Overnight in Quebec, can I come and go as I please?

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

My last stop on my cruise is Quebec where we overnight.  Can I come and go as I please, even late into the night?  I am from the US and wonder about immigration.  I was reading an old thread on CC and people were warning that sometimes it's not just like a floating hotel. 

[Rubyfisch]

1 minute ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

My last stop on my cruise is Quebec where we overnight.  Can I come and go as I please, even late into the night?  I am from the US and wonder about immigration.  I was reading an old thread on CC and people were warning that sometimes it's not just like a floating hotel. 

If you stop in other Canadian ports (Halifax, Sydney, etc.), you'll have already cleared Canadian customs at your first port.

 

We also have an overnight in Quebec City on Holland America later this summer, so I'm curious as well. I assume it depends on the cruise line and possibly the ship.

[LHT28]

Of course you can come & go 

They  will tell you if they are closing the ship up  at night  but it would be unusual

 

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

Of course you can come & go 

They  will tell you if they are closing the ship up  at night  but it would be unusual

 

This....and since in Quebec they'll be docked at the port there should be no reason that the OP can't come/go. This is an easy port to do so.

[happercamper]

Does this mean I can book an early morning flight home?  Looking at fares I can save time and $$ if I take a 6 am flight.

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, happercamper said:

Does this mean I can book an early morning flight home?  Looking at fares I can save time and $$ if I take a 6 am flight.

Probably   if you overnight  then just tell the Purser you will be leaving at 3or so  am & carrying your own bags off

[princeton123211]

2 hours ago, happercamper said:

Does this mean I can book an early morning flight home?  Looking at fares I can save time and $$ if I take a 6 am flight.

Of course-- you can leave as early as you'd like. The ship will clear immigration at the first port of call into Canada (which presumably isn't QC) so there is no reason why you couldn't leave very early in the morning-- it's basically just a floating hotel at that point. 

[Milhouse]

14 hours ago, happercamper said:

Does this mean I can book an early morning flight home?  Looking at fares I can save time and $$ if I take a 6 am flight.

Just a heads up on potential taxi/uber availability issues early morning.  On a land vacation in Dec 2021, we woke up early and gave ourselves extra time to catch a ride to the airport from the Frontenac for a 10:30am flight on a Tuesday morning but we struggled to book an Uber and the taxi rank queue didn't move because of a lack of taxis appearing.  Fortunately, a nice couple offered to share a taxi van to the airport (which we happily covered!).  

[happercamper]

Good to know.  Will keep that in mind.  

 

[Ashland]

14 hours ago, Milhouse said:

Just a heads up on potential taxi/uber availability issues early morning.  On a land vacation in Dec 2021, we woke up early and gave ourselves extra time to catch a ride to the airport from the Frontenac for a 10:30am flight on a Tuesday morning but we struggled to book an Uber and the taxi rank queue didn't move because of a lack of taxis appearing.  Fortunately, a nice couple offered to share a taxi van to the airport (which we happily covered!).  

There should be no problem like what you experienced from the hotel. Taxi's will be lined up at the port very early from what we saw.

[eclue]

On 5/11/2023 at 1:27 PM, princeton123211 said:

Of course-- you can leave as early as you'd like. The ship will clear immigration at the first port of call into Canada (which presumably isn't QC) so there is no reason why you couldn't leave very early in the morning-- it's basically just a floating hotel at that point. 

In order to disembark before the scheduled time, you need to get a cruise devation approval from the cruise line.

[LHT28]

8 minutes ago, eclue said:

In order to disembark before the scheduled time, you need to get a cruise devation approval from the cruise line.

Even is staying overnight in the port??

 

[eclue]

3 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Even is staying overnight in the port??

 

You better check with your cruise line. We have done early disembarks before and always needed permission.

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, eclue said:

In order to disembark before the scheduled time, you need to get a cruise devation approval from the cruise line.

From another port, other than the one the cruise is scheduled to end at, yes. But the OP is asking about departing the ship very early in the morning on the day the cruise ends (at the final port). 

[eclue]

20 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

From another port, other than the one the cruise is scheduled to end at, yes. But the OP is asking about departing the ship very early in the morning on the day the cruise ends (at the final port). 

That's right - still need to check with your cruise line. There must be a disembarkation process.

[LHT28]

33 minutes ago, eclue said:

That's right - still need to check with your cruise line. There must be a disembarkation process.

Yes you carry off your own bags 

It is done all the time

Some even get off the night before & get  a head start on their flight home

[WisCruiser2]

On 5/7/2023 at 9:55 AM, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

My last stop on my cruise is Quebec where we overnight.  Can I come and go as I please, even late into the night?  I am from the US and wonder about immigration.  I was reading an old thread on CC and people were warning that sometimes it's not just like a floating hotel. 

You may already have this info (I read on another thread that this is your first cruise) but you will get a "Patter" or have it available on your Medallion app that lists the activities for the next day, including information about the port times and any time restrictions. We are hoping to be on this cruise in mid-October, starting in QC, so I am guessing our extra day will be like any other port day, you can come and go and you please until the "all aboard" time.

[Dobby36]

We had two days, (first and second) in port last week at Quebec City on the zuiderdam to begin a 7day to Boston. We boarded among the first folks the AM of day one and we’re out exploring the city again in short order.  The pier and terminal are organized well and have tons of signage.  You can exit the pier complex to the south or to the west(ish) depending on where you are heading, if going by foot. For us, they also had a shuttle to the gates which seemed pretty standard, but it’s a 5 min walk and they don’t mind if you do so. 
 

there was also Ubers coming and going, and a taxi line which we used once and coming and going weren’t a problem.  THe security for us remained done at the terminal, instead of on the ship we had to hop in line with folks who still had luggage although it wasn’t as issue. We just needed our keycard.  No one seeemd to bat an eye.
 

on the way in one time I WAS chased down by security and they demanded to know my name. LOL but it was just because some other bald white guy had left his passport and they were trying to reunite him with it 😄 but it wasn’t me! 

[happercamper]

UPDATE - We just returned from our Boston to Quebec City cruise on the Zuiderdam.  This cruise overnights in Quebec City.  We had booked a 5:15am flight for the last day due to much lower cost for flight home.  All went well.  We disembarked at 2:30 am and arrived to airport by taxi by 3 am.  Only issue was ticket counter for baggage drop off was not open until 3:30 am.  I spoke with guest services the day before about needing to pick up a confiscated item (a souvenir candle I pickup in Halifax).  It was waiting for us when we disembarked.  We had to wait a couple of minutes for security to get the ok for us to leave.  I assume they had to call and ensure our account was not flagged for payment.  We spoke with the welcome information desk at the port the day before and they walked us through how to use the taxi call box in the terminal and ensured us it was available 24/7.  It proved to be unnecessary as there was already a taxi there.  Hope that helps others who are considering the same thing.  No special permission was needed and no issue with transportation to airport so early in the morning.