txwriter

There absolutely will be ships - either 2 or 3 - also in port on any Sunday. Since we shut Ballantyne pier the weekend days have pretty much all become 2/3 shippers at Canada Place from early May to mid-September. Weekend cruises sell better then weekdays since you guys down south make up the majority of pax and have terribly-short vacation allowances, so weekend capacity is always used as much as possible, with Sat/Sun at least 2 ships throughout the season.

 

 

Tuesday & Thursday are the 'days off' at Canada Place where there are very rarely any ships - a few oddities like The World that only visit once or twice or have multiple-day stays, and some of the very small fancy ships like Silver Shadow are about the only ones that ever dockj Tue/Thu. Not sure exactly when the 2018 schedule will be out, but you'll find the current one here and next year's will replace it in the same spot.

 

 

But do remember that if you beat that day's cruisers to the airport there won't be any ruckus! Since the earliest disembarkation slots start around 7:15am, with most folks getting off 8am-9am, that means any flight around 10am or earlier is a very safe bet to avoid the long queues. Or stay longer, and take a flight in the late afternoon - as long as you avoid the 'a bajillion people all head straight to the airport for flights in the 11am - 3pm window' it's all good.

Thanks for the advice. 😄

don't look at it as being "stuck" with Vancouver... the itinerary for Alaska is better departing Vancouver than Seattle because the Seattle cruises waste a day in Victoria and skip the inside passage. so you've made the best decision IMO. :)

 

also, I'll agree with the Pan Pacific advice. it's absolutely painless - within the same building as the cruise terminal.

the trip to the airport is a fairly speedy taxi ride (since I'm guessing you'll want to skip the skytrain with mobility issues in play)

 

enjoy your cruise and stay in Vancouver!

I meant that Mom wasn't keen on taking bus from Vancouver to Seattle to get on flight there. We had decided early on to do the one way southbound cruise.

Hi Jamie. You were on our roll call for the Alaska cruise in May. Hope you are doing well.

 

If you decide to go right to the airport and don't want to deal with luggage, we have seen the Direct to Bus option offered for the past 3 years on our trips on the Star. It's free for those going to the US with a Princess transfer. After they take your luggage on the last night of the cruise, you don't see it again until you get to the Vancouver airport where it will be in a guarded area of the airport terminal. You'll also be escorted directly from the ship to the bus, skipping the busy cruise terminal. We did it once and it was a painless way to disembark.

 

Julie

Hi Julie!

I've enjoyed reading all the reports you guys have posted. It worked out best that we did not go though I did miss meeting the gang. A week after we cancelled, my grandmother passed away. We wouldn't have enjoyed it, so we are now looking forward to next year.

Thanks for the info on the direct to airport buses.

If you have the time to take an extra day (or twelve) it's always a good idea. Especially since there's so much to see and do around Vancouver. If your budget can handle it, the folks steering you to Pan Pacific are offering great advice - it's definitely the least-possible-hassle option.

 

I think your queries have been covered above, but the mention of EZCheck needs clarified that it's NOT available in Vancouver in case you do decide to leave same-day. US CBP do not like unaccompanied bags - you must be heading through at the same time as your bags so EZCheck is not allowed in Canadian preclearance airports like Vancouver.

I agree that the Pan Pacific sounds like a good option, but it looks like a cab wouldn't be too difficult to any hotel, so I will check those out a little later. Thanks so much for the update on the EZCheck option. There are some threads where it looks like it used to be available in Vancouver; glad to know it isn't an option.

I definitely think we will stay one night at least. I might check to see if there will be any ships coming in on Sunday as well since that might cause a big ruckus at the airport. Who wants a ruckus at the airport? Not I. That's for sure.

Seattle is the one in myAlaska future.

I talked to Mom about this, but she wasn't keen on the idea of driving further to get on the plane, and the airfare is about the same from either airport to my home near DFW. I'm stuck leaving from Vancouver this time, but we will make the most of it with all the great advice I've been given here. :)

I live in Vancouver and I cruise to and from this port every year. I hope I can answer some of your concerns.

 

When you disembark the ship, you will be guided, by numerous and very approachable shore staff YIPPEE and YAHOO to approachable, to the luggage area. Your luggage will be grouped according to your disembarkation colour and/or number. In the luggage pick up area, you will find free luggage carts, if needed. Carts = :D

 

Once you wheel your way into the main area of the terminal, again there will be multiple staff dressed in some kind of uniform to offer you guidance (I will take your word that uniforms will bring better results this time). They will ensure you get to the correct spot, whether you are looking for a cab, a bus or the elevator up to the Pan Pacific hotel.

 

If your cruise has a stop in Victoria on the way back from Alaska, many if not all of the ships now clear Canadian customs in Victoria. That makes disembarkation in Vancouver just that much easier. No need to fumble looking for your passport and customs documents while pulling luggage and keeping track of Mom! You literally walk off the ship, get your bags and walk out the door. (Vancouver is our last stop and first Canadian port, but good to know. Thanks!)

 

Vancouver airport also has free luggage carts, at least they did the last time I flew. Whether you take a cab or a shuttle to the airport, you should be able to quickly find a porter or a cart to handle your luggage. Luggage carts and porters...again, I say Hallelujah and huzzah.

Thanks so much for the information. I love hearing from seasoned travelers. I was picturing physically trying to manhandle all of that luggage plus watch my mom, and I nearly broke out in hives. Feeling better now. Sigh of relief. Whew!

In your case have your mother stay in one spot and bring the luggage to her. Then find a porter (they will be available) and have him take your luggage to the elevator for the Pan Pacific or to the taxi stand if you are using another hotel.

Excellent. Mom has a seat on her rollator, so she would be happy to stay in one place while I play fetch. I am happy to play rover, but I really don't like to be pack mule, so I LOVE the fact that there are porters.

Actually, it is because is was a book they needed to inspect it.

 

The book shows up as a dense opaque object. Since they cannot tell what it really is, they need to inspect it with their eyes.

 

If the book has been in your checked luggage, TSA these days would open up your suitcase to inspect it.

 

After the recent Superbowl in Houston, attendees were warned not to pack their game program in their checked luggage. The program would appear as a suspicious object requiring the opening of all the luggage that had it inside. With tens of thousands of people flying out with the program, TSA said they would not be able to process all the checked luggage in time for it to make it to the flights.

 

TSA is very vigilant in their quest to protect us from bottled water and printed material.

Interesting information. I have always carried books and magazines with me on my trips, and the only time we ever had a problem was that one time coming back from New York. I can better understand these days since they are even stricter, but it seemed very weird at the time--especially since I took one of the densest books possible when we flew to Orlando after TSA regulations were in place (a guidebook), and no one pulled my bag or anything.:confused: Ah, the mysteries of life.

We love the Pan Pacific. Take an elevator from the ship right up to the hotel.

Beautiful property and beautiful views.

Also the Fairmont Waterfront right across the street is an excellent property too.

Thank you, but how do my bags get there? Do I have to lug them? Can I get a porter?

I really need details on the process of disembarkation if possible.

Planning an Alaskan cruise in 2018. This is only my second cruise. The first was a LONG time ago (more than 25 years). The worst part of that trip (including the severe strain of my right ankle) was disembarkation in NYC. Horrible. I cannot emphasize enough how much we do not wish to repeat this experience.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE (You can skip to the questions section if you don't want to understand WHY I'm dreading disembarkation so much):

We arrived in NYC (wonderful morning coming into port, seeing the Statue of Liberty from the deck of a ship), waiting with our group in a lounge, and then got off the ship. That's when things completely fell apart. No one directed us where to go or what to do. I think someone said to find our bags, so we did. Everyone was scurrying about a large warehouse like they'd been given some kind of secret sauce that helped them decipher the very confusing situation. But no one gave us any, so we just followed the others to a doorway. Hooray, we saw someone who looked like they'd know what was going on (wearing a uniform after all), so my mom asked, "How do we get to the buses?" (We'd figured out that much at least--we'd need a bus to get out of whatever hole we were in). The uniformed gentleman (a term I use loosely) said, "You walk. Like everybody else." Completely unhelpful!

We decided to continue following the other people (who still looked like someone had slipped them a micky with extra knowledge juice in it). My poor mom had one of those old heavy clamshell Samsonite bags with no wheels, so she was none too happy to be lugging it even further. We finally found the buses. Hallelujah. Wait, we didn't know which bus to get on.

Oh, look, there was another person who appeared helpful (wearing a uniform AND this time holding a clipboard too). We waited. And waited. And waited for the clipboard holder to acknowledge us and help us. Frustration mounting. FINALLY, were told to get on that bus and person pointed. Buses were leaving all around. Oh my gosh, were they going to leave us in this hole in NYC? Found bus. Scurried onboard and sat down. Whew!

We were on our way! Hallelujah. Going through NYC kinda cool. "Looks just like TV," I thought. Weird. Driving, driving, driving. Lots of buildings and some bridges and maybe a tunnel. Looking at watch and thinking, "We are gonna be late." Worried. Lots of worried grumbling aboard bus. Finally, we sight planes. And look, there's the American Airlines sign -- whoopee, that's my ride outta here. Wait. Passing sign. Still driving! Eek. What is happening?

After stopping at every other conceivable airline (and quite possibly a crop duster facility), we finally made it back to American Airlines. The very first airline we saw would be the last stop. Whew! Another hurdle jumped.

Get inside and go through security. Remember, way before TSA, so security is pretty easy. Put stuff on conveyor belt and go. Right? Sure. Except when they scan my mom's bag, they pull it off to manually search it. Apparently, her Bible "looked like a weapon" to them. Really? It's a square book made of paper. (I guess we shouldn't have given her that gun-shaped bookmark;)).

Practically running through airport trying to find our way (wasn't there a famous commercial like this?). Refuse to ask anyone else "How do I get there?" since we know the standard New Yorker response already (Mom still upset and saying so aloud about every five minutes about uniformed guy at port).

Have you ever seen one of those cartoons where they ask which way do I go and someone pops out with a sign that points in five different directions at once? That's exactly how it seemed that day at LaGuardia. But we make it to the gate...finally. Just after they have finished boarding. Darn.

Wait a minute. They can take us after all? Whew! and Hallelujah.

Get on flight and relax between Mom and sister who are both very upset over events so far. Sister cannot put her bag under seat in front of her because rude big footed man next to her has his bag there, and it is obvious (to him) that his bag deserved that space more than hers. I decide to move to back of plane where there are better seats after we are "free to move about the cabin," and Mom and sis agree. Luggage did not make the fight, so we had to go back to airport later. Long day, lots of drama. Not lots of fun.

Do not wish to repeat this scenario. Ever!

QUESTIONS ABOUT YVR DISEMBARKATION:

This time, mom is not able to carry her own bags. She uses a walker/rollator for distances, so I suspect she will be using when we disembark. Since we are going on the cruisetour first, we will have 4 bags and two carryons with us. And no, taking less is probably never going to happen. I cannot carry all of that myself.

We have the options of leaving the ship straight for the airport or staying overnight in Vancouver then going to airport the next day. What is the best way to do either of these and have minimum luggage handling required?

If we choose to stay overnight, do we need to use the Princess post cruise hotel package, or can we book our own? (I mean, I know we can DO either. I'm looking for best option to avoid doing an impersonation of a pack mule.)

How does the disembarkation process in Vancouver work? (Remember that I still haven't found that secret fountain of disembarkational knowledge juice, so please use smallish words).

Thinking of disembarkation is making me want to pull out my hair, and that's no bueno since I already use Rogaine (and that stuff is expensive--don't they know I'm saving money for a cruise?!).

Any help appreciated.

Jamie

Hey Jamie..its Sandra!

 

We flew in a day early to Fairbanks. The Fairbanks airport is not big...really small, if not extra small! Having the Princess rep there was very easy to spot, is great. We waited for our luggage and then followed a Princess rep to the Princess bus. It is size of a Greyhound bus. We arrived at 2:15pm and I believe there were 6 passengers.

The Princess luggage handlers took care of our luggage...buy the transfers. They are worth the cost.

They took care of that and it was in our room when we hit the door. Go ahead and stay at the lodge an extra night. They have 3 different restaurants plus pizza. There is a hospitality room that makes a good hang out for cards, games, etc. Also you will see several large sitting areas where people gather by the fireplace. A nice gift shop is in that area too. If you do not want to pack your coat, you will find very warm jackets that are reversible on sale for $29.95. Victor and I bought one each...we wore it the whole trip! Easy to pack to as it folds up into the hood. oh, best of all---no taxes in Alaska!! You pay what you see.

 

As for the YVR airport....it is huge and crazy so much larger that DFW. We did YVR never again, even though we had Princess transfers with pre=customs, we still had to do that. The lines are long, very long.

If I had a choice, transfer from the ship to Seattle and stay in a hotel there. Several ways to get to Seattle, clipper ship, bus, or train. Check them all out for the prices. Sea-Tac sure is better than YVR. Perhaps easier for your Mom too.

If you have any questions here is my email:

sandra1956@suddenlink.net

Go look at the roll call we had, Peg posted a picture of us. Peg is on the far Left side facing the camera.:)

 

take care, Sandra

Sandra! So glad to "see" you again. Thank you SO much for info on YVR. I was leaning towards SEA departure since we both are TSA Precheck, and I think a bus ride sounds better than what you've described. Giving the DFW reference helps a good deal.

I will see if I can check out the old roll call. Last time I tried, it had disappeared...had hoped you guys would post something afterwards so I could live vicariously. Still no roll call started for next cruise:(. I could never do what Peg did. She was excellent at bringing everyone together.

Yes, we too are doing tour before cruise.:)

I think we will enjoy cruise more if we fly in, have a day, then start tour. Trying to decide if we should stay at another property first night to save money.

Also, looking for leaving from YVR or SEA advice. Has anyone been glad they decided to trek to Seattle or wished they'd decided to leave from Vancouver?

We are booked for 2018 Alaska connoisseur cruisetour starting in Fairbanks on May 25th. I know we want to come in at least one day to give us some chance to adjust. On the return, the most time I can stay after we disembark from ship is one night, because I will need a couple of days after we get home to reorient before heading back to work.

I'm looking for some advice for those who have gone before.

I could do precruise package with Princess or book on my own. Anyone with experience in this area? Glad you did one or the other? Wish you'd done it differently?

We can return from either YVR or SEA. Any thoughts on which is better or worse based on your experiences?

I hesitate to fly back same day ship arrives in YVR. Our one previous cruise we took left a bad taste after arriving at NYC, being dropped off at gate late, barely making flight after practically running through airport. Cannot rush this time due to my mom using a walker and needing assistance.

As I said, any thoughts are appreciated. Still a little too early to book flights, so I'm just lining up my duckies. 🦆

Jamie

I booked a cruisetour in late 2015 for 2017. I watched all the sales as they came out, and they are sometimes eligible for the sales/promotions. I have a habit of looking at ALL of the tours. Sometimes when there is a sale, a particular tour will show sold out then once over, lot and behold, tour is available again. So, it seems Princess will have a specific number of rooms available per tour per sale. I know some who were on my roll call for this year did well with the Sip and Sale promo. I got a discount that worked for the 3 for Free promo. I ultimately had to cancel due to a family situation, so I am doing it all again for my 2018 trip. Book early. Check the fares often. If you see a sale or promo that works for you, get it right away.

All that said, regarding the Rockies cruisetour. I have noticed a trend that these sell out very quickly and fairly early compared to the other tours.

Sandra,

So happy to read your trip report. Sorry Mom and I weren't able to join the group as planned, but it could not be helped. Instead of Alaska this year, we went to San Diego where I must admit the weather sounds like it was much better.;) I hope all is well with your family.

We are still planning on going, so we have booked for May 2018 and every trip report is another exciting chance to see what it might be like. Thanks so much for sharing.

Jamie

I'm trying to decide if I want to move my Alaska cruise up a week earlier to try one of these suites. Question for those who have been on cruisetours: would you rather have the connoisseur tour and a regular room (ours would be oceanview obstructed) or the regular tour with the window suite?

I am interested in this as well. We are booked on the non-connoisseur tour that includes the Kenai Lodge next year and are considering an upgrade to connoisseur.

My question is regarding the tour director. I know the connoisseur tour has one that stays with you. I have heard and read some reports that indicate the non-connoisseur tours also have a tour guide on board the bus with them though I believe they may change out each leg of the trip. Is this true? Can anyone give info about these guides if they exist?

Not to be a dummy, but...if one doesn't drink and is granted OBC for the AIBP, then is it approximately $402 pp OBC for a 7 day cruise with the Sip N Sail?

My mom is in a similar situation though hers is also exacerbated by walking long distances. We are planning an Alaska cruise-tour for 2018. She is planning on taking her rollator (or her fancy walker as we call it). The rollator has a seat she can use if she needs to.

I'm not sure, but if standing is your mom's only issue, would a collapsible chair like you sometimes see at golfing competitions work? Is that allowed onboard? I don't know the rules, but it might be worth it if you anticipate many long lines in her future and she is unwilling to use wheelchair assistance.

He leaves the Star April 11.

How long are the captains' rotations? Looks like he is moving to Coral next...curious how long he will be posted there.

All I know is that on the paperwork I received from my TA, it says "Passport is required!! (Must be valid for 6 months after return.)"

I would definitely to the connoisseur tour. Did this last May and it was outstanding. The tour guide was there to help every step of the way and the service was wonderful. That's the advice from here in Keller, Texas!

Well, howdy neighbor! :D (We are in Bedford.)

I'm slightly hijacking my own thread to ask how did you find the weather? Temperature wise how does it compare to here (time of year/month is helpful)? We are planning a May trip too. I am also concerned about allergies. Mountain cedar has been a thorn in my side this year, and cottonwood is the bane to my existence. Do I need to pack the entire allergy arsenal?

Thanks for the replies, but it looks like I need to clarify that it is either Balcony OR connoisseur tour. We would do obstructed ocean view not balcony if picking connoisseur tour.

If budget made you choose between taking a connoisseur tour with obstructed view or a regular tour with a balcony which would you do?

Inside cabin NOT an option due to clausterphobia issues.

Yes. Princess serves only coke products. We bring Diet Pepsi with us.

 

 

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Have they added Coke Zero?