As we walked toward our baggage claim, G spotted a Princess representative greeting people arriving for our cruise. In reality, he was greeting people who had paid for a Princess transfer to the cruise ship. G was his usual pleasant self, talking to anyone with an ear to listen, and told the rep we were taking the Canada Line train from the airport to Canada place, the cruise ship pier downtown. The next thing we knew we were being instructed to leave our suitcases at the Princess counter in the airport after passing through customs, and they would see that our bags were taken to the ship with those of the people who'd bought Princess transfers.
!!!!!
In getting to the train, we had to cross the traffic right outside the airport, go up two levels (by elevator or escalator), purchase our tickets and get our things on the train. Not having to schlep our luggage along the way turned that process into a fun adventure.
While the initial part of the train ride was above ground, most of it was spent underground (Mom- it brought back great memories of us on the Paris subway). But it was much faster- and cheaper- than a taxi, just $8.75 per person. A bargain! We rode it to the Waterfront Station at the end of the line, and then walked just a block and a half through downtown Vancouver (beautiful!) to Canada Place, the cruise ship terminal.
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| Our first glimpse of Canada Place |
Once there, we never stopped walking through the check in process. We first had to complete the Princess health questionnaire, promising we were well enough to board (a 30 second exercise), then we passed through security, similar to what is at airports. I laid my backpack on the x-ray conveyor and my iPhone in a basket. After passing through myself, I picked up my backpack and reconnected with G, and together we went through immigration back into the US. Yes, the cruise ship was a little island of America sitting in Vancouver Harbour.
Our next and final stop was- or should have been- checking in for the cruise and getting our cruise cards. Unfortunately, after we once again presented our passports to the agent, I patted my waist, double checking that my iPhone was still in its holster attached to my waist...and it wasn't.
I had left it at security. Although we were only several hundred feet apart, It was in Canada. I was in the US. Yikes!!
I quickly grabbed my passport back from the agent and took off running back through the oncoming passengers to get back to my phone. When I reached US immigration, I was flummoxed- how should I go about leaving the US and then entering Canada, just to get to the security area, within sight of me? Luckily, a customer service rep noticed my confusion, and came over to help. I was able to tell her exactly which security scanner I had passed through, and she was able to step over a rope that separated the two countries, and retrieve my iPhone, handing it back to me (in the US).
Whew!
I made my way back to the cruise check in area, where G was waiting. He had been able to get us checked in for the cruise and get our cruise cards while I was running through the terminal. (Apparently the check in agent had enough time to glance at my passport before I grabbed it away in my rush to GET MY PHONE).
Two hours of sleep. I was eight hours into my day on two hours of sleep and it was beginning to show. But thankfully we had arrived!