US Border - Will it open to Canadians on Sept 21???

[Fouremco]

3 hours ago, Hadacareer said:

 Another question slightly changed (but connected) if we were to add the following cruise (make it a b2b) and not get off in Miami) which would complete our 14 days, would that work?

Unfortunately, that's not an option. Any cruise ship arriving in a US port has to zero out all passengers. Even if you are doing b2b Caribbean cruise, you must get off the ship and won't be allowed back on until USCBP is satisfied that the ship has been cleared. 

 

Besides, you are considered to be in the US as soon as the ship entered US territorial waters.

 

Unless they amend the existing restriction, there are no loopholes or workarounds that will enable you to take the cruise. 

[broberts]

2 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

I just hope the land border opens up by November so I can drive down to see the Leafs play the Sabres in Buffalo. 🏒

 

Isn't that classified essential travel? 😀

[TeaBag]

I agree with others that the land border will not open on Tuesday although I wish it would.

[3Shelaghs]

Guess we got our answer. Next question...when Oct 21st comes???? Time for the crystal ball!

[Robjame]

Two theories as to why the land border will not open:

 

1. US will not open Canada border until they open the Mexican border. Sounds absurd but there apparently are reasons.

 

2. Until CDC accepts Canadian vaccines the US border does not want to deal with the headache of monitoring Canadian (mixed) vaccine records. 

[gnome12]

58 minutes ago, Robjame said:

Two theories as to why the land border will not open:

 

1. US will not open Canada border until they open the Mexican border. Sounds absurd but there apparently are reasons.

 

2. Until CDC accepts Canadian vaccines the US border does not want to deal with the headache of monitoring Canadian (mixed) vaccine records. 

I think that point 2 has a lot to do with it.

 

On the subject of the land border in general, I heard a comment yesterday that makes sense to me - in fact I thought the same thing. For people flying into the US, the airline is tasked with the job of monitoring who is allowed. At the land border, there are no pre-checks, all of the issues happen AT the border, and I don't think that Homeland Security really wants to deal with that (including the issue of Astra Zeneca with or without an mRNA vaccine).

[TeaBag]

How long does it take to show a vaccination card verifying two shots of Pfizer?

[gnome12]

15 minutes ago, TeaBag said:

How long does it take to show a vaccination card verifying two shots of Pfizer?

It also requires checking the vaccination information with ID to make sure that the correct person is using it. There will also be a testing requirement for those flying; I assume it would also be required when driving. 
 

However, the biggest slowdown would be people who do NOT have the proper proof of vaccination and a negative test. 

[ALD18]

I guess here in Ontario is would be mildly simpler with the new vaccination passport requirements.  How customs would handle it may get difficult.  You already need normal passport to enter.  Have correct paper copy of your second vaccination receipt.  They could confirm passport and vaccination paperwork match id wise.  Enough?  Maybe a third reference and have you hand over health card to cross reference last 4 digits of vaccine receipt.  Or, as some would have it tossing cell phones around with images and swiping all over the place.  May get complicated, but doable.  Then you drop them on the ground passing them about.  You would probably need extra staff to get those who do not have the proper items turned around and pointed back, traffic mess?  Oh the bother......................  

[Robjame]

1 hour ago, ALD18 said:

Then you drop them on the ground passing them about.  You would probably need extra staff to get those who do not have the proper items turned around and pointed back, traffic mess? 

LOL. I have been behind that guy - was that you?

 

Of course the issue is not the person with 2 Pfizer vaccines, but rather the people with mixed vaccines. CBC sums it up as:

"Millions of Canadians have received mixed COVID-19 vaccines. That's because in June, Canada updated its guidelines to recommend mixing COVID-19 vaccine doses based on emerging research that found it was both safe and effective. But there's currently no international consensus on mixing COVID-19 vaccines."

[ALD18]

No, not yet😀  I always worry I'll drop just a passport.  Regardless, you're going to be passing around a bunch of papers or phones.  I've wondered if they could come up with some type of stamp for your actual passport.  Similar to the ones you get when you enter certain countries.  Make it a big, easy to read one, stamp your passport to confirm everything is good, and move on.  Only issue may be booster shot proof down the road.  But that would be too easy..................

[kdr69]

On 9/19/2021 at 8:39 AM, Fouremco said:

Unfortunately, that's not an option. Any cruise ship arriving in a US port has to zero out all passengers. Even if you are doing b2b Caribbean cruise, you must get off the ship and won't be allowed back on until USCBP is satisfied that the ship has been cleared. 

 

Besides, you are considered to be in the US as soon as the ship entered US territorial waters.

 

Unless they amend the existing restriction, there are no loopholes or workarounds that will enable you to take the cruise. 

Wjile i agree about the last two sentences i believe the ship is cleared PRIOR to debarkation not after people are off and the getting off the ship part of a B2B is literally follow the Guest services staff off the ship to customs and turn around to go back on the ship which takes all of 15 min so the USCBP must be satisfied that the ship is cleared before you do that since im sure they cant "clear" a ship in the15 min walk to customs. At least that was my experience of "getting off the ship" on my B2B.

[Fouremco]

10 minutes ago, kdr69 said:

Wjile i agree about the last two sentences i believe the ship is cleared PRIOR to debarkation not after people are off and the getting off the ship part of a B2B is literally follow the Guest services staff off the ship to customs and turn around to go back on the ship which takes all of 15 min so the USCBP must be satisfied that the ship is cleared before you do that since im sure they cant "clear" a ship in the15 min walk to customs. At least that was my experience of "getting off the ship" on my B2B.

I think you have misinterpreted my use of the word "cleared" in the sentence "Even if you are doing b2b Caribbean cruise, you must get off the ship and won't be allowed back on until USCBP is satisfied that the ship has been cleared." That paragraph deals with the disembarkation of passengers and zeroing of the ship. In that context, I meant that the ship had been cleared of passengers.

[kdr69]

3 hours ago, Fouremco said:

I think you have misinterpreted my use of the word "cleared" in the sentence "Even if you are doing b2b Caribbean cruise, you must get off the ship and won't be allowed back on until USCBP is satisfied that the ship has been cleared." That paragraph deals with the disembarkation of passengers and zeroing of the ship. In that context, I meant that the ship had been cleared of passengers.

ok but what im pointing out is that on a B2b the getting off and back on only takes 15 minutes not hours so whether thats because they have cleared the ship in that 15 min i couldnt say.

[Fouremco]

28 minutes ago, kdr69 said:

ok but what im pointing out is that on a B2b the getting off and back on only takes 15 minutes not hours so whether thats because they have cleared the ship in that 15 min i couldnt say.

In my original response to @Hadacareer , I simply made the point that all passengers have to get off the ship, including b2b cruisers. That's because CBP has a requirement that the on board passengers be reduced to a zero count. That could be a sole b2b passenger or several hundred, but the only time of interest is when the last one is off and CBP officials can note that zeroing is completed. The time it takes to get back on is totally irrelevant, because some may choose to reboard immediately, but others may spend the day visiting the port city before returning to the ship. We have never reboarded right away on our b2bs.

 

The time it takes for overall clearance of a ship is a separate issue and can vary depending on the circumstances. A ship returning from Europe typically would take several hours. Clearance where a tip indicated that a crew member was smuggling in drugs and requires a search would take longer than for a ship returning from a one-port, three day cruise sailing with reduced capacity with no issues having been brough to the attention of CBP.

[lx200gps]

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

In my original response to @Hadacareer , I simply made the point that all passengers have to get off the ship, including b2b cruisers. That's because CBP has a requirement that the on board passengers be reduced to a zero count. That could be a sole b2b passenger or several hundred, but the only time of interest is when the last one is off and CBP officials can note that zeroing is completed. The time it takes to get back on is totally irrelevant, because some may choose to reboard immediately, but others may spend the day visiting the port city before returning to the ship. We have never reboarded right away on our b2bs.

 

The time it takes for overall clearance of a ship is a separate issue and can vary depending on the circumstances. A ship returning from Europe typically would take several hours. Clearance where a tip indicated that a crew member was smuggling in drugs and requires a search would take longer than for a ship returning from a one-port, three day cruise sailing with reduced capacity with no issues having been brough to the attention of CBP.

FWIW, the Sky Princess recently had its TA shortened by two days. Up until a few days ago, the ship was scheduled to arrive in PE early on the morning of Novembver 20 and depart on its first Caribbean itinerary the same day (with us on board). The ship's arrival was changed within the last few days to the 18th of November, giving (hopefully) a lot of time for the required (CBSA, USCG etc ) inspections and deep cleaning.