ArriveCan?

[bortman23]

22 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

Yea, the ones that never leave their house and go nowhere I presume and never touch it. Every one of the hundreds of articles I read from Canada say its stupid. 

 

I'm sure you, as an American knows more by reading these "articles", than the majority of Canadians living here. 

[bortman23]

20 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

The million dollar question though is when? How soon before boarding the cruise do you need to be tested? Is it 48 hrs before or 72 hrs before?

 

I'll be filling out the ArriveCan for myself and my parents, but we're taking separate excursions - so hopefully I can figure out how to print out a copy for them to have separately as there will be no way for them to use their phone out of the US to pull this info up on their own. 

 

Honestly, I would just take a photo of your Arrive Can info using their phone(s)? If they have them. 

 

As others mentioned it's a 2 day window:

 

• the 2-day window does not depend on the time of day the test was taken or the time that you board
• for example, if your ship is scheduled to leave on Friday, you could provide proof of a negative result from an antigen test taken any time on Wednesday, Thursday, or on Friday

[debenson0723]

3 hours ago, jetact said:

I don't plan to get off the boat in Canada so why do I have to do it is my question. Seems worthless to do if you are not planning on going into Canada as we have to do all of the same things just to get on the boat. 

You may not plan to get off the ship in Canada but unforeseen circumstances could happen (hitting an iceberg) and you may have to get off in Canada. Better to be prepared than having to deal with issues that could arise...especially these days, it seems.

[NW Pacific]

Know we will have to struggle through this , but since getting on the Ship (NCL) vaccinations required and passports.  Their manifest would show this arriving for a 4 hour visit to Canada.  Sooo much over the top for me.  We don't plan to leave the Ship in Victoria, but for those who do, do you need the QR code with you to take an excursion.     I think the 72 hours   PCR test is for unvaccinated kids under 12??  the antigen test the quick one, 48 hours??  But I have been so bambozzled with this Arrive CAN debacle,  am just shaking my head 

[LadyZolt]

5 hours ago, jetact said:

I don't plan to get off the boat in Canada so why do I have to do it is my question. Seems worthless to do if you are not planning on going into Canada as we have to do all of the same things just to get on the boat. 

 

1 hour ago, debenson0723 said:

You may not plan to get off the ship in Canada but unforeseen circumstances could happen (hitting an iceberg) and you may have to get off in Canada. Better to be prepared than having to deal with issues that could arise...especially these days, it seems.

 

If the ship is docked in Canadian waters, you are in Canada.  I believe generally, this is within 24 miles of a country.  So, even if you don't get off the ship at a port (any port), you are in the country if you're on a ship in a port in that country.  

[tallnthensome]

9 hours ago, NW Pacific said:

Know we will have to struggle through this , but since getting on the Ship (NCL) vaccinations required and passports.  Their manifest would show this arriving for a 4 hour visit to Canada.  Sooo much over the top for me.  We don't plan to leave the Ship in Victoria, but for those who do, do you need the QR code with you to take an excursion.     I think the 72 hours   PCR test is for unvaccinated kids under 12??  the antigen test the quick one, 48 hours??  But I have been so bambozzled with this Arrive CAN debacle,  am just shaking my head 

I literally just started and completed Arrivecan this morning for my family of four on my Android Galaxy phone. No issues so fear not. Download the app for Apple or Android. Take some photos or scans on your phone of your vaccine cards beforehand. Fill in your cruise information for guest one, you. Answer all the questions and you'll upload the photo for your vaccine card. I entered my passport information manually. Add traveler and repeat the process. They will email you QR code when complete. Took 15 minutes from start to finish so don't worry. I will still say this is way over the top for a four hour stop in Victoria where most won't even get off the ship including us. I will not spend ia dime in Canada with this unnecessary nonsense in place. The cruise already has all this information. 

[d9704011]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

I literally just started and completed Arrivecan this morning for my family of four on my Android Galaxy phone. No issues so fear not. Download the app for Apple or Android. Take some photos or scans on your phone of your vaccine cards beforehand. Fill in your cruise information for guest one, you. Answer all the questions and you'll upload the photo for your vaccine card. I entered my passport information manually. Add traveler and repeat the process. They will email you QR code when complete. Took 15 minutes from start to finish so don't worry. I will still say this is way over the top for a four hour stop in Victoria where most won't even get off the ship including us. I will not spend ia dime in Canada with this unnecessary nonsense in place. The cruise already has all this information. 

Well done and thank you for your grudging cooperation.

[tallnthensome]

41 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Well done and thank you for your grudging cooperation.

Oh, you're welcome. Interesting, while working here in Detroit every day I watch cars flow in from Canada through the tunnel and bridge into the USA without this nonsense  but if WE go that way let the inconvenience begin. Sounds like customs just LOVES this silliness.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/windsor-arrive-can-app-border-1.6527437

 

 

[Homosassa]

13 hours ago, bortman23 said:

 

As a Canadian I can say that the majority of the population are not laughing at it. It's far from perfect, but I've used it many times for cruises, flights, driving and had Zero issues. My only complaint is there should be an easy solution for individuals who struggle with tech (or are unable to complete it without assistance), eg Kiosks at airports etc. 

 

The best advise I can give is to register an account well in advance, and get your traveler, vaccine, passport information into there asap. Then all you need to do within 72 hours is just enter in your travel data. Using the app will "link" your info to your passport (at least that's how it is for Canadians), and you won't even need to show anything (they'll already know if you completed it or not)

 

I'm not sure if it will be going anywhere soon. There was a recent update to the app, adding the ability to make your CBSA (aka Duty) Declaration in advance of arriving at select airports. They did this to speed up the process of getting through customs (a huge pain point). I know they are looking at digital solutions to speed things like this up.

 

The system works well for entering at Vancouver Airport. We have passports and are vaccinated and double boosted.  We were cruising on the Celebrity Millennium the next day, Vancouver to Seward.

 

I used the app on my I-Phone (and no one is more fumbled fingered and tech incompetent than I am). My only problem was getting my husband's passport to scan accurately so that there were no mistakes in name spelling).

 

I also used the option to complete the CBSA on line before arriving at the airport.

 

After landing at the airport, we followed the signs to Customs and Immigration where you were directed to either the US passport kiosk area, or two other areas for Canadian passports, and I believe, a general other line.

 

I was only focused on the US passport area so I have no idea of where the other lines went or what the travelers had to do.

 

At the kiosk, I was directed to scan the passports of everyone covered by the same ArriveCan receipt.  I verified everyone named was present, we checked the health information (similar to the cruise ship form at the pier), and then had our pictures taken by the scanner. A paper receipt with our pictures and names was printed out.

 

No need to show the ArriveCan receipt or the CBSA form, it was electronically attached to our passport information.

 

The only mistake I made was not realizing that for the photos, a name was displayed before each photo was taken (this was at 5 PM PT and we had been up since 4 AM ET so was bleary eyed at this point.)  The receipt had our names switched under the photos and I had no option to correct.

 

We left the kiosk area and handed the printed receipt to the I & C officer and said something about the name switched under the photos. She just laughed, said it happens and that they had all the information they needed in the system if they had to find us.

 

We picked up our luggage and then went through US I& C. That officer scanned our passports, asked how long we planned to be in Canada (one day, boarding a cruise ship the next day). He asked for the name of the cruise ship which he entered into the system and told us we were free to go.

 

That was it, no need for the ArriveCan at the pier as all the information was available when our passports were scanned at the pier.

 

No need to have the ArriveCan receipt in hand for any port  as any Canadian official clearing the ship for port entry had all the information in the system regarding the ArriveCan status of everyone in board (whether going ashore or not).

 

No need for US I & C clearance when debarking  in Seward.

 

 

 

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

Oh, you're welcome. Interesting, while working here in Detroit every day I watch cars flow in from Canada through the tunnel and bridge into the USA without this nonsense  but if WE go that way let the inconvenience begin. Sounds like customs just LOVES this silliness.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/windsor-arrive-can-app-border-1.6527437

 

 

Perhaps a reading of the information on the ArriveCan website for those making frequent border crossing would help you get over those feeling of being unfairly picked on.

[d9704011]

2 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Oh, you're welcome. Interesting, while working here in Detroit every day I watch cars flow in from Canada through the tunnel and bridge into the USA without this nonsense  but if WE go that way let the inconvenience begin. Sounds like customs just LOVES this silliness.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/windsor-arrive-can-app-border-1.6527437

 

 

I guess by 'WE' you meant Americans.  You're not that special... Canadians are just as inconvenienced once we cross the border.  Oh, don't forget that not so distant past when everybody entering the US by air had to be tested;  there are plenty of inconveniences to share around and I suspect some of them will become solidly entrenched (much like post 9/11 at airports).

[kylenyc]

My experience, yours may vary. As an American who's made frequent border crossing into Canada including this year, I've never had an issue a crossing. 95% of the agents are pleasant and even the 5% are entitled to have a bad day. There have even been occasions where the border agent didn't ask to see the ArriveCan app or paper work because they already have it in their records (although I'd recommend taking screen shots with your phone, and print out everything there is to print out and have the hardcopies in hand ready for the agent). They already know everything there is to know about every US traveler presenting a valid passport... Whether you're right or left handed, whether you stole cookies out of the jar as a child, whether you called Trudeau mean names on social media, etc.

Greeting the agent with a patient and polite disposition no matter how long or difficult your travels, or how long the line is at the crossing, and respect for the customs of country you are visiting goes a long way to ensuring a pleasant crossing.

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by kylenyc

[Sailing12Away]

19 hours ago, bortman23 said:

 

Honestly, I would just take a photo of your Arrive Can info using their phone(s)? If they have them. 

No phone for my dad, who will be traveling independently from my mom some days. So I'll have to just make sure everyone has their own printed copy of a QR code and hope for the best.

[disneyliz]

I just got off the Bliss yesterday...I was able to do the ArriveCAN stuff beforehand on the app on iPhone, but did notice that there were many people who did not have that done and they were rerouted when checking in and there were very kind NCL staff that helped those people get it all done right then. You HAVE to do it...whether you get off in Victoria or not. 🙂

 

[bookbabe]

On 8/7/2022 at 4:51 PM, Sailing12Away said:

No phone for my dad, who will be traveling independently from my mom some days. So I'll have to just make sure everyone has their own printed copy of a QR code and hope for the best.

Are your parents entering Canada separately?  ArriveCan is only for the actual border crossing from another country into Canada.  
 

For cruises, it’s shown at embarkation of the cruise that enters Canada at some point during the trip, and that’s the only time you’ll need it.  They don’t physically check it when getting off the ship at the actual ports because they’ve gotten the info electronically from the cruise line in advance via the ship manifest.

 

 

[Sailing12Away]

They're entering the ship separately from us, so that's why I want them to have their own documents. Everything I keep seeing says that everyone on the same ArriveCan form needs to be together, which we won't be.

 

I just filled out the first half for us, but it's too soon to complete the rest. The only problem I have is where it asks for your first port of entry. Our first stop in Canada is Charlottetown PEI. That's not listed as an option for the available ports of entry.

 

Do I pick the yacht club in Charlottetown since it's the closest to the cruise ship port? 

[bortman23]

5 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

They're entering the ship separately from us, so that's why I want them to have their own documents. Everything I keep seeing says that everyone on the same ArriveCan form needs to be together, which we won't be.

 

I just filled out the first half for us, but it's too soon to complete the rest. The only problem I have is where it asks for your first port of entry. Our first stop in Canada is Charlottetown PEI. That's not listed as an option for the available ports of entry.

 

Do I pick the yacht club in Charlottetown since it's the closest to the cruise ship port? 

 

Odd. Is that the only thing that comes up when you search Charlottetown, or PEI, or Prince Edward Island?

[Sailing12Away]

9 hours ago, bortman23 said:

 

Odd. Is that the only thing that comes up when you search Charlottetown, or PEI, or Prince Edward Island?

Yes. At the start of the form there are only 3 options - none say "cruise" so I went with marine.

 

If you search for "Prince" this is what shows up.... Prince Edward Yacht Club is no where near where we are actually entering Canada as it isn't even on Prince Edward Island. It's about 14hrs away and closer to home back near NY.

 

Nothing shows up at all if you search "PEI", and this is the options for "CH..."

 

Someone else had mentioned there was a different website for cruise travel to Canada, but there was no link (that I could find) to a different ArriveCan website through there. All the discussions here on CC are for the Alaska sailors with a stop in Victoria. Looks like we'll be one of the first guinea pigs traveling the East coast and having to sort this out.

[Sailing12Away]

Ironically, if I search "cruise" the only options that show up are on the West coast. So not sure what us on the East coast are supposed to do, other than settle for the Charlottetown Yacht Club.

[bookbabe]

Try searching for Port Charlottetown…it may be listed under the P’s not the C’s.

 

And you can likely have them show the same ArriveCan receipt (printed out or a forwarded email) to the cruise line port officials at embarkation.  The Canadian govt won’t care that you boarded the ship at different times on embarkation day, you’ll all be arriving in Canada at the same time, which is what they care about.

 

[Sailing12Away]

1 hour ago, bookbabe said:

Try searching for Port Charlottetown…it may be listed under the P’s not the C’s.

 

And you can likely have them show the same ArriveCan receipt (printed out or a forwarded email) to the cruise line port officials at embarkation.  The Canadian govt won’t care that you boarded the ship at different times on embarkation day, you’ll all be arriving in Canada at the same time, which is what they care about.

 

Nope. Unless any of these look familiar to you. You may be more versed in knowing what's what than I am. 

 

[bookbabe]

17 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Nope. Unless any of these look familiar to you. You may be more versed in knowing what's what than I am. 

 

It should be Port Charlottetown.  No idea why it’s not listed.

https://portcharlottetown.com

[bortman23]

1 hour ago, bookbabe said:

It should be Port Charlottetown.  No idea why it’s not listed.

https://portcharlottetown.com

 

Yeah that's really bad tbh, if they want you to fill this out they should give you the options you need. 

[complawyer]

just got off the bliss last week. on the 1st or 2nd day we were given the form for canada. never heard about it again after that. no problem either way, we were staying on the ship to have a nice, romantic leisurely dinner at cagney's

[Sailing12Away]

1 hour ago, complawyer said:

just got off the bliss last week. on the 1st or 2nd day we were given the form for canada. never heard about it again after that. no problem either way, we were staying on the ship to have a nice, romantic leisurely dinner at cagney's

Yeah, but you're on the opposite coast from where I'm sailing. There's 2 different cruise port options for ships stopping in Victoria. For me on the East coast... none. At least none that are truly accurate and correct.

 

Guess I'm an honorary yacht club member for the day?