on the website and just never got back to it. My plan was to figure it out once we got on board.

 

Looking forward to the first cruise!

 

 

 

That's great to hear, should be a wonderful flight. The connections party is usually 1030 am the first seaday, we should know the answer at sailaway. See you soon

Cheers Andy

[xlxo]

DH and I are taking the May-12 Millennium Alaska cruise (it took forever to get here at first and now the time is flying impossibly fast).

 

He would like to do some shopping at a couple of record stores by Canada Place. Unfortunately they don't open until 12pm and all other things being equal, he could probably spend the 10 days there. As much as I love record shopping, I'd be just as happy to be on the ship and well into my book and maybe a drink.

My thoughts...

• the closest record store around Canada Place was A & B Sound. They closed several years ago. There may be one on Granville.... anything else will need more commute time. Luckily the 12th traffic should be lighter than on a weekend if you want to check-in at 1pm.
  
• Today is a Saturday... I assume those record stores should be open. Some open Sunday too.
  
• What about hitting those stores post-cruise???
  
• do these record stores do business online? Can you get the product on Amazon?
  

 

Just found this page with possible alternative locations. Give them a call if they are open on the weekend...

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/04/record-store-day-2015-vancouver-sales/

Edited May 9, 2015 by xlxo

[SupremeFlounder]

My thoughts...

 

• 
   
  
• the closest record store around Canada Place was A & B Sound. They closed several years ago. There may be one on Granville.... anything else will need more commute time. Luckily the 12th traffic should be lighter than on a weekend if you want to check-in at 1pm.
   
  
• Today is a Saturday... I assume those record stores should be open. Some open Sunday too.
   
  
• What about hitting those stores post-cruise???
   
  
• do these record stores do business online? Can you get the product on Amazon?
   
  

 

 

 

Just found this page with possible alternative locations. Give them a call if they are open on the weekend...

 

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/04/record-store-day-2015-vancouver-sales/

 

 

Thanks xlxo!

 

The two he's interested in are Beat Street Records and Vinyl Records (on West Hastings).

 

We're not getting there until Monday night, so time turns out to be somewhat limited. On the way back, we get in plenty early but since they don't open until noon and we have a 3pm flight - time is again the trouble.

 

I thought Amazon and online ordering were good ideas too, but I'm regularly informed that to find new and unexpected treasures one needs to be available to in-person serendipity.

[Debbielh1]

I think you may need to have your own xpress pass with only your individual name on it to check in separately. You can't have both names on one pass so I don't think a copy will work. You can print them out individually you just have to put your credit card in each individual account. If both names are on one express pass you have to check in together from my past experience. I've never cruised out of Vancouver though so it may work differently there.

[SupremeFlounder]

I think you may need to have your own xpress pass with only your individual name on it to check in separately. You can't have both names on one pass so I don't think a copy will work. You can print them out individually you just have to put your credit card in each individual account. If both names are on one express pass you have to check in together from my past experience. I've never cruised out of Vancouver though so it may work differently there.

 

 

Ah yes, that makes sense. I'll have to look and see how I printed them. Thank you and thanks everyone!

[xlxo]

Thanks xlxo!

 

The two he's interested in are Beat Street Records and Vinyl Records (on West Hastings).

 

We're not getting there until Monday night, so time turns out to be somewhat limited. On the way back, we get in plenty early but since they don't open until noon and we have a 3pm flight - time is again the trouble.

That's about 15 minutes away from the cruise terminal on foot. Get there at noon and set an alarm for 12:45pm to start walking....

 

Otherwise consider adding additional pre/post-cruise days in Vancouver.

[SupremeFlounder]

That's about 15 minutes away from the cruise terminal on foot. Get there at noon and set an alarm for 12:45pm to start walking....

 

Otherwise consider adding additional pre/post-cruise days in Vancouver.

 

It's true - and in my, hopefully considerable, defense (with credit to Google Maps), I've got a good handle on where things are situated, walking times, and all that good stuff.

 

Honestly, if I'd known (or he'd realized ahead of time) that Vancouver was going to have so many record store options, an extra day (or two) would have been exactly how I'd planned it.

 

With that ship having sailed (I've been reading Cruise Critic a good long while, and have been waiting to trot that line out), my goal in this post wasn't necessarily about what I could do better next time -- that list is already so considerable -- but more about what my options were to make the best of *this* particular trip.

 

And thanks to you (and everyone else on this thread) -- I think I do. It turns out that while it is somewhat inconvenient , we can board and then leave the ship. We can also, if I print out the XPress pass correctly, check in separately.

 

If anyone has any insight on my follow-up though, I'd be grateful. When trying to printing out the Xpress pass for him it shows the "same as" my name. Does that mean I've already screwed the pooch?

 

Thanks again to everyone!

[chamima]

I think you're fine but , just to be safe, when you drop off the luggage, find a Celebrity rep and ask.

 

Also, you can drop off the luggage around 10:30 or 11. The BOTH check in together and then he can get off (with his cruise card and passport) and STILL be at the record store before noon. (This might be a good option since he could also leave all his carry-ons on the ship. Just know you can't get in your cabin until 1 or 1:30 so you'll have both sets of carry - ons to shlep around)

[TeaBag]

Chamina gives good advice. Do you sail at 4:30 or 5? I think you should accompany your DH to the record store in case he loses track of time! Believe me, you won't be able to concentrate on your book if you are on the ship and he is not! We did this one time when DH took back a rental car. He was gone a long time and I was terrified he was going to miss the ship!:eek:

 

Could you leave your heavy things at the port early and then keep your carry-ons and be at the store when it opens? Just a thought.

 

I see another cruise to Alaska (or Hawaii) in your future with a 10 day stay in Vancouver prior to the cruise!

Edited May 10, 2015 by TeaBag

[xlxo]

Could you leave your heavy things at the port early and then keep your carry-ons and be at the store when it opens? Just a thought.

Not sure about those record stores... but many Vancouver retailers discourage large bags in stores to minimize shoplifting. Some are willing to hold your items behind the counters, while others are not.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

In Canada Place terminal you actually leave Canada and enter US. To leave the ship you would have to go back through US immigration, back through Canadian immigration, and then on return pass once again out of Canada and into US. Lines, queues, hold ups, delays at each procedure. Why torture yourself?

 

Trust me, you do not want to go through that process twice. It's hell the first time.

 

Print two boarding passes. Board separately. You go when you want. He can go record shopping and then board. Both will be happy.

[xlxo]

Trust me, you do not want to go through that process twice. It's hell the first time.

I agree... unless you enjoy being in long lines and enjoy having being searched (weapons, luggage, carry-on, body, hand, cavity?).

[SupremeFlounder]

Hi All!

 

On the Millennium now, drink in hand. I wanted to thank everyone again for their great advice.

 

Just wanted to close the loop - we ended up dropping off our bags and then going record shopping. The Celebrity rep suggested that once you go through, you don't get to leave so we took that as being truthful.

 

The folks who suggested that repeating the customs process was a poor idea - I'd tend to agree (even if Celebrity said it was ok and the did not). It wasn't the fall of Saigon but I wouldn't be anxious to do it twice.

 

We ended up boarding together and it worked out perfectly fine.

 

Thanks again (and again!)