Vancouver Embarkation

[MonikaJ42]

I just watched a YouTube video that was posted today and i wish i didn't...it was showing step by step the embarkation process in Vancouver, in this case the Volendam. Not sure if i can post the link here but in a nut shell, from the video, it's quite the process.  So much walking/waiting which I am worried about as a person in my party has mobility issues.   

 

Has anyone recently embarked from Vancouver? Any favorable updates?

 

Thanks everyone and happy cruising!

[CruiserBruce]

There have been many discussions here. It has been well documented that is can be a mess. 3 ships, US Immigration and Customs...complicated.

[MonikaJ42]

3 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

There have been many discussions here. It has been well documented that is can be a mess. 3 ships, US Immigration and Customs...complicated.

Thank you, i am reading some of the posts.  Has there been any improvements? i think there would only be 2 ships in port including ours so i can only hope for the best.....

[YourWorldWithBill]

1 minute ago, MonikaJ42 said:

Thank you, i am reading some of the posts.  Has there been any improvements? i think there would only be 2 ships in port including ours so i can only hope for the best.....

I think that whatever the situation is, it's hard to avoid the line at the security checkpoint, which is the first thing you encounter.

[RuthC]

Does you passenger with mobility difficulties have wheelchair assistance requested for boarding? Makes a world of difference, if they do. I highly recommend it.

[MonikaJ42]

1 minute ago, RuthC said:

Does you passenger with mobility difficulties have wheelchair assistance requested for boarding? Makes a world of difference, if they do. I highly recommend it.

Thank you, she currently does not use a wheelchair but we might just have to look into it for sure.

Thanks again!

[gregma60]

54 minutes ago, MonikaJ42 said:

I just watched a YouTube video that was posted today and i wish i didn't...it was showing step by step the embarkation process in Vancouver, in this case the Volendam. Not sure if i can post the link here but in a nut shell, from the video, it's quite the process.  So much walking/waiting which I am worried about as a person in my party has mobility issues.   

 

Has anyone recently embarked from Vancouver? Any favorable updates?

 

Thanks everyone and happy cruising!

Please see if you can post the link, even if it's just text.  I searched and I can find nothing about this.

 

-gregma

[Cruise Suzy]

 

 

 

34 minutes ago, MonikaJ42 said:

Thank you, she currently does not use a wheelchair but we might just have to look into it for sure.

 

I don't use a wheelchair - yet, but I have used wheelchair assistance on my last 2 cruises and will continue to do so. The first time I was using no mobility device and on the second a cane. Now I use a rollator.

 

Here is the link to HAL's Mobility FAQs:

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/about/our-company/accessibility

 

Here is the link to HAL's   Special Requirements Information (SRI) Form

https://book.hollandamerica.com/specialServices/login.action

No real need to submit the form for embarkation, but it's needed for them to notify you where to meet for disembarkation assistance.

 

There will be two "pushers" - one to navigate the terminal and then one to embark/disembark the ship. There will be a seating area where the transfer is made - can be a bit of a wait at times. Be patient.

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Cruise Suzy

[JohnnyPS]

We are out of Vancouver in a couple of weeks on the Koningsdam.  We have booked a Neptune Suite and according to everything I have read we should get some sort of priority check-in and disembarkation.  I have seen some mixed reviews about this.  We sailed on HAL back in 2003 so for all intents and purposes we are newbies on HAL

 

Can anyone who has been through Vancouver comment on this?  It appears that the sailing is at capacity, so I am expecting the cruise port to be crowded.

[sue1898]

23 minutes ago, JohnnyPS said:

We are out of Vancouver in a couple of weeks on the Koningsdam.  We have booked a Neptune Suite and according to everything I have read we should get some sort of priority check-in and disembarkation.  I have seen some mixed reviews about this.  We sailed on HAL back in 2003 so for all intents and purposes we are newbies on HAL

 

Can anyone who has been through Vancouver comment on this?  It appears that the sailing is at capacity, so I am expecting the cruise port to be crowded.

I did this cruise the end of June. The priority is only for boarding. There are security and government lines before that and there is no priority in either of those lines. 

[MonikaJ42]

48 minutes ago, gregma60 said:

Please see if you can post the link, even if it's just text.  I searched and I can find nothing about this.

 

-gregma

The name of the video is 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞 - 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰

[MonikaJ42]

42 minutes ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

 

 

 

I don't use a wheelchair - yet, but I have used wheelchair assistance on my last 2 cruises and will continue to do so. The first time I was using no mobility device and on the second a cane. Now I use a rollator.

 

Here is the link to HAL's Mobility FAQs:

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/about/our-company/accessibility

 

Here is the link to HAL's   Special Requirements Information (SRI) Form

https://book.hollandamerica.com/specialServices/login.action

No real need to submit the form for embarkation, but it's needed for them to notify you where to meet for disembarkation assistance.

 

There will be two "pushers" - one to navigate the terminal and then one to embark/disembark the ship. There will be a seating area where the transfer is made - can be a bit of a wait at times. Be patient.

 

This is great information, thank you so much!!

 

[PACD_JG]

Are you afraid of not boarding?  I mean, if it takes an hour or two hours to board, does that somehow change your plans for that day?🤷‍♂️

[JohnnyPS]

1 hour ago, sue1898 said:

I did this cruise the end of June. The priority is only for boarding. There are security and government lines before that and there is no priority in either of those lines. 

I am curious if having TSA pre or Global Entry would work on these government lines. 

[auntmeg]

2 minutes ago, JohnnyPS said:

I am curious if having TSA pre or Global Entry would work on these government lines. 

No.

[CruiserBruce]

41 minutes ago, JohnnyPS said:

I am curious if having TSA pre or Global Entry would work on these government lines. 

TSA Pre definitely won't...you are in Vancouver. Global Entry might, if the US Immigration folks could implement it there.

[Crew News]

41 minutes ago, JohnnyPS said:

I am curious if having TSA pre or Global Entry would work on these government lines. 

Global Entry works for the Vancouver airport when going through US Immigration for your flight back to the USA.

[JohnnyPS]

6 minutes ago, Crew News said:

Global Entry works for the Vancouver airport when going through US Immigration for your flight back to the USA.

Thanks, this will be a driving trip for us.  We are about 2 ½ hours from Vancouver.  When we factored in the time getting to the airport, the check in time etc., the flight time, the time at Vancouver airport and the time getting to the hotel/cruise port, it will save us a boatload of time just driving.

[RuthC]

2 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

There will be two "pushers" - one to navigate the terminal and then one to embark/disembark the ship.

This will vary based on embarkation port, especially when outside the US. 

The last time I boarded in Vancouver, admittedly several years ago, a steward met me at the bus, under the terminal area. He attended to me all the way through check-in, the various passport and security checks, and onto the ship. IIRC, he brought me all the way to my cabin. 
I don't know if the procedure is still the same in Vancouver. 

[Crew News]

8 minutes ago, JohnnyPS said:

Thanks, this will be a driving trip for us.  We are about 2 ½ hours from Vancouver.  When we factored in the time getting to the airport, the check in time etc., the flight time, the time at Vancouver airport and the time getting to the hotel/cruise port, it will save us a boatload of time just driving.

Here are your MDR menus also Gala Nights will be Days 02 and 05:  Alaska 7-Day MDR Menus

[RD64]

This past Sunday - up, down, all around, then repeat - I have no mobility issues - but I felt the process at Vancouver was a true struggle - if you do have issues, a scooter, wheel chair, etc then definitely request the assistance beforehand. 
 

I was just saying to someone at dinner last night that I never get seasick , but going through all of the zigzags and lines, I thought I was going to be violently ill. Just an fyi - HAL, RCL, and  Celebrity were both sailing. You do your initial check in with your cruise line - then everybody gets merged together for security screening and then passport checks, then you get filtered back to your cruise line. So in summation, you are not just fighting with your own passengers to board, but the thousands of other passengers from the other ships.

 

Sadly the facilities have outgrown the demand. Canada Place opened in 1986 - so it was probably designed close to 40 years ago when the cruise industry was not what it is today, and 1000 passengers was considered a large ship.

[WetterWashington]

1 hour ago, JohnnyPS said:

Thanks, this will be a driving trip for us.  We are about 2 ½ hours from Vancouver.  When we factored in the time getting to the airport, the check in time etc., the flight time, the time at Vancouver airport and the time getting to the hotel/cruise port, it will save us a boatload of time just driving.

Certainly quicker to drive... while this will be our first time going to the Cruise Terminal, we both used to go north on a near weekly basis. (Bremerton area)

[Fairgarth]

We boarded Koningsdam in June.  Check-in with HAL was very quick and slick.  The line-up for security was not too bad.  But then we had to line up for an hour and a half for U.S. Pre-clearance.  Nobody can jump the queue as far as we could see.  Vancouver port and Canada gets the bad reputation but c'mon folks, the problem is U.S. Customs.  Just a thought - can anybody recommend arriving very late after all others are processed?

[PSR]

4 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

Here is the link to HAL's   Special Requirements Information (SRI) Form

https://book.hollandamerica.com/specialServices/login.action

No real need to submit the form for embarkation, but it's needed for them to notify you where to meet for disembarkation assistance.

 

If you don't need to use this for embarkation, who do you contact to get a wheelchair at the port when boarding? Thank you for any information.

[oaktreerb]

35 minutes ago, Fairgarth said:

We boarded Koningsdam in June.  Check-in with HAL was very quick and slick.  The line-up for security was not too bad.  But then we had to line up for an hour and a half for U.S. Pre-clearance.  Nobody can jump the queue as far as we could see.  Vancouver port and Canada gets the bad reputation but c'mon folks, the problem is U.S. Customs.  Just a thought - can anybody recommend arriving very late after all others are processed?

No.  We did that once.  We almost missed the ship.