Princess Transfer Vancouver to Seattle Airport

[NavyVeteran]

I just booked the Princess transfer from the ship in Vancouver to Seattle airport. The description in the Travel Summary says it's a five-hour bus ride and I should book a flight departing no earlier than 4:00 pm. I'm booked on a 6:07 pm domestic flight from Seattle. I made the change because the time for my flight from Vancouver changed two hours earlier - to early to reliably make the flight from the ship and there were no later nonstop flights available. The total cost of flight and transfer was less than the cost of a flight from Vancouver.

Has anyone taken this transfer? How was it? How comfortable was the bus? Does the bus have toilet facilities? What time did the bus leave the ship and what time did it arrive at the Seattle airport?

[jinpasco]

We used it a few years ago and it was fine. We just considered it another " excursion ". Bus was comfortable. I believe there is a bathroom. You will stop at the border and disembark the bus and there is a bathroom there. You lose about 45 min or more there depending on how many busses arrive at the same time. I think that factors in the 5 HR time. I don't remember the exact times you board the bus but its among the first  group to get off the ship. Yes, flights from Seattle are much more reasonable ! I would do it again, no issue.

[mpdog42]

Hey Navy, there's no way you can go out of Vancouver airport?. It seemed to me it'd be a little chancy in case of accidents or delays at customs... or you could stay at Seattle airport for the night and take a flight in the morning

Go Army!!

mike

[Cruise Raider]

I agree, flights from Seattle are oftentimes much more reasonable than out of Vancouver and the bus takes you door to door, which is so convenient.  
It is about a 4-4.5 hour drive and you will have that stop at the border, which takes about 45 minutes but could be longer if there is a big back up there.  
 

Just of note, we have taken the bus down to the Bellingham airport from Canada Place.  It’s not a Princess transfer but if they have flights available to your destination, that’s possibly is another option.  That bus ride is about 2.0 - 2.5 hours including the stop at the border.  QuickCoach dot com is the shuttle service and is quite reasonable and the bus ride is more manageable.  Plus, the Bellingham airport is so quaint with no long lines as you oftentimes find in Seattle. 

[Potstech]

We used to do the Seattle to Vancouver bus trip and return the same way.  We often visit out DD who lives in Vancouver.  We finally decided all the extra cost, hassle and problems were not worth the savings. We now just fly straight to Vancouver and arrive faster and more relaxed.  Each to their own though.

[sherryf]

We have done that transfer and it is fine.  I think the 5 hour estimate is generous to allow for traffic and delays, since actual drive time is more like 3 - 3.5 hours. You will have no problem catching a flight around 6 pm.

 

 As others have said, there is a stop at the border, and there are restrooms there, but in our experience doing transfers between Seattle and Vancouver (both ways) they usually also make a stop at a rest stop somewhere between the border and Seattle. The buses are comfortable, like a nice tour bus.

[that]

7 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

I agree, flights from Seattle are oftentimes much more reasonable than out of Vancouver and the bus takes you door to door, which is so convenient.  
It is about a 4-4.5 hour drive and you will have that stop at the border, which takes about 45 minutes but could be longer if there is a big back up there.  
 

Just of note, we have taken the bus down to the Bellingham airport from Canada Place.  It’s not a Princess transfer but if they have flights available to your destination, that’s possibly is another option.  That bus ride is about 2.0 - 2.5 hours including the stop at the border.  QuickCoach dot com is the shuttle service and is quite reasonable and the bus ride is more manageable.  Plus, the Bellingham airport is so quaint with no long lines as you oftentimes find in Seattle. 

What would be earliest recommended flight departures?

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, that said:

What would be earliest recommended flight departures?

For Bellingham, I would say 2:00 PM to be on the very safe side and for SeaTac, I would probably say 6:00 PM .. only because that is a very busy airport.  
 

On our last cruise do Vancouver with a flight out of Bellingham, we left Canada Place at 9:30 AM on the bus and made it to Bellingham around 11:30 AM.  There was no real traffic and just a slight back up at the border.  So a flight around 2 PM wasn’t a stretch by any means.  
Now, with that being said, the passengers that are going all the way down to SeaTac are always quite perturbed that they have to stop in Bellingham but it’s on the schedule so if some needs to be dropped off there, they will do so.  I don’t really think it is that far out of the way but it probably adds 15 minutes onto the ride for those going further.  
 

The busses are comfortable and equipped with clean bathrooms.  The drivers are courteous, as well.  It’s door to door service and we’ve used them several times with absolutely no complaints.  
For full disclosure, my sister lives in Bellingham so I visit with her to go to lunch and a nice visit and book a 6 PM flight to fly home, but, even if I wasn’t to stop there for a visit, I far prefer it over SeaTac just because it is so easy and there is absolutely no stress.  
Full disclosure, you do have to carry whatever luggage you have onto the plane via the tarmac.  I pack light so that doesn’t really bother me. 
 

[NavyVeteran]

5 hours ago, that said:

What would be earliest recommended flight departures?

 

3 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

For Bellingham, I would say 2:00 PM to be on the very safe side and for SeaTac, I would probably say 6:00 PM .. only because that is a very busy airport.

My Princess Travel Summary says "Passengers making their own air arrangements out of Seattle must depart no earlier than 4:00 P.M." After booking the Princess transfer, EZAir allowed me to select flights after 4:00 pm. I have a 6:07 pm flight so I should be OK.

[NavyVeteran]

3 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

For Bellingham, I would say 2:00 PM to be on the very safe side and for SeaTac, I would probably say 6:00 PM .. only because that is a very busy airport.  
 

On our last cruise do Vancouver with a flight out of Bellingham, we left Canada Place at 9:30 AM on the bus and made it to Bellingham around 11:30 AM.  There was no real traffic and just a slight back up at the border.  So a flight around 2 PM wasn’t a stretch by any means.  
Now, with that being said, the passengers that are going all the way down to SeaTac are always quite perturbed that they have to stop in Bellingham but it’s on the schedule so if some needs to be dropped off there, they will do so.  I don’t really think it is that far out of the way but it probably adds 15 minutes onto the ride for those going further.  
 

The busses are comfortable and equipped with clean bathrooms.  The drivers are courteous, as well.  It’s door to door service and we’ve used them several times with absolutely no complaints.  
For full disclosure, my sister lives in Bellingham so I visit with her to go to lunch and a nice visit and book a 6 PM flight to fly home, but, even if I wasn’t to stop there for a visit, I far prefer it over SeaTac just because it is so easy and there is absolutely no stress.  
Full disclosure, you do have to carry whatever luggage you have onto the plane via the tarmac.  I pack light so that doesn’t really bother me. 
 

I doubt the Princess transfers stop at Bellingham. In any case, Alaska and American have a lot of nonstop flights from Seattle - not from Bellingham.

[fpsphil]

We are taking one of these transfers down on our May cruise. Not flying for a few days after we get back down to Seattle but can give some feedback after

[partybarbie]

The last time we used the Princess transfer was in July of 2022. Due to the major construction on Hwy 5, we didn’t reach the Seattle airport until 5:30pm. Many of those on the bus missed their flights and were scrambling to book new ones. YMMV

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, NavyVeteran said:

I doubt the Princess transfers stop at Bellingham. In any case, Alaska and American have a lot of nonstop flights from Seattle - not from Bellingham.

No, there aren’t any Princess transfers to Bellingham .. I think there is only the QuickCoach transfers. 

And too bad that there are not any nonstop flights to your home airport, as that is an important factor,