Yes, you do need ArriveCan if your Ship Stops in Canada

[Mike & Zen]

On 4/28/2022 at 1:30 PM, Ferry_Watcher said:

Just wanted you to know that I also was able to complete my ArriveCan more than 72 hours out.  It surprised me.  I wonder if they (Canadian Gov't) are finding it is more complicated to make people wait, rather than just complete it all at once, especially when the cruise date is firm.

Yes, it is 72 hours for date of arrival by air and land, but it is 96 hours for date of embarkation for entry by marine.

[smwg]

Why haven't I've gotten this information straight from Carnival?  It seems they would tell us.  If I wasn't on this board (many are not) I would have no idea.

[Retired 07]

Please help with my confusion. We are sailing in and out of Seattle. We are stopping in Victoria on the 6th nite of a 7day cruise. I understand that we have to do the Arrivecan, even if we are not planning on getting off the ship. My confusion is when?  Do we do it before boarding, or 72 hrs before we dock in Victoria?  Do we get the info on the ship, or do we need it before we board.  Thanks in advance for the info.

[Eaglecw]

3 minutes ago, Retired 07 said:

Please help with my confusion. We are sailing in and out of Seattle. We are stopping in Victoria on the 6th nite of a 7day cruise. I understand that we have to do the Arrivecan, even if we are not planning on getting off the ship. My confusion is when?  Do we do it before boarding, or 72 hrs before we dock in Victoria?  Do we get the info on the ship, or do we need it before we board.  Thanks in advance for the info.

Fill out the ArriveCan a day or 2 before you get on the cruise ship in Seattle and you'll be good. There are reports that people were denied boarding in SF until they fill out the ArriveCan. Just have the receipt in your hand when you check in. 

[Retired 07]

12 minutes ago, Eaglecw said:

Fill out the ArriveCan a day or 2 before you get on the cruise ship in Seattle and you'll be good. There are reports that people were denied boarding in SF until they fill out the ArriveCan. Just have the receipt in your hand when you check in. 

Thank you VERY much.  When you say (receipt), is there a charge for this?

[CruiserBruce]

10 minutes ago, Retired 07 said:

Thank you VERY much.  When you say (receipt), is there a charge for this?

No. The receipt is proof that you have completed the Arrive Can process, and are approved to enter Canada. I believe its a QR code.

[rkacruiser]

Why has the ArriveCan been started by Canada?  Is this temporary?  It seems to me that it discourages some who would visit Canada or even book an Alaskan cruise.  

[bookbabe]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

Why has the ArriveCan been started by Canada?  Is this temporary?  It seems to me that it discourages some who would visit Canada or even book an Alaskan cruise.  

If people are discouraged by a five minute online form, then they should probably wait a while longer to travel, since the ArriveCan form is a minuscule hassle in comparison to a lot of the travel hoops we have to jump through these days.  The online checkin for your cruise itself is just as (if not more) difficult in most cases, as is checkin for an international flight.

[Ferry_Watcher]

8 hours ago, Retired 07 said:

Please help with my confusion. We are sailing in and out of Seattle. We are stopping in Victoria on the 6th nite of a 7day cruise. I understand that we have to do the Arrivecan, even if we are not planning on getting off the ship. My confusion is when?  Do we do it before boarding, or 72 hrs before we dock in Victoria?  Do we get the info on the ship, or do we need it before we board.  Thanks in advance for the info.

Please arrive at the pier in Seattle with your ArriveCan completed.  It is so much easier to complete the registration for ArriveCan at home when you are relaxed and not feeling any stress.  You can register yourself and anyone that you are traveling with under one account.  Easiest to do on your phone, but also available on your laptop.  Once completed and submitted, you will receive a notice with a QR code. You can show your QR code either on your phone, or print out a copy to show at the cruise pier.

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, bookbabe said:

If people are discouraged by a five minute online form, then they should probably wait a while longer to travel, since the ArriveCan form is a minuscule hassle in comparison to a lot of the travel hoops we have to jump through these days.  The online checkin for your cruise itself is just as (if not more) difficult in most cases, as is checkin for an international flight.

 

I appreciate your reply, but, it does not answer my question.  Why was ArriveCan started?  What was the purpose of the Canadian government in establishing this?  

[bookbabe]

15 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I appreciate your reply, but, it does not answer my question.  Why was ArriveCan started?  What was the purpose of the Canadian government in establishing this?  

Probably much the same as the US government’s purpose in establishing the Attestation Form.  Who really knows?  
 

It’s just the COVID Era version of the immigration forms we’ve all been filling out for decades, it just adds in proof of vaccination as an additional document besides your passport and such, and in an app rather than a tiny form where you struggle to write small enough to fit everything on the provided lines.  I like ArriveCan better than that stupid form they used to use.

 

Editing to add the initial press release and such, where the government explains it all:

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2020/11/government-of-canada-announces-new-mandatory-requirements-for-travellers-to-canada.html

https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/prlmntry-bndrs/20200831/012/index-en.aspx

Edited May 4, 2022 by bookbabe

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, bookbabe said:

It’s just the COVID Era version of the immigration forms we’ve all been filling out for decades, it just adds in proof of vaccination as an additional document besides your passport and such, and in an app rather than a tiny form where you struggle to write small enough to fit everything on the provided lines.  I like ArriveCan better than that stupid form they used to use.

 

Thanks for your answer.  No quibble by me with the difficulty of trying to write the "needed" information on those Immigration forms for either of our countries.  And, then, having the Inspector at the Port of Entry barely, if at all, look at the information on the form.  

 

Pardon my cynicism, if you are able to do so, but, it's one more bureaucratic requirement that keeps some of your citizens employed as well as the same does in the United States.  

[TnTom]

6 hours ago, bookbabe said:

 I like ArriveCan better than that stupid form they used to use.

I am on Majestic Princess this week, and I hate to tell you... the immigration form is still alive and well. In our case, we had to fill it out and hand it to our cabin attendant.

[lazey1]

I will be flying into Vancouver from the United States. My question is how strict is Canada regarding prescription and/or over the counter meds? Do I have to being all of the origional bottles or can I just bring the meds in a 7 day pill organizer?

[Northern Aurora]

On 5/4/2022 at 2:00 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

Thanks for your answer.  No quibble by me with the difficulty of trying to write the "needed" information on those Immigration forms for either of our countries.  And, then, having the Inspector at the Port of Entry barely, if at all, look at the information on the form.  

 

Pardon my cynicism, if you are able to do so, but, it's one more bureaucratic requirement that keeps some of your citizens employed as well as the same does in the United States.  

 

 

I really don’t understand the issues some folks are having with the Arrive CAN app.  It is easy to download and fill out.  Your Covid-19 vaccination information is loaded onto the app.  When we flew into Canada on April 22nd the Horizon Air boarding staff viewed the information on the app and confirmed that we were fully vaccinated.  I commented on the ease of the app and one of the boarding staff stated it made their jobs easier as it expedited the boarding procedure.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, Northern Aurora said:

I really don’t understand the issues some folks are having with the Arrive CAN app.  It is easy to download and fill out.

 

But. why, is it necessary?  It's simply one more hoop that one needs to jump through in order to "enjoy a pleasant cruise/vacation" in the friendly country to our North:  Canada!  

 

[martincath]

3 hours ago, lazey1 said:

I will be flying into Vancouver from the United States. My question is how strict is Canada regarding prescription and/or over the counter meds? Do I have to being all of the origional bottles or can I just bring the meds in a 7 day pill organizer?

It's very unlikely you'll have any trouble - bring a copy of your prescription as you should whenever you travel, in case you need an emergency renewal of a scrip. Given the relative cheapness of most meds up here compared to the US, you're much more likely to be questioned by CBP on your return home than by CBSA coming here!

 

Personally though I'd be padding at least an extra 2 weeks worth even on a 1 week vacation - cruisers may still end up stuck in quarantine under the current Covid rules, and there's always the chance of rules tightening again on top of the non-Covid risks of travel. So unless you pack a trio of containers, or have overly-generous size compartments that will fit 3 days of your meds in each, you'll need to bring some extra pill containers anyway...

[Northern Aurora]

11 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

But. why, is it necessary?  It's simply one more hoop that one needs to jump through in order to "enjoy a pleasant cruise/vacation" in the friendly country to our North:  Canada!  

 

 

I am sorry — I just don’t understand your “issue” with the ArriveCAN app.  It is not a difficult issue.  It is an efficient process to document your vaccination status, and link it to your passport and travel information.  No need to repeatedly provide the information to airport boarding staff or Canadian border officials.

[rkacruiser]

19 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

I am sorry — I just don’t understand your “issue” with the ArriveCAN app.  It is not a difficult issue

 

I object to having another "hoop" to jump through when this "hoop" didn't previously exist.  Travel, pre-Covid, could sometimes not be easy.  In this Covid era, with the changing testing and masking requirements, making plans and traveling with the addition of ArriveCan adds just one more "item that needs to be ticked off to do".  

 

I am awaiting an answer to my question as to why Canada has chosen to require this.  

[Woody14]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

I am awaiting an answer to my question as to why Canada has chosen to require this.  

Because they can, just like the US asks for an ESTA from many countries.

[rkacruiser]

29 minutes ago, Woody14 said:

Because they can, just like the US asks for an ESTA from many countries.

 

Full employment for the bureaucrats involved in such decisions in both of our countries!  

[bankergirl06]

We are traveling to Canada in September.  I have no problem with Canada requiring this information but when showing proof of vaccination, do they require boosters as part of the vaccination process?  My friend has been told that the initial vaccination cards are no longer valid but I can't find anything to confirm that statement.  I am boosted as of 12.4.2021 but my husband had only the initial vaccination in April.2021.  Any feedback is appreciated.

[HappyInVan]

2 hours ago, bankergirl06 said:

My friend has been told that the initial vaccination cards are no longer valid but I can't find anything to confirm that statement.  I am boosted as of 12.4.2021 but my husband had only the initial vaccination in April.2021.  

 

This might help. Watch this page...

 

"Check if you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller
To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller to Canada, you must:
have received at least 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine accepted for travel, a mix of 2 accepted vaccines
or at least 1 dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine..."

 

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada#determine-fully

 

 

 

[Ferry_Watcher]

8 hours ago, bankergirl06 said:

We are traveling to Canada in September.  I have no problem with Canada requiring this information but when showing proof of vaccination, do they require boosters as part of the vaccination process?  My friend has been told that the initial vaccination cards are no longer valid but I can't find anything to confirm that statement.  I am boosted as of 12.4.2021 but my husband had only the initial vaccination in April.2021.  Any feedback is appreciated.

Check-in agents in Seattle are only looking for the date of your 2nd vaccination date (of the 2 dose vaccine), or the date of the single shot J&J vaccine.  There has been no requirement for boosters from either the cruise lines or from Canada.  Check-in agents still need to see proof of vaccination (cards or state record on your phone), especially the date of the 2nd vaccination date (or the date of the single J&J).  Pier staff will be take a photo of your card/phone image, so it is important that the vaccine dates are clearly displayed.

[psuboater]

On 5/8/2022 at 1:48 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

I object to having another "hoop" to jump through when this "hoop" didn't previously exist.  Travel, pre-Covid, could sometimes not be easy.  In this Covid era, with the changing testing and masking requirements, making plans and traveling with the addition of ArriveCan adds just one more "item that needs to be ticked off to do".  

 

I am awaiting an answer to my question as to why Canada has chosen to require this.  

It's for Covid tracking. They're asking to see your proof of vaccination or negative covid test, and then also when you are going to be in Canada and leaving. Back when there was more contact tracing, they wanted to be able to verify where you were in case of an outbreak. 

 

Also, printing out the QR code is helpful in Seattle. We waited for 3 hours to board the ship in Seattle on Wednesday and the cell service was non existent. If you don't have access to a printer, then snapping screen shots will be helpful to pull up quickly.