HOHO w/airport transfer (Princess excursion)

Seeking answers to luggage storage for disembarkation day in Vancouver. Advice and alternatives, please!

Our ship arrives in Vancouver at 7:30A. Our flight doesn't leave until midnight.

Considering the Princess excursion of HOHO w/airport transfer as it is from 9A-6P. The description states luggage will be taken to airport, and a train ticket to airport is included in excursion price of $84.95. As expensive as this seems to me, it looks to be the best option for filling the most hours before flight while having luggage safely stored.

My question is are we required to go to the airport at 6P to retrieve our luggage (which still leaves 6 hours until flight) or can we go later at 8 or 9P after having dinner in town and still be able to retrieve our luggage and go through security/immigration?

Advice needed from anyone having experience with this situation, please!

Sounds like you need to call Princess excursion folks and/or Airline you're flying on. Maybe consider an earlier flight.

I have never done this or any disembarkation day tour in Vancouver. (For my Alaska cruise in June I will spend the night and fly home the next day). But based on what I have seen in other disembarkation ports: the luggage truck could arrive anytime before 6:00. If you are not there when it does there is no telling how long the operator will remain with your bags; after a certain time they will simply be left unattended in a pile either near the coach drop-off or the baggage check-in area.

Haven’t done this in Vancouver but have in other ports. The luggage was trucked to the airport and held in a secure area in the terminal. There were airline personnel there to take our luggage and check it in. Don’t know if this is what’s done in Vancouver.

We did a ship tour in Vancouver twice. It worked very well for our flight plans. Our luggage was loaded on the bus and went with us. After the tour we were dropped off at the airport with our luggage, which we took to check in. Another alternative is to pick up a rental car for the day, tour on our own and go to the airport at our leisure. We have done this, as well.

Thanks for the replies! Calling Princess is no guarantee of what you are told is true, so I wanted to get firsthand advice from the actual cruisers that may have used this service.

Can you push your flight back a day? Then with a night in a hotel, you will get two days to tour the beautiful city of Vancouver. From the ship go to the hotel and drop your luggage. It will probably be to early to check in, but nearly all hotels will hold your luggage until your room is ready. The next morning, check out and leave the luggage with the porter. Pick it up when it is time to go to the airport.

Haven’t done this in Vancouver but have in other ports. The luggage was trucked to the airport and held in a secure area in the terminal. There were airline personnel there to take our luggage and check it in. Don’t know if this is what’s done in Vancouver.

Answered OP already on their original thread; but since this point has cropped up over here, clarification - due to CBP operating in Vancouver (and all other major Canadian airports) there is no 'send my bags home' option, as you must take your own bags to the preclearance drop for US-bound flights.

So when Princess offer a combo like this package, they aren't using their own dedicated truck to take all the bags to the airport at time X - they are literally reselling the services of the local baggage storage/transfer company, who don't dump suitcases in a big pile but instead move the bags from their pier storage area to their airport storage area. You can go collect them at your leisure until the airport offices close at 11:30pm or later.

They also jack up the rates something rotten, just like with the transfers to the airport for US$29. Considering your very own cab is only CAD$35, even a solo traveler isn't actually saving money unless exchange rates change - and couples, families are being ripped off by a factor how almost exactly how many travelers are in the group. Limos are cheaper for any group of 3+!

OP may want to check Roll Call and Home port sites for more current info . Ten years ago we finished our AK cruise in Vancouver and we're able to store our luggage at cruise terminal, take Hop on Hop off bus on our own, enjoy the city, have dinner and then pick up luggage and taxi to train. (Airport in your case)

Just not sure they still will hold luggage at terminal

Thank you to martincath and others for the replies. Especially the clarification that the bags stored at the airport can be picked up anytime before 11:30 PM. We will be at airport no later than 9-10 PM to go through security/immigration.

I plan to check the website for checking bags on our own as well as doing the HOHO on our own. We have no problem taking the SkyTrain to YVR. Will also keep in mind the Pan Pacific baggage storage idea.

We have booked an airport hotel upon our arrival in Vancouver pre-cruise, also after midnight, and plan to use the SkyTrain the next morning to the port.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and info!

Does anyone know for sure that Princess has a luggage service that will take my luggage at the port in Vancouver and ship it to my home? I can’t call the number given me until Monday. After I disembark I have another land tour booked and I will not need cruise clothes and do not want to haul another suitcase.

Does anyone know for sure that Princess has a luggage service that will take my luggage at the port in Vancouver and ship it to my home? I can’t call the number given me until Monday. After I disembark I have another land tour booked and I will not need cruise clothes and do not want to haul another suitcase.

The info for Luggage Valet in the FAQs of the Princess website does list Vancouver as a 'Serviceable Port'

https://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/prepare.jsp (select 'Luggage Valet')

You do have to call during business hours to get a quote and book, Mon-Fri 6AM-7PM Pacific Time.

I guess I missed this in “the before you cruise” part of FAQs. Thank you