Recent experience from Vancouver disembarkation

[WaggesAZ]

1 hour ago, EDDY0827 said:

I can beat that - RDD. Redding, Ca. has 1 gate serving United and Alaska with a ground crew (United) that services both airlines. They each have flights between 7am and 7:30am. It is a bit of a zoo. 3 person TSA crew and you have to deliver and load your own bags onto the X-ray machine. TSA Precheck uses the same line as everyone else. Vending machines for snacks...

Have you ever been to Key West?  It's crazy tiny and everyone uses the same bag claim carousel and it's like 1/2 the size of what most airports have.  And the Car Rental Agencies are squeed into the same area. I loved it!  I heard they're expanding though

[blizzard44ca]

23 hours ago, Caribensun said:

Any word on if proof of vaccinations will be required for upcoming Alaska season?  Assume will still need to do the ArriveCAN app.  
Agree with everyone on not making an early flight.  Pre-COVID we booked no earlier than a 2pm flight on west coast and that gave us about an hour before our flight boarded and we felt rushed.  We took the train to airport.
 

 

ArriveCan is no longer. You don’t require vaccinations to fly anymore, so it is unlikely to be required for cruise embarkation, but they could put it back.

 

There is an option for those with flights to the US to take a secure bus directly to the airport and bypass Canadian and US customs/immigration. You effectively stay in the US. Your flight needs to be departing during a very specific time frame, but if it works for you is an easy way to get to the airport. You could probably find details on the West Coast Departures board.

[nini]

3 hours ago, WaggesAZ said:

Yep and as I said on Wednesday flights are booked, and much later.

Sorry I bothered to respond. At least someone else may be able to use the information as it directly applied to disembarking in Vancouver. We were the first ones off of the ship.

[Coral]

2 hours ago, EDDY0827 said:

I can beat that - RDD. Redding, Ca. has 1 gate serving United and Alaska with a ground crew (United) that services both airlines. They each have flights between 7am and 7:30am. It is a bit of a zoo. 3 person TSA crew and you have to deliver and load your own bags onto the X-ray machine. TSA Precheck uses the same line as everyone else. Vending machines for snacks...

Funny - I can beat this. I live in a town of 300,000 (Lincoln, NE). We have 2 gates and only 1 airline. TSA Pre-Check uses the same line also. 🙂 For a long time, they did a modified TSA Pre-Check which still required me to take my laptop out. We have progressed! We only have regional jets.... It really is never a zoo.

 

[Rick&Jeannie]

4 hours ago, EDDY0827 said:

I can beat that - RDD. Redding, Ca. has 1 gate serving United and Alaska with a ground crew (United) that services both airlines. They each have flights between 7am and 7:30am. It is a bit of a zoo. 3 person TSA crew and you have to deliver and load your own bags onto the X-ray machine. TSA Precheck uses the same line as everyone else. Vending machines for snacks...

You win!

[Torfamm]

On 1/4/2023 at 3:31 PM, WaggesAZ said:

Hi there,

 

I am trying to book our flight home next August and see that technically the ship is in port at 6:30 am.  However in my experience, the ship is usually docked much earlier.  I wondered from others who sailed recently if the ship is in port earlier and if there's a chance we could disembark at 6:30 or even earlier?  I have found a non-stop flight that leaves at 9:15am, and since it is international, I don't want to screw us up if I am being overly hopeful in booking that.  I know the port is a distance from YVR as well, so getting off the ship doing self serve is not a problem unless it's not an option.  It is the only non-stop flight offered that day, if anyone is wondering why I would even try and push my luck!  Everything else will get us home after dark.

 

I am not new to cruising, but it will be the first since the pandemic.  I recognize that the pandemic has changed many things, so please do not feel the need to admonish the question, as it is just that, a question.  Normally we stay a day or 2 and enjoy the port city, but we are self employed and will have been gone 13 days already when we dock.  We quite enjoy Vancouver, it's definitely worth a few days visit.  It's just not possible this time.

 

Thank you for any recent experiences offered!!

It’s possible you will make it but it’s also much more possible that you won’t. I wouldn’t try it unless you are completely comfortable with missing your flight. If that idea stresses you at all, don’t book. I believe first walk-offs were around 7 when we were there in August 

[cruisingrob21]

I think the only west coast airports where making a 9:15am flight is reasonably possible is Long Beach or San Diego.  YVR is very accessible and if you were taking a domestic Canadian flight it would be more likely, but as others have said, YVR can get pretty busy in the morning and I would bet that you miss the flight.

Edited January 7, 2023 by cruisingrob21