Vancouver one day tour on disembarkation day

[torybruno]

Hi!

We are a group of 7 adults, possibly 9.  We have an 11pm red eye home from Vancouver on the day we disembark.  Looking to fill the day, city tour, whatever… we will all have large pieces of luggage.  Is there a tour that may last a little longer so we’re not sitting at the airport for 6 hours?  
 

thank you in advance 🙂

[9tee2Sea]

I'm pretty sure the cruise line will offer a day tour with drop off at the airport.  Check under shore excursions.

[martincath]

You're really going to have to go custom to fill the whole day with a tour - the longest day tours jump straight from Too Short (multiple North Shore sites or a quickie Whistler visit with an airport drop ~3-5pm) to Too Long (Victoria, get back to the city around 10pm which is too tight to risk for a flight at 11 even though you could be dropped at YVR a half hour earlier). But with 7+ people, the pp cost to rent a guide with a Sprinter van or similar might be affordable - check out ToursByLocals for an idea of how many local guides are around and the vehicles they have (sorry, can't recommend a specific one personally).

 

Due to how busy YVR gets, time limits to check bags are enforced quite often (max 3-4 hours preflight depending on airline) - although on those late red eyes with no Preclearance to worry about, you are more likely to be able to check your bags earlier if you do end up out at YVR with a lot of time to kill. Still, while it's arguably the least bad airport to kill time in on the continent, it's definitely better to fill your day with more fun stuff.

 

Firstly I'd check with your people - even if you are a very tight family or friends group odds are slim that you all share exactly the same tastes, so why not do a bit of homework in advance and figure out what sights everyone favours visiting and any places that one or more of you have zero desire to see? If there's a strong overlap, then a single custom tour by vehicle could make a lot of sense - but if your big group breaks down into smaller groups based on what they want to see, it's really easy (and free!) to keep in touch locally if you split up... the city runs a free WiFi network (look for #VanWiFi broadcasting), Transit vehicles have their own WiFi too now (even in the SkyTrain tunnels), so any device can be used to message each other without having to pay roaming fees/data costs if your phone companies don't include Canada. So everyone can maximise their enjoyment of local sights, do their own thing during the day, meet up again at dinner just like many groups do on port days while cruising!

 

Given we share the same native language, credit cards are taken almost everywhere, and even USD cash here and there, touring independently as solos, couples etc. then meeting back up for dinner before heading out to YVR is safe and simple. I'd aim for arriving no earlier than 9pm, even if you have some pretty nervous travelers 2 hours is plenty for a late flight. With only check-in and security to worry about (no Canadian Preclearance operates 24/7, they only run 2 shifts from ~4:30am to 8:30pm) you will see CBP when you land in the US instead of here before boarding, hence less time needed at YVR.

 

Personally I'd stash bags downtown, split up, go do stuff that seems best for each sub-group, and book a dinner downtown for 6-7pm to meet back up again. Retrieve bags and head to YVR at ~8:30pm - SkyTrain is both fastest and cheapest, less than US$3pp on any evening, so as long as you have enough able-bodied people to roll bags around it's usually the best option. Cabs now do officially charge fixed rates to the airport from the pier, but not from anywhere else around town - but if you budget for the fixed fare (CAD$41/~USD$31 per vehicle, plus your choice of tip) you will likely save about $5 per car from most of downtown on the meter at that time in the evening.

[daisydawg]

I have a similar situation, except our group is 6 people. Landsea Tours has a post-cruise excursion that ends around 6:00 pm. Your cruise line may offer something similar. We’re on Princess, and their excursions end even earlier.

 

The baggage storage at the port closes at 5:00 pm so that’s not really a great option. I looked at day use hotel rooms - that may be a good option for my husband’s parents, but my teens won’t want to sit in a hotel room all day.

 

I think we’re going to rent a minivan from the airport and sightsee outside Vancouver on our own. We’re flying in two days early and are staying downtown so we’ll have already seen some of the sights in the city.

Edited January 2 by daisydawg

[Bruin Steve]

In May, we once again disembark in Vancouver...and, this time, we're just doing a cruise line shorex with airport drop-off.  Bur our flight out is a little erlier than the OP this time.  The one time we had a really late flight out, we did a tour with Landsea that dropped us at the airport around 6....

 

My advice to the OP is, if you can't arrange a reasonable private tour, do the one with Landsea...When you get to the airport, you can check in, go through security, then have a leisurely long dinner at an airport restaurant (assuming that's possible).  You're going to be worn out from a full day touring...8 hours or so is enough...by that time, you're going to want to sit down, eat and relax...and you won't mind just sitting in the terminal and reading or playing with your cell phone...or napping.  Don't have to fill every minute.  JMHO.

[PCHENG]

I have 6 people in my group, and my plan is to rent a large 7 seater SUV or minivan from YVR, then drive to Whistler, stay till around 4 or 5, then drive back to Vancouver for a nice dinner before heading to the airport to catch my 11 p.m. redeye to Toronto.

 

Since you have more people you will probably need a van instead.  Group tours to Whistler costs more than 160 per person, so for 6 people it is significantly cheaper to just rent a car and drive yourself.

Edited January 8 by PCHENG