Quick help ... how to get to airport from Vancouver cruise port

[BeeSkip]

Hello friends 

we are currently on the celebrity millennium and forgot to arrange transport to the airport.  Celebrity says their transfers are leaving later than preferred for our 12 noon flight.  What should we do?  Taxi?  Shuttle ?  4 adults traveling with luggage back to the states.  

 

Thank you !!

Bee

 

 

[Heidi13]

Depending on how much luggage each has, the Skytrain is definitely the cheapest option. Direct trains to the airport (make sure to get an YVR train & not Richmond) takes about 1/2 hr. Although a short walk to the station from Canada Place, it can be somewhat challenging with lots of luggage. At YVR the station is right at the airport.

 

If Skytrain doesn't appeal, taxis are available and you are going against rush hour traffic, so probably 20 - 40 mins.

 

Lots of time if you disembark reasonably early to make a Noon flight.

[martincath]

Since you're the only ship in port next Friday, the cab queue should be very manageable if you can't handle the thought of a quarter mile along sidewalks with your suitcases to SkyTrain.

 

4 pax plus cruise baggage will mean waiting a bit longer to get a minivan cab (the typical Prius might have room for four bums on seats, but unless you are all traveling fairly light the trunk just will not fit 4 suitcases plus carry-ons etc.) or paying for 2 cabs - but even two cabs will only cost you about half what a transfer would have as Celeb like the other lines charges basically the same per person as an entire cab!

 

Expect to pay ~$35 on the meter to YVR, you're going against rush hour traffic. You can pay with Visa or Mastercard, or even with USD cash (but at a terrible exchange rate, so don't do it unless you have no credit card - a Foreign Transaction Fee is usually 2.5% or less, and that's much lower than the padding of an unofficial cash exchange rate).

 

As long as you get to YVR by 10am you should have no problem making a noon flight - on a one-ship day you don't need to worry about hordes of other cruisers so the official '3 hour preflight' recommendation is total overkill. Still, you know you - if you're at all nervous about it request an early disembarkation slot - but you may have to wait until 9am before you can check your bags for that flight.

[scottbee]

21 hours ago, BeeSkip said:

Hello friends 

we are currently on the celebrity millennium and forgot to arrange transport to the airport.  Celebrity says their transfers are leaving later than preferred for our 12 noon flight.  What should we do?  Taxi?  Shuttle ?  4 adults traveling with luggage back to the states.  

 

Thank you !!

Bee

 

 

Skytrain, Canada Line.  (skytrain is the generic term for all light rail in Vancouver, Canada Line is the one to the airport)

C$4.25 /ea, takes 25 mins, leaves every 6 minutes

 

Exit canada Place cruise terminal, walk ahead one block ignoring the "Skytrain" escalator 1/2 block from the terminal that takes you to the expo line platform (not where you want to go).  Turn left on Cordova, walk 2 blocks, station is on your left (big brick building); Canada Line is to your left as you walk in the building.

 

If you have a credit card with tap, you don't even need to buy a ticket, just tap your card on the reader and board; otherwise there are ticket machines in the main area of the station, you need a 2 zone ticket to the airport

 

[davis0056]

We just got off the millennium two weeks ago.  Spent the night at Pan Pacific and took a cab to the airport.  My husband and I are in out 70s and it seemed like one line after another.  We’ve cruised all over the world.  We won’t fly in or out of Vancouver again.  Check in, then had to take our own luggage for turn in, then TSA, then customs.  Ugh.  Left early for the airport and our flight was late.  Nothing good to say about that airport except it’s in our rear view mirror!

[scottbee]

On 8/31/2019 at 4:10 PM, davis0056 said:

We just got off the millennium two weeks ago.  Spent the night at Pan Pacific and took a cab to the airport.  My husband and I are in out 70s and it seemed like one line after another.  We’ve cruised all over the world.  We won’t fly in or out of Vancouver again.  Check in, then had to take our own luggage for turn in, then TSA, then customs.  Ugh.  Left early for the airport and our flight was late.  Nothing good to say about that airport except it’s in our rear view mirror!

 

The reason for the extra steps is outside of Canada's control; and are burdens placed on YVR by the United States.

 

If you feel the steps for the extra bag drop, or the fact that you need to clear US Customs & Immigration prior to departure to the United States, or that these steps were more burdensome than they should be, I would recommend you talk to your local congressman or senator to try and get it resolved, as you'll have much more luck getting these US imposed burdens reduced than we will from the Canadian side.