Strategy for dis-embarking

[NM2020]

Hi guys

 

We will be on the Alaska inside passage sail in August.

 

The Eclipse is scheduled to dock at Vancouver at 7.00 am, Sunday 9 August. The next phase of our trip involves picking up a car at the Vancouver International Airport. We need to get a ferry to the island at 1.00 pm (checking our reservation at 12.00 an hour before). My booking with the car hire company is for pick up at 10.00 am.

 

After taking advice we plan to get the train from Waterfront Station.

 

Any advice on the strategy we need to take to make this process smooth? Do we do it ourselves or leave the process to Celebrity .

 

Thanks. 

[cruisestitch]

What part of the process could Celebrity handle?

[Denny01]

I agree with cruisestitch’s inference that Celebrity has little to do with your plan after the cruise unless somehow they’ve set all of this up for you. If not, it’s up to you to get off the ship, to the airport via the sky train, get your car and drive back to the ferry.

 

Normally, it should take you about an 1/2+ hr to train to the airport, 1/2 hr to get to the car rental and get that all set and a 1/2+ hr to drive to what I assume you are referring to as the ferry back a bit near the cruise terminal. So yes, its quite doable and I personally dont see any ‘strategy’ beyond you doing this all yourself. Only other options is to take a taxi or the Celebrity transportation bus to the airport and a few alternatives such as that. But you appear to have a good ‘strategy’ set up. I’d stick with the sky train unless your luggage would be a pain, then I’d consider a hire to the airport, not the ship bus. The walk to the Waterfront station I think I remember is a bit short of a 1/2 mile, or 10 min or so.

 

Den

Edited February 20, 2020 by Denny01

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, NM2020 said:

Hi guys

 

We will be on the Alaska inside passage sail in August.

 

The Eclipse is scheduled to dock at Vancouver at 7.00 am, Sunday 9 August. The next phase of our trip involves picking up a car at the Vancouver International Airport. We need to get a ferry to the island at 1.00 pm (checking our reservation at 12.00 an hour before). My booking with the car hire company is for pick up at 10.00 am.

 

After taking advice we plan to get the train from Waterfront Station.

 

Any advice on the strategy we need to take to make this process smooth? Do we do it ourselves or leave the process to Celebrity .

 

Thanks. 

 

I think you have two sets of choices to make that involve Celebrity:

 

1. Disembark by self-walk off (gets you off the ship first, but you carry all your bags off the ship with you) or disembark with the rest of the passengers where you are assigned a group number which determines when you get off the ship.

 

2. And then, once you are off the ship, you have to decide on whether you are getting to the airport on your own or getting to the airport using a Celebrity transfer (motorcoach).

 

It sounds like you have already made a decision with #2--you will do that on your own by using the train.  

 

I would think that the normal disembarkation schedule will get you to the train on time to get to the airport on time for your car rental. However, personally, I would do the self walk off which gets me off the ship first thereby giving me more time to ensure I stay on schedule.

 

BTW, I didn't think that the car ferry to Vancouver Island was located near the cruise terminal.

Edited February 20, 2020 by mahdnc

[Fouremco]

My only comment is that Alamo has an outlet right at the cruise terminal, and other car rental agencies are nearby, so why not book your car there? The daily fee is bound to be less than the rate at the airport and you won't have to worry about getting from the cruise terminal to the airport. You can enjoy a relaxed disembarkation and a leisurely Sunday drive to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, which is south of the airport and nowhere near the cruise terminal.

[Langley Cruisers]

^ Agreed - why are you going to the airport to rent a car? I think you are making it harder for yourselves by doing so.

[1025cruise]

You should ask this question on the West Coast Departures board.

[Jim_Iain]

As others suggest I would pick up a car in town should be same price.

 

While things usually work well we once had a major delay in Vancouver.   Evidently immigration and activity in the terminal got backed.   We had a later departure as we were staying in Vancouver.   They had us go to the Theater and held us for 3 hours before allowing us to get off the ship.    I'm sure it is an exception but should keep in mind that things can go wrong.

[chrispee]

I have to guess that OP is going to rent from the airport because that is where he/she would like to return the car. 
 

There is one ferry terminal in Horseshoe Baythat is sort of near the cruise terminal, but more likely the OP is going to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and heading to Victoria. 
 

Don’t worry there will be plenty of time to get to YVR to rent the car, and the ferry terminal is only 25 mins from the airport in good traffic.

Edited February 21, 2020 by chrispee

[Jim_Iain]

Good point but if similar to my local area you can pick up in the city and drop at the airport with no additional fees.   May be different in Vancouver.

[Mr. Click]

If you are going to do the airport run for the rental car you need to walk off with your luggage to save the time. How many people are in your group?  If it is more than two, say a whole family I would consider parking the family at one of the hotels near the port and let them sit in the lobby while you run to get the car.  It us much easier to those kind fo things without luggage or others trailing behind.    

[varoo]

I would price out and compare the costs of various car rental location combinations for pick-up and drop off on the dates you want. 

Sometimes it is more cost effective to take a taxi to an off-airport location instead of renting at the airport.  We have saved hundreds of dollars doing that.

 

Generally off-airport location rental prices are lower, but if picking up and dropping off at two different locations, that can make a difference in the price too.

 

As Jim_Iain noted, we have also had the experience where the cost was higher to pick up a car at the airport, but not to drop it off there.

 

By all means do check out the cost of renting a car right at Canada Place, or nearby.

 

Edited February 21, 2020 by varoo

[Fly and Sail]

2 hours ago, Mr. Click said:

If you are going to do the airport run for the rental car you need to walk off with your luggage to save the time. How many people are in your group?  If it is more than two, say a whole family I would consider parking the family at one of the hotels near the port and let them sit in the lobby while you run to get the car.  It us much easier to those kind fo things without luggage or others trailing behind.    

 

Definitely not an option. Going to YVR, returning to Downtown and then heading to the ferry terminal is pretty much a disaster in the making. Will take forever.

 

I'd consider renting the car downtown and drop off at the airport. Usually within the same city the car rental companies don't charge extra.

 

Depending on how many people there are in his party I'd also consider just taking the seaplane from Coal Harbour to Victoria and renting a car there. The ferry charges quiet a lot for cars going to Vancouver Island.

[NM2020]

Thank you all so much.

 

To be a little more clearer:

cruisestitch - having never been on a cruise I was asking how a cruise ship handles dis-embarkation. I think there are two ways, get off yourself, or wait for the cruise staff to manage this by handling your bags and giving you a slot. I only 'think' from limited research hence asking experts such as yourself.
 

Denny - The walk to Waterfront station is not too far, which is why we are deliberating as opposed to getting into a longish line for a cab and taking the drive and of course the taxi cost.

 

mahdnc - I did not know that Celebrity may have a coach to YVR. This would be an excellent option. The car ferry is at Tsawassen which is not too far from YVR.

 

Fouremco, Langleycruisers and Jim_Iain - I have had a long and drawn out debate with Avis (and other rental firms) and for some reasons given that I am dropping off in Calgary the only depot they will do this from is YVR.

chrispee and Varoo - Thanks

 

MrClick - There are two of us. Hence we anticipate the train may be our best option. We have a reservation on a ferry at 1.00 pm and need to be at Tsawassen by 12.00.

Fly and Sail - Thanks.


 

[Fouremco]

5 hours ago, NM2020 said:

 

Fouremco, Langleycruisers and Jim_Iain - I have had a long and drawn out debate with Avis (and other rental firms) and for some reasons given that I am dropping off in Calgary the only depot they will do this from is YVR.

You've probably had enough suggestions by now, but I'll throw this out anyway:

 

- rent from Alamo and take advantage of the ease of departure from cruise terminal and the cheaper rate;

- when you return to the mainland after your time on Vancouver Island, drop off the Alamo car at YVR and pick up the second car for your onward travel to Calgary.

 

This is only practical if you are returning to Tsawwassen due to its proximity to YVR.

 

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful first cruise and a great drive through the Rockies!

[martincath]

Sorry to potentially muddy the waters further, but what are you actually doing on the Island? If you're getting out of Victoria to see other places, a car is pretty much a necessity - but if you're only doing 'Butchart & Victoria' you may be spending more than you need to on car rental fees and ferry car fees. The suggestion above to fly to Victoria from Coal Harbour wouldn't save money - but it is very efficient from a time perspective and also a gorgeous flight. There's also a coach that specifically connects to the ferries - they even have a pier pickup, though it's cheaper for two to simply take a cab to the bus station and board it there, with many more daily departures available then too. That's about $65pp, which gets you from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria - and renting a car for a day in Victoria and returning it there will be a lot less than 2 car tickets (~$60 ea) on the ferry.

 

If you are spending several days on the Island, I think you'll find it more efficient to rent two separate cars - pick the first up at the pier or nearby, and drop it at YVR at the end of your rental (or back downtown if the price ends up more than $10 more expensive - then take SkyTrain to YVR for the next rental). All car rentals out of YVR charge a significant extra fee for the privilege of operating at the airport - last time I checked it was 20.5% extra - which means it is almost always cheaper to rent from any other location. Long distance one-way rentals can sometimes be difficult to arrange except from airport locations, so I can believe you're finding it difficult to get a rental from elsewhere in Vancouver that has to finish up in Calgary - but why pay 20% extra every day that you don't need to? If you're spending a week on the island, you could save quite a chunk of change with a separate rental for the first leg of your trip!

 

Lastly, by renting downtown for your Island trip you open sensible alternate routing - head north first, up the Sea to Sky Highway. You'll get to drive through Stanley Park and over the Lions Gate bridge that you just cruised under. Ferries from Horseshoe Bay go to the Island too - and as well as getting to do some of what is undeniably one of the most gorgeous drives in the world here on the mainland (even if you only go as far as Squamish you'll see some outstanding views, and could stop at Shannon Falls which is spectacular), if you go on a different ferry route each way it means you'll see different views on the boats and also have less doubling-back on yourselves while driving on the Island. Win-win.

 

If you do end up sticking to your plan as-is, don't trust Celebrity transfers to be helpful - you might be able to meet your 10am rental on a cruise transfer, but all the lines use local charter coaches, none of them leave until they are full, and unless you manage to get in one of the very first transfer slots you'll probably be late despite paying almost twice as much as a cab/10x the price of SkyTrain! If you are physically capable of carrying your bags off the ship, do it (staff actually enforce the rule about using the escalator with one hand free - if you're pulling two separate suitcases in each hand they'll block you and make you use the elevator, which is an awful lot slower but still quicker than the fastest 'collect my bags in the terminal' disembarkation slot though!) I'd also be willing to blow off the ferry reso - if all goes smoothly and you get your car on-time, you may easily be able to meet an earlier ferry. Sundays the busy direction is FROM the Island, not TO it, so there's quite likely to be a slot available for your car. Worst case there isn't, you have your reso for the next boat - but if you can get on an earlier one that's you immediately a couple of hours ahead of schedule.

 

If the cab queue at the pier is short by the way, it could be quicker than SkyTrain - but SkyTrain is much cheaper and also much more consistent in travel time (no traffic). Ballpark 7 mins walk, average of 10 min delay for the next train on a Sunday morning, then 26mins travel time precisely. Once the schedule comes out confirming how many ships in port on your date you'll have a better idea of how busy the cab queue will get - but even on 4 ship days the folks who self-disembark have a decent chance of a few minute wait, rather than the 'over an hour' situations that happen later in the morning.

[NM2020]

Thank you so much Martincath,

 

We are hiring to spend 6 days on the island. We then return to the mainland via Departure Bay to Horseshoe bay where we head off to Whistler. We then travel through BC and AB over the next 9 days and fly home from Calgary. Time permitting may stop at Shannon Falls.

 

The rate we have for the car is now looking very, very good compared to what they would charge had I been reserving now.

 

Nigel

[Langley Cruisers]

11 hours ago, NM2020 said:

Fouremco, Langleycruisers and Jim_Iain - I have had a long and drawn out debate with Avis (and other rental firms) and for some reasons given that I am dropping off in Calgary the only depot they will do this from is YVR.

 

Got it. Do you want to know why that is, by the way? I worked at a rental car company for five years, so maybe I can help. Each city's rental cars are franchised - owned and operated by a different person or corporation. When someone drops a car in another city (we called it a "foreign" city), the car sits there with no revenue until someone pays to rent it back to the owning city (or, at least closer).  Foreign cars may not be rented out locally because there is no revenue for the renting city, correct? In August, there are many cars going back and forth between B.C and Alberta, so there are drop-offs allowed in certain cities. I expect YVR's franchise is the only local one who permits this, just so dozens of Vancouver cars don't end up in Alberta, sitting there waiting to be rented back.

 

I hope that makes sense. 😊 Have a great cruise and trip! 

[martincath]

3 hours ago, NM2020 said:

Thank you so much Martincath,

 

We are hiring to spend 6 days on the island. We then return to the mainland via Departure Bay to Horseshoe bay where we head off to Whistler. We then travel through BC and AB over the next 9 days and fly home from Calgary. Time permitting may stop at Shannon Falls.

 

The rate we have for the car is now looking very, very good compared to what they would charge had I been reserving now.

 

Nigel

No problem - despite the extra airport fee, sometimes you still get the best deal through good timing or just plain good luck! That sounds like a great add-on, with enough time to really do justice to this part of the world - and the fact you already planned to come back on the other ferry route shows you've been doing your homework 😉 

 

"May your car never be stuck behind a tourist driving an RV!" (A modern Scottish travel blessing that applies well to BCs rural highways)

[NM2020]

3 hours ago, Langley Cruisers said:

 

Got it. Do you want to know why that is, by the way? I worked at a rental car company for five years, so maybe I can help. Each city's rental cars are franchised - owned and operated by a different person or corporation. When someone drops a car in another city (we called it a "foreign" city), the car sits there with no revenue until someone pays to rent it back to the owning city (or, at least closer).  Foreign cars may not be rented out locally because there is no revenue for the renting city, correct? In August, there are many cars going back and forth between B.C and Alberta, so there are drop-offs allowed in certain cities. I expect YVR's franchise is the only local one who permits this, just so dozens of Vancouver cars don't end up in Alberta, sitting there waiting to be rented back.

 

I hope that makes sense. 😊 Have a great cruise and trip! 

Thank you so much. This is a very special holiday and I am doing what i can to do the homework first.

[NM2020]

47 minutes ago, martincath said:

No problem - despite the extra airport fee, sometimes you still get the best deal through good timing or just plain good luck! That sounds like a great add-on, with enough time to really do justice to this part of the world - and the fact you already planned to come back on the other ferry route shows you've been doing your homework 😉 

 

"May your car never be stuck behind a tourist driving an RV!" (A modern Scottish travel blessing that applies well to BCs rural highways)

Indeed and thank you so much for the guidance.