Ship Transfer to YVR

[NW Pacific]

Our experience this pass Sunday (May 6) on NCL Pearl.

We opted to buy NCL transfer to the airport, $25.00 pp. Our flight departed at 1:30pm. We got off the Ship at 9:20am. We waited and waited for way over an hour to get on bus. Took 45 minutes to arrive at airport. Between checking in, dropping off checked on bag, security, Immigration and then Customs and long walk to gate, we arrived at our gate 10 minutes prior to boarding, we were on Horizon going to PDX, via SEA. Have no idea if this is normal, but just wanted to give a heads up if you are planning on booking a flight home.

I think some of delay like 10 minutes worth was due to traffic snarl in front of Pier, there was a Marathon that day, and a couple streets were closed.

[aohkay]

Sorry to hear your disembarkation was a hassle... not a fun way to end a cruise. :(

 

In broad terms, a flight leaving early afternoon on the same day should be okay, but as you mentioned, things such as traffic (and marathons :p) need to be taken into account. Sounds like the bus was held up in traffic.

 

Generally YVR is about 30 - 45 min drive, depending on traffic.

 

It may have been a little better to disembark a little earlier with the flight time you had. But, at least you made your connection!

[Urban trekker]

Perhaps I can shred some light on the challenge facing cruisers at Canada Place on Sunday.

 

The main exit from Canada Place is onto Howe street which this year was unaffected by the marathon - I was a volunteer for the Marathon - part of the bike escort team so I saw first hand some of the traffic challenges that were encountered and also a cruiser so I think I know what caused some of the delay - if my fading memory serves me correct transfer buses generally go from the secure area of the pier and use the Waterfront road to come up onto Cordova which just happened to be right in the dispersal area for the Marathon and thus ended up waiting for runners to be spread out - if this is the case the buses could go the other direction and take a different route to the airport - as transfers generally wait until they are filled they left about the same time that the bulk of the 10,000 half marathon runners and the first of the 5000 full marathon runners were approaching the finish line.

 

I did see buses coming up that ramp when I was there a little after 11AM and they weren't moving too fast. The biggest line-ups were to the west and people trying to get to Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge.

 

One funny moment occured near the entrance to the Park - there is a one block wide stretch of sidewalk from where Pender and Georgia meet to Denman that was used for the race - this avoided using Georgia and tying up traffic even more.

 

Little did the cruise excursions people walking to a harbour cruise and it was a large group expect to see the runners coming at them at that location - while the cruisers could use the seawall to access the harbour cruise they took the route that their guide led them on - a few minutes earlier and the cruisers would have been home free - in the end everything worked out okay - as our race director says to the volunteers - expect the unexpected.

 

It was a brand new course this year and in talking to the runners they really enjoy the scenery - debriefing and comments and inputs from the various parties is already being tabulated - while the first Sunday of May is always Marathon day it has always been problematic trying to incorparate the scenic beauty of our downtown core with the demands of the Port but I guess the good news is that you made your flight.

 

It was a picture perfect day on Sunday - a good way to start the Alaska cruise season.

 

Sorry if this post is a little rambling.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis