Late flight out of Vancouver after cruise

[Kfrech]

How do we spend the day? What do we do with luggage?

 

Flight doesn't depart until 10 pm.

 

Thank you!

[CruiserBruce]

Have you checked to see if your cruise line has excursions that end with a late day drop off at the airport? This would cover all your issues.

[Kfrech]

No I haven’t. I will look into that. We won’t have much luggage (1 carryon and a backpack each), so I was thinking we could do something less organized. What about renting a car for the day from the port and returning it to the airport? We wouldn’t drive it around the city—just park it somewhere for the day and than take it to the airport. I haven’t yet looked into the cost of that. 

[Gardyloo]

4 hours ago, Kfrech said:

What about renting a car for the day from the port and returning it to the airport? We wouldn’t drive it around the city—just park it somewhere for the day and than take it to the airport. I haven’t yet looked into the cost of that. 

Probably around $50, but why park it?  Why not use it to explore parts of the city or region that you can easily see in a day?  You could drive up the Sea to Sky Highway (BC 99) to Squamish and ride the gondola - https://www.seatoskygondola.com/ , or tour the fabulous gardens in Queen Elizabeth Park, or walk along the beach at the Spanish Banks.  Or you could go the (free, untouristy) Lynn Canyon suspension bridge, or eat fab dim sum in Richmond.  Or visit some of the wineries in the Fraser Valley, just east of town  Google these places; there are too many options to list.  

Edited November 2, 2019 by Gardyloo

[Bruin Steve]

Last time we were faced with that issue, we took a tour with these guys:

 

https://vancouvertours.com/pre-post-cruise-tours/

 

...the "Sea to Sky" tour...Picked us up right from the port...was a pleasant day visiting a waterfall, taking a gondola to the top of a mountain and some other sights...kept our luggage in the bus the whole time and dropped us off at a perfect time for our flight.

 

We had also considered renting a car...but a little too much hassle with pick-up, drop-off etc.  But, had we done that, we likely would have done a similar route--since we had already visited Vancouver itself multiple times...

 

Also, if you just want to wander around Vancouver, there is a luggage storage facility at the cruise port...Look here:

 

http://www.cdsbaggage.ca/

 

Edited November 2, 2019 by Bruin Steve

[martincath]

CDS no longer have the luggage storage franchise at the pier (their airport operations continue though) - it never reopened in 2019. Eventually WestCoast - one of the big local tour companies and operator of one of the HOHOs - opened at a greatly-increased price, but with a discount if you book one of their tours (however, it's still cheaper to store bags with the bell staff at the Pan Pacific).

 

I don't think any of the bus tours are long enough to fill your day for a 10pm flight - even the Sea to Sky one linked above drops you at YVR almost five hours early. A 10pm flight means no Preclearance, which also means less total time needed at YVR so the common-sense 2 hours preflight is going to be more than enough. Depedning on your airline, you may not even be able to check a bag until 3 hours preflight (most at 4hours at YVR - either way, 5 hours early is ludicrous overkill).

 

If you're not already a frequent visitor, you won't even have close to enough time here. So get off as early as you can, store your bags at the PP hotel (still just $5 each this season, has been for years, so probably same next year) and get yourselves hustling around as many sites as you can. A HOHO ticket is a solid plan for first-timers, as both companies take you to the biggest hits in downtown, unless you have rather niche tastes. Or just walk around between sites - we have a superbly walkable downtown core and the vast majority of popular tourist sites are in it or a short shuttle/bus/taxi ride away.

 

What to see? Honestly, look up TripAdvisor and just move down the 'top ten' lists and make note of which things you & your SO/family/whoever else is traveling with you feel are best for you - it's all about prioritizing as you simply don't have enough time to do a fraction of what is within the downtown core, let alone the surrounding area. Have a difference in opinion within your group? Split up! Free city-provided WiFi network (shows as #VanWiFi and available just about everywhere downtown) means it's easy to stay in touch without any roaming fees, and even kid's tablets can be used to message each other with nothing more than WiFi. So go do the things everyone wants to do, then meet up again for dinner.

 

After an early-ish dinner (Happy Hour is common, offers bargains, and usually runs from 3-4 until 6 most places), then go get your bags and head to YVR ~7:30pm, arriving ~8pm regardless of whether you take a cab or SkyTrain. You'll probably be through check-in and security and at your gate well before 9pm.

 

If you are a repeat visitor who's already done downtown, sure, rent a car but do something with it as GL suggests. I'd add Steveston to that list - as well as the generally-popular 'Ye Olde Village' vibe of their downtown (it was Once Upon A Time's Storybrooke) the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Museum spanks Icy Strait Point's feeble version six ways to Sunday, and you could go whale-watching for a huge discount compared to in AK ports and with a vastly-improved chance of seeing Orcas.

[Kfrech]

We’ll actually have a day and a half in Vancouver prior to the cruise. We might do what others have suggested and explore outside of the city area. 

[hallux]

If they do it next year (they did this year), you could stow your larger bags at the Pan Pacific and do the linked Sea to Sky tour.  Be aware - the gondola cable (for the gondola mentioned by that poster) was cut this summer in an act of vandalism but I hear it should be ready to go for the season next year.  The tour company won't take your larger bag if you're not getting dropped off at the airport, and you can't get inside security until 2-3 hours before your flight so you'll be stuck sitting in the check-in area for a while if you have them take you there.

 

I did this EXACT plan when I had an 11 PM flight after my Spring cruise this year.  It worked out well.  I had dinner in the downtown core after being dropped off by the bus then grabbed my bag and used public transit (the SkyTrain) to get to the airport.

[Kfrech]

That’s exactly what we’ll do. It sounds like the perfect solution. 

[MOM48]

Does the Vancouver  airport not allow you to check in until 2 hours prior to departure like in Montreal? We were at the airport early, but had to sit around outside the counter until 2 hours before.

[martincath]

^Never heard of a 2 hour limit at YVR - we've dropped family off 3 hours before for Int'l flights with no problem checking in immediately, and IIRC the website indicates 4 hours as the maximum time before flights you can check bags. It's generally only flights before 6am - especially to the US as CBP start working much later than check-in desks open - that you have to wait around.