martincath

Scootaround are the providers at Canada Place, and their cruise-specific page is here - that plus other potentially useful info is on the port website here. You can absolutely use the scooters off the ship as well as on - I can't imagine anyone who needs one onboard being able to magically do without after getting off!!! Their FAQs indirectly address this - they confirm you are allowed to use the scooters in foreign countries, so using American products in Alaska is just fine & dandy (though I assume the small print does cover some sort of 'you break it you pay to repair it' clause like with rental cars!) AK ports do have a bit less in the way of sidewalks than many - you'll definitely be fine getting on and off the ship (although if tendering, be prepared for long delays as crew move your dad and his scooter separately) and through most of the port towns proper, but do check into any excursions you plan to book to see what sort of terrain is encountered and if there's a wheelchair/scooter-friendly ramp or alternate path etc. Boarding small whalewatching boats for example might mean leaving scooter at dock and crew helping dad aboard, then him staying seated... I've seen folks on scooters in some truly unexpected places (I think that trundling about the desert in Jordan was the most double-take worthy!), so unless dad wants to try strapping his on a kayak to paddle out to a glacier, he shouldn't really have much hassle in Alaska ;-)

No need to apologise @topsailgirl- there are so many possible sources of info, even official sites change so what you read on Day X might be different on Day Y, all you can do is try to check direct with the official sites of government, cruiseline etc. to plan and then double-check again when you get to the ~3 day mark just to make sure no changes! At least ArriveCAN gives notice of changes, so you can check that maybe the week before you cruise to see if there's a planned upgrade close to your date, that might mean better to wait until the app updates than have to do everything twice!

Skagway - probably. All the wording of cruise exemptions does not seem to include an optional land border crossing ArriveCAN exemption, though it does mean you will definitely not be randomly Covid tested. Tour guides/bus drivers will know whether it's needed and be shouting about it if it is! Hopefully we'll also see some reports from CC members who have done bus tours over the border soon so it's definitive, but better safe than sorry if in doubt!!! Vancouver - nope, the ArriveCAN before boarding is specifically to cover your disembark in Vancouver. That's the Port of Entry you'll have to use when you're filling out the fields (unless you have a Victoria stop before of course, but those 7 day N/S cruises rarely do any Canadian ports except Vancouver).

Q1 - Yup, you 'Arrive in CANada' by air, with no Covid test needed at that point - so fire up ArriveCAN right now to get familiar with the app, add yourself, your kids, your spouse, and anyone else traveling with you (max 8 people per trip) as all the info about you, vaxx status, passport number etc. does not change and there is no time limit. Then when you hit the 72 mark preflight, do ArriveCAN with your trip-specific info (arriving by air, at scheduled time of that) and just pick all the people from your list of saved travelers. Easy peasy! Edit - since you are flying in, you may also get the delight of a free extra Covid test! If so you'll be sent to do that at the airport before leaving for your hotel... unless it's hellabusy, in which case you may be given a test kit to take away which must be taken within 24 hours. eMed type teleconferencing is built-in, and there are multiple drop sites around the city e.g. Shoppers Drugmart stores. Q2 - if it asks for destination address, which I believe is now required since the May 15th update, yes you would use your Hotel as that is the first local address you will have. Where things then get potentially woolly is your cruise - if the ship leaves Canada and does not return, you may be OK without a second ArriveCAN entry. Regardless, you CANNOT enter that trip until AFTER YOU HAVE ACTUALLY ENTERED THE COUNTRY BY AIR. ArriveCAN only holds ONE live trip, so if you add your cruise you over-write your flight, and now you get kicked out before you even get in! Once you are here, try entering cruise details - the Port of Entry is the important thing to get right, so if you are e.g. leaving Vancouver, hitting up Skagway, Kethcikan, Juneau, ISP etc. then returning to Vancouver at the end, it's the date and ETA for that last day... but if you stop at Prince Rupert, Victoria etc. then whichever is the first Canadian port, and the expected time of arrival there, is what you enter. Q3 - Getting OFF the ship is easy, the ArriveCAN trip you enter before embarkation includes the fact you get on AND get off, no second ArriveCAN needed. You will need to Covid test to fly back to the US, barring rule changes before your trip, but your eMed kits should handle that in your post-cruise hotel. And no to Q4 - you CANNOT mix'n'match, as the behind-the-scenes data storage is not the same. Start on the App, finish on the App; or ditto for using the Web version (NB: this is not Desktop specific, ANY device using a compatible browser can use the Web version - right now Internet Explorer does not work, but both Chrome and Firefox seem fine and I've heard Safari on Apple devices also works. Just turn off all your protective Anti-ad, spam, script type addons to avoid problems!) Since you are flying in first, you may want to use the Web version - as that allows you to also preemptively file your Customs declaration, a pilot being run at YVR for now that if successful will be added to App later on.

Your SCHEDULED embarkation time is the end of the clock for testing and ArriveCAN. They mention it specifically, Plain English, on the official Canadian Government page here. Flexibility is applied - but the time you should be entering is the one that is listed on your official documents from the line, e.g. if you are in an embarkation window of 2:30-3:30pm, put down 2:30pm on ArriveCAN. However, multiple reports of people managing to enter data 96 hours before that deadline for cruises! If it lets you enter the trip-specific data you are good - so give it a try at your precruise hotel 4 days before, if you can't get it done then try at the next one, etc. etc. There should be WiFi at the pier for folks to use, as undoubtedly there will be folks who still have no idea whatsoever about ArriveCAN... look at the thread over on West Coast Departures by @Ferry_Watcher for the shenanigans going on at Seattle Pier 91! If you download the app and prepopulate all the 'traveler info' long in advance (as in 'go do it right now whydontcha!), you will only need to add details of your specific trip (date, time, method and port of entry) then choose the people traveling from the list of saved travelers on your account. Literally a matter of a minute if you're familiar with the App!

Literally inside the terminal! As you walk out you'll see signs, possibly already long queues, to board taxis, buses etc. The QS coach will be somewhere in that area, very obvious given their bright colouring (scarlet? one of those 'red unless you are an Interior Designer or Artist' colours anyway!) And if you can't make the QS bus, you'd have already missed the 9am Amtrak anyway...

Or, if a 72 hour limit enables testing before leaving home, take a molecular test (PCR, NAAT, RT-PCR, RT-LAMP etc. etc.) at CVS (you have plenty of time to get the slow PCR lab test, which is generally in less demand than the faster tests, as results the next day works just fine if you're not cruising for 2 or 3 days). The full list of accepted molecular test types is buried inside some FAQs that can't be linked directly on the official site, but Flytrippers summarize all the types here without further clicking needed. Do note that the 72 hour cap on molecular is exactly that, they will check time not just date of test. Whereas 'days' in Canada for Antigen testing are the same as the US so '2 days before' means you can test on the day you embark (Day Zero), any time at all the day before boarding (Day One) or any time the day before that (Day Two) - so depending on flight times, and maybe testing online 24/7 rather than using clinics with restricted hours, you might be able to use Antigen tests in the wee small hours of Day Two before leaving too.

Quick Shuttle probably have newer buses, but it kinda depends - if it's a Cantrail bus, who operate the service for Amtrak, they're apparently quite new and comfy (a buddy is in a long-term relationship with a Seattleite and used them monthly for about three years, so this is second-hand info but from many trips). If it's an actual Amtrak-owned bus - they have their own fleet which is usually deployed to ferry pax around landslides on the track in this neck of the woods, so if demand is higher than Cantrail can provide on a given departure they might deploy their own too - then I have to say some of those are the crappiest buses I have ever ridden in a first world country! Despite my personal distaste for QS (entirely down to weaselly marketing/service in the past), in your situation I'd have zero hesitation saying they are definitely the safer choice, probably almost as comfy as the best Amtrak buses and very much definitely comfier than the worst Amtrak buses, and overall definitely the bus you should book.

1st ArrCan, yes - BUT you may not need the second one. If your first cruise does not enter Canada, we've already had reports that folks who still have some of the 72 hour ArrCan clock left at boarding time have not been asked to do a second if their cruises are to Hawaii or northbound AK with no other Canadian Ports of Call. Covid test for northbound cruise - yes, note that for PCR it is your scheduled time of embarkation on your paperwork that 'ends' the clock, so depending how much Pre-cruise time you have in Vancouver you may be able to do a PCR at home before leaving. ArrCan for Skagway - for you, definitely, as this isn't an excursion but a one-way tour entering Canada at this land border. Also note that the exemption to random testing for cruise excursions probably does not apply - but random border tests are free, telemedicine based, and include a courier pickup. However you are legally obliged to obey Federal rules - keeping track of all people you come into close contact with (easy enough as it'll be your coach full of fellow pax & guides, possibly hotel/restaurant staff) is the crux until your results come back from the lab, which could be several days given the remote location! Could be worse - it took 12 days for my results to come back the first time, the backlogs were so bad! Covid Test for Dawson City>US flight - yes, unless US changes rules then day of/day before Antigen is good for this, and bloody right that HAL should be organizing! The only place to collect test kits in Yukon is Whitehorse, so anything other than HAL handing them out should be grounds for mutiny!!! ArrCan for southbound cruise - no, this will like all other cruises require BOTH a Covid Test within the same timelines (72hr PCR/2 days for Antigen) AND an ArrCan entry before you are allowed to embark. If the timing of your flight leg above is close enough you won't need the test, but as the vessel you are on will 'Arrive in Canada' all the standard hoops apply. Once again, I would say given the awkwardness of personal test arranging in small towns up north, if HAL does not step up with kits to hand out/web connection or even have a qualified person to proctor the tests in-person with you all, then they are utter, utter bar-stewards who don't deserve a penny of your cash ever again! Covid test for YVR>US flight - yes again, though depending if you have post-Cruise time HAL may leave arranging this test in your hands. This I'm not sure on as no reports of the practicalities on the ground have come in yet. If you rent your own car, yes; with a RT train, definitely no (while it does enter Canada to loop back, nobody gets off so there's never been a passport requirement); with a bus... there are specific border hassle exemptions for cruise excursions, including no random testing, but I've yet to see confirmation whether that covers ArriveCAN also. Lacking that confirmation, I would always err on the side of caution and assume that yes, you'll need to do another as this is not an included part of the trip, but something you are choosing to do that not everyone will do. Given the data requirements are light, the time to enter one trip with all pax already entered into the app, this should literally take you a minute to arrange - maybe three minutes if you are fumble-fingered or have poor vision and are forced to use a teeny-tiny phone screen. You should be able to get domestic US phone service as you sail into port, and I have no doubt that enough trips have happened the driver/tour guide will be loudly asking everyone before they board the bus to check they have their ArrCan completed if it's needed!!! I'm just hoping that some of the folks who have already traveled this season can confirm whether they completed another ArrCan or not on a cruise excursion, and an Indy excursion by bus, to cross into Canada from Skagway... so far I've only seen a 'we rented a car' trip report, and for those I fully expected normal land border rules (as with a car, nothing to stop you driving on and not coming back whereas if your transport is a bus, everyone aboard is reasonably expected to return together in a few hours). You didn't ask, but I'm fairly sure, that doing this extra ArrCan at the land border does not cause problems with your existing filed trip on the ship, not due to get back to Canada until X days later - with cruising the data is sent to authorities by the ship as a 'snapshot' from your embarkation entry, with the expectation that all the pax are staying together until the final disembarkation rather than staying 'live' on everyone's individual account (multiple reports already that all early disembarks at a PoC have been refused this year, porobably for exactly this reason as Victoria usually has people getting off early who live on the island or want to tour before ferrying to Seattle...). The folks who took that rental car trip for example would have been pulled aside as they entered Canada if their land crossing had killed their previous cruise entry - each ArrCan account can only have one 'live' trip in it, you start another and it wipes the existing one, so this is one of the many 'special cases' I was waiting to see info about rather than speculate in advance... so that trip report confirmed my suspicions that your cruise data is kept elsewhere as a group. It also suggests to me that all land-border crossings at Skagway do need ArrCan entries - given that someone literally crossing the border to get cheap gas an returning in an hour, never having been anywhere except their own vehicle or outside at a gas pump, needs to do ArrCAN then a tour bus full of folks getting off to eat lunch, do dog-sledding, play with puppies, interact with shop & resto staff etc. in Canada are obviously a bigger risk (especially since Canada still officially deems cruising as inherently riskier than other forms of travel, witness the testing requirements which planes and trains and buses no longer need for vaxxed folks...) Sorry, bit waffly there!

If you're US-based, the simplest thing to do is probably to buy a pack of 'test kits with proctoring service included' like eMed. Princess sell two options for you (see their page here, scroll down to the question 'Where can I get a viral Covid-19 test near me?'), Radeas and Optum. But if you already have kits, like the freebies all households could ask for in the US, there are services which will proctor ANY test as long as it's FDA approved - e.g. rapidtestandtrace will take $20pp just to watch you take a test, or they'll sell you one or many testkits with proctoring . I can't recommend any particular service as better than another though - I've only ever used the Switch Health (Canadian) version at home over the internet, which was required to be used with my random border-crossing at-home test. From other posts on the boards, it seems like for families you might get better pricing buying bigger packs - I have seen folks mentioned 6-packs of tests that worked out to $25ish apiece including the tests and proctoring. The actual 'how to schedule' part will vary depending on the proctoring company, but basically you follow instructions included with the test kit. Go to their website, either book a specific timeslot on their calendar of availability or just join a queue of folks who want seen right away. We found that Youtube videos of the specific test were very informative - literally just search for the brand, type, even the bar code numbers on the box that you receive - and you can watch someone open that specific box, lay out the components, poke the stick up their nose the right way etc. etc. Since different types, generations, brands might have rather different instructions - e.g. we have had sticks with marks on, the observer has to see the mark disappear inside your nostril to know it went deep enough; others where as long as the 'Q tip' end was inside that was deep enough; sometimes it is 'swab cheek, then nose' and other times nose only; twirl around for 10 seconds or twirl around for 10 rotations... in short, there are no definitive 'this is what you do' as each test varies! Oh, and I'm good, thanks for asking - hope you and yours are healthy and looking forward to some vaycay time!

Wish I could, but it's never been updated on that page! However multiple posters have reported since the April update that they were able to input their trip-specific data between 72 and 96 hours in advance - but only if they were arriving by cruise ship, rather than using land or air entry options. There are just soooooooo many hits when searching, even using Google to search instead of the kinda crappy built-in Search here on CC, that it would take weeks to pour through them all and link you to the posts where someone specifically says "I just did this" - all I can say is that among the multitude of threads I read over the last few weeks an extra day's 'grace' appeared late April and was verified by a couple of 'I am about to cruise, so I will see if it works' folks. There's no risk except for a few wasted seconds if it turns out the 15 May update removed the extra day - the App and website both reject trip entries that are outside the threshold, so if it has been corrected you'll simply need to go back in again next day. For your specific trip it doesn't matter anyway - you can only have one 'live' entry, which means you are stuck with 72hrs in advance of your flight arrival as that's your first entry method. Even if you did it right before getting on the plane Sunday, the 72 hour clock would have run out - so you'll need to do a second one for the Cruise anyway, unless it's a Northbound-with-no-Canada-Stops-thus-not-actually-Entering-Canada trip...

Exactly - if you're here on a 3 or 4 ship day, cab queues peak at over an hour long and have gone over 3 hours in the past (it's almost 90 mins to loop out to YVR and back even if the cab immediately get another fare, we have a restricted number of cabs, and access into the pier is through one ramp for all vehicles so long story short, limited flow of cars...) If you're first off ANY ship, no worries, but you can be first off YOUR ship and have hundreds to thousands of other people who already beat you off self-disembarking other ships... they do not all get cleared at the same time and there's no way to predict if yours would be first or last of the day. Pier schedule is here - it does get updated, and with this being the first restart year there have already been more tweaks than usual, but mostly times of arrival/departure rather than dates. If bussing at 9am is your plan, to be blunt there's no real upside with Amtrak compared to Quickshuttle - unless you are heading to one of towns en route that are served by Amtrak but not QS. Depending on how many bags you might save a buck or three, but the lack of needing to go anywhere makes QS the safer option.

What Woody said - if you have a smartphone and are comfortable using it, then you could put if off until you get to Seattle just in case there's another App update (most recent version dropped May 15th), though personally I'd download it now, input all the non-trip-specific info about you and your travel group, then wait to do the trip-specific info within the time limit so you get comfortable using the App. If you would prefer to do on a big screen use the website at home before leaving - but again, go do it now so you get used to the format, there's no time limit on the People, Vaxx proof etc. Just choose which you want to do, as you can;t mix'n'match, beginning a trip on the App then finishing it on the website. You also get 96 hours as the pre-trip threshold for cruises rather than 72 hours, so unless you have a long pre-cruise stay planned you can do it old-school with a paper printout at home, no worries about phone batteries!

To play it safe @welshrich I'd be arranging an American-based test with proctoring - we have had enough reports confirming that Canadian authorities are happy to accept the FDA-approved 'free to all US citizens who ask for them' Antigen tests, provided they were officially proctored, but rather than take the risk that any test acquired in the UK will also be compliant I'd spring for something like eMed tests, which include x number of test kits and the fee for proctoring each bult-in. The crux is that the person who observes has to produce a report, in Canadian-Government-acceptable format, with type of test, time of test, results of test - and then get those results to you in time to board. Cruise lines have been allowing prepurchase of these through their usual channels for buying stuff onboard on advance, but that's something to check with RCI about...

While bus security is minimal, since you cross the land border (trains do preclearance here before letting you on, but buses you need to go inside to talk to CBP - almost always with your bags) it's still a bit risky. Self-Disembark slots usually begin after 7am, but depending on demand your vessel might actually enforce multiple self-disembarkation slots (we've had that happen to us, especially after short cruises when almost everyone has minimal baggage). There's a very good chance that even if you are among the latest self-disembarkers you will be walking off before 8am, and worst case you walk all the way that's 30-40mins. You could risk taking SkyTrain - the Expo Line platform is actually right outside the pier, the first set of stairs/escalator that we generally recommend visitors to avoid because it's not the Canada Line to the airport, but for you it's perfect as it heads to within a block of the railway station (Main St/Science World). NB: rush hour there are staff out to enforce rules, and big bags (or anything else that doesn't fit into your personal standing/seating space) are against the transit rules, some commuters do come over on Seabus and transfer to this line heading out of the core if their work is east of downtown so there's a chance you would get hassled about your suitcases - I'd take a cab, but if timing is tight and cab queue is long it may be a risk worth taking for you. Personally though, I'd book QuickShuttle in your situation - there's a 9am departure from right inside the pier. Even paying the bag charge you'll likely end up not far off the Amtrak bus price - weirdly enough Amtrak buses have always been pricier than Saver train tickets! - and if you are heading to SEA rather than downtown, by the time you factor in cost/time to get from Amtrak station in Seattle it might work out very similarly in price.

Good to know @oakridgerNancy - sounds like the unofficial policy has become officially unofficial if reception staff are informing guests over the phone!

PCR testing window is precisely 72 hours from time of test until time of your scheduled boarding. Since you're in EST, if you test at home that means Saturday 1pm boarding here would give you from Wednesday 4pm or later local time to take your test - but to avoid hassles with pier staff who might miscalculate that Florida is Ahead of Vancouver not behind, I'd say get it done Thursday morning - that way you have a valid period running into Sunday with no possibility of any confusion stopping you boarding! If you can still score a free PCR test in Florida, great - if you have to pay then for comparison the going rate is CAD$79+tax here, or ballpark US$60, for an Antigen test with PCR a lot more (and not needed for cruising). Taking an eMed or similar online test at home, or in a hotel here precruise, will save you a lot of cash if you're a family compared to lab testing!

Yes... ish. Biggest factor is how many other pax disembark, second biggest is whether you can handle your own bags (self-disembarkers come off first) as to how long the queue for cabs will be. Cabs are constantly looping in and out; Uber/Lyft I'm not sure what if any space they are allocated for pickups inside the terminal as they only gained approval 1 season before the Covid closure, and I've never used them... but worst-case you should be able to call for a pickup on the street just by walking a block or two (best to avoid tryin right outside, as the bottleneck of a single entry ramp for cars, taxis, buses etc. makes for godawful traffic on cruise mornings). Check your date on the official cruise timetable (link in middle of page - the PDF gets updated so I have not linked directly to it as it will go out-of-date). If you're on a 3+ ship day, or have one of the megaships with 4000 pax we occasionally get, assume a LONG wait for a car unless you're in the first batch of folks off. Also, if it's to get to a post-cruise hotel rather than the airport, fire up Google maps or similar - the majority of our hotels are downtown and the majority of those less than a mile away on nice, wide, sidewalks without many significant hills. It's likely more often than not quicker to walk to your hotel than wait more than 10 mins to get in a car...

With 5 days, bring tests with you and use 'telemedicine' - you won't come close to touching the pricing at any local clinic here, $79 seems to be as cheap as it gets, and by doing it in your hotel you avoid all the associated risks of queueing up with randos who may be testing because they are actually sick (in order to get a 'proof of having had Covid' certificate here in Canada you need a PCR test from a lab, so EVERYONE with travel plans is booking those to gain their six-month 'get out of jail free' card without any further testing expense and hassle). To board a ship or a flight back to the US though, Antigen is good enough and eMed and similar self-administered-while-a-proctor-watches-remotely tests only run about US$30pp... cheaper, more convenient, and reduced risk of ironically catching Covid while going to get tested for it? The only downside is onboard testing, unreliable internet issues - not a factor if you're on land... If for whatever reason you want a lab test though, this is the official list of approved providers. Personally I'd avoid CVM precisely because they are so convenient for the pier - everyone and their granny who is cruising is recommending them, so go somewhere less busy!

Whether this was a Victoria Port of Call or a Pre-cruise Vancouver stay, you have multiple whalewatching companies available. If you confirm which city (and any port time limits!) I'll add some links to book an indy tour.

Not sure who told you that - it's into October before significant movement of whales back southward happens, whether it's the Humpies off to Hawai'i or the Grays heading down to Baja. You'll have no problem finding enough whales before Labour Day - after that of course they disappear to go shopping for blue shirts, it's a real hassle finding a good tailor in Alaska with all the Diamond shops driving business rates up... ;-)

There's literally just one option in Cruise Season - Vancouver - and even here you need to order an entire crab 5o get it fresh. Keeping things that can be over five feet across alive in tanks ain't cheap, so out of season pricing can be scary. Given the general bump in cost of all sorts of food, the only prices I've heard bandied about this year even in peak AKC season was around $800-1000 for the meal. The bulk of that cost is the crab itself - you get 'free' rice, veggies, soup etc. and 3 courses of crab preparation included for up to 10 people in most restos offering it, with extra cost for extra courses and a very modest reduction if you have just a small group so they don't have to make as much other food. Hire a small private room and add a Squab course at Sun Sui Wah, you could easily be looking at $1200. Pre-Covid, you could find peak crab meals for more like $500-600. Still, the pricing is in CAD and if you have a group of 8-10 a hundred bucks a pop for a feast you will be able to talk about for the rest of your days isn't really that bad... the biggest problem is that once you've actually tasted legs that were actually cooked from raw with garlic stuffed inside, enabling the flavour to actually get into the meat, then dunking 'steamed at sea then frozen and reheated' legs into garlic butter just won't cut it any more ;-)

Technically, if you test after the cruise disembarkation, you're no longer under Federal rules and instead obey those of the Province. That means a 5 day, rather than 10 day, self-isolation period (NB: AT LEAST 5 days, you must also be free of fever, any symptoms of Covid that came on when you had it, and then be somewhat vaguely 'feeling better'! So for example if you have allergies, or had a cold pre-Covid that left you with a niggling cough, you don't have to be free of all possible Covid symptoms, the fever is the only one specifically noted). You are legally obliged to follow the guidelines, but unlike if you were +ve on the ship there's no longer any formal follow-up happening here in BC, no official 'report your case to X' etc. The main issue for you would thus not be the 'quarantine' but the requirement to meet US standards before you are allowed to fly home again - still 10 days and symptom free unless those rules have changed since I last checked... so in theory you could have a pleasant 5 days in BC, able to move around, sightsee etc. So if you hopped on a bus or rented a car, you could perfectly-legally cross the land border on Day 6 if you felt better. In terms of where to self-isolate, that's up to you to arrange - you'd technically be in trouble if you concealed your +ve status, and the recommendation is that you stay put as soon as you are aware you are +ve unless that exposes some vulnerable people, so if your post-cruise stay is at the PP then that's where you should stay. But if they kick you out you are allowed to find new digs - minimizing your contact with any other people, being masked at all times etc. etc. We have no official 'quarantine hotels' any more, very few hard & fast rules though a fair few guidelines, most relevant for you is you should aim to have food delivered (with a contactless drop at the door) rather than going anywhere. Seeking medical treatment or another emergency of course you're allowed to go outside for example.

You might have heard about one of the pre-Uber Seattle cab companies OP, who always offer flat rates X to Y - EastSideForHire or FlatRateForHire (website seems to be gone for the latter - merged?)

'Embarkation' is the only wording ever used on the official government sites - anything else is wrong. When you embark is the point where you cease to be an individual traveler and join the group of people trapped in a floating metal home together for the duration of your cruise! Furthermore, Canada has never had a 48 hour limit for Antigen tests - nor a 24 hour limit, nor any other accurate-to-the-hour timeline, we've only ever used Days. The only element of debate is whether pier staff will interpret it correctly or not should you be skating close to the 72 hour cap for Molecular tests - since Antigen tests use 'days' the exact time you embark or sail becomes moot, it's all Day Zero, any time whatsoever even 1 second after midnight on the previous calendar day is Day One and any time the day before that Day Two. Of course your cruise line might have different criteria - as long as they are MORE stringent then those apply, for example many kids over 5 must be vaxxed to cruise whereas the Canadian limit is 12 and over. Whether a day is 24 hours or not in that case is something you need to fight them about! So for your specific example - an Antigen test taken any time before boarding on June 23rd, any time on June 22nd, or any time on June 21st is fine by Canadian government rules. OTOH if your line has arbitrarily decided to institute a 48 hour cap, they can run it backwards from Sailway or individual embarkation time - this is always more stringent than Canadian rules as it cannot push the test validity beyond (same time of day) on June 21st. All the official rules, with specific examples that contradict both the bits of info you've been given elsewhere, are detailed in extremely clear English on this web page. If it contradicts your cruise line rules, but their rules are tighter, comply with the line's requirements. Quoting the relevant rule directly, copy/pasted just now, they've even anticipated the whole Actual boarding, scheduled boarding, Sailing issue by wording it as (emphasis mine): Proof of a professionally administered or observed negative antigen test taken no more than 2 days before you’re scheduled to board your ship