Princess transfer Seattle to Vancouver

[jpj39]

Has any one taken the Princess transfer from Seattle to Vancouver?

if so what has been your experience regarding using this transfer?

[memoak]

1 minute ago, jpj39 said:

Has any one taken the Princess transfer from Seattle to Vancouver?

if so what has been your experience regarding using this transfer?

It is a long trip. Once you hit the outskirts of Vancouver it crawls all the way to Canada Place 

[nini]

Seattle is NOT close to Vancouver. Our experiences with Princess transfers has been fine and I think a fair deal.

[Caribensun]

Agree with previous post, transfer works great and ship is supposed to wait, haven’t experienced a problem using.  Easier than flying.  

Join  your roll call.

[jinpasco]

We have done it with no issues. Just consider it an "excursion ". It can be a wait at the border depending on how many buses are there but if you are on the shuttle, they know you are on your way.  We get better flights and prices from Seattle so we don't hesitate doing it.

[latebloomer56]

Wow didn't know about this option. We flew to Vancouver and Princess rep. met us and put us in a taxi for the hotel across from the terminal. We love Vancouver, but I refuse to fly through Toronto ever again so we were looking for another option. I want to take our sons and grandson in 2024.

Thank you so much for this post I going to reach out to TA.

[Bwana Tom]

Any idea what such a transfer from Seattle to Vancouver costs?

[triple7tahoe]

5 hours ago, Bwana Tom said:

Any idea what such a transfer from Seattle to Vancouver costs?

I see $59 per person, when I look, but was told $79 per person when I tried to book. There also seems to be an offer for transfer + hotel if you want to come in early? That is information I would like to have.

 

[cruisingrob21]

17 hours ago, jpj39 said:

Has any one taken the Princess transfer from Seattle to Vancouver?

if so what has been your experience regarding using this transfer?

It will take between 4-6 hours, depending on the border.  Sometimes the charter bus driver will stop at a rest stop, sometimes not.  Sometimes you'll have to get out of the bus at the border, sometimes you can stay seated.  If you are flying into Seattle for a cruise from Vancouver, you will have to be at the meeting place with bags by 9 or 10am. 

 

If you are flying in the day before, you can also take the 7:40am train from Seattle King Street Station (Amtrak Cascades) which is a more comfortable way to go.  You'll arrive in vancouver around noon and need to either get a taxi or take the Skytrain a few stops to the port.  You should be in the cruise terminal within 30 minutes of getting off the train.

 

Given the choice, I'd take the train or fly.  Although the train doesn't have to stop at the border usually, there is a lot of out of direction travel from the border to Vancouver's train station.  Much of the train ride is very scenic however.

[Potstech]

We have found over the years it is easier and worth the extra cost to just fly into Vancouver. Our daughter then picks us up at her designated Sky terminal station. We tried the Seattle to Vancouver route and felt it was just not worth it for us.  Each to their own though

[memoak]

1 hour ago, cruisingrob21 said:

It will take between 4-6 hours, depending on the border.  Sometimes the charter bus driver will stop at a rest stop, sometimes not.  Sometimes you'll have to get out of the bus at the border, sometimes you can stay seated.  If you are flying into Seattle for a cruise from Vancouver, you will have to be at the meeting place with bags by 9 or 10am. 

 

If you are flying in the day before, you can also take the 7:40am train from Seattle King Street Station (Amtrak Cascades) which is a more comfortable way to go.  You'll arrive in vancouver around noon and need to either get a taxi or take the Skytrain a few stops to the port.  You should be in the cruise terminal within 30 minutes of getting off the train.

 

Given the choice, I'd take the train or fly.  Although the train doesn't have to stop at the border usually, there is a lot of out of direction travel from the border to Vancouver's train station.  Much of the train ride is very scenic however.

I have taken the Seattle to Vancouver several times and it always stopped at the border and both US and Canadian custom came on board to check passports 

[cruisingrob21]

5 minutes ago, memoak said:

I have taken the Seattle to Vancouver several times and it always stopped at the border and both US and Canadian custom came on board to check passports 

The bus always stops at the border - occasionally the customs officials require all passengers to get off and be inspected inside the customs facility.  Moreso for entry into the US, but I've heard of it happening for entry into Canada too.

 

The train does not stop at the border going into Canada - all customs processing is done at the train station in Vancouver.  The train DOES stop at the border for trains heading to the US.  Everyone remains seated while a customs agent walks through, sometimes with a K9 unit.  The stop takes maybe 10 minutes.

[Thrak]

I wish we had done this when we cruised out of Vancouver. Dealing with having to have a negative Covid test to fly back to the US was stressful and a genuine pain in the rear. We would have gladly flown to Seattle and paid for transfers but had no idea it was an option at that time.

[WAvoyager]

10 hours ago, Potstech said:

We have found over the years it is easier and worth the extra cost to just fly into Vancouver. Our daughter then picks us up at her designated Sky terminal station. We tried the Seattle to Vancouver route and felt it was just not worth it for us.  Each to their own though

This sounds like a great option for our next cruise.  Can you give us your daughter’s number to arrange the pickup?

 

😁

[Potstech]

Sorry but that is a request we would not ever consider. 

[cruisingrob21]

13 hours ago, Thrak said:

I wish we had done this when we cruised out of Vancouver. Dealing with having to have a negative Covid test to fly back to the US was stressful and a genuine pain in the rear. We would have gladly flown to Seattle and paid for transfers but had no idea it was an option at that time.

Yeah thats why I took the bus last year.  Now that testing isn't an issue, I'll fly.  As much as a pain of going through YVR security and US customs is as YVR, at least I could walk around while waiting for the flight.

[Potstech]

13 hours ago, WAvoyager said:

This sounds like a great option for our next cruise.  Can you give us your daughter’s number to arrange the pickup?

 

😁

Post your phone number here with your address and we might send it to someone.

[VibeGuy]

Flying all morning or the entire day before and then getting on a 5-6 hour bus ride seems like a crappy start to a cruise, and Vancouver is the only port people try this at. 
 

Nobody flies into Tampa or Orlando to board in Port Everglades, or Burbank to board in San Diego or Sacramento, Fresno or Redding to board in SF, but every year people are surprised at the user fees and taxes on flights to Vancouver and pay $60-80 for a bus ride of equivalent or longer duration. 

 

 

[jpj39]

On 3/1/2023 at 8:40 AM, Bwana Tom said:

Any idea what such a transfer from Seattle to Vancouver costs?

$78 per trip

2x that for  RT

Can’t beat that!!

[jpj39]

After being in Seattle for2 days

 I don’t think a4 hr bus trip is a big issue

and i won’t have luggage to lug around 

 

[VibeGuy]

1 hour ago, jpj39 said:

After being in Seattle for2 days

 I don’t think a4 hr bus trip is a big issue

and i won’t have luggage to lug around 

 

Oh, in that case?   Use QuickShuttle on the way north unless you’re staying at an airport hotel in Seattle - you won’t have to schlep all the way back to SEA to board and they drop you literally adjacent to the Princess buses at Canada Place.  They’re highly reliable.  At least compare prices and pickup locations.   
 

It won’t be four hours.  4.5 would be unusually good. 

[Ken the cruiser]

On 3/1/2023 at 12:45 PM, triple7tahoe said:

I see $59 per person, when I look, but was told $79 per person when I tried to book. There also seems to be an offer for transfer + hotel if you want to come in early? That is information I would like to have.

 

If I might ask, where can I see this transfer service mentioned on the Princess website?

[triple7tahoe]

4 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

If I might ask, where can I see this transfer service mentioned on the Princess website?

I have the cruise booked. In going to transportation, I saw the part about flights. In the same area there is a place asking if I wanted to book transfers. One choice was Seattle to ship $79  other choice was Vancouver airport $29..  For us this is a Casino cruise and when I booked it, I was asked by the planner if I wanted the transfer; When I asked about price I was told $59. Also got lots of information about how it worked.

[Ken the cruiser]

4 minutes ago, triple7tahoe said:

I have the cruise booked. In going to transportation, I saw the part about flights. In the same area there is a place asking if I wanted to book transfers. One choice was Seattle to ship $79  other choice was Vancouver airport $29..  For us this is a Casino cruise and when I booked it, I was asked by the planner if I wanted the transfer; When I asked about price I was told $59. Also got lots of information about how it worked.

Found it. Thanks! I guess because our Apr 2024 Alaska cruise leaving from Vancouver is booked through our TA, we’ll have to go through them to get the transfer details if we choose to fly into Seattle rather than Vancouver. 

 

[pompeii]

On 3/1/2023 at 8:28 AM, latebloomer56 said:

We love Vancouver, but I refuse to fly through Toronto ever again so we were looking for another option. 

We’re flying into Vancouver in September and our flight connects in Toronto. Now you have me worried 😟. Can you tell me what problems you had flying through Toronto?