Princess Cruises exceeded our expectations. It had been at least four years since we last sailed with Princess, but they have won us back with this cruise.

Port of Vancouver – Embarkation: With three ships loading passengers, getting on the ship seemed more difficult than it should have been. We checked in with Princess within 20 minutes of arriving at the port via 4-hour shuttle from Seattle-Tacoma airport. We were then sent into a large room to wait 90 minutes to get access to another waiting area, where we sat for 45 minutes. After that, we stood in a snaking Disney-like line to show our passports to one of 12 US Customs agents. It makes it so you don’t have to do US customs in Hawaii, but we weren’t prepared for it. We weren’t the only ones who were uncomfortable. Best advice it to be knowledgeable about the process and pack a lunch and lots of patience. It might be better if only one ship is in port, but three definitely strains the facilities at Canada Place.

Disembarkation: Very smooth. Just had to give a Canadian customs card to the agent. Did not have to show a passport until we got to the US/Canada border. Princess shuttle took three hours to get from Canada Place to Sea-Tac. Well worth the cost. Read more