The process takes almost no time at all and, according to a statement from CBP, it's 98% accurate. The crew will occasionally make mistakes, but a kind word and a small tip in spite of it can go a long way. Links to each cruise lines passenger requirements are listed below for your convenience. Started August 27, 2021, By You will bypass the big room full of suitcases and go straight to customs. Maybe youre driving straight home from the port and youve got 10 hours of road ahead of you, and an earlier time would be better. I was told they no longer do the duty free tobacco thing. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. To recap, here's what you can expect when you bring goods through customs . As a general rule most cruise ships will start the disembarkation process around 7:30-8 am, however your cruise line can give you more specific information. See the frequently asked questions page, for information on how to locate missing items. All passengers embarking in Vancouver will go through screening and U.S. Customs and Border Protection as you are considered to be entering U.S. jurisdiction upon boarding the cruise ship. shown on your passport, as well as your photo. Lets be a little more clear on regular disembarkation: You must put your suitcase outside your cabin door the night before by 11:00 or midnight. We still had to present our passport to Customs, but that was all. Passports are shown/presented to Immigration, Customs is an in spsection of things you are carrying. You can store your bags in the luggage compartment of the coach bus, and you wont have to sit around in the airport. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. A couple of the ships activities staff or officers may be near the exits to say goodbye and wish you a safe trip home. Small magnetic clips can also help to keep all your cabin items organized. Canada Place cruise terminal The international award-winning Canada Place cruise terminal is centrally located in downtown Vancouver near shopping, restaurants, entertainment, attractions and world-famous Stanley Park. That means every bottle or cigarette you bring back home will see a small tax. U.S. credit and debit cardsdo NOT workinCuba. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Gray Line Westcoast Sightseeing can also arrange bus service from Vancouver to Bellingham, Washington, Seattle, Washingtons SeaTac airport and to Victoria, British Columbia. So how much in alcohol or cigarettes can you bring back in? There's now a way to breeze through that pesky customs line after your cruise, getting you into the car or on your flight faster . Since youll be leaving your cabin, this may mean bringing your carry on or other items with you to the buffet. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that grants expedited customs clearance at your destination to pre-approved United States citizens upon returning to the U.S. Packed for my cruise on Saturday. The last morning of your cruise, youll have to disembark and leave what had become your very comfortable home away from home. I feel like having someone to help you get through customs, as well as make sure that you get all your luggage there safely would be nice. A $100 nonrefundable fee is required to submit your Global Entry application. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. Under no circumstance should cruise ship guests to be dropped off on Canada Place Way, Howe Street or Cordova Street. It's called Global Entry. My husband and I like to keep an eye on our cruise account throughout the cruise, looking at it once every couple of days, just to make sure all is as it should be. US Customs and Border protection is the final step before boarding your vessel. For information on changes to your cruise, please contact the cruise line directly. Some countries might refuse to dock your ship or allow passengers to disembark. By Here are some examples: Subscribe to get up-to-date safety and security information and help us reach you in an emergency abroad. I recently wrote about how cruise lines are implementing contact tracing on their ships in the wake of COVID-19. We always print one up the last full day of our cruise (not disembarkation morning), and go through it line by line, just to make sure. Pro tip: Don't assume you can fix issues after you get off the ship. If, for some reason, your identity can't be verified, you'll proceed through a traditional, manual customs line, as will passengers on closed-loop sailings (a cruise that begins and ends at the same U.S. port) who are traveling with documents other than passports. NCL asked us what we wanted to eat and drink. It very rarely is in my experience, though of course it may be monitored by CCTV Your response is private Was this worth your time? Also, note that there is no cruise equivalent of PreCheck, so you cannot skip any lines when boarding your cruise ship at the start of your vacation. This is because the ship needs to be cleared by customs, and given permission for passengers to debark. You can often also add these on during your cruise at the guest services desk, but do verify. Can I just take them in a bag through ship customs, on to the ship? In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. Required fields are marked *. Loved your post! On the ship and in port, youll see signs advertising tax and duty-free. We recommend that everyone taking a cruise from the United States have a passport book. If you are mailing goods back to the U.S., you still must declare those items on your U.S. Customs declaration form, as well as fill out a Declaration of Unaccompanied Items form. Preclearance operates at 15 locations worldwide Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance is the strategic stationing of CBP personnel at designated foreign airports to inspect travelers prior to boarding U.S.-bound flights. . For security reasons, short-term baggage storage is available to cruise passengers only. The process of checking out of your cruise ship is very different from checking out of a hotel. Anyone walking by could get into your suitcase? Sounds like our disembarkation mornings too Bob. For example, bottles of Grand Marnier seen on a recent cruise ran $36 each for a one-liter bottle, but two bottles for $60. What you see is what you pay. If you are considering travel on a cruise ship, please review the latest CDC guidance. What Should I Do? If you need assistance, or happen to have a lot of luggage, this isnt for you. The ships crew will be working hard that night taking the luggage to a holding area, so that it can be move off the ship quickly the next morning. The unique multipurpose facility is also conveniently based just 30 minutes from the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). You can bring in 200 cigarettes (or 100 cigars) per person under the personal exemption. Your cabin steward will take it away. So bottles are typically 33% larger than usual. I ran into this in May, but had not traveled internationally since early Jan, so sometime in that time frame. You wont regret it! TPG values it at $1,600. The photo studio is like a zoo on the last evening of the cruise, with people deciding now to buy their cruise photos and packages. It's nearly impossible to get cruise line land staff to fix onboard billing mistakes. The fact is that once you leave the cruise ship, you are accepting the statement and its extremely difficult to go back and dispute any charges. Once your baggage is checked, cruise line staff will direct you up a set of escalators or an elevator to the cruise line check-in area, which is located one level up from the cruise terminal in Convention Centre Hall C. Once in the check-in area, passengers will be asked to complete a health questionnaire and cruise line staff will verify identification and boarding information and provide each passenger with a boarding card as part of the check-in process. Follow the signs to theorange zone (P1 Level) which is for IMMEDIATE passenger loading ONLY. PortMiami, for example, is in preliminary talks with CBP about the program, which they plan to adopt in the near future. There, you will be subject to state laws surrounding importing alcohol. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message. That's how they're able to verify your identity when you travel. If you don't have your Global Entry card, showing a passport should be fine. A US citizen returning to a US port with a valid US passport and answering the US Customs declaration truthfully should get through Customs & Immigration in less than 5 minutes IF: there are sufficient number of inspectors as well as not too many liars or people trying to get away with something. We answer some basic questions at the kiosk and print out the receipt. In other words, the prices compared to back home arent mind-blowingly lower, but do save you a decent amount, especially since there isnt any sales tax. Wondering why. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/i-94-instructions. Whether it is attended or not is another matter. Mobility scooter and wheelchair rentals are available from Scootaround. You dont want to disembark in a cocktail dress, right? If youve found this helpful, dont keep it to yourself ;-)! Passengers who are disembarking in Vancouver are required to complete a declaration card and clear Canadian customs through Canada Border Services Agency. Her favorite cities include London; Amsterdam; Krakow, Poland; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Dawson City, Yukon; and anywhere known for outstanding pizza and theater. These assigned times, are really approximate and what the cruise line is hoping for, if all goes as planned. The other will be dutiable at 3 percent, plus any Internal Revenue Tax (IRT) that is due.. I liken the idea of being able to get some help with disembarking the ship. There's now a way to breeze through that pesky customs line after your cruise, getting you into the car or on your flight faster. Vancouver International Airport, international and regional flight services, phone 604.207.7077 Dont go thinking, however, that you can buy discounted goodies to enjoy on the ship. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. Amounts above your personal exemption are taxed at a rate of 3%. It only comes out to be a few dollars per bottle. Remember, this doesnt include any tax that you might have to pay on land. Continue north on BC-99 until you cross the Oak Street Bridge, Turn left on 49th Avenue. Ill go over the pros and cons of both at the end of this post. I would not put your valuables and if this includes your clothing, its something for you to decide. As passengers embarking in Vancouver are considered to be entering U.S. jurisdiction once they board the cruise ship, you will go through U.S. Customs and Border Protection immediately following the passenger screening process. I've never had this occur before. Like the arrivals and departures areas of an airport, drop-off and pick-up areas are based in different locations at the cruise terminal. My wife And I started to back to back cruises. Porters will take your bags, which will then be taken aboard and delivered to your cabin later. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). Keep in mind if youre an International traveler, you may need more time at the airport. Even with the tax, items bought in the duty-free shop can still be cheaper. For example, alcoholic beverages. Check passport expiration dates carefully for all travelers! And CBP also has the beagles now. Canada Place has short-term parking available for picking up and dropping off cruise passengers. As well, there are often discounts for buying multiple bottles, although keep in mind they will see a tax when bringing in more than one liter into the United States. YOU WILL BE IN THE PARKING LOT, AT YOUR CAR IN NO TIME.WE SKIP BFAST ON THE SHIP AND GRAB SOMETHING AT MICKEY Ds AS WE LEAVE THE PORT AREA. If you choose standard debarkation, the luggage will be taken off the ship for you, so not to worry. We bring it back to out cabin while we do some final things before we leave the cruise ship. Remain vigilantand exercise normal precautions aboard a cruise ship and on shore, as you would whenever traveling abroad. Truthfully, people are so busy getting their own packing together and it has always seemed safe for me. Then, as quickly as possible, get back to enjoying your day! Not unusual, it's been that way for a few months. You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State. The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. Were going to a hotel for three days. Once on the ship, you can definitely ask someone at guest services to help guide you through this. It's important that you take anything you might need for the first day (such as boarding documents, prescriptions, a change of clothes, etc.) Thank you! In addition to saving travelers and border officials time, biometric technology is also a safety measure. There are a few companies that provide it to ports on behalf of the cruise lines they serve. When you disembark, you'll proceed to a series of small pedestal-style kiosks, where you'll look at a screen that reads your face with a camera and compares it with the photo that's linked to your passport or visa. Ascent Car Rental and Tours for more information, please call: Ascent at 604.416.4600. (Have tip money ready.). In screening both foreign visitors and returning U.S. citizens, CBP uses a variety of techniques to assure that global tourism remains safe and strong. The sooner you get off the plane, the shorter the customs and immigration lines will be when you arrive. Medications that are legally prescribed in the United States are not always legal abroad. On my last two cruises -- one from Miami and the other from Port Canaveral -- I was screened this way during disembarkation. 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