Cruising ex Boston - are there formalities entering Canada non-USA citizen

[lissie]

Hi we have New Zealand passports. We have Canadian ETAs (not required for cruise arrivals but are  required as we fly in after the cruise) . Our first stop is Sydney and we are picking up a car  I'm wondering if our arrival will be delayed for immigration formalities.  Can any  Commonweath citizens comment ? 

[tring]

2 hours ago, lissie said:

Hi we have New Zealand passports. We have Canadian ETAs (not required for cruise arrivals but are  required as we fly in after the cruise) . Our first stop is Sydney and we are picking up a car  I'm wondering if our arrival will be delayed for immigration formalities.  Can any  Commonweath citizens comment ? 

 

I very much doubt you will be delayed as delays are usually only encountered entering the USA and to a lesser extent Russia, when travelling from the UK, though no one will be going to Russia for a very long time.  Last time we went to Canada was about 6-7 years ago and we had to fill in a form on the ship before our arrival and I am pretty sure we returned it to reception, with all then sorted by them.  We needed photo ID ashore with us, which was checked by the Canadian port staff on return to the ship.  We did not want to take passports ashore, but our official OAP bus passes where accepted, so worth taking another form of photo ID  IMO.

 

The USA requires a face to face interview on the ship for us, so if on a UK based ship, that process can easily last until after midday, (even if the ship only takes 2.000pax).  It has now dawned on us why we are two days in Boston next September when we sail the Eastern Seaboard, (Canada, USA, Canada).  I assume there will not be such big delay problem entering the USA on a USA based ship as not everyone will need that face to face interview, like they will on our ship.

 

Others should be able to give more up to date information, or specific for your nationality, in case it varies.

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by tring

[lissie]

Yeah Russia won't be happening anytime soon for any of us!   There is an online for for arrival in Canada by plane -but not sure if that works for cruise ships too. 

 

Yes I guess we'll have to go through customs again in Boston on return - but I've got heaps of time that day - so it won't be an issue. 

[tring]

2 hours ago, lissie said:

Yeah Russia won't be happening anytime soon for any of us!   There is an online for for arrival in Canada by plane -but not sure if that works for cruise ships too. 

 

Yes I guess we'll have to go through customs again in Boston on return - but I've got heaps of time that day - so it won't be an issue. 

 

DH deals with our immigration stuff, (he has to do something I do all the port research), and tells me that although we get an ESTA for the US, when we arrive we are given a three month visa at the the face to face interview, so once you have the three month visa, you should be fine on your return.  Also, as I mentioned, the problem with the ships we have travelled on is that about 99% of passengers will be UK nationals, so not just some of the pax affected.  I am pretty sure Canadians do not go through the same system, so overall there would be very few foreigners who would be affected on a US based ship anyway - they may even sort immigration at the port for them, instead of on the ship.  We have had immigration on the ship in other parts of the world, but their officials had come onto the ship before we arrive aat out first port, so we are processed on the previous port day, but the US immigration staff board after we dock.  Some variation in how long it all takes, but if we want to go off early we need to get there nippily that morning.  We will be sailing from/to the UK in September.

 

Enjoy your holiday,

 

Barbara

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by tring

[LHT28]

if arriving by ship

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

 

As Canadians  (which is different from your situation)  we did have to fill out customs forms

but do not recall if we had a F2F  at our 1st port in Canada

[1025cruise]

Generally speaking, the ship is cleared as a whole. If as a New Zealand passport holder you are required to have a visa, you won't be getting on the ship without it. But I wouldn't expect that you need to do a face to face.

[lissie]

11 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

Generally speaking, the ship is cleared as a whole. If as a New Zealand passport holder you are required to have a visa, you won't be getting on the ship without it. But I wouldn't expect that you need to do a face to face.

We don't need visas    just a passport according to the link given above  -so  we should be good to go 

[tring]

20 hours ago, LHT28 said:

if arriving by ship

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

 

As Canadians  (which is different from your situation)  we did have to fill out customs forms

but do not recall if we had a F2F  at our 1st port in Canada

 

18 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

Generally speaking, the ship is cleared as a whole. If as a New Zealand passport holder you are required to have a visa, you won't be getting on the ship without it. But I wouldn't expect that you need to do a face to face.

 

Just to clarify, the face to face and delays I mentioned was for the US, my second post, (#4),  continued from a reply by the OP about her return to the US. 

 

In Canada we just had a form to fill in and return to reception before our arrival in Canada.  We had to take photo ID ashore though once we arrived, which was checked by Canadian staff as we returned to the ship.

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by tring