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As a Vancouver resident I urge anyone departing on a cruise to arrive at least one day before sailing. Last summer I was at YVR working next to the meeting point for passengers with pre arranged bus and luggage transfers to the cruise terminal.At about 2:30 pm a group of about 10 people including children, approached the counter just as they were closing for the day. They were told that there was no way to get to the terminal in time to board the ship. From what I could tell they had taken connecting flights from the Southern US, both of which were delayed. On arrival in Vancouver you could be delayed in Customs line ups for an hour as there are many flights arriving from Asia and Europe in addition to the US. Traffic is also very heavy in Vancouver during the summer. I know that hotels in Vancouver are very expensive but it would be better to stay in the suburbs and spend $100 on a taxi or Uber than miss your cruise. There are no direct flights from YVR to any airports in Alaska. You would have to fly or bus to Seattle in order to catch up with your ship.

I spent today at Vancouver airport (YVR), meeting students arriving from Asia. Our desk was next to that of the company that coordinates prearranged baggage and passenger transfers to the pier. As someone who has taken over 20 cruises I was surprised to see how many people were arriving after 12 noon for sailings that were leaving just a few hours later. The transportation staff, who are not directly employed by any of the cruise ship companies, worked non stop to get the passengers loaded on buses and luggage on trucks to the pier. At about 3:30 pm, a group of 20 people, including families came to the desk asking where to board their transfer to the pier for their Princess sailing. They were told immediately that they were too late as boarding closes at 3:45. Apparently they took connecting flights to Vancouver and both were delayed. There was nothing that could be done for them at the airport but they started calling the ship, Princess etc. From what I could tell, they would have to fly, bus or drive to Seattle (140 miles), where they could take a flight to Ketchikan to meet their ship. Unless they had insurance they would be responsible for all expenses. If you are sailing from Vancouver please note - even if your flight is on time, US travellers could be at Customs and baggage claim for an hour as there are lots of flights arriving at the same time from Asia and Europe. The drive from YVR to the pier could be 45 to 60 minutes depending on the time of day. Prearranging a transfer to the ship does not mean that the ship will wait for latecomers. That might work for ship tours at the various stops but not for departure. You should avoid flying to Vancouver on the same day as your ship departs. If you must make sure you have travel insurance.

Photo taken early September. Our HAL ship used the Ore dock.

Our previous 20 or so cruises have involved long flights to the departure port in Florida, California or Europe. Finally we’re taking an Alaska cruise from our home town. Our travel involves a short drive to the SeaBus passenger ferry for a 15 minute ride, and then a 10 minute walk to the terminal. Sounds like we’ll be less stressed than you this Saturday 😉