YVR to USA - What flight time did you MISS or MAKE IT after leaving ship?

[texasweather]

I'm not sure if anyone comes back to these boards after their cruise is done, but it's worth a shot.  Those of you who have cruised out of Vancouver the last month or so, and flew home (to the US) on the same day as disembarkation, did you make your flight?  What time was the flight?

 

Any of you cruising in the next few weeks, could you pretty please come back and let me know if you made or missed your same-day flight?  

 

I am booked on a 12:25 pm (direct) flight and from what I'm gathering, that's going to be iffy.  I have a 1:44 pm option, but that takes me to LAX with a long layover which isn't ideal.  I would just like to know if 12:25 is in the realm of possibility or if I should play the safe bet and reschedule my flight.

[martincath]

Unfortunately, unless you get a set of highly detailed responses (how many ships, how many pax actually sailed on each, exact walk-off time, collect luggage in the pier or carry off yourself, wait for cab queue or walked to SkyTrain, time of arrival at YVR, already tested or did they need to test at YVR, how long did that testing take if needed, the exact date which you then followup by checking YVR departures to assess how many flights were leaving as right now very few flight routes are operating daily...) they'll be worthless to you @texasweather - and even if you do get topnotch info, due to CCs readership being small compared to cruising population so you'll still need to extrapolate from a very small sample size. Plus, nobody can predict how many Covid cases onboard your ship, nor how many Security staff will be off work with Covid on the day you need to travel... and these last two are probably the biggest potential sources of delays.

 

To be blunt, there is no realistic way you can gather good enough data to help - unless you are willing to self-disembark and take transit to YVR, where at least all of the time from pier to airport becomes very low variability (slow walkers who just miss a train, can still expect to be at YVR within an hour of walking down the gangplank) I'd strongly advise bumping your flight later.

 

Even on a hellabusy day, if you get to YVR before the first cruise buses start rolling in - 9:30am - then you beat the biggest hordes. Being tested before you arrive at YVR removes another major variable - and frankly being tested before leaving the ship is by far the most sensible choice, as then your line is on the hook for quarantine expenses! If you're all mobile enough to disembark with your bags, and don't need porters to help at the airport, then you can definitely manage to walk to SkyTrain it's less than a quarter mile.

 

FWIW, if you bring your own eMed or similar tests to get those done before you hit the airport and you can handle self-disembarking, I'd personally still be comfortable aiming for that 12:25pm flight... in TheBeforeTimes us locals would regularly reassure folks that a 10:30am flight to the US was feasible, and even though security queues have been a major problem they have not gotten to the point of taking two extra hours so you should have about the same level of padding.

[texasweather]

2 hours ago, martincath said:

 

FWIW, if you bring your own eMed or similar tests to get those done before you hit the airport and you can handle self-disembarking, I'd personally still be comfortable aiming for that 12:25pm flight... in TheBeforeTimes us locals would regularly reassure folks that a 10:30am flight to the US was feasible, and even though security queues have been a major problem they have not gotten to the point of taking two extra hours so you should have about the same level of padding.

 

Thank you so much for your input!  Yes, I have my eMed tests ready to go and hope to test using the ship's wifi the last day of the cruise, but if the wifi isn't strong enough, last resort would be to test on the ship after we dock and before we leave.  Then we'll be ready to leave as soon as they are letting people off the ship.  We are all able to carry our bags off the ship and don't need porters.  Do you recommend the SkyTrain over a taxi?

[martincath]

49 minutes ago, texasweather said:

Thank you so much for your input!  ... Do you recommend the SkyTrain over a taxi?

You're welcome - I recommend PLANNING to use SkyTrain, i.e. knowing where to go, ensuring you renew credit cards if necessary to get ones with Chips on for every party member (this allows direct 'tap and go' on the fare gates, rather than having to figure out the ticket machines - although the machines are fairly intuitive except for Fare Zones... Airport from downtown is a 2 Zone Trip so on a weekday that does make a difference). If you are RT cruising, familiarise yourself with the walk from Canada Place around to Water Street station on Cordova (ignore the tempting entryway on Howe right outside the pier, as that goes to the wrong platform - it takes longer to walk between platforms with suitcases due to the multiple level changes than to just stick to the street.)

 

Since you'll walk past the bus/cab/limo area on the way out, you can assess on the fly - few people waiting? Jump in a cab! While slower than SkyTrain when traveling, it's door-to-door service so the 26min train ride vs. 30-35min cab ride becomes about a wash if you can hop right in... it's when the wait for cabs gets to 10mins, 20mins, 60mins that SkyTrain starts becoming seriously quicker rather than just cheaper (CAD$4.35pp for adults, $3 for kids/seniors, and on weekends knock another ~buck off all the ticket prices).

[texasweather]

7 minutes ago, martincath said:

You're welcome - I recommend PLANNING to use SkyTrain, i.e. knowing where to go, ensuring you renew credit cards if necessary to get ones with Chips on for every party member (this allows direct 'tap and go' on the fare gates, rather than having to figure out the ticket machines - although the machines are fairly intuitive except for Fare Zones... Airport from downtown is a 2 Zone Trip so on a weekday that does make a difference). If you are RT cruising, familiarise yourself with the walk from Canada Place around to Water Street station on Cordova (ignore the tempting entryway on Howe right outside the pier, as that goes to the wrong platform - it takes longer to walk between platforms with suitcases due to the multiple level changes than to just stick to the street.)

 

Since you'll walk past the bus/cab/limo area on the way out, you can assess on the fly - few people waiting? Jump in a cab! While slower than SkyTrain when traveling, it's door-to-door service so the 26min train ride vs. 30-35min cab ride becomes about a wash if you can hop right in... it's when the wait for cabs gets to 10mins, 20mins, 60mins that SkyTrain starts becoming seriously quicker rather than just cheaper (CAD$4.35pp for adults, $3 for kids/seniors, and on weekends knock another ~buck off all the ticket prices).

This is SO incredibly helpful.  Thank you a million times!

[kentuckycruiser]

3 hours ago, martincath said:

You're welcome - I recommend PLANNING to use SkyTrain, i.e. knowing where to go, ensuring you renew credit cards if necessary to get ones with Chips on for every party member (this allows direct 'tap and go' on the fare gates, rather than having to figure out the ticket machines - although the machines are fairly intuitive except for Fare Zones... Airport from downtown is a 2 Zone Trip so on a weekday that does make a difference). If you are RT cruising, familiarise yourself with the walk from Canada Place around to Water Street station on Cordova (ignore the tempting entryway on Howe right outside the pier, as that goes to the wrong platform - it takes longer to walk between platforms with suitcases due to the multiple level changes than to just stick to the street.)

 

Since you'll walk past the bus/cab/limo area on the way out, you can assess on the fly - few people waiting? Jump in a cab! While slower than SkyTrain when traveling, it's door-to-door service so the 26min train ride vs. 30-35min cab ride becomes about a wash if you can hop right in... it's when the wait for cabs gets to 10mins, 20mins, 60mins that SkyTrain starts becoming seriously quicker rather than just cheaper (CAD$4.35pp for adults, $3 for kids/seniors, and on weekends knock another ~buck off all the ticket prices).

To confirm the Water Street station on Cordova is the Sky Train that takes us to the airport? Will the signs say this or is it called something else?

[martincath]

22 minutes ago, kentuckycruiser said:

To confirm the Water Street station on Cordova is the Sky Train that takes us to the airport? Will the signs say this or is it called something else?

You're looking for signs to the Canada Line platform - while there are other entrances, between lack of familiarity and luggage using the main foyer of the station building on Cordova is by far the simplest. Big brick thing, pillars outside the main doors, and as soon as you walk in from the street you will see multiple Ticket Vending Machines right in front of you - and elevators, stairs, and elevators down to Canada Line, which is right below your feet.

 

Only remotely tricky thing is that trains from here go to two terminii - alternating between YVR and Richmond-Brighouse. All the electronic signs say which is next, and the front of the trains do likewise, but if you're rushing for the train and get on the wrong one there are announcements made onboard. Simply get off at any station, wait for the next train - it should be along in about 3 minutes weekdays, maybe a little longer weekends.

[Buckeye10640]

Just flew home to the US from YVR on Saturday. Thanks to previous advice from @martincath we made a 130pm flight with hours to spare. You dont say what cruise line you are on but Princess disembarkation was a disaster last Saturday.  We were saved  by 1) doing walkoff and 2) having completed covid testing on board the previous day which took hours due to poor wifi. Many people missed flights due to delays with disembarkation and testing!   We left our stateroom at 830, walked off and made the trek to the train station ( a challenge with our luggage but we did it!). Checked in at airport and went through security with no lines! At the gate before 11am.

If I had to do it again I might take cab to save hauling the luggage but my daughter wanted to take the train. If there is any way you can do walkoff - do it!  The earlier the better. That was the key for us. And I would make a testing appt at the port or at the airport just in case you cannot complete it on ship due to poor wifi, you can cancel if you dont need it. 

And again thanks to @martincath  - if we had not done walkoff and skytrain I am not sure we would have made our flight. 

Edited May 26, 2022 by Buckeye10640

[texasweather]

Thank you so much for coming back with a report!  Maybe I have a chance of making my flight after all!

 

I'm on Royal Caribbean.  We're planning to test on the ship the last day of the cruise, and if that fails, test Sunday morning in Vancouver while we are waiting to get off the ship.  We'll self carry off the ship and then beeline for the airport.

[Ashland]

19 hours ago, texasweather said:

Thank you so much for coming back with a report!  Maybe I have a chance of making my flight after all!

 

I'm on Royal Caribbean.  We're planning to test on the ship the last day of the cruise, and if that fails, test Sunday morning in Vancouver while we are waiting to get off the ship.  We'll self carry off the ship and then beeline for the airport.

Would appreciate you also coming back with your experience. We'll be onboard RCI Serenade in mid Sept and also hoping to do our eMed onboard test day before cruise ends. I'm still debating on a noon flight or 1:40pm flight back to LAX.

[texasweather]

On 5/28/2022 at 1:12 PM, Ashland said:

Would appreciate you also coming back with your experience. We'll be onboard RCI Serenade in mid Sept and also hoping to do our eMed onboard test day before cruise ends. I'm still debating on a noon flight or 1:40pm flight back to LAX.

Will do!

[mandapanda13]

Here’s our experience getting off the Zuiderdam today: We took proctored  BinaxNow COVID tests using HAL’s premium internet package while at sea yesterday (I took mine at 11:15am, husband took his at 4:45pm, no issues). We checked into our flight using American Airlines’ app, which required us to complete the self-attestation and upload our COVID results. Our ship arrived to Vancouver around 7:00 this morning (Wed 6/8), cleared around 7:30. We self disembarked at 7:40, crew scanned our cruise card and customs reviewed our customs form, no one checked our passports or asked for ArriveCAN. No lines to get off the ship, through customs, or for taxis. We were in a taxi at 7:50 and at our gate at YVR by 8:30. No lines to check our bags, through security, or to check our passports. Our flight to LAX is at 1:40pm.

There were two ships in port today - HAL Zuiderdam and Grand Princess. Zuiderdam had about 1100 guests (~50% capacity).

[texasweather]

That is very encouraging!  Thank you for sharing your experience!  

[volk904]

We arrived back in Vancouver Sunday.  In our case we took a 9am shuttle bus to Seattle. We walked off self assist at 7:45 am the earliest possible and through customs before 8:15 am. I have heard the Airport is slow but hard to believe you cannot make a 12:25 flight if you walk off or request to be off early picking up your bag as long as you can find a ride to the airport without a long wait. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[texasweather]

Well, our lives just got a whole lot easier - the US is dropping their testing requirement to return to the US as of Sunday!!

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/us-dropping-return-covid-testing-requirement-air-travel/

 

 

[texasweather]

On 5/28/2022 at 11:12 AM, Ashland said:

Would appreciate you also coming back with your experience. We'll be onboard RCI Serenade in mid Sept and also hoping to do our eMed onboard test day before cruise ends. I'm still debating on a noon flight or 1:40pm flight back to LAX.

Coming back as promised - we self carried our bags off the ship about 7:45. No lines at customs, a small line (~5 min) for a taxi, and we were through customs at the airport and sitting at our gate by 8:45 am! PLENTY of time. To be fair, I have Global Entry so I got to skip a couple lines at the airport, but even if I didn’t have it, there would have been more than enough time to make our 12:45 pm flight with lots of extra time. 

[oakridger]

@texasweatherGlad you had a smooth time getting to YVR and I really appreciate your follow up report!!!  

 

Thank you!

~Nancy