US Immigration horrendous

[AZ Ocean Lover]

Vancouver is one of my absolute favorite cities but it is my least favorite to sail from. We have always had to wait in winding lines or in rows of chairs. Several times the sailing has been delayed because of the amount of time it takes to move people through the immigration line.

 

We have another short cruise out of Vancouver next month and it leaves on a Wednesday. I'm hoping this will help with some of the wait times.

[Palms2Pines2Sea]

I love Vancouver and in no way blame them for delays caused by US immigration. However, if you wish me to be totally honest, they could be held responsible for the horrendous queues for taxis on disembarkation which, in my experience, are the longest seen at any port (including Miami and Fort Lauderdale). These will not help people remember Vancouver with any affection if it is their last memory of Canada.

 

Agreed. Vancouver needs to clear the way for Uber, or something similar.

[ccotting]

I love Vancouver and in no way blame them for delays caused by US immigration. However, if you wish me to be totally honest, they could be held responsible for the horrendous queues for taxis on disembarkation which, in my experience, are the longest seen at any port (including Miami and Fort Lauderdale). These will not help people remember Vancouver with any affection if it is their last memory of Canada.

 

Agreed. Vancouver needs to clear the way for Uber, or something similar.

 

Ditto. Issue is Vancouver is not one municipality but many altogether. Actual Vancouver municipality is just the peninsula you see on the map (where the cruise terminal is) but many municipal governments together form greater Vancouver that you perceive as a tourist. The taxi lobby in Vancouver central is strong. Still no uber. Airport taxis, the other municipalities (that you as a tourist would still think are part of Vancouver) have successfully lobbied so when you come to the airport you can get a taxi from North Shore or Burnaby or Surrey which greatly increased availability. Mind you the airport is in a different municipality than central Vancouver. It would be lovely if the cruise port were able to negotiate a similar deal.

 

I speak as someone who had to call the mother in law at 3 am to get a drive home on New Years because none of the city cabs would take anyone off central peninsular Vancouver. So, yes, tourists, I feel this pain too. For those earlier complaining Brits, consider Vancouver municipal government as a Labour government. I trust this will explain......

 

That said, personally our worst immigration experiences have been Heathrow and New York. I love to travel but there are parts that ( as my Grandma used to put it) I would sell you for a nickel! Hasn't stopped me yet!

[Kamloops50]

Vancouver the area now extends almost 70 miles from the pier. There are at least 12 or more cities in what many people refer to as Vancouver.

[Cruise Junky]

 

Ditto. Issue is Vancouver is not one municipality but many altogether. Actual Vancouver municipality is just the peninsula you see on the map (where the cruise terminal is) but many municipal governments together form greater Vancouver that you perceive as a tourist. !

 

Hmmm what? As someone that lives in south van I certainly don't live on a peninsular but I do live in Vancouver. You're confusing downtown with Vancouver.

Edited August 11, 2017 by Cruise Junky

[Kamloops50]

Hmmm what? As someone that lives in south van I certainly don't live on a peninsular but I do live in Vancouver. You're confusing downtown with Vancouver.

 

 

 

I lived in South Vancouver for over twenty years. Always considered as Vancouver. Now that we live in Kamloops , now Vancouver starts between Langley and Abbotsford depending on traffic.

 

 

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[bananawindnj]

After reading these posts, I am never leaving on a cruise from Vancouver again. My first time was fine, about 3-4 years ago. Not worth the aggravation. The older we get, the less we want stand for hours in a line.

 

 

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[icsys]

We travelled to Alaska in September 2011 on Celebrity Century, and experienced exactly the same procedure as SaladMuncher described.

We would like to revisit Alaska but are certainly put off by our memories of our treatment.

Be prepared for a long wait :(

Thank you for the heads up, but not what I was hoping to read :(

 

You say that you experienced exactly the same procedure as SaladMuncher described in the first post.

 

So, no matter how early you arrived at the port, you were made to wait/sit in the hall until all the US and Canadian citizens had passed through? Then, and only then, US immigration began to process all the non US and non Canadian citizens?

[Kamloops50]

Thank you for the heads up, but not what I was hoping to read :(

 

 

 

You say that you experienced exactly the same procedure as SaladMuncher described in the first post.

 

 

 

So, no matter how early you arrived at the port, you were made to wait/sit in the hall until all the US and Canadian citizens had passed through? Then, and only then, US immigration began to process all the non US and non Canadian citizens?

 

 

 

The last time we went to Alaska . Non US or Canadians had a separate line that seemed to go faster because they machines got backed up.

 

 

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[awhcruiser]

How do you think the process should go?

Thank you for the heads up, but not what I was hoping to read :(

 

So, no matter how early you arrived at the port, you were made to wait/sit in the hall until all the US and Canadian citizens had passed through? Then, and only then, US immigration began to process all the non US and non Canadian citizens?

[Kamloops50]

Thank you for the heads up, but not what I was hoping to read :(

 

 

 

You say that you experienced exactly the same procedure as SaladMuncher described in the first post.

 

 

 

So, no matter how early you arrived at the port, you were made to wait/sit in the hall until all the US and Canadian citizens had passed through? Then, and only then, US immigration began to process all the non US and non Canadian citizens?

 

 

 

The hall for sitting and waiting is now after security and US immigration. They try and put people without visas thru a separate line and windows . This line seems to move faster.

 

 

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[Zoedokey]

Why can't they be processed at the same time?

 

 

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[Kamloops50]

They manually have to process holders of visas to the US. They o the same thing with anyone entering Canada that doesn't have a Canadian passport.

 

 

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[Cruise Junky]

Why can't they be processed at the same time?

 

 

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They could be and they used to be. My husband and I go through the same line at the airport (I'm a Brit, he's Canadian) for me they just do the fingerprint and picture thing that doesn't take very long.

[icsys]

Thank you for the heads up, but not what I was hoping to read :(

 

You say that you experienced exactly the same procedure as SaladMuncher described in the first post.

 

So, no matter how early you arrived at the port, you were made to wait/sit in the hall until all the US and Canadian citizens had passed through? Then, and only then, US immigration began to process all the non US and non Canadian citizens?

How do you think the process should go?

I know exactly how I think the process should go.... Two separate lines and processed at the same time.

That is how I have experienced it at every pint of entry so far visited around the world, however this will be the first time experiencing immigration checks at a cruise port. If it transpires to be exactly as described, it may be the last.

 

The hall for sitting and waiting is now after security and US immigration. They try and put people without visas thru a separate line and windows . This line seems to move faster.

Why is the sitting and waiting 'after security and US immigration'? Once through, shouldn't it be check in and straight to the ship?

[Kamloops50]

I know exactly how I think the process should go.... Two separate lines and processed at the same time.

 

That is how I have experienced it at every pint of entry so far visited around the world, however this will be the first time experiencing immigration checks at a cruise port. If it transpires to be exactly as described, it may be the last.

 

 

 

 

 

Why is the sitting and waiting 'after security and US immigration'? Once through, shouldn't it be check in and straight to the ship?

 

 

 

Check in is done before security and immigration. The waiting is to board like any other terminal.

 

 

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[icsys]

Just popped back to say that Vancouver Cruise Terminal checkin was a breeze.

 

Security and immigration was exactly how I thought the process should go.... Two separate lines and processed at the same time.

No excess waiting, and there were three ships in port that day. There were about seven CBP agents and the lines moved quickly.

No hesitation to sail from Vancouver again.

[Cruise Raider]

Just popped back to say that Vancouver Cruise Terminal checkin was a breeze.

 

Security and immigration was exactly how I thought the process should go.... Two separate lines and processed at the same time.

No excess waiting, and there were three ships in port that day. There were about seven CBP agents and the lines moved quickly.

No hesitation to sail from Vancouver again.

 

Yay! thank you for reporting this!

[TeaBag]

Just popped back to say that Vancouver Cruise Terminal checkin was a breeze.

 

Security and immigration was exactly how I thought the process should go.... Two separate lines and processed at the same time.

No excess waiting, and there were three ships in port that day. There were about seven CBP agents and the lines moved quickly.

No hesitation to sail from Vancouver again.

Thank you for posting this. Vancouver gets too many black eyes because of the immigration system and it's not their fault at all. I hope you are enjoying your cruise (if you are still on it) and that it, too, is even better than you expected.

[The BarCarres]

Glad to see people are realizing it's the country processing the passports etc not the cruise port.

 

Two years ago we were sailing out of Amsterdam to the British Isles. There was a couple of little hiccups created by Amsterdam cruise port but nothing that wouldn't be cured the minute you step on the lovely ship greeted by champagne. Problem was we weren't greeted by anything but a wall of people. We stood there for close to two hours on the ship waiting for two British Passport officers to check our passports (we had already cleared Dutch Border Control) and take them from us. Two hours standing shoulder to shoulder no food no drinks nothing and hardly anyone to tell us what was happening. By the time we cleared through I just wanted water and growled to the poor server offering champagne. It was grim hopefully none of us has to experience that again. Sadly they keep tightening security :(

 

PS we are also two Canadians with zero desire to travel to the US until they stop the intense grilling.