Best deal to get to Vancouver, Canada June 2, 2012...????

Looking at flying, cruising, shuttle, train, bus etc. from Nevada to Vancouver, Canada for a cruise through Alaska and back to Vancouver.

I see a 2 day Princess cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver for $99 each. There is a 11 day gap before getting on the Princess for the cruise through Alaska.

Train is out of the question, husband doesn't want that.

Shuttle from SeaTac Airport/Pier 66/Pier 91 to Vancouver and back is $98 per person. Flight to Seattle is $285 per person.

Trying to add more cruises under the Princess name, so I can eventually get free Internet, but would consider any cruise. Already have the Alaska cruise locked up for a great price, two of them, so it is round trip, Vancouver to Alaska and back to Vancouver. We did that so that if we drive we will have the car in Vancouver. If we fly, it is cheaper round trip.

My question to those who cruise the Alaska, are there tours in Vancouver that make sense to fill up the 11 days before the cruise? that are cost efficient? Is there a way to get to Vancouver early enough to board 6/2 and not break the bank? If we fly, we could fly to L.A. or such to cruise to Vancouver or Seattle and then shuttle... No cheap flight it seems to Seattle or Vancouver (Alaska/Air Canada).

What's the options out there? I looked at cruises from San Francisco... etc.

Trying to find a solution... any help would be most appreciated.

I think the drive would be two days, about 10 hours each. I maybe wrong. Also, I understand there are two piers/ports in Vancouver quite the distance from each other. Which does Princess use?

We always fly direct to Vegas from either Vancouver or Bellingham. There is a shuttle from Bellingham. Usually can fine a good deal.

Looking at flying, cruising, shuttle, train, bus etc. from Nevada to Vancouver, Canada for a cruise through Alaska and back to Vancouver.

 

I see a 2 day Princess cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver for $99 each. There is a 11 day gap before getting on the Princess for the cruise through Alaska.

 

Train is out of the question, husband doesn't want that.

 

Shuttle from SeaTac Airport/Pier 66/Pier 91 to Vancouver and back is $98 per person. Flight to Seattle is $285 per person.

 

Trying to add more cruises under the Princess name, so I can eventually get free Internet, but would consider any cruise. Already have the Alaska cruise locked up for a great price, two of them, so it is round trip, Vancouver to Alaska and back to Vancouver. We did that so that if we drive we will have the car in Vancouver. If we fly, it is cheaper round trip.

 

My question to those who cruise the Alaska, are there tours in Vancouver that make sense to fill up the 11 days before the cruise? that are cost efficient? Is there a way to get to Vancouver early enough to board 6/2 and not break the bank? If we fly, we could fly to L.A. or such to cruise to Vancouver or Seattle and then shuttle... No cheap flight it seems to Seattle or Vancouver (Alaska/Air Canada).

 

What's the options out there? I looked at cruises from San Francisco... etc.

 

Trying to find a solution... any help would be most appreciated.

 

I think the drive would be two days, about 10 hours each. I maybe wrong. Also, I understand there are two piers/ports in Vancouver quite the distance from each other. Which does Princess use?

Your drive time to Vancouver will be about 20 to 23 hours depending where you are starting from in NV. I am a native Vancouverite but 11 days precruise maybe just a little much, particularly with hotel rooms running $150 to $200/night. You could spend a couple of nights up at Whistler and another couple over on Vancouver Island and Victoria...but 11 days would be a bit hard to fill.

If you are anywhere close to Las Vegas, Allegiant offers some pretty inexpensive fares to Bellingham, WA and then it is an easy shuttle ride to Vancouver.

Check out Allegiant Air. It flies out of Las Vegas to Bellingham and you can sometimes get incredibly low priced flights (as low as $19.00 or $39.00)

If you are anywhere close to Las Vegas, Allegiant offers some pretty inexpensive fares to Bellingham, WA and then it is an easy shuttle ride to Vancouver.

For example:

You can fly Allegiant LAS-BLI June 1 and return June 9 for $140 (closer to $200 by the time luggage etc is added) Alaska is about $250.

The same shuttle will be porportionately cheaper as well.

Looking at flying, cruising, shuttle, train, bus etc. from Nevada to Vancouver, Canada for a cruise through Alaska and back to Vancouver.

 

I see a 2 day Princess cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver for $99 each. There is a 11 day gap before getting on the Princess for the cruise through Alaska.

 

Train is out of the question, husband doesn't want that.

 

Shuttle from SeaTac Airport/Pier 66/Pier 91 to Vancouver and back is $98 per person. Flight to Seattle is $285 per person.

 

Trying to add more cruises under the Princess name, so I can eventually get free Internet, but would consider any cruise. Already have the Alaska cruise locked up for a great price, two of them, so it is round trip, Vancouver to Alaska and back to Vancouver. We did that so that if we drive we will have the car in Vancouver. If we fly, it is cheaper round trip.

 

My question to those who cruise the Alaska, are there tours in Vancouver that make sense to fill up the 11 days before the cruise? that are cost efficient? Is there a way to get to Vancouver early enough to board 6/2 and not break the bank? If we fly, we could fly to L.A. or such to cruise to Vancouver or Seattle and then shuttle... No cheap flight it seems to Seattle or Vancouver (Alaska/Air Canada).

 

What's the options out there? I looked at cruises from San Francisco... etc.

 

Trying to find a solution... any help would be most appreciated.

 

I think the drive would be two days, about 10 hours each. I maybe wrong. Also, I understand there are two piers/ports in Vancouver quite the distance from each other. Which does Princess use?

Check out West Jet (a Canadian economy airline). I just did a dummy res LAX to Vancouver & return, and it came back at close to $300 pp including all taxes.

thank you all

thank you all

He booked a flight through Princess, at a reasonable price. If there is any flight delays on the 3 legs, Princess will fly us to the next port.

Hooray !!!!

He booked a flight through Princess, at a reasonable price. If there is any flight delays on the 3 legs, Princess will fly us to the next port.

Are you sure this is true? Was this cheaper than just booking the flights directly with the airline yourself?

Are you sure this is true? Was this cheaper than just booking the flights directly with the airline yourself?

Husband is happy and I am happy we are flying. The fare is fair, perhaps a few dollars more, but we have the BIG plus if there are flight problems Princess will fix it .... to me that is worth another $100+.

Husband is happy and I am happy we are flying. The fare is fair, perhaps a few dollars more, but we have the BIG plus if there are flight problems Princess will fix it .... to me that is worth another $100+.

http://www.princess.com/legal/passage_contract/index.jsp

You should read your cruise contract. Go to #15, Section F which details the cruiseline's obligations if there are problems with your flights. There is nothing there that says Princess will fix anything.

http://www.princess.com/legal/passage_contract/index.jsp

 

You should read your cruise contract. Go to #15, Section F which details the cruiseline's obligations if there are problems with your flights. There is nothing there that says Princess will fix anything.

Air Travel: Princess eZAir®

Princess eZAir® program is an innovative service designed to seamlessly coordinate your air travel with your cruise itinerary. You can now review up-to-the-minute flight schedules, with competitive, real-time airfare pricing and inventory for only those flights that complement your cruise. Plus, you'll find a host of other exciting benefits:

Competitive airfare pricing – See real-time airline inventory from multiple carriers at competitive rates in a side-by-side layout for easy comparison.

Next Port Protection – If you miss your cruise embarkation due to an airline delay or service disruption, Princess will work with the airline to provide flights to the next appropriate port at no cost to you.

Immediate flight confirmations – Flight schedule will now be confirmed at the time of the air booking.

New booking window – Air may be purchased from 330 days up to 4 days prior to departure (subject to availability).

The new Princess eZAir Program offers two distinct pricing options, each with specific features and benefits depending on your travel needs.

Flexible fares:

Flexible fares are designed for those passengers who have less certainty in their travel plans and want the freedom to cancel their flight arrangements easily. These fares are typically higher than Restricted fares, but include the following added benefits:

Air payment is due on the date of the final cruise payment – not at the time of air booking.

Air charges are fully refundable until 45 days prior to departure.

Restricted fares:

Our Restricted fares will typically be lower than our Flexible fares, with the following terms:

Air charges are non-refundable (e.g. no cash back).

Payment is due immediately upon time of air booking.

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/travel_transportation_faq/popup/eZAir_Information.html

The problem is that if you are sailing out of Vancouver and you miss your ship in Vancouver, Princess cannot fly at let you join the ship in Ketchikan for instance as this would be in violation of the Passenger Vessels Service Act which prohibits foreign flagged ships from carrying passengers between two US ports.

The problem is that if you are sailing out of Vancouver and you miss your ship in Vancouver, Princess cannot fly at let you join the ship in Ketchikan for instance as this would be in violation of the Passenger Vessels Service Act which prohibits foreign flagged ships from carrying passengers between two US ports.

We are doing a Canada/Vancouver to Alaska and then back. Are you saying, if we somehow miss our Vancouver boarding, Princess can't fly us to the next port to rejoin the cruise...?

Canada versus U.S. I do understand a little, but can you explain more....?

We are doing a Canada/Vancouver to Alaska and then back. Are you saying, if we somehow miss our Vancouver boarding, Princess can't fly us to the next port to rejoin the cruise...?

 

Canada versus U.S. I do understand a little, but can you explain more....?

Under the PVSA which is a US law they can't fly you to an Alaskan port to catch a ship that you have missed as your voyage would then begin and end in an Alaskan port. Your return voyage is a new voyage with a new voyage number therefor you could be flown to Anchorage and you could join the ship for the southbound voyage but there is no way under the PVSA you can join a ship northbound that has departed Vancouver. This is an American law and nothing to do with Canada.

I am only pointing this out to you as you seem to be relying on the "Next Port Protection" clause with is generic in nature and does not apply to the cruise that you planning. The likelihood of you missing a flight leg is pretty remote but you may care to fly to Vancouver the day before your cruise to be safe.

Am I missing something?

OP states that they are on a closed loop out of Vancouver, a non-US port.

How would the PVSA apply if they boarded at Ketchikan, finished the cruise at Vancouver?

Except for the occasional cruise at the beginning or end of the season, Princess does not sail closed loop itineraries out of Vancouver, they are all one ways. So it would have to be a back to back which are two separate cruises with two separate voyage numbers, the first one would terminate in Whittier and therefore would be a violation of the PVSA if boarded in a US port.

Except for the occasional cruise at the beginning or end of the season, Princess does not sail closed loop itineraries out of Vancouver, they are all one ways. So it would have to be a back to back which are two separate cruises with two separate voyage numbers, the first one would terminate in Whittier and therefore would be a violation of the PVSA if boarded in a US port.

If they're taking a B2B, the entire cruise is considered the routing; hence if they had to join in KTN, the routing would still pass PVSA muster as it would be a USA-CANADA cruise

If they're taking a B2B, the entire cruise is considered the routing; hence if they had to join in KTN, the routing would still pass PVSA muster as it would be a USA-CANADA cruise

Back to back cruises have two entirely separate voyage numbers and are considered two separate voyages, the northbound voyage terminating in Whittier. As such it is a violation of the PVSA for a person to board ship in a US port where the voyage ends in another US port, it is US - US cruise. On a back to back when a passenger arrives at the end of the cruise in Alaska, in this case Whittier, they must exit the ship and the ship is zeroed out for US immigration purposes. Just before they leave the ship they are handed new cruise cards with the new voyage number on them.

@Putterdude

Thanks for the Allegiant Air lead. I live in Las Vegas and was researching one-way air for a HAL cruise at the end of Sept out of Vancouver. My son is getting married on the cruise and I am helping to coordinate travel for guests. Allegiant is a good low cost option for me.

Other guests are considering flying to SEA then getting to the pier in Vancouver. I am researching transfer options. Unfortunately, since the Alaska cruise season is ending, HAL does not offer a transfer from SEA to YVR or the pier at that date. Amtrak train and bus appears to be an alternative.

Back to back cruises have two entirely separate voyage numbers and are considered two separate voyages, the northbound voyage terminating in Whittier. As such it is a violation of the PVSA for a person to board ship in a US port where the voyage ends in another US port, it is US - US cruise. On a back to back when a passenger arrives at the end of the cruise in Alaska, in this case Whittier, they must exit the ship and the ship is zeroed out for US immigration purposes. Just before they leave the ship they are handed new cruise cards with the new voyage number on them.

Sorry, you're wrong here. If what you were saying was true (and it isn't), you wouldn't have issues with people that want to take B2B repo cruises (like LA - Vancouver / Vancouver - Seattle).

Recently I used Quick Shuttle from Canada Place to downtown Seattle. It does the reverse trips, and includes pick-up/drop-off at Seatac and Bellingham. Price as $14 US one-way. I was very satisfied with the service.

Roz

Next Port Protection – If you miss your cruise embarkation due to an airline delay or service disruption, Princess will work with the airline to provide flights to the next appropriate port at no cost to you.

 

Please note "WORK WITH".

What that means-you have a United ticket (or Continental or AA or any other airline). IF there are seats available AND they can get you on the plane with the ORIGINATING carrier (whatever ticket you have), they have now "Worked With" the airline.

It does NOT mean your United ticket is good on Continental, AA, Alaska, etc.etc even IF there are seats available. Due to the restrictions on MOST cruise line purchased tickets, you MUST fly on the originating carrier.

And because of PVSA, you most likely WILL NOT be able to fly anyplace except Anchorage to join your second cruise if you miss boarding in Vancouver for the first cruise.

If you choose Allegiant air, please be advised to make sure you have PLENTY of extra time to get to Vancouver....there is a reason the flights are so cheap.

DH just flew with them Bellingham-San Diego. Was not a good experience. Suffice to say, arrived at his destination 9 hours after the scheduled time. Engines failed, had to land, shuttle back to original airport....another 4 hour delay. And no assigned seating. Allegiant has a reputation for not exactly getting you where you expect to go within the expected times.

Just be sure to allow sufficient time to account for any issues. At least go the day before.

@Putterdude

Thanks for the Allegiant Air lead. I live in Las Vegas and was researching one-way air for a HAL cruise at the end of Sept out of Vancouver. My son is getting married on the cruise and I am helping to coordinate travel for guests. Allegiant is a good low cost option for me.

 

Other guests are considering flying to SEA then getting to the pier in Vancouver. I am researching transfer options. Unfortunately, since the Alaska cruise season is ending, HAL does not offer a transfer from SEA to YVR or the pier at that date. Amtrak train and bus appears to be an alternative.

You may want to look into Quick Coach which makes up to 8 trips daily between BLI and Vancouver. With Amtrak and I believe their bus you need to take a cab to the Bellingham station. Another option would be to rent a car but watch those nasty drop charges.

http://www.quickcoach.com/schedule.htm