Is 10:30AM flight from YVR doable if ship arrives at 7:30AM?

[aprilsp88]

Hi,

 

After ship arrives, usually how long does it take to get off the ship and go through custome? I vaguely remember this time is OK if disembark at port everglade, how about Canada place?

 

Thanks,

April

[CruiserBruce]

No. Too tight. You will be cleaning Canadian Immigration and Customs at the pier, and if flying to the US, US Immigration and Customs at the airport. If you are flying domestically within Canada,  you might make that flight.

 

What happens at Ft Lauderdale has zero relevance to how it works at Vancouver. Apples and oranges.

[Meander Ingwa]

And you are assuming that the ship arrives in port, on time. 1030 is far to early.  Remember, you are likely joining a wave of passengers heading to the airport and likely away from the airport for the trip out on your ship .  Build in more time, just for the logistics 

[quack2]

Not a risk worth taking.

[Sprocket]

International flight recommendation is still 3 hours prior I believe.  Do you know how many ships are in port that day, makes a huge difference for transportation to and checking in at the airport.  

 

[martincath]

I'll join the crowd of 'never recommend this' as an option, but within certain parameters it is doable - some factors you can control, some you might have been able to but if you haven't already it's too late now, and others are entirely outside your control and you may or may not be able to figure out the risks in advance!

 

First - can you self-disembark, carrying or dragging ALL of your stuff while leaving one hand completely free? If not, stop reading, book a later flight even if you have to pay a change fee! If yes, do you reckon you can hustle with your stuff for half a mile before sitting down? If yes again, then you can definitely make it from cabin to SkyTrain without needing help or rest, so the flight is potentially feasible.

 

Secondly - how many other ships in port, what times, and how many pax? Cruise schedule is here to find all that out. You can't do anything about the other ships, but if yours is scheduled to arrive before them and you're one of the first folks off, life is good - scheduled for after 5000+ other people, forget it! Even if the others say 7am and yours says 7:30am, all of THEIR self-disembarkers will likely be moving before you... while this does keep SkyTrain on the table, it makes cabs etc. MUCH longer to wait for!

 

Thirdly - where is the first leg of your flight going? Domestic Canadian? Congrats - you just avoided having to Preclear at YVR! Since you're heading to CA though, it's almost certainly to the USA... so, next question!

 

Fourthly - do you have Global Entry or NEXUS? One of these makes your odds of success significantly higher as you are guaranteed less hassle and smaller queues for both Security and Immigration.

 

Realistically, unless you have no checked bags, you must get to YVR before 9:30am - bag check stops firmly an hour preflight, with no negotiation due to CBP Preclearance! A typical ship docks around 7am, first folks start self-disembarking around 7:30am with slots about every 15mins, and if you can use SkyTrain you can come as close as possible to 100% guaranteed to be at YVR within 45minutes of disembarking on a weekday, or less than 60mins worst case on a Sunday morning. If there's no big queue for cabs, you can easily be at YVR within 45mins on a cab as well - but the cab queue is a BIIIIG unknown, with the only firm assumption that more ships = more people = longer queue. Uberlyftkabu (rideshares) also unknown demand, number of drivers that morning = out of your hands.

 

Then there's the 'no way to predict, unlikely but if they happen your flight is toast' risks: ship arrives late, whether freak weather or breakdown or sudden whale attack; massive power outage impacts SkyTrain/traffic signals/pier or YVR computer systems; someone breaks down right on a bridge causing huge delays for cab, uber, buses etc. (SkyTrain has own bridge and tunnels, only suicides and incredibly rare breakdowns cause real delays on it); CBSA decides you need a proper chat with them about your immigration status, or CBP giving you hassle about Customs stuff (assuming you are a US citizen then Canada really doesn't care about your Customs stuff, while the US can't stop you coming home!)

 

TL;DR - if you NEED to be home quick, for Important Stuff like a wedding, funeral, etc. and you are mobile it's risky but definitely possible... and with GE/NEXUS and enough strength to schlep your bags at a hustle very doable... but if you are just trying to avoid an annoying connection or something, take a later flight and avoid the stress!

[aprilsp88]

Thanks all the reply, very good suggestions and information. I will take a later flight.