FrogCruiser

If we fly into LAX about 2 pm the day before the cruise where would be a suggestion to stay that night?  Would like a safe (relatively anyway) nice place with some activity in the area such as shopping, restaurants, etc.  I'm guessing if it was between LAX and the Port of Los Angeles the total shuttle cost would likely be similar to just taking a shuttle between LAX and San Pedro Port.  Also post cruise what would be a reasonable flight time for the return home?  thanks for any info. 

On 7/13/2021 at 1:18 PM, marienbad said:

In the past Retreat guests had a special area to check in at a time of their choosing in spite of time assigned by the computer. Is this still the case?

Yes, Retreat guests checked in upon arrival at the far left of the check-in area.  The others queued up outside according to their arrival times.  I arrived at 1:10 for 1:30 - 2:00 check=in window and waited in the 1:30 line.  Others who arrived long before me but had later check-in times waited for their times, so don't come too early or you will be waiting outside.  I was probably about 50th in line and it moved fairly smoothly until they moved my wife and I inside to a specific check-in line.  Wouldn't you know it just as we were next in line at her station, she abruptly left and never returned.  They moved us to the back of a different line and that was frustration.  How do you left someone "go on break" during the busy check in time?  Regardless we had a great cruise, and disembarking was as smooth as can be with Customs having facial recognition and basically just a walk through and grab luggage - very easy! 

Houseboat Cruising...and others with interest.

I just got back from a 7 day Seattle - Alaska - Victoria - disembark in Vancouver with my GF who had a DUI about 1.5 years ago. We were worried about it as we had read the comments on CC and on the Canadian sites regarding entry into Canada with such a conviction, even though it was a misdemeanor.

Well, we had absolutely NO problem. We took the White Pass bus to Canada out of Skagway and then the train back down. At the Canadian border crossing a Canadian customs agent walks on board and you hold your passport next to your face as he walks down the aisle checking to see if you look like your photo...and who does?

Then we filled out Canadian declaration forms to get into port in Victoria whether or not you are getting off the ship. We turned those in attesting that we didn't have over 10,000 dollars and no fruit and such, burt no question about past conviction was on the form. We walked off the boat in Victoria and no one even looked at a passport except the ship folks made sure you had it with you as they scanned your sea pass to let you leave.

In Vancouver we got off the boat again with no ID required, got our luggage and went to the airport for the flight home. We cleared US customs in Vancouver after going through Canadian TSA without incident, and arrived back in the USA.

So in her case it was not an issue. Now, I'd love to hear from someone who entered Canada via plane for instance to get on a cruise in Vancouver and see if they had an issue as we might like to do that Canadian trip sometime in the future.

Our worry proved to be for naught !!!

Thanks for the reply... the attorney fee was 1500 to complete the application... the 200 canadian was 140 something in addition... I rounded it up to 1700 to avoid doing the conversion... Yea I agree it's somewhat risky, but the canadian source says it's up to the discretion of the officer whether to issue a TRP.

Somewhere I read the ship doesn't turn in the manifest to Canadian authorities until 96 hours prior to docking in a Canadian port.

Looks like worse case is the cruise line doesn't let us board, and we have a Seattle vacation and eat the return airfare from YVR.

I have a situation about the DWI issue with Canada I haven't seen addressed here, perhaps someone can share an experience.

I have purchased tickets for later this year for a cruise leaving Seattle, later stops in Victoria and disembarking in Vancouver.

I have purchased the tickets and air fare, and now find out about this issue.

I've been told by the TA that getting on the ship will not be an issue, but she can't answer my follow up. What happens in Vancouver? Since this is the end of the cruise we have to disembark.... I understand if we had flown into the airport in Vancouver, the agents may not allow us to enter and would then accompany us to the ticket agent and stay with us to ensure we get on the plane back to USA.... So if we get off the ship in Vancouver do they accompany us to YVR (free police taxi escort?) which is exactly where we want to go anyway?

I did talk to an attorney today who suggests a temporary resident permit but the total cost of that is over 1700 dollars with no guarantee it will be issued.

I guess perhaps if they don't let us off the ship we could stay onboard (cruise ship willing) and extend the trip for the next cruise on that ship - 10 days to Hawaii.

Perhaps we should cancel the cruise and head for a European cruise instead.

Has anyone experienced this dilema.... boarding in SEA and disebarking in Canada with a DWI?

Thanks for any comments...

4774 Papa: I'd be interested in learning what you've found out regarding private tours, I hate the large group en masse' tours of the ship. I'm booked on Solstice 9/2 Seattle to Vancouver.

Thanks all. It's a Aqua class. Is the 3 or 5 specialty package worth pre-booking? Agent said Aqua class can dine in seperate restaurant but I assume that is different than the specialty restaurants, no?

Have an aft cabin on Solstice this summer for Alaska.... can anyone advise me as to the type of furniture that is on the aft facing veranda? Is there a coffe-table or just a small cocktail table and a couple chairs? Lounge chairs of regular chairs? Thanks for any info.