Transportation from Vancouver to Seattle

Looking at taking a southbound cruise that ends in Vancouver and need information on transportation options from Vancouver to Seattle or Bellingham. Looks like Amtrack is available, but they are costly. What sort of buses or shuttle options are there? How does the border crossing work and what is the best way from getting from the Cruise terminal in Vancouver to the train/shuttle pickup?

This post should have been in the "home ports" forum I think. Can the moderators move this please?

Looking at taking a southbound cruise that ends in Vancouver and need information on transportation options from Vancouver to Seattle or Bellingham. Looks like Amtrack is available, but they are costly. What sort of buses or shuttle options are there? How does the border crossing work and what is the best way from getting from the Cruise terminal in Vancouver to the train/shuttle pickup?

Vancouver - Seattle options: <deep breath>

Air:

Jazz (Air Canada) YVR-SEA

Horizon (Alaska) YVR-SEA

Skywest (Delta) YVR-SEA

Train:

Amtrak (Pacific Station - King St Station/Everett/Bellingham/Tukwila-SEA)

Bus:

Amtrak (Pacific Station - King St Station)

Bolt (Pacific Station - ?)

QuickCoach (Canada Place - SEA/BLI airports)

<your cruise line may offer SEA bus service>

that's all in addition to driving.

My vote goes to Quick Shuttle/Coach for $50 per person.

• Quick shuttle offers 5 to 6 daily trips with cruise teriminal pickup. Other require you to pay for a cab to the train/bus station which cost extra
  http://www.quickcoach.com/schedule.htm
  
• you need to book ahead
  
• train offers two trips a day.... one departs before your boat arrives, the second has you wandering around Vancouver with your luggage for several hours for the 5:30pm departure. Not the most convenient.
  
• Quick Shuttle also drops off downtown
  
• Other buses have you marshalling (adds time) for the bus and train the Pacific station for your departure time after the cab ride.... Quick Shuttle has you loaded and you go.
  

There's also the Prince of Whales option that has you Orca whale watching your way to Seattle with your luggage...

http://princeofwhales.com/vancouver/

If you think Amtrak is expensive you're going to have a problem... the *only* option reliably cheaper than Amtrak Saver tickets to Seattle is Bolt bus, unless you get enough people in one rental car with no dropoff rate (quite feasible - I regularly see under $100 for Compacts, and a regular Seattle area poster has scored deals down as low as $20-40 one way car rental).

Amtrak Savers are $31pp adults, half price for kids, discounted for seniors/military/all sorts of other deals. As long as you book a few months ahead Amtrak is hands-down the most scenic and relaxing way to downtown Seattle. No issues at the border - you do immigration in the station before boarding the train. The only downside is the timing - just two trains a day, and the first already gone before the ships tie up.

Bolt incidentally drops you right next to King St station, same as Amtrak, and trains as well as all buses also go from same location in Vancouver, Pacific Central station (~$10 cab ride from Canada Place).

Quickshuttle is the exception - they have departures from the pier and also downtown hotels, so a point in their favour for convenience. Also if you do find good flights out of BLI, they will take you right to the airport for $29pp arriving at 11:40am, 12:40pm or 1:40pm (the first one goes right from Canada Place, so the convenience angle is very, very high).

We just did the Amtrak from Vancouver to Seattle (actually Everett for us) on May 2, ,after getting off the Crown Princess. It only cost $63 total for the two of us on the Cascade leaving Vancouver at 5:35PM. An amazingly beautiful trip! We had a whole day exploring Vancouver, taking the HOHO bus around the city, twice before heading over to the train station. Left our luggage at the Pan Pacific for $5 each, worth every penny!