Coral Princess Alaska S/B Whittier Vancouver Trip Report

[sdf89]

Post #13: Disembarkation/Princess shuttle

 

I find all cruise lines have gotten this phase streamlined. Yes, it’s a cattle call, and the breakfast is always sad… but all things considered, I find we moved pretty fast except the 2 mountains I mention in a moment. But first a word about the shuttle to the airport. Great driver. Very informative. But I am totally puzzled as he pulled into a lot just shy of the airport. Apparently there are government regulations concerning the volume of buses in the airport... don't think Trump would allow that regulation(!)

 

First mountain was the airline check in (I’m blanking on our airline, so may not be true of all). Super long line. See one of the golden tips below for one possible expediter.

 

Second was Canadian customs (see other golden tip for something that may expedite).

 

Bottom line: all went well. I had forgotten how beautiful is Vancouver... in just the bus route, enjoyed the views. As we were traveling east with connections, we had early flights, but were easily done.

 

Golden tip #13 &14 (hey, didn’t I only promise 10 tips… bonus!) this only applies to southbound exiting in Vancouver. midway through your cruise, tucked into the myriad of flyers and brochures on the bed at night, is a single page document for US citizens which can expedite going through customs. The CATCH… it MUST BE submitted 48? hours before disembarkation. So don’t be like me, who assumed you could fill out and turn in night before. Second tip: at the airline check in there are a couple of kiosks for printing out your own baggage tags. Not sure how much it really speeds things… but if you have enough in family to split up, send a couple people with all your documents to the kiosk to get the tags while the rest hang out in the long line.

 

No picture this post

So Bon Voyage to everyone. This is my last post.

[Clarea]

Excellent review, thanks!

[martincath]

<snip>Second was Canadian customs </snip>

A correction - no delays at Canadian Customs are possible when leaving from YVR, as you never see our CBSA folks unless you're Arriving rather than Departing.

 

Your delay was with US Immigration Preclearance - staffed entirely by US CBP. With the new kiosks this is generally MUCH smoother than it used to be, especially customs as it's now wrapped into the kiosk functionality. The queue is the long part - you will only save moments by pre-filling a customs form as you still have to queue up for the same kiosk to do your immigration declaration!

 

I'm actually surprised that the biggest delay wasn't with Security - which comes before immigration - as the kiosks have made the US immigration process way faster than back in the day so security queues virtually always have a longer wait as these processes only get more complicated with laptops, suitcase batteries etc. on top of the personal scanner/search. With so many people doing online check-in and thus only needing to drop bags, it's also unusual to have a long delay for check-in these days - you must have been on a very popular airline!

 

Your choice of a cruiseline transfer guaranteed that you would be caught up in queues - even the first of these never leave port before several hundred fellow pax have already headed to YVR in taxis, limos, and SkyTrain. I can appreciate your reasoning for just getting the line to book everything from a convenience perspective, but for 6 people you could have paid a porter to carry your bags from bag collection point to limos, had a stretch limo waiting for you (with an hour of free wait time if you were delayed disembarking), been at the airport faster with almost certainly shorter queues, and still saved at least a third of the cost of your Princess Transfers. Each person pays pretty much one full cab fare for these (and all lines are equally bad at gouging pax here in Vancouver, it's not just Princess) as it's ~CAD$35 per carload by taxi, which is about US$27...

 

Hopefully on a return visit, and anyone else reading your fabulously detailed review who is enticed, will be able to save a few bucks and have a better experience disembarking now (although of course the best thing anyone could do on disembarking in Vancouver is to stay on for a nice long stay!!!)

Edited December 17, 2017 by martincath
double spacing

[Worldtraveler 4727]

A correction - no delays at Canadian Customs are possible when leaving from YVR, as you never see our CBSA folks unless you're Arriving rather than Departing.

 

Your delay was with US Immigration Preclearance - staffed entirely by US CBP. With the new kiosks this is generally MUCH smoother than it used to be, especially customs as it's now wrapped into the kiosk functionality. The queue is the long part - you will only save moments by pre-filling a customs form as you still have to queue up for the same kiosk to do your immigration declaration!

 

I'm actually surprised that the biggest delay wasn't with Security - which comes before immigration - as the kiosks have made the US immigration process way faster than back in the day so security queues virtually always have a longer wait as these processes only get more complicated with laptops, suitcase batteries etc. on top of the personal scanner/search. With so many people doing online check-in and thus only needing to drop bags, it's also unusual to have a long delay for check-in these days - you must have been on a very popular airline!

 

Your choice of a cruiseline transfer guaranteed that you would be caught up in queues - even the first of these never leave port before several hundred fellow pax have already headed to YVR in taxis, limos, and SkyTrain. I can appreciate your reasoning for just getting the line to book everything from a convenience perspective, but for 6 people you could have paid a porter to carry your bags from bag collection point to limos, had a stretch limo waiting for you (with an hour of free wait time if you were delayed disembarking), been at the airport faster with almost certainly shorter queues, and still saved at least a third of the cost of your Princess Transfers. Each person pays pretty much one full cab fare for these (and all lines are equally bad at gouging pax here in Vancouver, it's not just Princess) as it's ~CAD$35 per carload by taxi, which is about US$27...

 

Hopefully on a return visit, and anyone else reading your fabulously detailed review who is enticed, will be able to save a few bucks and have a better experience disembarking now (although of course the best thing anyone could do on disembarking in Vancouver is to stay on for a nice long stay!!!)

 

Martincath-- Thank you for the cab cost info above. Are there cabs available right at the Port to go to the Airport, or must they be called/reserved for walk off disembarking? What is the current and future state of Uber (and the like) in Vancouver??

TIA!

[hellotravel13]

I’m considering taking this cruise next June and really appreciate all the

Informative. Thank You.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[martincath]

Martincath-- Thank you for the cab cost info above. Are there cabs available right at the Port to go to the Airport, or must they be called/reserved for walk off disembarking? What is the current and future state of Uber (and the like) in Vancouver??

TIA!

Cabs will be lined up inside the pier building - unless they run out! I don't believe that you can actually book a cab to come to the pier, as their entry is controlled by the folks directing traffic so it's impossible to confirm when they should actually show up to be able to get into the pier - it's one long line of slowly moving cabs, as one leaves with pax another is allowed in. If you're here on a three-ship day there simply are not enough cabs - a round trip to airport and back takes at least 75mins, even longer if the cab waiting zone at the airport is full, and there are enough folks who want to go straight to YVR that the cab supply cannot cope even when they allow non-airport medallion vehicles to pick up at YVR (common every big cruise day). These are when the horror stories of 3 hour cab lines occur - but even on a 'normal' bad day they can hit an hour.

 

 

Towncars/limos can be booked - it's an extra $50 'meet & greet' fee though. Only one limo company is allowed to charge less than the minimum time/$ rates, so they are the only company you should ever use for airport service - Aerocar. Everyone else has to bill you for a full hour, so will cost more than Aerocar. Fixed rates apply based on size of vehicle to and from YVR with Aerocar, and are found on that link.

 

 

Taxis also have fixed cost zones, but only inbound FROM the airport, not TO. However metered rates are set by law and unless traffic is particularly busy you can expect to pay a very similar amount to the inbound fixed fares.

 

 

Uber, or some other ride-sharing company, may start operating in 2018, but are still under review by the new provincial government (socialist and heavily union-supported) so may never be legalized - unlike most jurisdictions where operating illegally means just fines, because we have compulsory provincial auto insurance here (and no commercial license = no driving for profit = possible jail time if you do as you are driving uninsured because your personal insurance is immediately invalidated when you take money) they can't just pay off the fines for drivers and operate guerilla style like they did in so many other cities.

 

Uber actually started running Uber Eats in summer - and they seriously screwed the pooch with their first big marketing offer (free ice cream deliveries), so it's no longer just regulatory issues but also consumer opinion on their competence locally, as well as the whole sexism/loss of license in multiple cities bad press they have to deal with.

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Martincath--Thanks for the info!

I won't hold my breath for Uber in Vancouver, but I will keep my fingers crossed.

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Oh, Martincath, one more question, please...

You mention SkyTrain above. Is that another way to get from Port to Airport??

TIA

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Sorry--ONE more question, please...

What about the Canada Line (subway)?

[martincath]

Martincath--Thanks for the info!

I won't hold my breath for Uber in Vancouver, but I will keep my fingers crossed.

No worries.

 

Oh, Martincath, one more question, please...

You mention SkyTrain above. Is that another way to get from Port to Airport??

TIA

Yes - it's the light rail network, which includes a line that runs from ~a quarter mile from the pier right to the airport. Consistently the fastest, and always the cheapest, option to YVR - the only real downside is no porters so if you cannot handle rolling your own luggage to the train it's just not feasible, with a minor niggle that you need Canadian cash or a credit card that works in automated ticket machines - since the US is finally rolling out Chip & PIN cards as the new normal this should cease to be a factor, but if you're one of the folks who still only have chip-less cards potentially still an issue at the moment.

 

Actually - from the pier, there's one other niggle! As you walk onto the street (Howe) you'll see an escalator and stairs heading downward, with SkyTrain signage. This does get you into Waterfront station, but it takes you right to the platform for the wrong lines! While you can get from here to the correct platform, it's much more hassle than just staying on street level until you turn the corner (next left, Cordova). The easiest entrance is the main station one, which has huge pillars outside making it very obvious (link should go to Google Streetview). Ticket machines are in the lobby just as you enter, and escalators/elevators/stairs down onto the Canada Line platform can be easily seen.

 

There are different carriages used on the Canada Line to YVR with extra luggage space at all seats so the only issue is whether you can handle getting your bags to the train from the pier - even rush hour commuter traffic isn't often a problem as you'll be the first folks on the train since Waterfront station is one terminus and YVR the other.

 

The only risk of getting lost is that the line forks near the airport - every second train goes to Richmond-Brighouse. They all have the destination on the front, and the boards in the station will tell you not just which side of the platform but which destination the next train goes to and how many minutes you have to wait - and in the absolute worst case of you getting on the wrong one, there are verbal announcements and you can get off at any station in Vancouver and even the first in Richmond and then simply board the next train as they alternate.

 

Sorry--ONE more question, please...

What about the Canada Line (subway)?

This is the SkyTrain line I'm referring to above. Despite some locals that should know better referring to it as if it were a different beast entirely, all of the local light rail lines are part of the SkyTrain network (when the second line opened fifteen years ago the original line was rechristened Expo, since it had been opened at the time of Expo '86, to differentiate it from the new Millennium Line - we've since added Canada and Evergreen). It's partially a subway, partially elevated, and partially at-grade so folks call it all sorts of things - metro, underground, subway, I've even heard folks refer to it as a monorail (which it never was) and the LEGO train, so don't worry about not having the terminology down pat. If you ever get lost, asking folks how to find the train to the airport is good enough to get you pointed in the right direction.

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Martincath, your information and explanations of the various ways to get from the port to the airport in Vancouver have been extremely helpful! I have printed off all of it and have it in my folder for next June so we can make informed decisions.

Thanks so much for your time and expertise! Much appreciated!

[bobbismith]

Great review! Thanks

[iradi8]

Thanks for the great trip report. I couldn't agree more about the food. We are a family of four with two teenagers. All four of us were so very disappointed with the food all week. We didn't care that the portions were so small because the food was just not good at all. I don't understand how or why it could be so bad. The steak was even terrible. Because of this, I don't know that we would go on Princess again should we go to Alaska again.