Princess Air to Vancouver or Seattle?

[Hate 2 W8t]

I posted this in the Alaska forum, but it's pretty quiet in there. Thought I should try here at the Princess site.

 

We are cruising on Princess for a northbound Alaska cruisetour. I was reading someone's review from last year that indicated Princess air flew them into Seattle and then bussed them to Vancouver. This is not my idea of how to start my vacation. We are paying for the pre-cruise overnight in Vancouver at the Westin. I would not be happy to spend 5 1/2 hours sitting on a bus when I could have been in Vancouver enjoying my pre-cruise stay.

 

Does anyone know if this is standard operating procedure for Princess? Do they do this in hopes you will pay the price to deviate and pick different flights? I don't leave until 8/28, so I know they haven't booked my flights yet.

 

TIA,

[Druke I]

Many of the Princess flights are to Seattle, then bus to Vancouver. Truth is, there aren't that many flights into Vancouver.

 

Have you considered the train? We think it is great to Amtrak up on the Coast Starlight into Seattle, then bus into Vancouver. We've done it both ways, several times over the years.

[West Coast]

Many of the Princess flights are to Seattle, then bus to Vancouver. Truth is, there aren't that many flights into Vancouver.

 

 

Umm, excuse me?

 

For your information, in 2003, Vancouver International Airport handled 14.3 million passengers. That's quite a few flights.

 

To more directly answer the original posters question, the reason Princess prefers to fly people into SEA and bus them to YVR is because it is cheaper! Plain and simple. Princess is looking for the most economical way to unilize their Air program and have found this to be the answer. Is it the correct solution? From a customer's perspecive, the answer is clearly no. So, as the original poster has discovered, it's important to know what you're getting when utilizing cruise line air.

[iancal]

Not many flights into Vancouver, Canada????? Whoever told you that (hope it is not your TA) just does not know. In fact there are many, and YVR is probably one of the nicest airports in the world.

 

I would NEVER take a bus from Seattle. You are right...no way to start a vacation. First of all, you will probably have to wait around Seattle airport until they get enough people together. The ride itself is probably 3 hours or so-depending on traffic AND depending on the line up at the border. After a plane ride, the bus trip would be the way to end a day from hell! If this is your only option from Princess, and since you are coming a day early, I would strongly recommend that you book independently and fly into Vancouver. If you are at the Westin Bayshore then you are at my favourite hotel in Vancouver-the setting is unbeatable. For that matter, go on the Fairmont web site and book it direct-it will be probably be much cheaper. Hotel to dock is not far at all.