Flying to Seattle for Vancouver embarkation

[acct1975]

Hi,

I'm cruising in Jul 2024 and starting to plan flights. Flying in from the Midwest of the US with Husband &10 yr old and air travel cost to Vancouver is a little crazy. I can save some money by flying into Seattle but I don't know what the transport form Seattle to Vancouver would be like or if it's worth it (based on time and effort).

 

Has anyone flown into Seattle and taken a bus etc to Vancouver?

 

We will be flying in the day before so it's not  time crunch issue more a logistical/financial thing

 

I'd be most grateful for what your experience or thoughts were on doing this.

 

Thanks in advance!!

[CruiserBruce]

If you look on the West Coast Departures board, where Seattle and Vancouver are discussed, you will see MANY discussions on ways to get from Seattle to Vancouver, or vice versa...

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/

[Coral]

The cruise lines often have a bus from Seattle airport to Vancouver.

 

Though IMO - it is worth the extra money to fly to Vancouver.

[Aquahound]

I highly recommend flying to Vancouver instead but if you do choose Seattle, consider Amtrak.  I haven't checked prices lately but pre-COVID, the Seattle to Vancouver transit was fairly inexpensive.  Plus, it's a nice, scenic route.  

[Meander Ingwa]

pay attention to the logistics and timing of getting from SEA to your local transportation and then onward.

 

Sometimes the higher airfare cost is worth it when weighed against the extra time spent on a bus or train and the challenge of getting to those connections.  How long of a travel day do you wish to endure. You dont mention when you return to (port) but if it is Vancouver again then you will have to repeat the journey.

 

Dont forget to look into the cost of a secondary flight from SEA to Vancouver and see if it pencils out to advantage,

Edited December 26, 2023 by Meander Ingwa

[9tee2Sea]

i think there is only 1 train that goes from Seattle- Vancouver.  I believe it leaves super early n the morning.  I have taken the bus back from Vancouver to Seattle, and that takes about 4 hours.  Maybe do a multi stop.  Spend 1 day in Seattle ( fly into).  Then fly into Vancouver ( about 45 min-1 hr flight).  Get Round trip tickets out of Seattle.  If your cruise ends in Vancouver, take the bus back to Seattle, but plan your flight time very carefully.  Like others have said, paying for the convince of flying into Vancouver is the least stress free, and easiest way.  There is a light rail from the airport in Vancouver that drops you off a few blocks from the cruise terminal.

[disneyochem]

We’ve done the transfer from Seattle to Vancouver a number of times using different modes of transportation—bus, train, flight, rental car! (We have friends/family in Seattle and Portland so we sometimes we like to fly in early, spend the day with them and then head north.)

 

There are two Amtrak trains that leave Seattle daily—8:30 am and 6 pm.  My advice is to take train rather than an Amtrak bus.  It’s much more comfortable and scenic!  You can hop on the light rail from SeaTac and get off near the King Street Station.  Once in Vancouver, you can Uber ($15-20 USD) to your hotel or hop on the Sky Train.  We like to stay near Canada Place so it’s a short walk to the pier the next morning. 

 

I recommend Quick Shuttle if you want to take the bus.  It’s a bit longer than a cruise line transfer but it will also deliver you directly to Canada Place.  I would also look into flying to Bellingham, WA.  The shuttle makes a stop there and sometimes we’ve found good prices on flights.  https://quickcoach.com/

 

A one-way car rental is also an option.  We’ve picked up a car at SeaTac, driven to the Vancouver Airport and took the Sky Train to the downtown area.  Depending on the size of your travel party, it might be a money-saving option.  We do this when traveling with 4 or more—works out cheaper per person.

 

Of course, as mentioned previously, it is much more convenient to just fly into Vancouver.  I frequently use airline miles/points to fly from SeaTac to Vancouver.  I always get a pencil out and compare costs!  We have a number of Alaskan cruises out of Vancouver this summer—two of those trips were flying to Seattle.  Saved us over $700 to do so!  I also track flight prices to compare costs.
 

 

[Gardyloo]

25 minutes ago, 9tee2Sea said:

i think there is only 1 train that goes from Seattle- Vancouver.  I believe it leaves super early n the morning.  I have taken the bus back from Vancouver to Seattle, and that takes about 4 hours.  Maybe do a multi stop.  Spend 1 day in Seattle ( fly into).  Then fly into Vancouver ( about 45 min-1 hr flight).  Get Round trip tickets out of Seattle.  If your cruise ends in Vancouver, take the bus back to Seattle, but plan your flight time very carefully.  Like others have said, paying for the convince of flying into Vancouver is the least stress free, and easiest way.  There is a light rail from the airport in Vancouver that drops you off a few blocks from the cruise terminal.

There are two trains daily in each direction, one leaving in the early morning and the other in the early evening.  Both take around 4 hours.  

 

The morning departure from Seattle is too early for same-day connections for passengers arriving at SEA by air, and the morning train departure from Vancouver is too early for those disembarking the same day from a cruise ending in that city.  The evening departure from Vancouver arrives in Seattle too late for any flight connections to non-west coast destinations, except overnight flights to midwestern and eastern cities.  

 

Most flights leaving from both cities with destinations in the Midwest or East depart in the early morning, typically 7 - 9 AM or earlier.  That's because the 4 to 6-hour flight is in addition to a 3-hour time change, making typically for late afternoon or early evening arrival times at their destinations.  Since many people need to connect onward, that time window in crucial if people don't want to get home in the late night or wee hours.  The alternative is to wait around Vancouver (or Seattle) until numerous "red-eyes" leave at 9 - 11 PM or even midnight, making for early morning arrivals in the east, with ample time to connect.  

 

Many cruise passengers find themselves needing to spend an additional hotel night in one city or the other in order for train connections to work, not to mention the added cost of transport to or from the train stations and/or airports.  It's important to be realistic about the cost and convenience factors when planning air or land connections between the two cities.  

[Ferry_Watcher]

If you plan to take Amtrak, make sure that you book Vancouver, BC, and not Vancouver WA.  Amtrak serves both cities, and folks have made the mistake of booking passage to the wrong Vancouver.

 

Since you are leaving from Vancouver BC, make sure that your passports are up-to-date.

[Meander Ingwa]

dont forget to factor in the cost of meals while in transit on your day.

[BusyBlond]

We flew into Seattle and took the super shuttle bus to Vancouver. It dropped us at our hotel and then we took the hotel shuttle to the port the next morning. The Shuttle bus picked us up at the cruise terminal and took us directly back to Seattle airport. We did have to get off the bus and go through customs at the Canadian border upon entry to the country though. 

 

The cost of the flight to Seattle & the shuttle bus combined was still considerable cheaper than flying to Vancouver.

 

This was several years ago though, things could have changed, but I'd definitely check it out.

[martincath]

Things have changed a little with Quick Shuttle (their website remains  branded as QuickCoach though, linked by someone else above already) - the most significant change is to their itinerary in that they cut their Tue/Wed services, with some service times now even more limited in which days they run, and of course they've jacked their prices up as have most transportation companies. Separate charge for luggage these days too, instead of including 2 big bags free like back in the day, makes them even more expensive than the alternatives - while they are convenient in terms of being the only indy service that will do a Pier to Airport only a solo traveler actually saves money compared to using other buses or the train and simply taking a cab at the start and end of your trip from pier to station, station to airport.

 

Since OP already indicated they planned to fly a day ahead of the cruise then either overnighting in Seattle and the first train of the day to embark, or if an early morning flight from Chicago is reasonable flying into Seattle early then taking the evening train would be my pick - depends on hotel pricing. The train is actually significantly cheaper than QS as Amtrak did not jack up their ticket prices post-pandemic, it's only $33pp if booked far enough ahead to access Saver tickets, with hefty kids discounts too!

 

The train is by far the most comfortable (even coach seats are more spacious than any bus or plane on the route) and the least annoying way to cross the border as northbound you don't even stop, all processing by CBSA happens at the station in Vancouver on arrival. Unlike at YVR, your train is the only thing being cleared - the longest wait I've ever had, even when in the last carriage to be released, is less than 30mins. Landing at YVR at the busier times of day it's often over an hour delay for customs & immigration due to sheer volume, sometimes even 2+ unless you have NEXUS to bypass the enormous queues.

[acct1975]

thanks everyone for your thoughts and experiences. We decided to fly into Seattle and take the train. It offers us the best flexibility and least stress all while giving us the chance to see Puget Sound out the window.

 

It would be a long day but a worthwhile and unique experience!

[Meander Ingwa]

try to get your seat on the left side of the carriage

[acct1975]

Just now, Meander Ingwa said:

try to get your seat on the left side of the carriage

that's what I hear. fingers crossed we'll be able to 🙂

[NBliving]

This is just the information I needed today! We too are flying into Seattle but then need to get to Vancouver for our embarkation.  I believe we will do Amtrak also.  Does anyone with experience know if I need to buy tickets early or if it's easy to get them day of?

[psuboater]

26 minutes ago, NBliving said:

This is just the information I needed today! We too are flying into Seattle but then need to get to Vancouver for our embarkation.  I believe we will do Amtrak also.  Does anyone with experience know if I need to buy tickets early or if it's easy to get them day of?

Get your tickets ASAP -- this route easily sells out in the summer months. We are going to a concert in July in Vancouver and we bought our Amtrak tickets last month. You also save a great deal on Amtrak when you book early.

[Ferry_Watcher]

3 hours ago, NBliving said:

This is just the information I needed today! We too are flying into Seattle but then need to get to Vancouver for our embarkation.  I believe we will do Amtrak also.  Does anyone with experience know if I need to buy tickets early or if it's easy to get them day of?

Make sure that you read the Amtrak schedule closely, and that you are buying tickets for Vancouver, BC and not Vancouver, WA (this mistake happens more often than you think as Amtrak serves both of these cities).  Also, there are only just 2 trains a day between Seattle and Vancouver, BC - morning and evening.  Anything else on the schedule are buses, so be careful.

 

And as @psuboater strongly suggests, buy your tickets ASAP.  The train does sell out.

[Gardyloo]

19 hours ago, NBliving said:

This is just the information I needed today! We too are flying into Seattle but then need to get to Vancouver for our embarkation.  I believe we will do Amtrak also.  Does anyone with experience know if I need to buy tickets early or if it's easy to get them day of?

If this is to save money, do look over my post no. 8 in this thread.  Timing is crucial, or else any savings on airfare you achieve by flying into Seattle can go away with additional hotel nights, cab rides, and the train fare.  

[Soontobecrusising]

 

On 12/27/2023 at 5:28 PM, Ferry_Watcher said:

If you plan to take Amtrak, make sure that you book Vancouver, BC, and not Vancouver WA.  Amtrak serves both cities, and folks have made the mistake of booking passage to the wrong Vancouver.

 

Since you are leaving from Vancouver BC, make sure that your passports are up-to-date.

Thank you for this!! As soon as I read this I said “oh s**t.”  Thankfully it was fewer than 24 hours.  

[Ferry_Watcher]

2 hours ago, Soontobecrusising said:

Thank you for this!! As soon as I read this I said “oh s**t.”  Thankfully it was fewer than 24 hours.  

 

Thanks, you made my day!

[psuboater]

4 hours ago, Soontobecrusising said:

 

Thank you for this!! As soon as I read this I said “oh s**t.”  Thankfully it was fewer than 24 hours.  

I once made this mistake and I live here 🙂

 

Rule of thumb - if it doesn’t ask you for your passport info when you book, you’re going to the wrong Vancouver. 

[Soontobecrusising]

1 hour ago, psuboater said:

I once made this mistake and I live here 🙂

 

Rule of thumb - if it doesn’t ask you for your passport info when you book, you’re going to the wrong Vancouver. 

Yea, as I was redoing it I was like they didn’t get my passport info and the price was fantastic which should have been red flags.  Dumb of me.  But because of you all the error was salvaged.

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, Soontobecrusising said:

But because of you all the error was salvaged.

 

Thanks!  It's a small service that we provide.   ;  )