We are sailing from Vancouver to Hawaii next month on Carnival Spirit. Does anyone know what time one can board the ship? There is always the official time, but, in my experience with other cruise lines, you can often board earlier.

When we got on in Vancouver, boarding started @ 12:30. That is when Immigration(Canada) got to the port.

No one can embark until they get there.

We took this cruise last year and are doing it again this year. We stayed at the Pan Pacific and went down stairs
at about 10:30. The immigration was slow at the start because there were only two agents - the rest were said to be on the way from the airport. We were on board between 11:30 and noon.

Thanks for that information. We would like to be aboard as soon as we can. John, as you are taking this cruise again, you must have enjoyed last year's cruise. Do you know which dock it leaves from? I thought I heard that it leaves from an industrial dock, not the pier where Pan Pacific is located. I'm a little confused.

1-800-282-2386 Carnival is open 24/7, sounds like you may be at Ballantyne: 655 Centennial Road; Vancouver, British Colombia V6C 3T4 instead, but they can tell you, and also the embarkation time. Have fun, Vancouver is great !

The Spirit always leaves from Canada Place.

It depends on your sailing day where you will leave from. Usually it is from Canada Place but if there are a lot of other ships on that day you could leave from Ballantyne. The companies that signed up with Canada Place when they were building it get the priority eg Holland America. Chances are you will be at Canada though.