Kathleen Posted August 19, 2022 Report Share Posted August 19, 2022 We will be sailing Star Class on Quantum of the Seas on October 3 out of Vancouver. What is the routine for Star Class boarding there? Any advice is much appreciated. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted August 19, 2022 Report Share Posted August 19, 2022 There was no suite line in Vancouver. It's all one big zoo. Kathleen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted August 19, 2022 Report Share Posted August 19, 2022 The process of boarding in Vancouver this year is different compared to prior to the shutdown. This year the first two functions of boarding have been the security check first which leads into the CBP immigration area and these two functions are common to all cruise lines so there has been no priority for anyone or any cruise line through these two functions. US CBP chooses to pre-clear embarking guests on the way to the US to weed out any ineligible travelers before they reach US soil. In the past this wasn't always the case. In years prior to the shutdown they sometimes did check in first upstairs then directed guests to head downstairs to enter security followed by CBP. That was the case for my 2019 Ovation cruises to Alaska and to Hawaii from Vancouver. It might depend if yours is the only ship in port that day at Canada Place. If it follows this year methodology there are only suite signs to be found after CBP. Star Class is very rare in Vancouver. There have only been two Star Class boarding events in Vancouver for all of time to date. Ovation 2019 has been the only occurrence. That was the first year any Quantum class ship had an Alaskan season. In the time since there has been no other Quantum class departure from Vancouver. Looking back at my photos for both the May 2019 Ovation boarding in Vancouver for its first ever Alaska cruise and at the September 2019 Ovation boarding in Vancouver to Hawaii there were no Star Class signs in the terminal for either embarkations. I might have missed them though as I wasn't in Star for either. Ovation will have a Star Class boarding in Vancouver on September 30 for it's Hawaii cruise. You might want to find some Star guests on that cruise and see if they can post about their experience. If you can't find any Star Class tidbits from Ovation's boarding I'd ask a lot of question with your Genie but understand your Genie may have never been through a Vancouver Star Class boarding either. Canada has very strict immigration laws that impact working in Canada. Genie's may not be allowed off the ship as their presence on land represents "work" in the eyes of CBSA, Canada's equivalent of CBP. I don't know that to be fact but I do know that CBSA is much more stringent compared to CBP. Your Genie may be only able to meet you once you step on board. I'd ask your Genie about that and don't assume it will be like a US port Star embarkation. Kathleen, Allen2 and USCG Teacher 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen Posted August 19, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2022 1 hour ago, twangster said: Ovation will have a Star Class boarding in Vancouver on September 30 for it's Hawaii cruise. You might want to find some Star guests on that cruise and see if they can post about their experience. Thank you, I will check to see if there is a roll call for that sailing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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