7:00 in port Vancouver - flight times

[sbelle2000]

My traveling group is in Texas and Louisiana. The flight options out of Vancouver are limited in time. We were considering the flight out of Vancouver at 11:35 AM - the ship docks at 7:00 AM that same Saturday morning. Princess cruises say they recommend booking flights at noon and beyond. Has anybody done the 11:30 ish flights and made it OK - or missed it? The other flight options are so much more expensive, or way too late.

[iamaqt2]

If you are looking at flying out of Vancouver you will be fine. Another suggestion would be to look at flights out of Seattle later in the afternoon. You can either rent a car or take a shuttle to SeaTac and a lot of times the flights out of there vs. Vancouver can be a substantial savings. Same thing if you are flying into Vancouver... would look at cost vs. SeaTac.

[scottbee]

My traveling group is in Texas and Louisiana. The flight options out of Vancouver are limited in time. We were considering the flight out of Vancouver at 11:35 AM - the ship docks at 7:00 AM that same Saturday morning. Princess cruises say they recommend booking flights at noon and beyond. Has anybody done the 11:30 ish flights and made it OK - or missed it? The other flight options are so much more expensive, or way too late.

 

If you hustle, you could probably make it, however I've ''docked'' at 07:00 and not been off the ship until 9:00 which would really be making it tight.

 

From downtown (by far) the fastest way from the cruise terminal to the airport is the new Skytrain line, which leaves from Waterfront Station a couple of blocks away. Exit the cruise terminal walk 1 block south (straight ahead and, slightly to your left; (ignoring that tempting looking 'Skytrain Escallator ½ block from Canada Place -- it puts you on the wrong platform -- the Expo/Millennium line), and then turn left and walk 2 blocks east to "Waterfront Station". Once inside, turn to your left for the escalator/elevators to Skytrain Canada Line.

[cruiseryyc]

Let's look at this way - you need to be at the airport 3 hours prior departure as you not only have to check in, go through security, but also clear US Customs. So you reach port at 7:00 a.m.; the ship clears customs immediately and you are the first off the ship; you gather your group and find taxi(s); it is now 8:30, the drive to the airport is 45 minutes (with no traffic problems), you reach the airport at 9:15, check in can take 30 minutes (or longer); security another 30 minutes (or longer); and the US Customs could be another 30 minutes. It's now 10:45 and you have lots of time to get to your gate. However, this scenario is based on everything going according to plan - no delays with the ship getting in; no delays with the ship clearing customs; etc. etc.

 

The Vancouver airport is not known for being the speediest to get through (I shudder at what's going to happen the day after the Olympics). I live an hour away from Vancouver (and don't have to clear US Customs) and when I got off a cruise ship there, I didn't book a flight until mid-afternoon.

 

If you can get to Seattle easily, that might be a better option.

[Budget Queen]

I'm sure you are only looking for those, "yes, I had no problems" reports. But fact is, for you to make this flight, you really need to consider self disembarking, meaning be up early and ready to go, before the ship clears. Then when it does, be able to haul off ALL your own bags without help. THEN get a cab, or get yourself to Airtrain.

 

Actually you are best to look at flights after 1pm. I have personally been in over 2 hours worth of lines in Vancouver. Add 45 minutes for a cab.

[Casey12]

Vancouver airport can be ugly on ship days. You can spend hours in lines going through customs/immigration.