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Vancouver check-in time


alidor
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I'm sure this has been asked a thousand times but I don't know how to pull up previous posts. What is the earliest you would fly from Vancouver, after coming in on a cruise ship, and transferring to a US bound flight?

 

Thank you!

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Great question. I think we're going to end up with a choice between 11:20 am and 10:30 pm (red eye).

 

This message may have been entered via voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

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They recommend 12pm or later.

  • ships dock 6:30 to 7:30am in the morning.
  • takes about 30 minutes to secure the ship before the first walk-offs are allowed
  • 8:25am is when I want to be in a cab as it takes 25 to 35 minutes to the airport.
  • 9am is when you want to arrive at the airport for 3 hours of check-in, US customs and security searches.
  • 12pm is the earliest wheels up with dreams on returning to Vancouver as you didn't budget enough time.

If there is any delay in your debarkation, traffic, or airport boarding. You will miss your flight.

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I recommend sleeping in.... enjoy the breakfast.... try to be the last off the ship 9:30? 10am? Have CDS baggage take your luggage to the airport for the evening and spend a half day sightseeing.

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Of course, knowing where you are flying to could be of some use in trying to provide flight assistance.

 

And, the most important factor -- what does your cruiseline say? If the ship isn't arriving until 10am, the morning flight time is moot.

 

But why bother with filling in details....take the early flight. Or the late one. Or flip a coin. All the same based on the input provided.

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The earliest *I* would fly might be very different than you or any other individual OP.

 

 

  • Do you have Global Entry or NEXUS? Either of these expedites your passage through Security and US immigration at YVR, making an earlier flight lower-risk.
  • Are you mobile enough and organized enough to do a self-disembarkation with all your own bags? If so, you can safely be off the ship before anyone who needs their luggage portered which again makes an earlier flight time less risky.
  • How many other ships are docking the same day? If you're the only one, there will be plenty of cabs - but if it's a dreaded three-ship-day then being the last ship cleared might mean even if you are the first person off your ship there are already hundreds or even thousands of other pax ahead of you in the queues for Canadian immigration, taxis, airport security, US immigration...
  • How risk-tolerant are you? It's quite possible you could be at your gate at YVR by 9am if all goes perfectly, so a 10am flight is going to be just fine 99% of the time if you self-disembark - but if anything does go wrong you're basically hosed as you have minimal padding.

My best advice is to stay on an extra day or three and then book a flight any time you like! We're a fantastic city to explore, so however much time you spent in Alaska you can probably spend at least as long here without getting bored. But if you are one of those unfortunate folks with just enough vaycay time to squeeze in your cruise, then book the latest possible flight that will get you home in time for work and enjoy what little time you have sightseeing before heading to YVR.

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I recommend sleeping in.... enjoy the breakfast.... try to be the last off the ship 9:30?
I think this is going to be the best answer for us. We'll take the red eye home after Sightseeing.

 

 

 

This message may have been entered via voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

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Can't stay overnight. We are sufficient and can carry off our own bags - no health problems. Am tempted to try the 10:40 am connection....

As of today there are new security restrictions in place for US-bound flights from Canada - which will undoubtedly cause total chaos for a while as the staff and passengers become accustomed to them. Right now it seems that even us Trusted Traveler types might not be exempt from removing all bigger-than-Smartphone electronics from their cases and turning them on to show a full charge (as a partial charge might mean that a smaller battery has been installed leaving room for something unpleasant).

 

I would now be inclined to avoid flights before noon until the procedures are running smoothly and an accurate assessment of the extra time required at security can be made...

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Would tell the client the risks, pro and con, and let them decide. Trouble is there are NO good flights that can be had. It's either 10:40 or get in around 6:00 am the next day...

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Can't stay overnight. We are sufficient and can carry off our own bags - no health problems. Am tempted to try the 10:40 am connection....

 

Additional considerations:

 

Do you have Global Entry, so expedite US customs pre-clearance at the airport?

Do you have any priority status with your airline, that will allow you to expedite check-in?

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We are flying Wesjet from Calgary next week, to Los Angeles. They definitely stressed to us that we need at LEAST 2 hours to get through US customs and immigration, so I would definitely be looking at a later flight if you cannot guarantee you will get off the ship early enough. Keep in mind, YVR is a busy, busy airport so 2 hours could likely be best-case-scenario.

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alidor,

Are there truly not other flights to your destination? Are you considering all airlines and with possible connections, even if they aren't your first choice?

We are familiar with YVR and even with Global Entry I wouldn't risk a 10:40 flight.

Your best bet is to self disembark and take the train to the airport especially if your cruise is one of many at the Pan Am pier.

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The answer depends.

 

What time is your ship arriving, what is the port before the arrival and very importantly how many ships in port.

 

I would recommend Noon.

 

I do not like stress. I do not like spending half the cruise worrying about this.

 

And I don't want to rush off the ship.

 

I want to note that if there are three ships in port it can be a nightmare at the port.

 

I have sailed Vancouver many times and as recently as last year (twice).

 

Give yourself time.

 

Keith

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I personally wouldn't choose any flight departing before the time designated by the cruise line as acceptable, and I believe Princess states something like 12:00 or 12:30. I have always opted for 12:30 or later in Vancouver. It can be a very long, slow process because you first check in, then send your luggage through customs, then go through security, and then go through US Customs.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Would tell the client the risks, pro and con, and let them decide. Trouble is there are NO good flights that can be had. It's either 10:40 or get in around 6:00 am the next day...

 

But it doesn't sound like you know the risks?? People seem to assume they can be first walking off the ship, which is naive thinking. You can be jammed up with hundreds of other people thinking the same thing. I've seen huge cab lines with waits. Are you going to use Skytrain? Fastest possibility usually.

 

You currently need at least 2 hours AT the airport. Sure you can run up with less and get lucky. I've personally run into long lines with extended waits at this airport, including this year.

 

Finally, what are your options if you miss the flight, or are you assuming you will just get on the next one? I can confirm that this airport on cruise ship unload days is a sea of full flights and people.

 

Noon is a better recommended time.

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