Vancouver cruise terminal

[amandas friend]

How early can you begin to check in with HAL at the cruise terminal? Thanks 

[Crew News]

23 minutes ago, amandas friend said:

How early can you begin to check in with HAL at the cruise terminal? Thanks 

HAL can begin processing new passengers as soon as all of the ship's passengers have disembarked and confirmed by local authorities.  My experience is that the hallway of the Convention Center begins filling with passengers a bit after 10:00 AM with the HAL entrance opened for in-processing as soon as the local authorities allow (before 11:00 AM).

 

Of course, luggage may be dropped off at the cruise terminal downstairs from the Convention Center around 10:00 AM before walking back upstairs to the Convention Center for HAL check-in processing.

[amandas friend]

21 minutes ago, Crew News said:

HAL can begin processing new passengers as soon as all of the ship's passengers have disembarked and confirmed by local authorities.  My experience is that the hallway of the Convention Center begins filling with passengers a bit after 10:00 AM with the HAL entrance opened for in-processing as soon as the local authorities allow (before 11:00 AM).

 

Of course, luggage may be dropped off at the cruise terminal downstairs from the Convention Center around 10:00 AM before walking back upstairs to the Convention Center for HAL check-in processing.

 

[amandas friend]

Thanks 

[Crew News]

16 minutes ago, amandas friend said:

Thanks 

I will be passing through the Vancouver cruise terminal twice in the next month and will report back what I experienced.

[amandas friend]

4 minutes ago, Crew News said:

I will be passing through the Vancouver cruise terminal twice in the next month and will report back what I experienced.

 

[amandas friend]

Thank you. ☺️ 

[C 2 C]

The Vancouver terminal can be quite the challenge.

I've heard reports that pax from every cruise line get in line for immigration screening.

There is not necessarily a line for HAL or Celebrity or Royal.

We always show up early.

[martincath]

Honestly, the best question isn't so much 'how early can I check-in?' as 'how efficiently can I check in?'

 

As already mentioned, you can drop bags before check-in begins - but you can then leave and enjoy yourself for hours before coming back after the queues have died down! The first people aboard will have waited maybe two hours for that privilege; even folks unlucky enough to roll in on Amtrak or a late morning flight who arrive in the peak 11am-1pm hours probably spend less time on average in the terminal than those early-arrivers do, although they may spend 90+minutes slowly shuffling through the queues rather than sitting down in a waiting room for 90mins then moving quickly through the security and CBP.

 

But show up late, when most folks are already aboard? It's easy to spent only 20 minutes curb to cabin, literally never stopping moving except when interacting with staff or kiosks at the various stages. Well worth the price of missing one 'free' sitdown lunch IMO! Even us locals can find things to do around town that are much more worthwhile than sitting in a cavernous room with a horde of other pax for hours, and folks who don't live here or visit often will find more things to do for tourists than in every Alaskan port put together!

 

The risk of showing up too late to be allowed to board is also basically zero unless you make a poor decision, like sightseeing over on the north shore (in theory it's a half hour drive back from Capilano bridge for example, but due to very limited bridge routes it can easily double just because of traffic, let alone if there's an accident). Sightsee around downtown, leaving the spots an easy walk back to the pier for last (Gastown, Harbour Centre are <10mins away on foot; FlyOverCanada ride is literally on the pier!) and you can shave the margins to maximise sightseeing time very safely - aim for 2 hours before your ship departs and you should hit the sweet-spot of as few other people around as possible but no chance of missing the ship.

[YourWorldWithBill]

Just a note to add to the reality of the Vancouver terminal: the challenge as @C 2 Csaid, is getting through that first security line. We like to go early and just manage to go through the long, long lines, but many follow @martincath's advice and go late. So, it's whatever you're comfortable with.

[badtwin]

And has been pointed out on another thread, you won't be lunching in the MDR anymore on boarding day no matter when you arrive.

[sunviking90]

We usually show up around 10:15 and we’re on board for lunch. The main backlog at Canada Place is the US customs processing for Alaska cruises. Fortunately they now have a Nexus line.

[amandas friend]

Please tell me what a Nexas line is. Thanks 

[*Miss G*]

3 minutes ago, amandas friend said:

Please tell me what a Nexas line is. Thanks 

 

The NEXUS pass gives pre-screened travelers expedited processing when crossing a Canadian or US border.  You may know it as Global Entry, which is included as part of the program.

[JLMcruise]

So we are coming into Vancouver on Celebrity - planning to get off the ship as late as possible -  check in our luggage for HAL at 10:00am (can you check luggage in earlier??) - walk into Gastown for a leisure lunch and getting back around 1:30pm for boarding the Koningsdam. Is this a good plan? I don't like waiting in line to board. Vancouver on previous cruise seems to be very "popular" and we had to sit for over an hour before boarding. I am not a good "sitter". Any advice greatly appreciated.

[martincath]

25 minutes ago, JLMcruise said:

So we are coming into Vancouver on Celebrity - planning to get off the ship as late as possible -  check in our luggage for HAL at 10:00am (can you check luggage in earlier??) - walk into Gastown for a leisure lunch and getting back around 1:30pm for boarding the Koningsdam. Is this a good plan? I don't like waiting in line to board. Vancouver on previous cruise seems to be very "popular" and we had to sit for over an hour before boarding. I am not a good "sitter". Any advice greatly appreciated.

Luggage drop is reliably available somewhere down in the parking levels by at least 9:30am - look for signs and some guys standing around with big cages on wheels. I'd suggest even later for your return - depends what time HAL departs, but even if they're on the earlier side like 4/4:30pm you can push it to 2 hours predeparture with total safety. If e.g. your Celeb vessel isn't leaving until 5 or later, they may have official boarding slots issued that run later than your new HAL ship, so especially if it's a day with a third or even fourth ship on top of those two it can still be pretty busy through to 2pm.

 

Depending what you want to eat, and if you want a view, outdoor seating, or only care about quality grub Gastown may or may not be the best place to dine; if it's a nice day and you like 'al fresco' the other side of the convention centre from the pier has restos with tons of outdoor seating and big windows, from decent pub grub (Tap & Barrel) to 'fine dining lite' (Cactus Club) for example, among several other food options on or above the Seawall, and these are all even nearer than pier than most Gastown restos.

[bundtkate]

3 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

Fortunately they now have a Nexus line.

Do you know if Americans with Global Entry can use this line, by chance? I started traveling to Canada for work fairly often and know we get to use the Nexus lines at airports when returning to the U.S. Curious if the cruise would be the same since technically, we're getting cleared to go to the U.S. in that case too ..

[*Miss G*]

18 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

Do you know if Americans with Global Entry can use this line, by chance? I started traveling to Canada for work fairly often and know we get to use the Nexus lines at airports when returning to the U.S. Curious if the cruise would be the same since technically, we're getting cleared to go to the U.S. in that case too ..

 

Since it is a US CPB Pre-clearance for entry into the US, it is officially called the Global Entry line, which NEXUS Pass holders may use.  So, yes, you may use the line, providing you have either a NEXUS Pass or a Global Entry Pass.  If it is available.  On my Alaska cruise out of Vancouver, the Global Entry line was unavailable to passengers.  It is up to their (CBP) discretion whether they open it or not.

 

Edited April 4 by *Miss G*
Clarity

[bundtkate]

2 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

So, yes, you may use the line, providing you have either a NEXUS Pass or a Global Entry Pass.  If it is available.  On my Alaska cruise out of Vancouver, the Global Entry line was unavailable to passengers.  It is up to their (CBP) discretion whether they open it or not.

Thank you and here's hoping! 🤞 I've heard the stories about Canada Place so I'm sure at least one shorter line would be a blessing.

[Haljo1935]

3 hours ago, bundtkate said:

Thank you and here's hoping! 🤞 I've heard the stories about Canada Place so I'm sure at least one shorter line would be a blessing.

Good luck - please let us know how it goes.

Safe travels- enjoy your cruise!

[Crew News]

There is a large underground food court across the street from the Convention Center to avoid the check-in rush for awhile.  There is also an escalator in the Convention Center lobby if you don't want to cross the street. Lots of tables and shopping/dining opportunities

 

The food court has a Starbucks, Terry Horton, McDonald's, Asian food, Mediterranean food, drugstore for toiletries, tailor shop, shoe store, etc.

 

[vicd1969]

12 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Since it is a US CPB Pre-clearance for entry into the US, it is officially called the Global Entry line, which NEXUS Pass holders may use.  So, yes, you may use the line, providing you have either a NEXUS Pass or a Global Entry Pass.  If it is available.  On my Alaska cruise out of Vancouver, the Global Entry line was unavailable to passengers.  It is up to their (CBP) discretion whether they open it or not.

 

Last August, the Global Entry line was not available to me either. So it was a 1.5+ Hour slog through CPB in Vancouver. I felt the non-North Americans had the advantage of a faster process when the long single line diverged into lanes since there were a lot fewer of them. Glad to see that they now have kiosks to expedite the process.

[*Miss G*]

6 minutes ago, vicd1969 said:

Glad to see that they now have kiosks to expedite the process.

 

Those kiosks rejected me and sent me to the back of the “World” line for a face-to-face…. After waiting a good 1.5-2 hours in the Canada/US line! 😠  Well, 😤.  That World line was slow-moving so I asked the roaming officer if GE people had to wait through yet another line.  He hesitated, then said I could go through the handicap line since there was no one there.  Others who had been rejected at the kiosk piped up and said “We’re GE too!”  So then we became another line.  😂

[Woofbite]

16 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

The NEXUS pass gives pre-screened travelers expedited processing when crossing a Canadian or US border.  You may know it as Global Entry, which is included as part of the program.

I think NEXUS costs $50 for U.S. citizens. 

[*Miss G*]

37 minutes ago, Woofbite said:

I think NEXUS costs $50 for U.S. citizens. 

 

$50 for US citizens, Canadian citizens, US and Canadian Permanent Residents, and certain Mexican nationals.  But not for long.  As of October 1st, the price goes up to $120 and will be harmonized with GE.