Boarding in Vancouver

[kitegirl]

Has anyone gone to board the ship before the time it says on your email from Princess. For tuesday ours says not until 2pm but had planned to arrive around 1130.... Will we have to sit and wait until 2pm or will be able to board earlier...

We are both disabled and will be using Wheelchair assist....

 

Thanks for your help...

[FlorenceItaly]

No, you will not have to wait until 2pm. It is a suggested time. It is not enforced. Have a wonderful cruise.

[Coral]

I would still go at 11:30. Those are "suggested times".

 

Have a great trip!

[Blue and Green]

We arrived around 10:30 for our cruise out of Vancouver. Mr Blue uses a wheelchair for distances, and we were directed to wait in a partitioned-off area for wheelchair assist. There were quite a few of us waiting. They took us in the order we were seated, not by cabin number. We were seated in the very front of the area, as we were one of the first to arrive. I think it was close to noon by the time we boarded. This was 2 years ago though, so could be different now.

[miss prairie girl]

Has anyone gone to board the ship before the time it says on your email from Princess. For tuesday ours says not until 2pm but had planned to arrive around 1130.... Will we have to sit and wait until 2pm or will be able to board earlier...

We are both disabled and will be using Wheelchair assist....

 

Thanks for your help...

 

Hello, Go ahead and arrive at 11:30 or whatever time is convenient for you. When you arrive, you will be directed to the appropriate area for processing and identification. You may have to wait a bit, but that is part of the procedure. Also, keep in mind, there may be several cruise ships boarding people, so it may be busy! Our advice is go when it is convenient for you and they will take care of you!

 

Happy cruising!

[paul929207]

Those times are suggestions not mandates. We are usually in our cabin before noon

[SoCalTraveler]

Wheelchair passengers are usually handled in batches. If there are 20 of you at 11:30 a.m., that's a batch and they will escort you in together. People with mobility issues are good customers of cruise lines. They want you to be happy. Show up when convenient for you.

 

When we were in Vancouver, having TSA pre-check/Global Entry saved easily 30 minutes. Boarding in Vancouver is sensitive to the number of ships in port.

[ceilidh1]

Boarding for Princess begins at noon in Vancouver. This is the easy part! The tough part where you likely will encounter lines and waiting is security and pre-clearing to enter the US. The cruise lines have no control over this part of the embarkation process. If you are in a wheelchair you will be taken through a separate, shorter line - the officers usually allow one family member to accompany the person in the wheelchair, but if there is a group of you the others may be asked to join the regular line.

 

If you arrive at 11:30am you should encounter less of a line/wait for security and immigration and will likely be through to check in by the time boarding begins at noon....I always try to plan this way and am usually on board in time for lunch!

[kitegirl]

Thank you all for your help. We will keep our plan to arrive around 1130 am. Hubby needs the Wheelchair and I use a walker so we can board together. Looking forward to our cruise and again thanks for the replies...

[Potstech]

Something to be aware of is that it is a some what long and winding path from the entrance to final boarding. With mobility issues it could be a little difficult to get through the process to board.

[LeeW]

Vancouver is kind of weird, especially with multiple ships in port. The key is to get into the maze early to get through security (although sometimes it doesn't open until after 11). Then you get to go through several rooms up and down for checkin and immigration. Going later in the day becomes a really bad idea if there are a lot of ships doing a turn around.

[juliethecruiser]

Don't want to hijack this post but am boarding a cruise from Vancouver myself in a couple of months. So there's another major security/immigration check at the port? On top of what you go through at the airport or border crossing? Now I'm concerned it's going to be a long day that day, as there are 5 ships in port the day we leave. Better pack my migraine meds for sure and take a chill pill!

[voljeep]

my allowed bottle of wine would be gone before boarding the ship;p

[juliethecruiser]

my allowed bottle of wine would be gone before boarding the ship;p

 

That's my chill pill I was referencing.:'):')

[martincath]

Don't want to hijack this post but am boarding a cruise from Vancouver myself in a couple of months. So there's another major security/immigration check at the port? On top of what you go through at the airport or border crossing? Now I'm concerned it's going to be a long day that day, as there are 5 ships in port the day we leave. Better pack my migraine meds for sure and take a chill pill!

Blame your own government, for they are 100% the ones behind deciding to preclear vistors in Canada instead of staffing up all domestic ports & airports sufficiently. The other parts - check in and security - are exactly the same deal as in Fort Lauderdale etc. While US preclearance this does add to your boarding time, it probably saves time overall compared to having to do it in your first US port - search for tales here about delays disembarking in e.g. San Francisco and LA, large cities with plenty of CBP staff available in the metro area due to major international airports, and then imagine how crap your life would be if you booked an excursion in say Ketchikan, your first US port after leaving Vancouver, and everyone had to filter through a tiny CBP office there!!!

 

Pretty sure we have no 5 ship days this season - there are some 4-shippers, which will be an absolute nightmare, as unlike previous years I recall that happening there is total overlap of timing with all 4 vessels on a 'normal' 7-8am to 4-5pm day rather than an oddity like one arriving after a previous one has left...

 

Still, whether 5, 4, or even 3 ships on your embarkation if it's May you are probably best to turn up early - much, much earlier than the cruiseline suggests. With new staff every season, even though Canada Place seems to have finally settled on a standard process (drop bags, check in, security, then CBP last for all US-bound trips) which ensures that you at least get to sit down for the first part of queuing, then are theoretically only called in groups when there is room at Security and CBP, the delays are always worst early season on the 3+ ship days.

 

The best time to show up once the season gets rolling is late - after 2pm, or even better 3pm for ships leaving 5pm or later. This is doubly-beneficial for tourists as you can not only avoid the long queues of earlier, but also get in plenty of sightseeing on embarkation day. For OP, who is local and thus not much interest in sightseeing compared to getting onboard, I'd suggest before 11am regardless of how many ships - on quieter days it's normal for boarding to start by 11am, so you'll be among the first onboard. 11:30am means lots of experienced cruisers, but who are not familiar with Vancouver's uniqueness, have arrived before you (most other ports 11am seems to be a preferred sweet-spot for boarding) so queues are already getting bigger - and when Amtrak rolls in about noon and dumps hundreds of cruisers in a matter of minutes the queues just explode. If you aim for 11:30am and run late for whatever reason, you'll end up arriving at the worst possible time!

 

From June onward the shortest possible time curb to cabin is to arrive late - we've literally managed to board without having to stop walking except when actually needing to speak to CBP or collecting our keycards from cruise staff. Push the time as late as you are comfortable with (NB: at least 90mins before ship is to depart though!) for minimum queues. If you're early, you ALWAYS wait - but hopefully not too long before boarding begins, and if you are among the first few folks you walk or wheel through fast.

 

Those first few multi-ship days though, too many folks involved in the process are new so the processing time per passenger is longer and the queues just build and build - 5+ hours waits have been reported for folks who showed up at noon, so on those days a 3pm arrival means probably 2-3 hours wait, compared to 1-2 hours if you show up at 10am...

Edited April 5, 2018 by martincath
spelling

[Potstech]

I have blamed it on the persons who designed such a terrible way to board cruise ships. It is baffling to the mind why passengers should have to go underground and thru a parking garage to get to a boarding area. Along with the maze is very little to no signage that tells people where they need to go for their particular ship. All the time you are walking a gauntlet of people gawking at you and smiling at the crazy people going thru the maze to hurry up and have to wait for lengths of time just to get on the ship. FLL is no where near as bad as Vancouver. Worst port I have ever sailed out of. And we go to visit family 2-3 times a year in Vancouver and always go by the terminal to say were are glad we are no longer sailing out of there

[juliethecruiser]

Blame your own government, for they are 100% the ones behind deciding to preclear vistors in Canada instead of staffing up all domestic ports & airports sufficiently. The other parts - check in and security - are exactly the same deal as in Fort Lauderdale etc. While US preclearance this does add to your boarding time, it probably saves time overall compared to having to do it in your first US port - search for tales here about delays disembarking in e.g. San Francisco and LA, large cities with plenty of CBP staff available in the metro area due to major international airports, and then imagine how crap your life would be if you booked an excursion in say Ketchikan, your first US port after leaving Vancouver, and everyone had to filter through a tiny CBP office there!!!

 

Pretty sure we have no 5 ship days this season - there are some 4-shippers, which will be an absolute nightmare, as unlike previous years I recall that happening there is total overlap of timing with all 4 vessels on a 'normal' 7-8am to 4-5pm day rather than an oddity like one arriving after a previous one has left...

 

Still, whether 5, 4, or even 3 ships on your embarkation if it's May you are probably best to turn up early - much, much earlier than the cruiseline suggests. With new staff every season, even though Canada Place seems to have finally settled on a standard process (drop bags, check in, security, then CBP last for all US-bound trips) which ensures that you at least get to sit down for the first part of queuing, then are theoretically only called in groups when there is room at Security and CBP, the delays are always worst early season on the 3+ ship days.

 

The best time to show up once the season gets rolling is late - after 2pm, or even better 3pm for ships leaving 5pm or later. This is doubly-beneficial for tourists as you can not only avoid the long queues of earlier, but also get in plenty of sightseeing on embarkation day. For OP, who is local and thus not much interest in sightseeing compared to getting onboard, I'd suggest before 11am regardless of how many ships - on quieter days it's normal for boarding to start by 11am, so you'll be among the first onboard. 11:30am means lots of experienced cruisers, but who are not familiar with Vancouver's uniqueness, have arrived before you (most other ports 11am seems to be a preferred sweet-spot for boarding) so queues are already getting bigger - and when Amtrak rolls in about noon and dumps hundreds of cruisers in a matter of minutes the queues just explode. If you aim for 11:30am and run late for whatever reason, you'll end up arriving at the worst possible time!

 

From June onward the shortest possible time curb to cabin is to arrive late - we've literally managed to board without having to stop walking except when actually needing to speak to CBP or collecting our keycards from cruise staff. Push the time as late as you are comfortable with (NB: at least 90mins before ship is to depart though!) for minimum queues. If you're early, you ALWAYS wait - but hopefully not too long before boarding begins, and if you are among the first few folks you walk or wheel through fast.

 

Those first few multi-ship days though, too many folks involved in the process are new so the processing time per passenger is longer and the queues just build and build - 5+ hours waits have been reported for folks who showed up at noon, so on those days a 3pm arrival means probably 2-3 hours wait, compared to 1-2 hours if you show up at 10am...

 

Oh boy, going to be a long day. I just checked again, 4 ships that day. Leaving first couple days of June, so probably a long wait, based on what you've posted. However, would rather wait there than at the other ports. Thankfully, flying from Anchorage to Florida on the return and will skip all the hoopla on the way home.

[juliethecruiser]

I have blamed it on the persons who designed such a terrible way to board cruise ships. It is baffling to the mind why passengers should have to go underground and thru a parking garage to get to a boarding area. Along with the maze is very little to no signage that tells people where they need to go for their particular ship. All the time you are walking a gauntlet of people gawking at you and smiling at the crazy people going thru the maze to hurry up and have to wait for lengths of time just to get on the ship. FLL is no where near as bad as Vancouver. Worst port I have ever sailed out of. And we go to visit family 2-3 times a year in Vancouver and always go by the terminal to say were are glad we are no longer sailing out of there

 

Wow, wish I knew about Vancouver. I would have just done a RT out of Seattle, since I'm not doing any main land tour following my NB cruise.

[ceilidh1]

For OP, who is local and thus not much interest in sightseeing compared to getting onboard, I'd suggest before 11am regardless of how many ships - on quieter days it's normal for boarding to start by 11am, so you'll be among the first onboard.

 

Princess will not start boarding the ship until 12pm (MAYBE 11:45am if you are really lucky). The reason for this is that you have your room ready as soon as you are onboard (unlike other lines where you can't go to your room until after a certain time). However, check in and security usually opens for all lines around 11am so if you can at least get through these as early as possible then you are half way done! Immigration opens whenever the officers decide to show up.....(and I'm not even joking)! I worked shoreside for Princess at Canada Place for 5 years so know firsthand how bad things can get there!

[martincath]

Princess will not start boarding the ship until 12pm (MAYBE 11:45am if you are really lucky). The reason for this is that you have your room ready as soon as you are onboard (unlike other lines where you can't go to your room until after a certain time). However, check in and security usually opens for all lines around 11am so if you can at least get through these as early as possible then you are half way done! Immigration opens whenever the officers decide to show up.....(and I'm not even joking)! I worked shoreside for Princess at Canada Place for 5 years so know firsthand how bad things can get there!

I think we're just using the same word for slightly different definitions;-)

 

To me, 'boarding' means 'everything you need to do at the pier to allow you to actually step onto the ship' as opposed to just 'now that I have done bag drop and check-in and security and CBP I am allowed to begin the last bit where I walk up the gangplank' - same with airplanes, not just the walk from gate to seat but the whole rigmarole!

 

Given other cruiselines with different systems about cabin availability times are also boarding folks at the same time as Princess (unless it's a single ship or a 'just two Princesses day'), folks need to beat all the other line's pax to the pier as the security and CBP parts are the same for everyone...

 

We used to be 11:30 arrivers - just to beat the Amtrak crowds and the folks who believe cruiseline requested boarding times are gospel rather than guidance - until our first 3-shipper. We missed getting a real lunch in the dining room by 10 minutes, it took us over 2 hours to get onto the ship and they shut the doors at 1:30pm so we were stuck with the insanely-crowded buffet. Now we go drop bags, hit up a local spa for a couples massage, go for a nice leisurely lunch on land, and board late - and we've never taken more than 30minutes curb to cabin.

 

I have blamed it on the persons who designed such a terrible way to board cruise ships. It is baffling to the mind why passengers should have to go underground and thru a parking garage to get to a boarding area. Along with the maze is very little to no signage that tells people where they need to go for their particular ship. All the time you are walking a gauntlet of people gawking at you and smiling at the crazy people going thru the maze to hurry up and have to wait for lengths of time just to get on the ship. FLL is no where near as bad as Vancouver. Worst port I have ever sailed out of. And we go to visit family 2-3 times a year in Vancouver and always go by the terminal to say were are glad we are no longer sailing out of there

Unfortunately we do not have year-round cruising here, so a design optimised for cruise-ship convenience would be sub-optimal for it's primary year-round purpose as a convention centre. However if you tried again, you'd find that it HAS improved - a lot in many ways even from just a few years ago.

 

Signage has been better every time we've cruised, staff unfortunately remain randomly competent at least for the first few weeks it seems until the n00bs get practise. Now that Global Entry/NEXUS is expedited it's another big win for convenience, and the Kiosks that anyone US/Canadian can use also make things faster at CBP - at least, they do for folks using them for a second and subsequent time, first time using any new piece of tech obvious does introduce a delay while folks figure out the screens!

 

Standardizing the process so it's always check-in before security/CBP is also helpful - even 2-3 years ago you could never be sure what would happen first until you showed up! This way, one of the biggest issues from back in the day - being forced to stand around at the beginning - has been almost entirely removed, since the cruiselines get a hall full of chairs to group their pax in every cruise day before despatching them in groups. Another big issue - staff not being able to direct people appropriately - is also less of an issue since it's now always the same order, so anyone you ask should know what the next 'link in the chain' is.

 

At the end of the day though, there are physical limitations that restrict how much Canada Place can do to tweak processes. We don't have the space to have a cavernous enough single-level hall to do everything in one step after the other with lovely clear sightlines - so multiple stacked levels is the only feasible way to go for us here. If they do follow through with the potential plan for a cruise terminal outside the city on cheap land, maybe it'll make for a more convenient embarkation process - but do recall that unlike most ports, right now with the pier in the heart of the city you already saved a bunch of travel time because every downtown hotel is a really short cab ride or even walkable;-)

Edited April 5, 2018 by martincath

[avcruz]

Pretty sure we have no 5 ship days this season - there are some 4-shippers, which will be an absolute nightmare, as unlike previous years I recall that happening there is total overlap of timing with all 4 vessels on a 'normal' 7-8am to 4-5pm day rather than an oddity like one arriving after a previous one has left...

 

Nope, no 5-ship days. Only three 4-ship days - Sunday, May 13th, Saturday, June 2nd and Saturday, August 18th. But about twenty-five 3-ship days - which are bad enough! Especially when you take into consideration the passenger counts from those 3 ships. Some days you're looking at possibly 8,000+ passengers disembarking and another 8,000 embarking! :o

[Papa Hooks]

Oh boy, going to be a long day. I just checked again, 4 ships that day.

Where did you find out that information? I would love to find out when we cruise out.

 

And, Pinellas County...represent!

[schmoopie17]

Where did you find out that information? I would love to find out when we cruise out.

 

I was wondering the same thing. Then I remembered that wonderful invention known as the internet. Click the link and scroll down to your desired month.

 

https://www.portvancouver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Draft-2018-Schedule-February-28-2018-1.pdf

[juliethecruiser]

I was wondering the same thing. Then I remembered that wonderful invention known as the internet. Click the link and scroll down to your desired month.

 

https://www.portvancouver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Draft-2018-Schedule-February-28-2018-1.pdf

 

Yes, this is where I found it too.

[dtwcal]

I realize that this is a bit off topic, but if you are overnighting in Vancouver before the cruise, Canada Place is one of the best departure ports to see the ships arriving in the morning. I like to grab a coffee, and go to Canada Place to get some great photos of the ships arriving just after dawn. The public promenade on top of Canada Place offers great close-up views of the ships as they arrive.