Cruise out of Vancouver - anyone actually ever denied entry?

[kbalthaser66]

I absolutely promise to post a response to these buring questions. I will let you know if my BIL is allowed entry and able to board the cruise ship - thank you everyone for your help and advice on this matter. I think I have given myself an ulser of this and I am going to step away and let the chips fall where they may. I know DH and I are going to have a fabulous time on the cruise. Being a control freak that I am and always wanting everything to be perfect I need to stop and realize that this is out of my control and just pray that what my BIL has been told by the canadian immigration department is true.

 

Nothing will make me happier than to see the look on my MIL's face when she comes down for dinner and see's her ENTIRE family there.

[nurseone]

What is you did a cruise tour and boarded the ship in Seward (in the US) but ended the cruise in Vancouver flying out the same day - at what point would all this come about - would they not let you board in Seward - not let you off the ship in Vancouver - take you into custody in Vancouver and take you to the airport for your pre arranged flight? Curious minds want to know.

[mapsmith]

What is you did a cruise tour and boarded the ship in Seward (in the US) but ended the cruise in Vancouver flying out the same day - at what point would all this come about - would they not let you board in Seward - not let you off the ship in Vancouver - take you into custody in Vancouver and take you to the airport for your pre arranged flight? Curious minds want to know.

 

 

I seem to remember this being discussed on the boards about a year ago. A gentleman did exactly as you stated. Upon arrival at Vancouver, the guy was prohibited from disembarking until the Canadian Customs arrived. They interviewed him for several hours and finally took him in Handcuffs to the airport and had him forcibly deported from Canada. I would assume that the forcible deportation means that he probably cannot enter Canada AGAIN. I also seem to remember that the brouhaha cost him a few thousand dollars at the end of the cruise.

[robtulipe]

I will still do what your BIL going to do but one day early and fly into Seattle than drvie to Vancouver stay over night, and if they will not let him in at least he can fly from SEA to catch up with the ship in Alaska.

As previously mentioned in this thread due to Passenger Service Act regulations, he wouldn't be allowed to board the ship at the next port in Alaska since a foreign flagged ship would then be transporting a passenger from one US port to another different US port without stopping at a distant foreign port. This is why passengers who miss the ship in Fort Lauderdale or Miami can't get on at the next port of call if it's a US one like Key West since they will be transported back to the home port unless the ship calls on a distant foreign port (South American which includes the ABC islands, Tobago and Trinidad). They would have to fly to the first foreign port before they would be allowed to board which is very difficult to do if the ship doesn't call on a foreign port.

Edited June 16, 2009 by robtulipe

[schnocker]

Here is my experience with entering Canada in July 2007 after a first offense DWI arrest in Maryland in 2001.

I was en route to an Alaskan cruise on RCI departing Vancouver and using US Direct.

 

In court the case was put on the "stet" docket and I was told to "not be back" for 1 year or the case would be re-opened. I understood that my DWI is still and forever will be on that docket and but can only be opened by court order. There was no fine or community service imposed but I had already spent plenty of time and money on lawyers and substance abuse classes.

Technically, maybe not a conviction but I'm in the system even so.

 

Now for Canada: Off the plane in Vancouver we were taken in a group thru immigration and onto a bus (sealed door) to the ship. The agent looked at my passport and passed me thru.

 

In September of 2007 I also cruised from Baltimore to New England and Canada. Canadian ports included Halifax, Nova Scotia and St. John, New Brunswick. No problems.

 

Sorry if I was too wordy but I thought maybe I could add my personal experience to a lot of conjecture. And to all Canadians: I am sorry and I'm done with all that stuff.

[nosmothj]

Even if there is no conviction, you can still be denied entry into the U.S., assuming the arrest details are in U.S. Customs computers, which it most likely is. It also depends on the nature of the crime. Drug related charges (not convictions) are a virtual lock to be denied entry. It also depends on the screening at the border - maybe they will let you enter, maybe not.

 

The remedy in all cases is with the other nation's authorities. Pardons issued at home will do nothing if the information is already in the hands of border officials of both countries. Your remedy lies with the authorities of the nation you wish to enter.

 

I've always though it a bit unfair that Canada denies entry to those charged/convicted of DUI (no accidents, deaths or people hurt) however it is a significant crime in Canada, while simple DUI is a misdemeanor in the U.S. and consequently not on the list of crimes denying entry to the U.S.

 

 

I have started to check after reading this thread and this is what I have found out.

 

In Canada all convictions and charges are registered with "CPAC". So even if you have not been convicted it still shows. The USA basically has the same system. The two systems do exchange information but only if the person crosses the border.

 

You can get your information removed from "CPAC" for with drawn charges by going to local Police and getting a records check and photo and finger prints. You then send this to the RCMP in Ottawa, who controls "CPAC" and ask them to purge your record. This takes about 2 to 3 months. When you get your reply back that it is purged you go back to local Police to confirm.

 

Now if you try to cross the border before your record is purged and US customs checks your record will go into there system and it is very hard to get it removed. Once you have been denied entry into either country your chance of gaining entry in the future is very hard.

[cruzwpj]

Hopefully all went well with the entry into Canada from Vancover. We have a similar situation and changed our cruise to depart from Seattle just to be safer. Please post your results and know we have been thinking of you.

Marcia

[mohavemommy]

I absolutely promise to post a response to these buring questions. I will let you know if my BIL is allowed entry and able to board the cruise ship - thank you everyone for your help and advice on this matter. I think I have given myself an ulser of this and I am going to step away and let the chips fall where they may. I know DH and I are going to have a fabulous time on the cruise. Being a control freak that I am and always wanting everything to be perfect I need to stop and realize that this is out of my control and just pray that what my BIL has been told by the canadian immigration department is true.

 

Nothing will make me happier than to see the look on my MIL's face when she comes down for dinner and see's her ENTIRE family there.

 

I would like to know the outcome of this situation. I would assume that the cruise has been over for a couple weeks now.

Edited July 22, 2009 by mohavemommy

[KKeeganS]

The OP discusses it in her review:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1022886&highlight=

 

Due to a family emergency, the rest of the family rescheduled for a Caribbean cruise next year.

[mohavemommy]

Ah. Found it here:

Well, this trip turned out to be a disaster in the making. Long story short - my MIL's parents (who are in their 90's) were involved in a bad car accident and it was touch and go for a few days so we decided as a group to tell my inlaws about the surprise cruise and we all decided that now was not the time to be going on a cruise considering the my MIL's parents were needing to be moved from the hospital to a nursing home to recover. We decided as a group to move the anniversary cruise to February. This is where RCCL customer service shinned. They were extremely accomodating in letting us move our cruise to February (Caribbean) - we did have insurance so maybe that is why we did not receive any pushback. My husband and I decided to go ahead and go on the Alaskan cruise because we had already scheduled the time off and we needed a break from work. 7 days before departure my husband found out he was not able to take time off from work on July 3rd so we scrammbled and invited my 22 yr old son to join me. He was a complete trooper being the only person on board his age. I was certainly glad he went along - we made the most of the cruise and I actually felt pretty young for the first time in a long time :D.

 

I can tell you that I do not think that my BIL would have been allowed in Vancouver - they swiped our passports and clearly waited for something to pop up on their screen before stamping us through. I am certain that this is where his DWI would have popped up. I do believe that the NCIC database is tied to the passport scans. I would not suggest anyone try to sneak through immigration with a record because I think you will be stopped.

[MISSYLOU]

Why not just say nothing and see what happens? If you get denied boarding call a lawyer or something like others have said.

 

To take your chances means if you are denied entry you must find a way to return home which will be costly. You may also be detained for quite some time just because the authorities "can".

 

When the passport is scanned the red light goes on if you have any criminal activity.

 

You have to apply to the consulate to be allowed into the country.

[mohavemommy]

To take your chances means if you are denied entry you must find a way to return home which will be costly. You may also be detained for quite some time just because the authorities "can".

 

When the passport is scanned the red light goes on if you have any criminal activity.

 

You have to apply to the consulate to be allowed into the country.

 

I didn't know the scanners had red lights.

[MISSYLOU]

Okay, so I should have said the border agent is alerted that the person trying to enter the country has a criminal record.

 

Were you just being funny?

[mrgreencard]

This is really rather simple. A DUI is an inadmissible offense for purposes of Canadian immigration law. Just like the US has immigration laws so does Canada. Not every offense is a permanent bar. Waivers are availalbe depending on the circumstances such as the type of crime, why you are trying to enter Canada, how long you plan to stay and of course other criminal offenses. Assuming you meet the requirements there is a discretionary requirement too. To think that they won't know or you'll slip by is just being ignorant. Do they stop everyone? Of course not. Neither does US immigration. If you lie do you make the situation worse? Of couse. Things that are 20 years old are problematic. The bottom line is hire a Canadian immigration lawyer to help you apply for the waiver. Don't try to do it yourself. You wouldn't call the IRS for tax advice would you? It is the same thing. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the government is there to help you. They are there to enforce their laws. You have no right to enter any country that you are not a citizen of.

[vossjemi]

Ok, just thought I'd post our experience for anyone going to Canada. DH was pulled over for DUI in May 04. We worked out a deal with the prosecutor for an SIS (pleads guilty but gets suspended imposition of sentence) in Sept 04. Basically, no conviction shows of record because if no new incidents occurred during period of 1 year probation, it was to become a closed record. A search of the courthouse records shows no conviction. Basically a public records search shows no conviction, but the driver's license record does show the 30 day license suspension because that is an administrative proceeding as opposed to a criminal proceeding and the license bureau NEVER takes that off. So, the incident itself was just over 5 years ago, but the SIS deal was just under 5 years so we worried that he wouldn't be allowed entry since technically he couldn't even be "deemed rehabilitated" per Canada rules requiring conviction or period of probation being more than 5 years ago.

 

Went to Niagara Falls this past weekend and stayed on US side. Walked across Rainbow Bridge into Canada twice. They scanned our passports into the computer. They asked a few simple questions...purpose of our visit, no weapons, how much $, but didn't ask anything about arrests/convictions. We were permitted entry into Canada both times no problems. I do not know if all the border patrol had access to was open records since his SIS is a closed record. Or if they did have access to his closed record but chose to ignore it since we were walking instead of driving. It turned out to be no big deal at least with the walking across.

Edited September 8, 2009 by vossjemi

[klfrodo]

Did you BIL ever have any issues?

 

Really? It's a 9 year old thread. However, the answer is a page back.