Disembarking in Vancouver

[Lady Lexus]

We will be doing a land/sea tour of Alaska in August 2015. Flights have been arranged. We are to leave Vancouver at 11:30. We will be flying to Pittsburgh,PA. I believe the ship arrives in port at 7:30. Will we be able to disembark with the first group, or will we need to self-disembark? If we needed to do that, are there escalators we would not be able to use because of having 2 bags?

[xltiny]

Vancouver has two main "dock" facilities, one at Canada Place, is walk off the ship and you are at ground level more or less (you need to walk up a ramp near the street) but no stairs.

 

If you are really unlucky and get stuck at Ballantyne Pier (the ship schedule is more or less set by the Port Authority, there is no real rhyme or reason I have seen the largest ship stuck there and I have also seen the smallest ship stuck there) This pier has an escalator and with two pieces of luggage you may need the elevator.

 

An 11:30am flight could be tight to make again depending on how many ships are docking at the same time, in the 6 cruises where I have disembarked in Vancouver, I have seen both the "hand your customs card as you walk out" and the "you are in a big line and have to talk to a customs agent"

 

By car from Canada Place to the airport you are looking at 40mins - 60mins depending on the traffic, if you take the Canada line (skytrain) it is 25 mins to the airport.

 

Personally I would self-disembark as the first couple groups after self-disembark are for Princess Airport Shuttle users, and normally the first walk off group following that is normally 30mins after self-disembark. (Airport guidelines are to arrive 3hrs before a flight departs for an International flight, saying that I arrived at the airport for a US flight two weeks ago two hours before departure and made it to my gate with 20 mins to spare)

 

 

Hope that helps.

[RNGALNG]

On our first trip land/cruise to Alaska, we too arrived in Vancouver to head home to Ohio. They had a wonderful program back then. (2007) We were traveling with another couple. My DH and I were 'accepted' into the program, our travel mate were not. We put our luggage out the night before as we all do at the end of the cruise. We were not going to see it again until we arrived in our home airport. The morning of disembarkation, we were put on a bus and taken to the airport. Our bus went through a special gated area where a Canadian boarder patrol person came on. They checked out all our passports and paperwork to get back into the states. (I'm thinking our flight left around 2:00) When everyone was okayed, the agent stayed on the bus, doors were closed and we then went to a special place to go through security and enter the gated part of the airport. We were at our gate by about 9:00 AM. Our friends had to go through the 'old fashioned' customs. It took them over three hours to get through and to the gate. I had to pick up food for them as they had not had lunch and they almost missed our flight.

 

This was before 9/11 so I don't know if this is still in practice. What I am trying to show you is the time it took the other couple to get through customs. I really think you better re-evaluate your home flight time.

 

I have also read on other threads that sometimes, just sometimes, the customs you go through when you get off the ship can be clogged for various reasons. That too could slow down the time you get to the airport and start your journey home.

 

You will love Alaska! Bring lots of money for the land portion and remember these things:

 

1. It takes a full day to get from point A to point B. (From Anchorage to Denali it was just about a full day on a train, from Denali to Copper River - a day by bus, from Copper River to the port - a day by bus.)

2. Food is more expensive there. It's pretty hard to get food to Alaska so learn to live with it. (A hamburger at one place along our travels was $10.)

3. The animals will not stop and pose for photographs. Have your cameras ready with lots of back up power! (Missed a moose because I wasn't ready.)

 

Just rethink your departure home!

[AE_Collector]

The biggest problem I see in your arrangements is failing to stay in Vancouver for a day or two after your cruise!

 

Most likely you will be at Canada Place where you are a few hundred feet from Skytrain and while suitcases are okay on Skytrain you would have to be in pretty good shape to handle two per person. Chances are you will have time to spare but nothing is guaranteed with a relatively early flight.

 

Terry

[M4dC0w]

You have to remember that you will have to deal with both Canadian customs on leaving the ship, and US CUSTOMS at YVR. A delay at either and you are aren't flying out of YVR.

 

Not suggested in my book, 730 ship arrival, 8am earliest disembarking, 830 through CBSA, 915 travel to YVR, 930 earliest through security (Catsa), 1000 through CBP, thats if everything is perfect and yiu are a Global/Nexus member too.

 

Thats including that ther is no other cruise ships arriving, and traffic is flowing, and airport isn't backlogged.

 

I would bet on you missing the flight.

[cr8tiv1]

More experiences going through Vancouver from Canada Place. I've done it three times now, and by far, the last time was the fastest.

 

I had an afternoon flight (1:30). Left the ship by 9, picked up luggage in holding area, handed my immigration form to an officer, walked out the door to catch an airport shuttle (private/not Princess), checked in at the airport, walked over to a Kiosk to get back into the US (scanned passport), handed the paper to the US agent. And at the gate by 11:00. The best part of it all was that Alaska Air switched out planes and so we were offered compensation to take a later flight (2:30). Smoothest check out ever. But there were lines and wait times.

 

I once made it early enough to catch an 11:30 flight. Are you flying Alaska Air? They have a policy that you can change flights on day of travel for $25.00, space available.

 

Just because the ship docks at ---, doesn't always mean you can get off right away. I am interpreting your statement that you will have 2 pieces of luggage EACH...That will make it a little more difficult. Most taxi's at Canada Place are Prius.

 

Good luck.

[coldinerie]

Kind of off topic, but in Vancouver, you get to immigrate to the US on Canadian soil. Its great, no hassle once you get to the US. Also, its self immigration, you utilize a computer, scan your passport and go see a Immigration official at the end of the scanning process and hand him a print out that you get from the computer. I have immigrated a great deal, this was the very best, and its on Canadian soil. Only way to reenter US.

Edited November 2, 2014 by coldinerie

[southpawsdakota]

Coldinaire, I think you are thinking of Global Entry which you have to apply for (and in some cases pay for, we did not as we are million mile + with United), we had to fill out forms, make and appointment and go to our airport for an interview. It is great to have but you have to go through those steps first. DH travels internationally for business and that is why he has it and I got it for when I travel with him.

[caribill]

Kind of off topic, but in Vancouver, you get to immigrate to the US on Canadian soil. Its great, no hassle once you get to the US. Also, its self immigration, you utilize a computer, scan your passport and go see a Immigration official at the end of the scanning process and hand him a print out that you get from the computer. I have immigrated a great deal, this was the very best, and its on Canadian soil. Only way to reenter US.

 

Coldinaire, I think you are thinking of Global Entry which you have to apply for (and in some cases pay for, we did not as we are million mile + with United), we had to fill out forms, make and appointment and go to our airport for an interview. It is great to have but you have to go through those steps first. DH travels internationally for business and that is why he has it and I got it for when I travel with him.

 

No, this is not Global Entry (which does work the same way). It is for all US Citizens. They have the same system at IAH for immigration. Passport is read at a machine. Some questions are answered on the machine. Paper is printed and then handed in to immigration/customs. No need to fill out the traditional customs form as the questions answered at the machine do that for you.

 

We recently went from getting off an international flight at IAH to waiting for a shuttle to parking lot in 45 minutes, including getting luggage.

[snoodqueen]

Ballantyne Pier is no longer going to be used as a cruise terminal - reverted back to container vessels only in October. All cruise ships will be at Canada Place in 2015.