Unvaccinated flying into Vancouver for Alaskan cruise

[Mom&MeCruiseAL]

Anyone have experience flying into Vancouver unvaccinated?  Four in our group are not vaccinated and received the waiver from Princess.  I've been researching but haven't gotten a clear answer.  We are flying in a day early.  I don't know if that counts as a passing through to another country exemption.

[Essiesmom]

This is not a Princess question, it is an entrance to Canada question.  There is a board here for Canada.  EM

[scooter6139]

I thought you still have to be fully vaccinated to gain entry in to Canada?  You don't have to get tested anymore for border crossing, but you still have to fill out the ArriveCAN app, which includes uploaded vaccination information.  This might have changed recently, but was in effect when we crossed at the beginning of the May.

 

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada#proof

[dog]

Contact your airline for entry requirements. 
Read up on government website.

this site has a Canada cruiser’s forum 

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, Mom&MeCruiseAL said:

Anyone have experience flying into Vancouver unvaccinated?  Four in our group are not vaccinated and received the waiver from Princess.  I've been researching but haven't gotten a clear answer.  We are flying in a day early.  I don't know if that counts as a passing through to another country exemption.

 

You will be entering Canada. You will have to comply with Canadian requirements. That means filling out ArriveCan to fly to Vancouver  and ArriveCan to board the ship. Download the Arrivecan app. Your waivers from Princess make no difference. I don't know if Canada allows exceptions to being vaccinated. You better find out.  

[Lady Arwen]

1 hour ago, Mom&MeCruiseAL said:

Anyone have experience flying into Vancouver unvaccinated?  Four in our group are not vaccinated and received the waiver from Princess.  I've been researching but haven't gotten a clear answer.  We are flying in a day early.  I don't know if that counts as a passing through to another country exemption.

You really need to do your research well.  Entry requirements are fully explained in the Canadian government’s website.  Just Google it.  You absolutely have to complete ArriveCAN app before you will be allowed  into Canada.  I would download that immediately and go over the requirements now.  Canada does not consider a Princess waiver as an acceptable document.

[milolii]

51 minutes ago, scooter6139 said:

I thought you still have to be fully vaccinated to gain entry in to Canada?  You don't have to get tested anymore for border crossing, but you still have to fill out the ArriveCAN app, which includes uploaded vaccination information.  This might have changed recently, but was in effect when we crossed at the beginning of the May.

 

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada#proof

This is my understanding as well.  

 

Passing through to another country in your situation applies to transit in a sterile environment at an airport.  You never leave the area and proceed to your next flight.  

 

You should check with the Canadian Government’s website.  Agree that Princess waiver doesn’t make a difference.  You need to find out before you go, and the sooner the better.  

[riffatsea]

You are flying into Canada a whole day before your cruise

You are not "passing "through"

I did not realize that Princess is no longer requiring all passengers to be vaccinated!

[middlehaitch]

You may find this helpful.

 https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/wizard-start

It is a basic 3 page check list.

page one, you are a foreign national.

page two, you are unvaccinated  (last option)

page three, Your reason  for travel is tourism (last option)

 

Page four has the conclusion, you will not be allowed to enter Canada.

 

Ask your friends to get vaccinated unless they can find an exmption on the Canada website.

 

cheers,  h 

[PrincessLuver]

50 minutes ago, middlehaitch said:

You may find this helpful.

 https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/wizard-start

It is a basic 3 page check list.

page one, you are a foreign national.

page two, you are unvaccinated  (last option)

page three, Your reason  for travel is tourism (last option)

 

Page four has the conclusion, you will not be allowed to enter Canada.

 

Ask your friends to get vaccinated unless they can find an exmption on the Canada website.

 

cheers,  h 

 

I think you are right on and they will have to get vaccinated.  

 

It is troubling that Princess is allowing these waivers.  We had friends recently sail on Princess and they received the waiver and basically they are not vaccinated because they do not want to get vaccinated and there is no other reason for it.  However, that is not what they told Princess.  

 

Hard to understand why Princess is making most of us jump through Covid protocols and then they are allowing others to escape them and also not letting passengers know how many of these waivers have been granted for each sailing.  Easy to see why they are having so much Covid on their ships now.

[Shelly97060]

Here is a link to the Canada website focused on Cruise Passengers.

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/cruise

 

the website says that all cruise passengers must be vaccinated with very few exceptions.  This link will take you to the page that has information about exemptions. https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/exemptions

[Enzma]

According to website  unvaccinated must have valid medical contraindiction. 

Cruise lines operating in other countries cannot supersede that countries laws

[familycruzinnewbie]

You need to be vaccinated to enter Canada. Even if you were given a exemption, which you don’t qualify for, you’d have to file a quarantine plan, you wouldn’t be able to cruise, It needs to be two weeks after your vaccine series is completed to be considered vaccinated. Also if travelling within Canada, Canadian airlines, trains etc requires everyone to be vaccinated to board. 

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, Mom&MeCruiseAL said:

Anyone have experience flying into Vancouver unvaccinated?  Four in our group are not vaccinated and received the waiver from Princess.  I've been researching but haven't gotten a clear answer.  We are flying in a day early.  I don't know if that counts as a passing through to another country exemption.

 

To enter Canada, you must be fully vaccinated, with only very few exceptions.

 

The requirements for boarding a cruise ship in Canada also require pax to be fully vaccinated, again with very few exceptions. Unless your group meet the exemption criteria, Princess should not be providing waivers.

[cr8tiv1]

Hope OP returns to update us with their travel plans.

[DirtyDawg]

13 hours ago, scooter6139 said:

I thought you still have to be fully vaccinated to gain entry in to Canada?  You don't have to get tested anymore for border crossing, but you still have to fill out the ArriveCAN app, which includes uploaded vaccination information.  This might have changed recently, but was in effect when we crossed at the beginning of the May.

 

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada#proof

The OP can use this link to 'test' if the people qualify to enter Canada. It asks several questions and based on the responses it will tell a person if they qualify or not. 

 

@Mom&MeCruiseAL do this ASAP. Better to find out now then at the airport.

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[Minniebug]

vaccinate. Period.

[Lady Arwen]

Looks like our OP is a one hit wonder.  Why do people come here for advice and either choose to ignore it or just choose not to bother responding?  At least come back and acknowledge our existence!

[Mom&MeCruiseAL]

1 hour ago, Lady Arwen said:

Looks like our OP is a one hit wonder.  Why do people come here for advice and either choose to ignore it or just choose not to bother responding?  At least come back and acknowledge our existence!

Wow.  Less than 24 hours and I'm a one hit wonder.  At this point, nothing has changed.  What did you expect to change in less than a day.  I haven't even told the people that this affects yet.  We didn't know anything about Canada's restrictions until yesterday.  If it wasn't for these boards, we probably wouldn't have found out until we landed in Vancouver.  I am grateful for the info and knowledge shared here.  We have booked and planned this cruise for a over a year.  

 

Princess is following CDC guidelines for vaccination status.  They are allowed up to 5% of unvaccinated passengers.  Those people will have more Covid tests on board the ship and charged $150 for it.  It was actually a Princess rep that told them about the waiver.  Princess only required you to state that it is for medical, religious, or personal reasons.  At least one of our group could get a medical exemption but I don't know about the others.  It's pretty devastating news since we just had the final payment a couple weeks ago.   

[Lady Arwen]

25 minutes ago, Mom&MeCruiseAL said:

Wow.  Less than 24 hours and I'm a one hit wonder.  At this point, nothing has changed.  What did you expect to change in less than a day.  I haven't even told the people that this affects yet.  We didn't know anything about Canada's restrictions until yesterday.  If it wasn't for these boards, we probably wouldn't have found out until we landed in Vancouver.  I am grateful for the info and knowledge shared here.  We have booked and planned this cruise for a over a year.  

 

Princess is following CDC guidelines for vaccination status.  They are allowed up to 5% of unvaccinated passengers.  Those people will have more Covid tests on board the ship and charged $150 for it.  It was actually a Princess rep that told them about the waiver.  Princess only required you to state that it is for medical, religious, or personal reasons.  At least one of our group could get a medical exemption but I don't know about the others.  It's pretty devastating news since we just had the final payment a couple weeks ago.   

First, I want you to know how sorry I am that your group may not be able to cruise.   It’s a good lesson to learn that you have to research, research, research before booking cruises now.  Things have changed drastically over the past two years with all the restrictions and protocols.  Every country has their own set of rules, too.  Maybe you can get this all worked out, I sincerely hope so.

As for my other comment, it really is considered polite to acknowledge our replies with even just a simple “thank you”  when you see people are trying to help you.  When we don’t hear back for a day,  it looks like you’ve left us.   We understand it takes time to process all the information.  I see the moderator has moved your questions to a different forum.  Hopefully you can get your answers.  Fingers crossed that you have a wonderful cruise!

 

[Charles4515]

57 minutes ago, Mom&MeCruiseAL said:

We didn't know anything about Canada's restrictions until yesterday.  If it wasn't for these boards, we probably wouldn't have found out until we landed in Vancouver.  I am grateful for the info and knowledge shared here.  We have booked and planned this cruise for a over a year.  

 

 

The airline would not even  let you board the flight without ArriveCan. I find it surprising that you did not research Canada's restrictions until yesterday.  

[Charles4515]

15 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

 

Thanks for the info. I didn't know.

 

No wonder Princess ships have been hard hit by covid. No, I'm not rushing to hand money to Princess.

All the cruise lines leave it up to passengers to meet requirements and have proper documents. OP failed to do what should be basic common sense post covid. 

[cruiseryyc]

59 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

All the cruise lines leave it up to passengers to meet requirements and have proper documents. OP failed to do what should be basic common sense post covid. 

 

Exactly!!!  Highly doubt any unvaccinated folks will be allowed on the plane; they certainly won't be allowed into Canada.

[Lady Arwen]

A big problem is that people rely on groups, such as this, to do their homework for them.  The OP did say that they had no idea about restrictions until they read it here.  People need to exercise their due diligence when it comes to travel.  Do your homework before you book!

[Enzma]

But the real issue from onset is/was cruise line offering exemptions.without advising of port/country rules and laws.this could possibly be inexperience or total lack of information