Quickest Way to Vancouver Place

[Desert Cruizers]

A couple on our Sept 22nd Coastal Cruise, will not be arriving until the day of our cruise, at 2:15 PM, ship leaves at 4:30, is there anyway they can make this. They are flying in from Toronto, Canada. I advised them with the cost of traveling to next Port Victoria or switching flights if possible, they might be better switching flights if they can at this late date. Thank you.

[Gunner22aa]

Lets assume the flight arrives on time. Got to count on a minimum of 30 minutes to get off the plane and get their bags unless they are using carryon only. Another 10 minutes to get a cab, could be longer. Count on 30-45 minutes to get to the cruise terminal. So far best case is an hour or so, worst case we will say 1 1/2 hours from landing to the ship.

 

They land at 2:15 and the ship sails at 4:30. With best case they are at the ship at 3:15 which is already after the 90 minute before departure passanger check in cut off time which will be 3pm. Some lines have a 2 hour cut off but none shorter than 90 min as that is determined by law and when passanger manifests have to be turned into the authorities.

 

Unless they are doing carryon only there is no way they can make the ship and even then it's a close call that could go either way in a heartbeat. Time to re jig the flights or watch the ship sail away from the jetty I'm sad to say.

 

Having done the airport to cruise ship thing many times and just to downtown Vancouver many more the math just isn't there.

[Desert Cruizers]

I don't know why they didn't get an earlier flight, I just checked and one lands around 9:30. I couldn't see how they could make it either then the cost of getting to Victoria, the next Port. I did see something about a train service. We live in So Calif and a 2 hour drive from San Diego or 2.5 to LAX and will come in the day before. I am flying in the day before around 1:30 and coming from Palm Springs.

[Gunner22aa]

I may stand to be corrected by a local Vancouverite but as far as I know there is no train service to the island. Lots of car and passanger ferrys to Victoria but I've never seen or been on one that had a train on it as well. They really need to be either changing their flights or booking an onward flight to Victoria now. There are countless flights daily between YVR and Victoria. The airport in Victoria is a healthy distance from the harbour so they don't want to be cutting that one close either. Best of luck to all of you!

[Desert Cruizers]

Sorry for confusion, I should have said, Vancouver Intl to Vancouver Place. I read something about a train that can get you there in 25 minutes.

[Mquan10]

Your thinking of Skytrain. Even taking skytrain they would be cutting it close. The skytrain leaves from YVR and will take them to Waterfront station which is about a 5 minute walk to Canada place where they have to board the ship. Even adding in the 5 - 10 minutes each side for walking etc to / from the train, they are cutting it close.

If they can't change flights etc and want to try it, they really have nothing to lose. If they don't make it they can hop on a harbour float plane or helijet and that will get them to Victoria Harbour. These are located right by Canada Place. Once in Victoria they would have to overnight in a hotel then head out to the ship. There are lots of hotels in and around the harbour area, lots of sightseeing as well in that whole area. From the Victoria harbour, its a short taxi ride to the ship. A bit far to try and walk it.

[Milhouse]

Just to agree with Gunner22aa's reply, it's going to be tight.

For my recent flight from LAS to YVR, I landed at 12:35am, cleared customs and was out the door around 1:10am with no checked luggage while checked luggage hadn't started dropping onto the carousel yet. I know it's a bit apples to oranges comparison as it's an international vs domestic flight but the point is that it may take over 30mins to get wait for their luggage.

 

The skytrain (ie metro/subway) takes about 25mins from YVR (station located btw terminals and is walkable) to Waterfront station which is essentially beside the Canada Place terminal. They'll have to factor in walk time to/from the station, buying a ticket, etc. Add another 20mins?

 

Ideally, if they can switch to the earlier flight (standby?), that would be best.

[martincath]

Have to agree that this is a far-too-tight schedule. Skytrain is more consistent than a cab (traffic is irrelevant) but on a Sunday afternoon traffic shouldn't be an issue anyway.

 

The 25 minutes is station to station time, assuming no idiots block doors from closing. As non-locals, they're not going to be coming with transit tickets prebought, which means having to spend an extra minute or so plugging cash or cards into the ticket machine plus a couple minutes more walk at YVR to the skytrain compared to the cab pickup point, and another 3-4 mins at Waterfront to Canada Place (assuming they take the most efficient route, there are multiple exits from the station).

 

I'd say 35 minutes YVR to Waterfront is the best case scenario regardless of cab or skytrain choice - and either just needs the tiniest delay in flight arrival or baggage delivery to make it completely impossible to get to the pier on time.

 

Change fees on a domestic route, even if they booked the least flexible AC or WJ tickets, will be significantly less than a night in a hotel plus ferry to Victoria! There are multiple direct flights, and even more flights via Edmonton/Calgary, that would get these folks to Vancouver by 12:30 or earlier - personally I'd be on one of the 7am direct flights arriving 9am, which have availability right now on both AC and WJ.

[SpokaneDan]

advise them to change the flight, unless travel in "high anticipation" of missing the cruise and mad dash to the cruise terminal is their way of making the journey more exciting.:confused: A holiday in beautiful YVR really is not that much of a let down.:)

[Desert Cruizers]

Thank you everyone I have been also advised by fellow cruisemates on our Australia Roll Call next year who live in Vancouver, and both said, it can't be done, that they will close the gates around 3 PM. She is traveling solo and said the cost to change was to much, yet how much would it be to get to Victoria and a hotel room. If I were the lady in her situation I would pay to change my flights if I were unable to arrive the day before. I feel badly for her, and this maybe all work related.

[cruiseryyc]

As someone said earlier, the cost to get Victoria plus hotel room would be greater than the airline change fee. If she leaves her flight as is, she will not make the cruise out of Vancouver.

[Desert Cruizers]

I haven't heard back from her today so don't know if she changed flights or not. Hopefully she will check in tomorrow to let me know. Another couple are also coming from Toronto but they arrive if no delays at 9:30, so they should be fine.

[Gunner22aa]

Just in case your friend still thinks she can make the ship with this itinerary:

 

the prevailing winds on that route are west to east. If the winds are just 5 kts stronger than planned for she will be 10 minutes late arriving. I live in Edmonton and fly to Toronto often The flight east is consistantly 30 min or more shorter than the flight west simply due to the winds. On a bad Jet Stream day it has been more than an hour longer coming home.

 

10 minutes late may well result in being put into a holding pattern for who knows how long as your landing window is gone and someone else is now on final approach

 

even landing on time there can be delays in taxing and worse yet the aircraft sitting at your arrival gate is late departing while it waits for connection delayed passangers or alike. If people haven't had this happen to them than they don't fly into or out of Canada's second busiest airport often enough

 

Vancouver weather can be fickle although not at it's worst at this time of year. As one of the rainiest cities in the country I have seen YVR have to shut down one of the two parallel runways due to visability and having to keep larger than normal separation between landing and departing aircraft. Cut capacity in half and you get stuck holding somewhere.

 

Lastly does your friend really want to spend the day gobbling up Valium sitting on pins and needles fretting about missing the ship.

 

Travel insurance might help if she misses the ship due to delays. They could also turn around and say sorry, you booked a schedule that would have never worked if everything had gone perfectly.

 

My best wishes to you and your party.

[SevenSeas1492]

Whether or not they COULD make it--would they really want to start a vacation that they have been waiting to take with that much stress? Not me. I'd change the flight.

[Urban trekker]

Also - which ship are they on - there is one ship sailing from Ballantyne Pier which is even further from the port and harder to get to in that you must take a taxi as our Sky train service doesn't go near it.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[cruiseryyc]

I just checked out this cruise - they are on the Star Princess and it looks like a four or five day cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles with one stop in Victoria. Apparently the person in question didn't realize that she couldn't board up to 4:30 (even though it appears she has cruised before)!!!!! Hopefully DesertCruizer will come back on and let us know if the individual made it or how much she spent getting to Victoria to meet the ship!!!!

[lamchops]

DID SHE MAKE IT ????????????????

Inquiring minds want to know!:D

[BCHappyGal]

Me Too ???

[LeftcoastBC]

me three.