Disney Cruise Line

Canada Place: Vancouver Cruise Terminal Basics

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Vancouver Cruise TerminalThis summer fellow Touring Plans blogger Erin Foster and I were lucky enough to take a Disney Cruise to Alaska aboard the Disney Wonder with our families. We enjoyed some incredible Port Adventures like dog sledding, the White Pass and Yukon Railroad and viewing the Misty Fjords National Monument by float plane. Before my family and I set off on our trip of a lifetime, we spent a night at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel and a lovely evening exploring parts of Vancouver. After a good night’s rest, it was time to get up, get ready and head over to Canada Place – the Vancouver cruise terminal. In case you find yourself at the Vancouver cruise terminal about to embark on an amazing Disney Cruise to Alaska, here’s everything you’ll need to know.

Because we were staying at the Fairmont Waterfront, the cruise terminal was conveniently located just across the street. After bell services picked up our luggage to be transported to the ship, we set off on the less than five minute walk to the cruise terminal. As we made our way there, we passed the parking area and bus drop off zone.

Within minutes we were inside the cruise terminal. It was very quiet and it seemed like we were a few of the first people to arrive. The first thing we came upon was a souvenir shop where you could purchase some last minute Canadian merchandise as well as binoculars if you thought you might want them for wildlife spotting in Alaska.

Vancouver Cruise Terminal

Next up was customs and security. Sorry folks, they have a strict no photo policy. But just imagine a typical airport security area. Customs was very quick and efficient and we were through in a matter of minutes after a quick glance at our passports. Security took a bit longer, but it was extremely organized and the staff was very polite. Just like the airport, be prepared to remove your shoes, jackets and things from your pockets. About 20 minutes later, we were finished with customs and security and on our way to check in for our cruise. When we arrived at check-in, the line was almost non-existent. We were able to walk right up to the counter. Because we had all of our paperwork with us and in order, the entire check-in process took about three minutes. If you haven’t cruised with Disney before, it will take a little longer as they take photos of everyone in your traveling party. We were able to skip that part of the procedure and just use our photos from our last cruise.

Vancouver Cruise Terminal

Now that we were checked in and assigned a group number (group 2!) for boarding, we moved on to get our kids set up for the youth activities. I had preregistered both of my boys online to make the process simpler at the cruise terminal and again it paid off. In less than five minutes, my kiddos were being fitted with their Disney Cruise Line kid’s club bands. These bands look exactly like Disney World’s MagicBands with a cute little Captain Mickey on it.

Once we had completed all of our business, we still had about 30 minutes until boarding was to begin. Disney has thought of everything, so of course, they had some things set up to help us pass the time. There were backdrops set up if you wanted to take a pre-cruise photo with your family.

Vancouver Cruise Terminal

They also had character meet and greets. Captain Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were on hand while we were there.

Vancouver Cruise Terminal

And for adults who just wanted to sit back and relax, there were lots of folding chairs set up and cast members were handing out copies of that day’s Personal Navigator. What is a Personal Navigator, you ask? It is your daily schedule of everything that will be happening on the ship. There were also restrooms available.

Time passed quickly and soon it was time for our group number two to board the ship!

Vancouver Cruise Terminal

Overall, I felt that everything at the Vancouver cruise terminal went very smoothly and effortlessly. If you have ever sailed out of Port Canaveral, you can probably tell by my photos that the Vancouver cruise terminal is not nearly as glamorous. Although it was very no-frills, I was extremely pleased with the entire experience.

For more information about Disney Cruise Line, be sure to check out all of the coverage here at TouringPlans or consider purchasing The Unofficial Guide to the Disney Cruise Line.

Have you ever sailed out of the Vancouver cruise terminal – Canada Place? Do you have any other helpful hints for fellow readers? We would love to hear from you!

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Kristi Fredericks

Kristi is a lifelong fan of all things Disney and has been visiting the resorts since she was a baby. She is thrilled to share her passion for the Disney parks and feels that there is nothing better than enjoying a Disney vacation with the ones you love. Kristi is the author of "A Tale of Two Resorts: Comparing Disneyland and Walt Disney World" and "501 Ways To Make The Most Of Your Walt Disney World Vacation" and founder of the blog DisneyWorldEnthusiast.com. She can be contacted on Twitter @DWEnthusiast, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/disneyworldenthusiast or by email at disneyworldenthusiast@outlook.com.

5 thoughts on “Canada Place: Vancouver Cruise Terminal Basics

  • I know if you stay on Disney property at WDW, taking DCL transfers to Port Canaveral, DCL will arrange to pick up your luggage and transport them to the ship. Who arranges that and takes care of it in Vancouver? You mentioned bell services, is it the hotel’s bell services that transports your luggage to the ship? How is that arranged?

    Reply
    • Hi Kelly,
      The transfers in Vancouver work just like the transfers in Port Canaveral. You book them through Disney Cruise Line and they handle getting you and your luggage to and from the Vancouver cruise terminal. About a month before our cruise, we received special luggage tags with instructions explaining when we should attach them to our luggage. Since we were spending the night in Vancouver before our cruise at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel, we were to attach the luggage tags the morning of our cruise. When we arrived at the hotel, we were told to contact bell services in the morning to have them pick up our luggage from our room and they would bring it down to the Disney Cruise Line cast members stationed at our hotel. Then Disney would make sure our luggage was taken to the ship and delivered to our stateroom. Our transfers went very smoothly. Hope this helps! 🙂

      Reply
      • That helps a lot, thank you, Kristi! I didn’t realize other ports had DCL transfers as well. I thought only sailings out of Port Canaveral had them. Thank you again!

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