Train Seattle to Vancouver

[jjmsbu09]

I’m booked on Carnival Legend leaving April 29 from Vancouver returning to Seattle. We booked round trip fights from Seattle and are spending 2 days pre cruise. We were planning on taking the train from Seattle to Vancouver the morning of the cruise. Is this reliable? 

[Budget Queen]

Yes,  I've,  along with numerous people have taken this early morning trip to Vancouver and boarded a ship the same day.    I simply just use Skytrain to the ship,  but,  cabs are available.    I've also used,  Light Link  in Seattle to Amtrak.   

[martincath]

I'd agree that the risk of the train 'day of' is minimal, even in Spring (the parts of the track which used to be susceptible to landslides after heavy rain have been improved and cancelled services are now extremely rare; and the train starts in Seattle so there's no dependency on other less-reliable Amtrak services - I can only recall one morning train that did not arrive in time for folks to make their ship in the last decade).

 

Cabs are cheap enough that for a couple you barely have to pay extra over SkyTrain tickets, and since many folks cruising take this service you can also perhaps even split a cab to the pier - potentially making it even cheaper than transit as well as removing the (very small) risk of being kicked off for schlepping luggage (the SkyTrain line running past the station has no luggage storage areas, so unless you travel very light you cannot avoid blocking a seat, the aisle, or the wheelchair/bike spaces - all of which are against local transit bylaws).

 

Unless you've visited Vancouver before though I'd still suggest coming up earlier - not because of the risk of missing the boat, but because we're better than Seattle;-)

[jjmsbu09]

On 12/26/2018 at 5:22 PM, martincath said:

I'd agree that the risk of the train 'day of' is minimal, even in Spring (the parts of the track which used to be susceptible to landslides after heavy rain have been improved and cancelled services are now extremely rare; and the train starts in Seattle so there's no dependency on other less-reliable Amtrak services - I can only recall one morning train that did not arrive in time for folks to make their ship in the last decade).

 

Cabs are cheap enough that for a couple you barely have to pay extra over SkyTrain tickets, and since many folks cruising take this service you can also perhaps even split a cab to the pier - potentially making it even cheaper than transit as well as removing the (very small) risk of being kicked off for schlepping luggage (the SkyTrain line running past the station has no luggage storage areas, so unless you travel very light you cannot avoid blocking a seat, the aisle, or the wheelchair/bike spaces - all of which are against local transit bylaws).

 

Unless you've visited Vancouver before though I'd still suggest coming up earlier - not because of the risk of missing the boat, but because we're better than Seattle;-)

 

Thank you both! I do agree Vancouver is beautiful. We spent some post cruise time after our Hawaii cruise last year (Hawaii-Vancouver).