Jump to content

Vancouver to Alaska cruise on Mariner, US immigration process


Recommended Posts

Embarking in Vancouver on the Mariner and flying from Sitka via Seattle back to Vancouver as a non-US and non-Canadian citizen. Would appreciate any advice as to how the immigration process works when moving between the two countries. I’ve seen some old posts on CC about immigration happening at the hotel in Vancouver followed by transport to the port in sealed busses and other reports of long lines at the port terminal. Thanks in advance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that can answer part of this for you. Vancouver is a great airport and it is generally fairly easy to go through the immigration process. When you leave your hotel to join the Mariner, it could be a nightmare. It is just how the cruise port is. It seemed to take forever.

 

I am making an assumption on your flights back to Seattle and then to Vancouver. We have not flown from Sitka but generally when you fly from Canada into the U.S., you go through immigration in Canada for both countries. I know - this sounds weird but we do it all of the time. Going back into Canada should be the same as entering when you first arrive.

 

Note: We live 22 miles from Canada - 50 miles from the cruise port and regularly fly out of Vancouver. The U.S./Canada relationship is unique but good. We appreciate being able to go through U.S. immigration in Canada - even though we have to do it again when we drive across the border.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks TC, the Four Seasons. Any thoughts on what time we should leave by Taxi to have the best chance of avoiding the rush would be great. Its only a short cruise and keen to get on board as early as possible (no doubt like everyone else).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Embarking in Vancouver on the Mariner and flying from Sitka via Seattle back to Vancouver as a non-US and non-Canadian citizen. Would appreciate any advice as to how the immigration process works when moving between the two countries. I’ve seen some old posts on CC about immigration happening at the hotel in Vancouver followed by transport to the port in sealed busses and other reports of long lines at the port terminal. Thanks in advance

 

Well Alan, not sure why all the talk about Vancouver and US Immigrations there. Te specifically answer your question, Sitka is in Alaska and thus the US so your flight to Seattle will be no different than any domestic US flight. No immigration or customs. You will disembark your flight right into the terminal like any other domestic US flight. You will then board your flight to Vancouver again just like any other domestic US flight, no customs or immigration.

 

Upon arrival in Vancouver, will be no different than a flight from say Hong Kong, immigrations and customs then into the terminal to get to your next flight or to a hotel, etc.

 

By the way, just checked Sitka to Seattle and you will be on Alaska Airlines and no non-stops, You will change planes either in Juneau or Ketchikan for your flight to Seattle. Depending on booking, there are also flights with two stops/change of planes and hope you don't get one of those. Have a great trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks TC, the Four Seasons. Any thoughts on what time we should leave by Taxi to have the best chance of avoiding the rush would be great. Its only a short cruise and keen to get on board as early as possible (no doubt like everyone else).

Just walk! FS is a very easy straight shot slightly downhill along Howe St to the pier, less than 700 yards. If you have a boatload of luggage then a cab, sure. Either way you want to arrive well BEFORE 11am to ensure you beat the rush. The longshoremen will start taking bags no later than 10:30am - it's officially as early as 10am and on a quieter day even earlier than that. Check-in/Security/CBP doesn't usually start until 11am, so some time between 10:30am and 11am should ensure minimal queue ahead of you while also minimizing your time standing around waiting for everything to open.

 

Unless you manage to do all your sightseeing on your pre-cruise stay though, consider boarding late instead - small queues just like early, but no wasted wait time. With a hotel that close, so you can leave bags and get going right after breakfast, you can easily have 6 hours productive sightseeing if you wait to board until 3pm!

 

 

The 'sealed bus' transfers seem to be a thing of the past in either direction even to/from the US part of the airport, and I've never even heard of wangling that from a hotel - although if you throw enough money at CBP they will dispatch minions to ships to preclear people, so I guess it's entirely possible that there used to be a hotel-based preclearance operation for fancy cruiselines!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alan - agree with last poster. Sorry that I gave you incorrect information about flying to Seattle. Were you unable to get a flight from Sitka to Vancouver? It is so much easier to go directly there and to avoid Seattle as they don't have enough flights from Seattle to Vancouver (in my opinion).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vancouver terminal check-in was a nightmare--over two hours to get through and there were only so many people checking in the large volume of passengers waiting to not only board Regent but other ships, much larger than the Mariner. There was a line for "disabled" passengers or those needing help, but we saw perfectly capable people being herded into that line which caused some animosity among the passengers in the other line. At one point, a woman who was not informed as to what line to be in, waiting for almost two hours, only to be told, when she got to the check-in counter that she was in the wrong line and would have to go to the other side of the terminal to check in the Holland America line, which was ridiculously long. As another poster stated, we were told by others who did this, to either go early or go closer to boarding time. My brother did the same cruise later in the year (which was high season, we went in low season May), and he said that he went later in the day and had no problem getting through check-in. We were sent to the terminal in a taxi provided through Regent, but they took us around 12:00. So, leave your luggage, see more of Vancouver and then take a taxi to the terminal, as walking would be too difficult with luggage. Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree with Philly Girl about arriving a bit later. We took a morning excursion in Vancouver and arrived at check-in about 2:45. We walked right through and were on the ship and in our suite in minutes. It was a fabulous cruise.

Have a wonderful time!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...