Help! Does US Direct really work!

[stuNYC]

I just received my docs for my 7/27 alaska mercury sailing.

 

I haven't traveled "internationally" recently. Does US Direct really save you time going through customs in Vancouver?

 

I have never used Celebrity transfers. It sounds too good to be true. I am worried though about my bags getting lost, especially if I have to attach both the airline and the celebrity luggagge tags besides my own.

 

Am I just paranoid

 

I had planned on taking a taxi from the airport; but this sounds so much easier, especially since my wife is in a wheelchair, I will have two small carry on bags to deal with rather getting my own luggage.

 

How does it work when you get off the ship and go back to the airport, since people are going on different flights.

 

Do your bags reliably get to the ship/ on the plane without getting lost.

How long do you have to wait for a bus to transport to/from the ship.

 

I would be grateful for Pros/Cons/ Your experiences positive and negative

 

I wonder if I still can sign up for transfers so late

[curiouskat]

We used US Direct from Los Angeles. Although LAX was a mess, once we checked in our luggage we didn't have to worry about it. We applied the cruise tags prior to checking them and our bags arrived at our stateroom without a hitch. When we arrived at Vancouver we were directed to a waiting area where they checked our passports and then they led us downstairs to wait for our bus. If memory serves me correctly I believe it was less than an hours wait for our bus. Our bus driver gave us an informative narrative of Vancouver and was quite entertaining.

 

On leaving the ship, you have to sign up for "Luggage Valet" inorder to participate in US Direct. This costs $20 per person. We signed up on Wednesday and then the airlines have to approve you. For some reason my sister wasn't approved and they had to go thru customs. They collected our luggage the night before departure and we didn't see them until we arrived at our home airport. Once again without a hitch. It was well worth the $20 for me. My sister and her family took about 2 hrs longer to meet up with us at Vancouver airport.

[wa.mama]

US direct was amazing. We left our large amount of luggage outside the cabin door and did not see it again until we landed in Seattle. Other family members who did not use it had to collect their luggage in Vancouver, lug it onto the shuttle, lug it into the airport, lug it off at customs, take it through customs with them, put it on another baggage carousel again to get onto the airplane, then finally take it off the carousel at home. IF you overpacked like we did it would be a nightmare. Do it! Best bargain of the trip.

[PennyAgain]

Very long! You are cleared of US Customs in the Vancouver airport. Also US Immigration. Add that to all the regular airport check in routine...... you guessed it. Fatigue!

 

Avoid it if you can.

[Shirley and Les]

US Direct was great :) in summer of 2005. We checked our luggage at the Pittsburgh airport and the suitcases were sitting outside our cabin door when we arrived on the ship. I think it was less than 1-1/2 hours from the time the aircraft touched down in Vancouver until we were on the ship. Forty-five minutes at the Vancouver airport, half hour bus ride and fifteen minutes to check in at the ship.

I shared your concern about losing luggage but it all worked just fine. I definitely would do it again.

Les

[goldearrings]

There were long, long lines in customs -at least 200 people ahead of us. Some people chose USA direct, where the cruise line takes you through, directly to the ship. In hindsight, if we had limited time to get to the ship, we should have chosen this method. No hassle and MUCH FASTER. Our regular method took 3 hours from arrival to cabin door.