Post About The Us Direct In Vancouver And Being Denied Access To Ship

[jstpshe]

I would think there are more people than this with something on their record that went through customs/immigration in Canada that could tell us how everything went for them.

Please help out us future cruisers that would like to take a cruise out of Canada, please?

How did it go for you?

 

Thanks, CJ :) :)

[8th math]

That is exactly what I thought and that is why we took a chance and went and when we got there it was a simple process. All they did was scan the passports. One lady in our group called a Canadian office and the Canadian consulate or something like that in Miami and all they did was read their law. They would not say yes. It seems like they told her that all of those special permission papers had to be filled out. I think you should just go and not worry.

[TXARF]

There is a group of us traveling in September on NCL (round trip to/from Seattle). One port is Prince Rupert, Canada. A member of our group recently received a felony theft conviction (long story - extenuating circumstances). Will he be allowed to enter Prince Rupert for the few hours we are there and leave freely?:eek:

[TCF]

...since the cruise season out of Vancouver to Alaska started and I have not seen any postings from people refused entry to Canada because of DUI and similar crimes committed years ago. I am sure we would have seen many posts if it was happening.

The US Direct Program is a good one...and it works...so use it if you can!

Basically YVR has cut a deal with Canada Border Services to place US citizens in a secure state similar to the way material goods coming into the country are placed. They allow passengers off the plane...into an absolutely secure area...on to a secured and sealed bus...delivered to the ship and loaded straight onto it. You could almost say that these people do not even 'enter' the country...they just pass through it!

I think most...but not ALL...the cruise lines are using the program. But, if you can, use the program do so...if for know other reason than it is going to be WAY faster than going through the regular entry process...especially if you arrive just behind four planes from China....two from Japan and three from Europe!!! Hey, trust me, it happens!

Tom

[sharp_cruiser]

Thanks fellow CC members for this information. I am still too paranoid to try it nouthbound. I am hoping it will be ok for us to go southbound. we will deal with vancouver after the trip is over.

 

anybody have any information regarding what sort of customs you will deal with as you board the boat in Whittier/Seward?

[quiller7]

hi

for those concerned about passport checking into canada. we rented a car in skagway and drove into canada last week. border agent barely looked at the passport and waved us through. victoria was the same they barely glanced at the passport.

[Jimrob]

Our trip was booked soutbound from Seward to Vancouver on RCCL Radiance, and on arriving in Vancouver we were supposed to do a city highlights tour. Didn't happen because the tour bus drivers were on strike so we wound up sitting in the airport for an extra six hours or so.

 

Don't know if our arrival was the norm, but we were let off the ship, taken to the end of the building and down a long ramp and loaded onto a bus (we were the last bus from the ship that day). From there we were taken and dropped off at the airport. You get out of the bus, turn right and head towards the end of the building, and hopefully your luggage has beat you there and is waiting for you. If you've got several larger pieces make sure to get a cart to hold it on, it's going to be with you for a while.

 

There's a fairly good sized food court with a large variety of items available in the main part of the terminal, so if you're looking for something to eat you're better off getting it there, there's a very limited selection availble later on. Keep in mind that you're in Canada here, so everything is Canadian money, if you pay with American you're extremely likely to get your change back in Canadian. There is a booth later on to change money, but why bother, I just used the credit card for everything there and didn't worry about it. My wife did pay cash for something at one point and wound up getting her change back in American, so it's kind of hit or miss apparently.

 

Make sure that you allow plenty of time to get to your plane. You have to take your luggage to one of the check-in desks, where they will get tagged for your flight. You don't drop them off there, but take them with you around behind the check-in counters and into the back area. There is a set of scales there to check the weight of your luggage, but don't worry, nobody's even looking at them after you pass the check-in counter. Once you walk back through an area of duty-free shops you get to the US customs area. Have your passport and drivers license out and ready to keep the line moving, the agent will scan your passport, I assume to find out if you're supposed to be denied entry or wanted or anything like that, and then you're through into the US side of the terminal.

 

After passing through customs you come to the security check point, where you stop and drop your luggage off onto a conveyor belt for the plane and then wait for the security line. One of the gaurds stopped me and my wife and told us to hold on a moment, then said one of us had been selected for a random check. He took our boarding tickets, looked at my wife, who gave her one of those 'You wouldn't dare' looks, looked at the passes and said "Mr Lincoln, I'll take you".

 

Wonderful fun, take everything off and put it on the security belt, walk through the metal detector, then go and stand there to get patted down. All the while these two security people are directing everyone around and away from you. Once they pat you down you get to turn around and do it again, no sure just what that was all about, didn't you already check that all those parts were real the first time?

 

Once through security, just like any airport in the world, there there's no way back out, but you are headed for the plane, right? There's a few places to grab a bite and a drink, and a couple of the normal airport shops, but the section of the terminal you're in is split down the middle with a large glass wall. The other side is considered Canada, and there's no way over there, but other than that it's pretty much boring end-of-vacation airport terminal.

 

Basically coming into Vancouver by ship there was absolutely no checks that were done, and the interesting part is that once the bus dropped us off at the terminal anyone could have walked out, hailed a cab or rented a car, and gone anywhere they wanted. I don't know if there was any more security for anyone gettting off the ship and not headed for the airport, they split you almost immediately as you get off the ship and you never really see any part of the cruise ship terminal, just the hallway to the end, the ramp down, and the buses.

 

Jim

[CruisinJul]

Thanks all for the information on US Direct. Do you absolutely need a passport to use this program? We are traveling with another couple that have not received their passports yet.

[gambit57]

Thanks fellow CC members for this information. I am still too paranoid to try it nouthbound. I am hoping it will be ok for us to go southbound. we will deal with vancouver after the trip is over.

 

anybody have any information regarding what sort of customs you will deal with as you board the boat in Whittier/Seward?

 

I went Northbound. I don't see the risks being any different no matter which direction you're going. Not only did I not see any computers used to check your name against some list, but the whole point of US Direct is so that none of any past discretions would matter because you're not considered to have entered Canada at all.

 

So, I see using US Direct as a much better choice than sneaking around and driving a car in to Canada. With a car, you are entering. Get a nosy border agent, and something might come up. With US Direct, you never "enter" Canada so it doesn't really matter what you've done in the past.

[cruzrpup]

I have been told by TA; Princess; and Immigration Section-Canadian Consulate General, Seattle, that the US DIRECT option will still catch a passport with a record history and access to Canada would be denied.

 

My traveling companion will not quite have 5 years since reinstatement of her driver's license after DUI (in other words, the "completion of sentence") and we are thinking that our planned trip next summer will have to be postponed.

Our hope was the US Direct transfer to go from SB cruise debarking Vancouver straight to flight, but we've been told this won't work. Apparently, admissibility into Canada is checked prior to debarking; not sure at what point though.

I'd like to hear from anyone who did apply for a Temporary Resident Permit and got one. My info says only those with "urgent need" (not tourism) can get them.

Thanks!

[MercedMike]

I dunno if she even had time to see the photos and see if they matched our faces. I went back and had her stamp them just so I could prove I went to Vancouver. Totally informal. No computers or other checking or records.

 

 

You know, I wasn't watching that closely, but I seem to remember that Customs Agent had a scanner and was scanning the bar codes on our passports. It was quick and not very obtrusive -- but I just don't want people to depend on the fact that no computer record was made.

 

I do agree that the USDirect process is very efficient and saves a lot of time. HAL tried in its documents to give us the impression that it is only available if you have cruise line arranged air, but that is not true. You only need to be on the manifest for the cruise line arranged transfer in the sealed bus. Independent air is fine.

[hndmn4wf]

I have been told by TA; Princess; and Immigration Section-Canadian Consulate General, Seattle, that the US DIRECT option will still catch a passport with a record history and access to Canada would be denied.

 

My traveling companion will not quite have 5 years since reinstatement of her driver's license after DUI (in other words, the "completion of sentence") and we are thinking that our planned trip next summer will have to be postponed.

Our hope was the US Direct transfer to go from SB cruise debarking Vancouver straight to flight, but we've been told this won't work. Apparently, admissibility into Canada is checked prior to debarking; not sure at what point though.

I'd like to hear from anyone who did apply for a Temporary Resident Permit and got one. My info says only those with "urgent need" (not tourism) can get them.

Thanks![/quote

 

 

This is what my wife and I were going to do but I guess since there is a chance of being denied just going from the plane to the ship, (just to leave there for a cruise) by way of US Direct we again won't be taking our Alaska cruise. Boy I'm so glad this was a surprise for the wife because she has'nt had to go through the headaches of worryng over and over again of whether we'll be going to Alaska or not!:confused:

 

I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO CANCEL HER SURPRISE!:(

[Helabama]

There is one other wrinkle to worry about if you use U S direct on a SB cruise:

 

We sailed SB on 29 Aug on the Carnival Sprit. After we boarded the ship in Whittier we purchased Carnival transfers so we could use U S Direct. Two or three days later an announcement was made that this cruise would not be participating in U S Direct. No reason was given. So be prepared for this problem if you are counting on U S Direct to get you to YVR for an early flight.

 

We had wanted to use U S Direct because our flight out of Vancouver originally was scheduled for 1:15. We were told we would need U S Direct in order to make that flight. Everything worked out fine because the flight time was changed to 2:30 p.m. and we had plenty of time.

 

I have no idea why U S Direct was cancelled for that cruise but it sure could have caused us problems. We will know better next time.