Arrivecan

[dianeh]

We are so confused. We are Canadians and sailing out of Vancouver for Alaska. Holland sent us an email instructing us to fill out our Arrivecan prior to embarking. We are aware of crossing into Canada from USA visits with our arrivecan. But why do we need it on embarking Canada? 

[Daisyloo]

35 minutes ago, dianeh said:

We are so confused. We are Canadians and sailing out of Vancouver for Alaska. Holland sent us an email instructing us to fill out our Arrivecan prior to embarking. We are aware of crossing into Canada from USA visits with our arrivecan. But why do we need it on embarking Canada? 

 I know it seems counterintuitive to have to do it as you are Canadian, leaving from Canada.  But you have to do it because the government says so.  

[fieldsofclover]

I think it’s because you’ll be going into a “congregate setting”?

[boulders]

You are entering Canada at the end of the cruise, but the Canadian government processes everyone who is boarding as if they are entering Canada on boarding day. 

[CurlerRob]

5 hours ago, dianeh said:

We are so confused. We are Canadians and sailing out of Vancouver for Alaska. Holland sent us an email instructing us to fill out our Arrivecan prior to embarking. We are aware of crossing into Canada from USA visits with our arrivecan. But why do we need it on embarking Canada? 

 

It's both confusing and not necessarily intuitive. You don't specify your itinerary, so it's hard to be precise, but review the Cdn gov't guidance at: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/cruise

 

Under "Boarding cruises and shore excursions" you'll find two separate categories.

 

If you are leaving Canada, stopping in the US and then returning to Canada (e.g. Vancouver -> Alaska  -> Vancouver), you'll need ArriveCan prior to embarkation (and, I expect, again prior to your return).

 

If you are leaving from Canada and the ship does not return to Canada (e.g. Vancouver -> Alaska), then you won't need ArriveCan prior to embarkation (you'll still need a pre-embarkation test). You'll need ArriveCan when you come home.

 

I have a similar 'one-way' situation on the east coast in November. ArriveCan not needed as we start in Canada, and finish in the US - no doubling back. I'm still going to do the pre-embarkation ArriveCan in any case - if only for practice prior to my return from the US by air! 🍺🥌

[PSR]

I have another question about entering Canada, but not specifically about ArriveCAN. They mention that you do not have to have a COVID test anymore, but you may be selected randomly to get one as you pass through their entry system. This is a little scary, since it's a little vague as to how you will get the test, and when. Has anyone had this happen to them? Do they have the test at the airport for you?

 

P.S. I will have a COVID antigen test for my cruise, but not sure that would be acceptable to them.

Edited September 7, 2022 by PSR

[oakridger]

@PSRSomeone here on CC just had this happen to a member of their party at YVR and posted about it within the last couple of weeks.  I don't remember which thread or their screen name though.  You can try a search on CC.  If I find it later, I'll come back and share it.

 

~Nancy

 

 

[martincath]

22 hours ago, PSR said:

I have another question about entering Canada, but not specifically about ArriveCAN. They mention that you do not have to have a COVID test anymore, but you may be selected randomly to get one as you pass through their entry system. This is a little scary, since it's a little vague as to how you will get the test, and when. Has anyone had this happen to them? Do they have the test at the airport for you?

 

P.S. I will have a COVID antigen test for my cruise, but not sure that would be acceptable to them.

There's a walk-in lab close to YVR - or you can make an appointment at any lab that is under contract for the random tests, which includes at least a few Shoppers Drugmarts downtown - or you can order a home test to be couriered to you if you are somewhere without a lab nearby. In all cases it is a PCR test, paid for by government.

 

If you are a same-day-flight-and-cruise person, then the best plan is simple - turn on your phone, tablet etc. as soon as you get through immigration & customs and check your email for the next 15mins. If the email arrives saying 'go get tested!' it will have details of lab location, phone number for inquiries etc. Go to the walk-in lab, get swabbed, go away and get on with your vacation. No email after 15mins? Then you are good to go!

 

Staying Precruise downtown? Since the walk-in lab is a bit of a hassle to get to (not near SkyTrain) I'd instead book and appointment at a downtown Shoppers so you can combine some wandering around for sightseeing, dinner etc. with a few minutes to go in, show your email, and get swabbed. NB: that the deadline is midnight the day after you arrive - so if you are on a flight at 11:59pm, you're hooped, you have 24 hours max - but if you arrive at 00:01am, you have almost 48 hours.

 

Bonus - if you are Precruise, and need to test locally before boarding, the gov't results usually arrive in 24-48 hours and are valid for cruising! So if you're sensible enough to be hanging out in our fair city for a couple of days, you might win a FREE test instead of having to pay $50+ for one!!!

[PSR]

1 hour ago, martincath said:

If you are a same-day-flight-and-cruise person, then the best plan is simple - turn on your phone, tablet etc. as soon as you get through immigration & customs and check your email for the next 15mins. If the email arrives saying 'go get tested!' it will have details of lab location, phone number for inquiries etc. Go to the walk-in lab, get swabbed, go away and get on with your vacation. No email after 15mins? Then you are good to go!

 

Thank you for the detailed information, but what about the result? Are you supposed to wait for the result, which may not come until you are due to get on the ship (24-48hrs as you mentioned above)?

[martincath]

2 minutes ago, PSR said:

 

Thank you for the detailed information, but what about the result? Are you supposed to wait for the result, which may not come until you are due to get on the ship (24-48hrs as you mentioned above)?

Nope - for random tests you are explicitly told to just carry on as if Negative... unless it comes back Positive, at which point you're in the same boat (pardon the pun) as if your precruise test was Positive, i.e. no cruise for you, go isolate in a hotel for 10 days since the test was under Federal rules.

 

If you've already boarded, using the results of a different Negative test, then as a responsible human of course you should notify your vessel's medical centre and follow their instructions about isolation.

 

The primary aim of the random tests is now to track variants and get broad statistics about how many Covid cases, of which types, are entering Canada from where rather than stop infected people entering (i.e. testing before allowing entry in the first place).

[Ottawa traveller]

I did the Vancouver to Alaska return to Vancouver cruise in August.  On the return to Vancouver, we only had to hand in a completed customs card, supplied by the ship, to a Canadian Border Agent. There was no need to do immigration. I assume that is because Canadian Immigration can use the online Arrive Can information to process everyone on the ship before arrival back in Vancouver.  It was very quick, maybe 10 minutes,  to leave the ship, get your baggage and leave the terminal.  Arrive Can is good for something despite all of the complaints.