em-sk

17 hours ago, 40yearcruiser said:

Oops! We will be there on Friday, Sept. 9. By the time I realized my mistake I was too late to edit.

Sunset in Victoria for Sept 9 is around 7:30, so yes it will be dark. 

The area near the cruise ship terminal is mostly residential and it is a short 20 minute walk into the inner harbor.  It is safe to be out at night and the street are well lit.  The parliament building and inner harbor are all lit up at night. 

Other than restraints and bars there is just not going to be a lot going on at that time of night.

12 hours ago, gilliansp said:

Thanks so much for this great info. Booked the Radisson, figured it made sense if we had the energy to go out for a walk instead of paying the extra for the airport convenience.

The Radisson is a good choice.  If your into the Casino, the River Rock is also an option. 

On 7/30/2022 at 8:35 PM, Ferry_Watcher said:

These visas would be in passports from India, South American countries, The Philippines, etc - the ones that I am guessing that cruise passengers submit their passports and two photos to the Canadian Embassy. 

 

Not  countries like the EU, Japan, Oz, NZ, etc

 

As I said, it was surprising to see a full page Canadian visa without a photo.

As a Canadian with a Canadian passport, the only ones I have ever had done at an embassy was a Visa for entering Brazil and another for entering China.  The Brazil one had my photo on it.  China did not.  

As a Canadian entering Japan I have had a little sticker put into my passport on entry.  Not certain if that counts,  That did not have a photo.

As for foreign passports with Canadian Visas, the NAFTA work Visa issued by Canada at the border does not have a photo on it.  At least the ones I have see do not.  

On 7/6/2022 at 7:06 AM, FlyerTalker said:

Both long segments will be on narrow-body aircraft, so don't get the hopes too high on "first class".  One thing to consider is that "first" on Westjet is the same seat as in coach, in a 3-3 config, but with the middle blocked off and a bit more legroom.  On DL, you would get a wider seat in a 2-2 config.

 

I would also go with the SEA connection - the connect would be domestic to domestic with I&C at the end of the trip.  Also, the segment in F would be longer, so more comfort overall.

WestJet has installed business class 2x2 seats on their 737 and 787 aircraft.  Before COVID the still had a few 3x3 with the blocked middle.  However those have all be replaced.

I do agree having customs at the end instead of doing it in the middle is an improvement.  

2 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

You could be right. Or this point could refer to economy basic fares, as indicated in the following table:

 

According to the table, only economy basic fares are not eligible. Business is business. I could be wrong of course, and this is why I'm looking for someone who actually booked with the cruise line. I could call Aeroplan of course, but not every agent would know, I already had some agents providing incorrect information.

I frequently use Royal Bank Avion and book through Avion some times using points and sometimes paying in cash.  It is usually cheaper that booking direct with AC.  The deal the Royal Bank and Air Canada has is none of those tickets earn Aeroplan points regardless of what is in that table.  That was not always the case, a few years ago you use to get Aeroplan points based on that table.

Each cruise line will have negotiated its own deal with AC.

29 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

I'm paying for a business class flight to Silversea in advance, it's not an upgrade.

 

Here is a quote from Aeroplan - https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/aeroplan/status/qualification.html#/

 

 

They say that any ticket operated by AC or ticketed by AC is eligible.

 

But no, I'm not automatically making an assumption - this is why I'm asking for a feedback from people that maybe have been in this situation.

The fine print is at:

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/aeroplan/partners.html#/terms-and-conditions

Specifically: 

• Certain airline tickets are not eligible for earning points credits. These include, but not limited to the following;
  • Refunded, void, or unused tickets, including unused non-refundable tickets
  • Reward travel tickets or free promotional tickets
  • Travel agency/ industry reduced rate tickets
  • Tour conductors, companion tickets, Infant tickets (under age two)
  • Tickets purchased to carry excess baggage or special baggage such as musical instruments or to provide extra space for the primary passenger.
  • Single entity charter flights, unless otherwise specified.
  • Tickets issued at fares with rules that exclude the earning of points credit

The last point on the list is the issue.  We just don't know.  If the cruise line is access some special rates negotiated between the cruise line and the airline.    There are no shortage of special unpublished negotiated fares that you and me don't normally have access to.   For example the federal government or a major corporation like IBM would have worked out a special deal with AC.  They book into special fare rules we just don't have visibility into. 

10 hours ago, harryfat1 said:

Hi,

 

I'm trying to complete the ArriveCan app for our southbound Alaska southbound cruise that starts in Whittier and ends in Vancouver.

 

I have completed most of the questions in the app but I'm stuck at the part where it says "destination in Canada" (see screenshot below).  We will be flying home to US after disembarking from Canada Place so we don't have hotel stay or friends stay info.  I tried to say we are "returning home" but all the addresses are in Canadian provinces.

 

So do I check "other" and use "Canada Place" even though technically we are "not staying" there as in the hotel in Canada Place?

 

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

Harry

 

Not certain what the correct answer is.  

If it were me I would just enter the airport. For the Vancouver Airport that would be:

Description: "YVR - Same day departure to US "  

Street Name: 3211 Grant McConachie Way

City Richmond, BC

V7B 1Y7 

8 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

It was curious that there wasn't a picture on the visa.  Passports that have a Canadian visa are collected and sent on board the ship so the Canadian officials can look at them.   Hopefully if there is anything truly irregular about this visa the Canadian officials will catch it.

Thanks!

It depends on the type of visa.   I think most visas that you apply for at an embassy have photos.  

I have worked with a few Americans that we had come in under NAFTA work visas.  The NAFTA visa is not issued at an embassy ahead of time.  It is issued on arrival into Canada at the airport or ground border crossing.   The ones I have seen don't have a photo.  

6 hours ago, razor7_us said:

It’s called a downline disembarkation.  It can be done, in the past, if the country your friend disembarks to allows it.  Covid protocols have mucked up many of travel plans and what was once commonplace is no longer allowed. RCI suspended this practice on all ships a couple of years ago.  If NCL allows this and a fee is involved from the pending country, you can bet that fee will be passed down to your friend.  You won't get a definitive answer on this forum.  Call NCL for guidance.  Can you post the progress/answer for your friend back on this forum?

Interesting. I googled it and there are a number of articles about the change. 

https://cruisefever.net/royal-caribbean-stops-downline-embarkation-early-disembarkation/

What is more concerning is that the RCI will not allow you to join the cruise downstream as well if your flight is delayed unless you purchase your flight from RCI.  

That tells me the reason they give "COVID restrictions" is simply not genuine.    If it were joining the cruise late due to airline issues would be treated the same if you booked your flight through the cruise line or not.  

18 hours ago, Lou_70 said:

Hi Folks!!  Sorry if this has been asked "probably numerous times now".  I have searched but got nothing I was looking for.  Most likely user error.

 

We are sailing RCCL Ovation of the Seas in two weeks.  We have nothing planned for shore excursions for Victoria, BC and most of the cruise stuff is sold out.  Does anyone have any recommendations on tour groups you have done and had success with?    We are open to anything fun and any budget.   

 

Thank you!!

What do you like?  

The mainstream tour in Victoria is a visit to the Butchart Gardens.  It is a bit of a drive out into suburban Victoria to get there.  Good visit if you like gardens.

Ogdon Point (where the cruise ship docks) is a pleasant 20 minute walk into downtown Victoria.  By that time of day many museums etc will be closed.   Lots of restraints will still be open.  There is fairly impressive architecture around the inner harbor. 

In google maps if you type Odgen Point to Legislate Building it will give you a good fell for what the walk is like.  

2 hours ago, Middleager said:

Good point.  The ship goes from a non-EU country to a EU country (Greece, then Italy) for several ports.  People would need to be properly immigrated into EU.  I don't know how that's done, but NCL has done that many times, and hopefully it won't be too difficult to find out how.

That is done by the ship purser.  When a ship enters a new country and local authorities come abord the ship they meet with the purser and ships port agent who presents all the paper work required to clear the ship and any passports that need to be stamped etc.

9 hours ago, Middleager said:

A friend is thinking to join us for a 11day  2022.11.15-26 Haifa - Rome cruise later this year.  She has a friend who might join as a roommate, but cannot get the last 2 days off work.  So the friend is thinking to just cut the cruise short, and leave the ship at the port on 11.24.   She called NCL and was told no you cannot leave the ship early, got to stay till the end.  Called again, another agent said the same thing, need to stay till 11.26 end of that sailing.

 

But sometimes people are late getting back to port, and effectively leave the ship early (ok they still have luggages onboard and it's a little more work to sort out).  Sometimes people have family/work situations and nwant to leave early.  If someone is getting off a port and takes their luggages with them, can the ship really banned them from leaving?

 

Can someone enlighten me.  Thanks.

I did this a few years ago on NCL.  It was a cruise that started in Rome and originally planned to end in Venice.  I was then going to fly to Paris for some business meetings.  

My business meeting were moved up at the last minute.  I had to shorten my Vacation.  Learned of the change about a week before the trip.  Called NCL to ask if I could leave in Istanbul instead of returning back to Italy.

NCL rep basically said, they did not know and it was subject to local immigration rules; it is discouraged.  They would need to relay the question to the ship pursers office. No one at corporate is going to answer the question, it would need to come from the ship.  A few days later NCL got back to me and said it could be done, but I would need to call down to the purser office as soon as I got on the ship.  

I was traveling on a Canadian passport, Turkey at the time required a visa for Canadian's entering the country unless they are part of an organized group such as a cruise ship.

The day before we entered Turkey, I needed to provider the purser with my passport and the $50 visa fee in cash.  She indicated they had quite a few people leaving in Istanbul. Some were crew, there was a group from the insurance company on the ship doing a safety inspection and a few passengers.  She would be presenting all the passports that required specially processing to the authorities when clearing the ship. I would be able to pick it back up from her office later the following day.  

Spent the day in Istanbul, came back to the ship before disembarkation to settle the account, pickup my bags and leave the ship.  When ship security scanned my room card it showed that I was leaving in Istanbul and they just asked if I had everything and had settled my account.

That was it, I was done.  

P.S. One item to note, is Itineraries are not guaranteed.  The start and end port are fixed to the extent they can be, but everything else is subject to last minute adjustment.

On 7/19/2022 at 2:55 AM, grillysgillies said:

I just received the following from NCL. This is for sailing out the 14th August. Just be aware if you are booking anything for this time to check as losing SPICE H20 is a big think if you like outdoor space to relax etc. There is now where else on the EPIC apart from the main pool. Also this is Adults only. Also they have the main parties out here at night. Glow, the white hot part etc. All will I guess be in the BLISS. Finally with the loss of that space there will be a rush on to find sunbeds. Why NCL have to do this is August in baffling. Also offering $50 per state room is an insult. 

 

 

 

 

It has been some time since I have been on the EPICS.  However there was always that top deck above the buffet.  Only one of the outdoor elevator goes up there from the main deck and on set of stairs.  It is quit up there. 

On 7/27/2022 at 1:45 PM, JDinWA said:

I used that link to make my reservation last week, so hopefully it should still work. 🙂 My initial email confirmation came from WestPark Canada Place, but a follow-up email came from INDIGO (CA) - VAN - Canada Place, so they're still tweaking the name change in various places.

 

They've changed the instructions, though. We used to have to scan the confirmation barcode on entry and exit. Now, it says " Effective August 15, 2022, you will no longer need to scan your bar code when arriving or departing." So I guess they're just going to manually check license plate# to see that parked cars have already paid...?

Many parking lots in Vancouver have moved away from gates and attendants.  Hard to find staff these days.  

They usually have vehicles with cameras that they will drive up and down the lanes.  The computer checks the plates against the database.

On 7/27/2022 at 4:52 AM, 54Carol said:

Stupid question, but ...  I know Canada doesn't have TSA in their airports.  What is it like going through the airport in Canada to US.  Is it just like US (take off shoes, go through xray, bags get screened, 3oz in liquids in bag, etc)?

In Canada,  CASTA is our equivalent to TSA.  They do the security screening going into the gate area.   

CASTA normally does not care about shoes unless you have metal in your shoes and it sets off the metal detector.  The one exception to the larger airports in Canada has US pre-clearance where you go through US passport and customs procedures in Canada before getting on a flight to the US.  In this case they require you to take off your shoes if it is going into the area where the US flights depart from.

CASTA also does not do ID checks the way TSA does in the US.  CASTA just wants to see that you have a valid boarding pass.  The airlines in Canada are required to do a photo ID check at the gate before your get onto your flight. 

In Canada some airports are setup where you do a metal detector check, if that goes off they take you over to a whole body scanner otherwise your good.  In the US they will do more body scanner and sometimes switch to using the metal detectors when TSA feels like it.

Liquids have to be in a little bag.  The limit is 100 mL or 100 grams packages and up to the number you can get into a 1 L bag.   We use the metric system is Canada for some things.  Slightly more than 3 oz in Canada.  Bags are on a stand near the entrance to the security area.

1 hour ago, Pearl64 said:

We are on(well, we hope) a Delta flight from Atlanta to Frankfurt on a Monday morning. We are then taking the train to Nuremberg. Can someone detail this process ? From what I have gleaned from the airport website we need to go from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. Where do we go through immigration and customs? Terminal 2? Pick up luggage with the hope it is there? Do we walk from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1? I read there is a bus or a Skyline. I also read it takes 30 minutes. Is that accurate? I appreciate any help as we will be trying to maneuver this after an all night flight.  We have our flexible train tickets already.

 

Thank you.

Lufthansa is having labour issues and Frankfurt is the main hub.

i think you go through passport control, then claim bags, then customs.  Exit follow signs to the train station.  There are walkways from both terminals to the stations.

2 hours ago, neeuqdrazil said:

I flew through Detroit to Cape Town (Toronto-Detroit-Amsterdam-Cape Town) a number of years ago, and while I didn't deal with the outside of security, it was a pleasant experience within the airport. 

 

Speaking of flights, I just received notification that my Westjet flight to London UK in November has been cancelled (apparently Westjet don't fly to the UK after the end of October?), so now I get to try to find a new flight (flying in a week early to spend some time in London prior to getting on board the QM2 to come back across the Atlantic.) 

WestJet is still flying to Heathrow but it looks like only out of Calgary.  They are scaling back their Toronto operations. 

6 hours ago, iancal said:

Alas...we live in Canada.  

 

Our banks excel at retail service charges but fall far short when it comes to credit card offerings.

 

In the past we have rec'd far better value from our Delta points and from our United points than we have done from Aeroplan over the past 10 years or so.

I use RBC Avion Visa card personal card and the AMEX Platinum as a small business card.  

The Avion points can be spent on any airline.  However the special deal RBC has with Air Canada is they don't earn Aeroplan points.  Still find the AMEX does.   The RBC Avion does still earn Aeroplan points on TAP Air Portugal and United issued tickets,   Not certain if that is by design or something not getting coded correctly.

As for Aeroplan, my strategy has been to put the Aeroplan number of the booking and earn whatever I earn.  I am not going out of my way to earn them.   

On 7/23/2022 at 12:08 PM, Angela2017 said:

One of the travelers in our party has a felony conviction on his record from 10 years ago.  We are set to leave out of Bayonne NJ on Tuesday to Halifax Canada on a 4 day closed loop cruise.  Will he be denied boarding in NJ or will he have a problem when he gets to the port in Canada?  Anyone experience this type of issue when cruising?  Thanks for any info. 

It is unlikely they would be blocked at disembarkation. 

If CSBA has an issue with the person they would be forced to stay on the ship. while in port.     

3 hours ago, Ilovesailaway said:

DW and I will be looking for a hotel after a return flight from Venice. We have a 2 week med cruise that ends in Venice. After spending a couple nights there we will return to North America landing at YYZ. Our flight gets in at about 8 pm so I am looking for a hotel near the airport where we could grab dinner and couple drinks for one night. We can pick our car up at YYZ and drive to the hotel or do the shuttle back and forth thing if that makes more sense.

Ty for any recommendations. 

 

The Sheraton Gateway that xcell recommended is great hotel, it has a nice restaurant. It is connected to Terminal 3.  No need for cars etc.  If your arriving in Terminal 1 there are free shuttle trains between terminals every few minutes. 

The free shuttle train also takes you to the Alt Toronto Airport Hotel that is located next to the parking lot station.  They have a more limited menu.  They have a wood oven pizza place in the hotel.  

Dixon Road has all the major airport hotels brands you would expect.  Most of these have shuttle busses.  

The Crown Plaza Toronto Airport was recently remodeled just before COVID.   There are a number of mid-market chain restaurants in the parking lot.  Jack Astro Bar/Grill and Boston Pizza are two examples. 

Should mention Boston Pizza has a very diverse menu and is part of national chain in Canada.  It is split into a Sports bar on one side and casual dinning on the other side. 

Across the intersection is Sheraton Airport Hotel.  Also a nice hotel.  In their parking lot they have a Chop Steak House which is nice.  Montana's is a more kids friendly steakhouse chain in Canada that is across the street.

Delta by Marriot Toronto Airport Hotel and Convention Center is also just down Dixon St and is nice.  It has a Japanese restaurant and a Lots 41 Bar and Grill. 

I have stayed at the Radisson Suites on Dixon  or the Holiday Inn East along Dixon.  It is cheaper, the rooms are fine.  The restarts are ok.  The one connecting to the Holiday Inn is more like Denny;s,.    I would walk down to one of the others like Millstone which casual dinning.  

The Bar & Grill style restraints like Lots 41, Boston Pizza and Jack Astro will likely be open until midnight.  The other ones may be closing an hour or two earlier.   

8 hours ago, iancal said:

We never seem to get loyalty points when we buy consolidator tickets from a TA.  When we buy basic fares from AC we only get 25 percent credit.

 

That comes down to the deal the consolidator made with AC.  These are generally unpublished fares and subject to the terms the consolidator and AC agree on.   I use to use RBC Avion Visa points for booking trips.  When RBC and AC negotiated their last deal it included dropping all Aeroplan points.   When I log into Avion Visa portal I can book AC flights with either cash or Avion points.  It is almost always cheaper than buying direct but without the points.

In the case of AA and Viking, the two likely have some deal to gets Viking cheaper fares but excludes points.

9 hours ago, brillohead said:

Not necessarily.... Delta changed my flight for my spring cruise bundle.  I was originally round trip MIA, but since I could change the flight because of THEIR changes, I was able to fly into MIA and out of FLL.  My first cruises were out of MIA, but the last cruise was out of FLL.  This saved me the cost of having to travel back to MIA, plus I ended up getting BETTER flights at no cost. 

Usually when the airline a schedule change , then all the repricing goes out the window.  The agent can book you into nearly any flight with space, within reason, at no cost.

On 7/20/2022 at 4:08 PM, Lena11033 said:

I live in Canada but am close to the border, I have a cruise in March and was looking at flights. If I fly from Canada it's at least $500 more than if I drive over to Detroit and just fly from there (not to mention it will be a direct flight).

 

Anyone have feedback on this airport and airlines? I typically fly Air Canada but looks like the options will be American or Delta neither of which I have flown with before

Detroit is a hub for Delta.  Miami is a hub for American.  

I generally like Delta and fly them more frequently than American.  That said, they are both about the same especially on that route.

Delta and WestJet partner with each other. If your in WestJets loyalty program you can credit points to your WestJet program.  However don't expect a lot from that loyalty program.

On 7/13/2022 at 5:17 PM, CaptainBazz said:

Then how do you know what the exchange rate is...and if it is not as good as your local bank then what?

It is going to be wholesale conversion rate + a fixed percentage that the bank is using as its markup.   Those markups are almost always through process that do not involve human interaction such as an ATM machine.  

Canadian credit cards usually add 2-3% margin on top of the wholesale rate when you pay for something using your credit card in foreign currency.  There are very few credit cards in Canada that don't have these hidden fees.  

Those exchange places, especially the ones in tourist locations can be hit and miss.  Some are good other have service fees and other things they hid in the transaction.

On 7/17/2022 at 3:26 AM, vivienne-j said:

Hi folks

We are on a cruise to Canada in September/October, and fine-tuning our needs now.  We have lots of US dollars left over from previous US holidays, but no Canadian dollars.  We won't need much - enough for tour guide tips, the odd coffee, etc.  Are we able to use US dollars in Canada?  I realise there's a difference in the exchange rate (about 1 Canadian to .77 US)  but just looking at it at the moment.

Thanks in advance!

Vivienne

Looks like a fantastic cruise. 

I will toss my 5 cents in  (since we don't cent coins in Canada anymore).

I live in Canada, very rarely use cash these day. I use credit cards everywhere I go.  That includes to pickup a coffee.