Just received "Important Notification" email for my upcoming cruise...

[Kesstral]

So I just received an email saying it's an "Important Notification for Booking xxxxx" and my heart sank a little. Would this be the dreaded "don't come to the port until way past lunch" email?

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION:

Please be advised that guests embarking in Vancouver this Wednesday , May 9, 2018 should expect delays during the embarkation and immigration process. U.S. Customs and Border Protection clearance is mandatory for all guests sailing out of Vancouver. There will be 3 ships in port this day and therefore we anticipate longer processing times than normal.

 

We appreciate your understanding and we look forward to welcoming you aboard Volendam.

 

Nothing in the email or the attached docs states a specific time to show up!! I am so relieved, although part of me worries that without asking the masses to show up later it will be busy early.

 

I'm hoping to show up around 10/1030am (Driving from home which is about 1.5 hours away) and already have parking reserved for at the terminal. Still a good time or should I make sure we're there by 10? This is my 3 year old's first cruise so hoping to be on board before nap time (which is usually noon/early afternoon).

[towhee]

Clearing Customs in Vancouver when there are three or more ships is notoriously slow. If you can arrive earlier and have some diversions for your son, you'll be OK. Just have patience.

[Sea42]

Personally, I would go later after the crowds have thinned. Most people are going to read this and think they should get there early. Especially with a 3 year old in tow, I would rather board later than stand around for a couple hours.

Just saw you comment about nap time. I would for sure wait until after nap time!! Nothing like a cranky toddler in a long line.

[frankc98376]

We have sailed on 3 ship days and got the same email. We went downstairs to the terminal at just after 10am. No crowds and we were on the ship at 11:30. We were taken first to a huge meeting room with about 1000 chairs. As there were only about 20 or 25 people they took us back down to security and check in after sitting less than 10 minutes. I think they were just practicing for the crowds later in the day.

 

The rest of the day we watched massive lines being to the convention area and then smaller lines being led back down to security, customs, and check in. People on board that night told us they arrived at 1:30 pm as their email said and were in lines for over 2 hours.

[Tennessee Titan]

Is Global Entry available there?

[martincath]

If your original plan was to arrive between 10 and 10:30am OP, stick to it (but try for the early end of that scale just in case). If you didn't have the kiddy's nap-time to worry about, I'd stick to my usual 'be as late as you can stand to be' advice (as in, roll back 90mins from departure time and aim for just on the safe side of that hard cap - there are tons of things to do within a short walk, which removes any risk of being late due to traffic etc.) but with a potentially grumpy little 'un to worry about, being as early as possible is more sensible for you I reckon.

 

As mentioned many times on other threads, the process to begin boarding usually kicks off by 11am - so if you're early, you ALWAYS wait some. Being really late though usually means zero wait time in any queue - but for the first few 3+ shippers, with new staff who never seem to get enough training beforehand, even the very latecomers might end up waiting an hour as the speed to process folks through Security and Check-in and CBP is all slower and less efficient than they become when they've had some practise. A 10am arrival basically guarantees that you will wait an hour, but then woosh through all the queues so end-to-end time ~75mins. Arrive noonish and that time will probably at least double on an early season 3 shipper!

 

Oh, and it's not Customs that's the issue (although since you have been in Canada so could have gone shopping then of course you do have to declare any over the limit purchases), it's Immigration that CBP are concerned with. So many cruisers come same-day and have virtually no time to shop that I doubt there are more than a handful of the thousands boarding who ever have any Stuff to declare - but they do care about the People who want to enter the US!!!

 

Is Global Entry available there?

Yes - keep your eyes peeled, as signage in Canada Place is small and temporary (tends to be on top of little posts, so more like waist-chest height instead of the more visible 'dangle from ceiling above head height' flavour). If you don't see any signs, ask everyone in uniform where it is until you get an answer!

[sail7seas]

God luck to all of you sailing, hope you have a great time.

[Kesstral]

Thanks for all the comments. There are definitely pros and cons for early or late arrival.

I know my daughter's sleep schedule and early will work best for us a she gets cranky the later she stays awake (we're on the verge of dropping naps but not quite there). We're Canadian, living local to the port so no concerns on customs. Having to wait an hour or so to board shouldn't be an issue, we have lots to entertain DD. Im glad 10am isn't considered too unreasonably early.

 

I really want to make it for lunch on the ship ;)

[frankc98376]

Thanks for all the comments. There are definitely pros and cons for early or late arrival.

I know my daughter's sleep schedule and early will work best for us a she gets cranky the later she stays awake (we're on the verge of dropping naps but not quite there). We're Canadian, living local to the port so no concerns on customs. Having to wait an hour or so to board shouldn't be an issue, we have lots to entertain DD. Im glad 10am isn't considered too unreasonably early.

 

I really want to make it for lunch on the ship ;)

 

You will clear US Customs and Immigration in the terminal if you are going to Alaska

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It is nice they told you

 

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[anotterchaos]

I anticipate getting the same email. According to the port schedule there are four ships May 13. After reading similar posts I had just about decided to do a leisurely breakfast and trip to the aquarium, but now I am reconsidering. My usual instinct is to be early. What to do!!

 

 

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[DAllenTCY]

Arriving as early as 10 or 10:30 am not only disrupts disembarkation, also you won't find porters available.

 

What will you do with your luggage?

 

You might be looking at 5,000+ guests trying to get out of the terminal, taxis and buses attempting to get out, and a shortage of CBP.

 

I would suggest to arrive after 2 pm if at all possible.

 

David

[anotterchaos]

Arriving as early as 10 or 10:30 am not only disrupts disembarkation, also you won't find porters available.

 

 

 

What will you do with your luggage?

 

 

 

You might be looking at 5,000+ guests trying to get out of the terminal, taxis and buses attempting to get out, and a shortage of CBP.

 

 

 

I would suggest to arrive after 2 pm if at all possible.

 

 

 

David

 

 

 

Even if one decides to arrive later, luggage drop off is available from 10 on, so I assume there are porters ready.

 

 

 

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[DAllenTCY]

Have you been to Canada Place Terminal?

 

 

David

[martincath]

^Yes - and porters are totally unnecessary as you can drop bags directly with the longshoremen running the conveyors to each ship. Officially that begins at some time between 10 and 10:30am, and entirely different rooms on different levels are used for first stage of Embarkation compared to Disembarkation.

 

I'm guessing that you have not visited Canada Place yourself recently, or perhaps never before 11am David? They finally settled on a consistent order of events, and using a conference room for check-in and waiting area, a couple of years ago - which means arriving early no longer has anyone standing around anywhere in the way except perhaps at bag drop if they are REALLY early (before 10am - although even then the incoming bags are often taken as early as 9:30am). Instead you get to go do cruiseline check-in as soon as each company wants to begin it, and then lots and lots of chairs in the biggest conference room to stage the groups in before they head down to Security.

 

CBP and CBSA want the ships zeroed out ASAP, so by 10am there should be no disembarking pax left on any vessel unless there's been some huge issue like an engine failure delaying their arrival. Even if the cab queue is still long - very likely on a busy day like this - the staging upstairs means the queues at Security simply never extend far any more. Whenever the CBP bottleneck starts to cause a problem, they stop feeding people down from Conference level precisely to avoid any issues with inbound security queue spilling back into the outbound cab queue area.

 

Ordinarily I'm 100% behind a 2pm or later arrival - but OP has solid reason not to do that, and frankly on the first 4 ship day in many years with almost brand-new minions at the terminal, it's quite possible that at 2pm queues will be peaking rather than declining. Prior years have seen the first 3 shipper with delays of up to 5 hours to board... it truly is a huge mess, so combining that potential with a child that needs naptime in the early PM, I know that I'd be heading to the pier for 10am myself despite being a staunch 3pm boarder normally!

[anotterchaos]

Ordinarily I'm 100% behind a 2pm or later arrival - but OP has solid reason not to do that, and frankly on the first 4 ship day in many years with almost brand-new minions at the terminal, it's quite possible that at 2pm queues will be peaking rather than declining. Prior years have seen the first 3 shipper with delays of up to 5 hours to board... it truly is a huge mess, so combining that potential with a child that needs naptime in the early PM, I know that I'd be heading to the pier for 10am myself despite being a staunch 3pm boarder normally!

 

 

 

Thank you, you’ve decided me!

 

 

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[ski ww]

We boarded on Canada Day last year with five ships in port, it was a total zoo. We came straight from the airport arriving around 10:30, long line ups to clear customs, security. When we finally got to the HAL desk for check in, it took less then 10 min. on the ship around 1:30. Good luck enjoy your cruise. Bon Voyage.

[Kesstral]

^Yes - and porters are totally unnecessary as you can drop bags directly with the longshoremen running the conveyors to each ship. Officially that begins at some time between 10 and 10:30am, and entirely different rooms on different levels are used for first stage of Embarkation compared to Disembarkation.

 

Thanks for the information martincath! I was able to find confirmation on the Port of Vancouver website that baggage drop off starts approximately 10am https://www.portvancouver.com/cruise/passenger-information/.

 

We're parking at the terminal so will be coming up from below. I've sailed from Canada Place twice but only parked there once and it was back in 2013 (memory got a little fuzzy after having a kid). The port information confirms that after bag drop you go up a level to check in (and wait in the conference room) then back down a level for security, CBP and boarding. As a side note the site says CBP has 10 BorderXpress automated kiosks (the big customs terminals found in major airports and Port Everglades). :)

 

I will be sure to report my experience! I'm considering making a live thread for my trip.

[marybeach]

I haven'the gotten that notification yet, so I'm glad I looked at the boards. Thanks for the great info. My hotel is near Canada Place and I'll be taxiing. I noticed you can give your bag straight to the Longshoremen. That's handy, as I'm seeing rain predictions. Any other tips appreciated. After my travel day from the east coast, I may need a nap with the toddler! Safe travels all!

[DAllenTCY]

I hope your plan works out, but if not.... be prepared for "I told you so" next week. I have been to Canada Place most recently a month ago (Westerdam), again last November (Star Princess) and 10 months ago (Ruby Princess).

 

 

David

Edited May 7, 2018 by DAllenTCY

[senior lady]

I just got home from Alaska cruise on the Westerdam.

We were the only ship in vancouver on April 29th. Once I got dropped off at terminal, went through security fast and then came to a complete "halt".......... 3 Americian custom agents for 2000 people? CRAZY This was at noon. That was the longest wait, and once through there, it was fast moving. Room was ready.

So just come prepared with 3 ships in town.

Have a great time and dress warm. It was cold and rainy the whole trip!!!

[Jayhopper]

Leaving for Alaska from Vancouver in a few days - yippee! But we just received the dreaded email that details set boarding times for specific decks.

 

Our assigned time - unfortunately - is 1 pm. :loudcry: How strict is HAL about specified boarding times in Vancouver - would appreciate your advice on when we should arrive.

Much thanks!

 

PS this is our first "real" cruise (other than a short repositioning) and also our first with HAL.

[frankc98376]

Likely a multi ship day and they are trying to control the crowds. HAL has been sending those out for a long time but so far no enforcement- we always arrive between 10:00 and 10:30 (usually closer to 10:00) and have been on board just after 11:30.

 

If there are 3 ships in and you arrive after 1:00 can be a 3 hour (or more) wait in lines in the terminal.

 

If you read the email again I'd bet somewhere it says "suggested" times.

[Jayhopper]

Thanks so much Frank and Loren! You're right, the email does state "suggested" but we were concerned about the "should not arrive prior" part. Here's the specific wording:

"To enhance the check-in and boarding experience, we ask guests to arrive at the terminal per the following schedule:

10:00am - Deck 11 Observation Deck & Deck 10 Panorama Deck, etc. etc.

Guests should not arrive prior to the suggested check-in time; boarding will begin at 12:00pm and all guests must be on board by 3:30pm."

We'll try to arrive early - worst case, we'll walk around/have coffee nearby and wait it out - no biggie as we're on vacation!:)

 

[frankc98376]

Thanks so much Frank and Loren! You're right, the email does state "suggested" but we were concerned about the "should not arrive prior" part. Here's the specific wording:

"To enhance the check-in and boarding experience, we ask guests to arrive at the terminal per the following schedule:

10:00am - Deck 11 Observation Deck & Deck 10 Panorama Deck, etc. etc.

Guests should not arrive prior to the suggested check-in time; boarding will begin at 12:00pm and all guests must be on board by 3:30pm."

We'll try to arrive early - worst case, we'll walk around/have coffee nearby and wait it out - no biggie as we're on vacation!:)

 

 

Bolding is mine- the two key words. We've always arrived around 10 and lines were minimal. Boarding normally starts at 11:30 and staterooms should be ready when you board