We did this 5 times at Canada Place this spring. We walked off the ship, when we wanted to, went into Canada Place terminal, were directed as INTRANSIT PAX to the right area, which was US Immigration. (1) Used kiosk to enter passport and photo, get receipt from the machine, walk to end where Immigration person takes the receipt OR (2) short line to desk to hand over passport to US Immigration person. Back to ship.
Notes:
Your HAL Intransit card is GOLD. Use it to pass through without lining up for anything else. Wave it around, along with your room card, make sure the people directing traffic ALL through the terminal see these cards. Otherwise, you might be directed first to the long X-ray line or to sit and wait with the new boarding pax instead of going straight back to the ship! This should take 10 minutes. Walk fast like you own the place :)
We went at 11 am the first time, big mistake. Let them get thing set up. Suggest noon to 1 pm when new pax will have been boarding since 11:30 am, the place will have calmed down and a few Intransits will have gone through. Never want to be the first ones.
If you want to leave the terminal, on return it will be some of the regular lines as when boarding, Nevertheless, wave the Intransit cards and your room cards around so they don`t send you to check-in, etc.
Thing change, nothing is engraved in stone. I think they should have this completely figured out by now.
Make sure you get the Arrivecan app filled out. Easy, for EACH ARRIVAL in Canada, and for when you board the ship
Any other questions, please ask. We check-in at 10 am, after a month cruising Alaska - can`t wait!!