Vancouver Port Question

[doowopbob]

We have a Alaska cruise in May beginning and ending in Vancouver.  Didn't realize until recently that you clear Canadian customs when you arrive in Vancouver at the end of the cruise and that you than go through US customs at the Vancouver Airport instead of when you arrive in the states.  Does anyone have an idea the time this will take when we get off the ship.  We have a 12:30 flight.  There is only one other ship (Holland America 1600 pass) in port when we are there.  We do have Global entry, which from what I have read will allow us to use an expedited line going through US customs.  Was hoping to leave ship around 8-9.  Ironically when I booked the flights back I made sure to have plenty of time in SF to clear customs.

[Nachosdelux]

Lots of variables,  but in general you should have plenty of time.

 

figure off the ship by 8

5-10 minutes to go thru Canada immigration (most times they waive you thru)

5-10 minutes to get bags

5-10 minutes to get a taxi

30 minutes to drive to airport 

30 minutes to check in

20 minutes for US immigration and customs (bring your global entry card if you have it)

10 minutes to walk to gate

 

so 90-120 minutes from ship to gate

 

(I have done it in less than 90 but that is conservative on the low side)

[Bruce61]

We did Alaska last September.  There were some delays getting off the ship.  Absolutely no customs check getting off the ship - they were there but did not look at passports or bags.  At the airport, they were a bit chaotic.  They really were challenged with global entry but once we showed the card, they moved us to a line that moved fast.  It took 30 minutes to the gates.   Bring your Global Entry cards.  There is no sign for Global Entry.  There is a line for Canada’s equivalent of PreCheck NEXUS or Trusted Traveler and you ask agents who really know nothing and you either bypass all lines or you wait in with the NEXUS people.   

[RELS]

2 hours ago, doowopbob said:

We have a Alaska cruise in May beginning and ending in Vancouver.  Didn't realize until recently that you clear Canadian customs when you arrive in Vancouver at the end of the cruise and that you than go through US customs at the Vancouver Airport instead of when you arrive in the states.  Does anyone have an idea the time this will take when we get off the ship.  We have a 12:30 flight.  There is only one other ship (Holland America 1600 pass) in port when we are there.  We do have Global entry, which from what I have read will allow us to use an expedited line going through US customs.  Was hoping to leave ship around 8-9.  Ironically when I booked the flights back I made sure to have plenty of time in SF to clear customs.

 

We're on this cruise. Our flight from YVR started at 3:15p, got changed to 1:30p, and is now at 12:10p. We decided to stay an extra day in Vancouver. This is no hardship, as we love Vancouver.

[2012_Alaska_bound]

We are on this cruise too. Just checked my flights on American, and they have not changed. I depart YVR at 1:30.

I've been in some really long check in lines at YVR, because they don't allow you to check your luggage until 2 (?) hours before the flight.

[martincath]

12:30pm for a two ship day should be fine, even if you are having your bags taken off to be collected at the pier. If you are physically capable of self-disembarking though, that's always better - not just quicker but also a risk removed of your bags going astray.

 

If you can carry your own bags off, you can also easily use SkyTrain to YVR which removes any wait time for cabs, or finding where Uberlyft are allowed to pick you up (no longer inside the pier so you have to walk at least a block away on the street outside; so why not walk three and then have a dirt-cheap, 26 minute ride to YVR with no traffic worries?)

 

The Canada Line is best accessed from the main Waterfront Station on Cordova Street - ignore the entryway on Howe, that leads directly onto the Expo line platform and navigating the station interior with a suitcase is much more hassle than just walking the sidewalks - turn left outside the pier, first left onto Cordova, <300 yards and you're there. Note that the sidewalk on Howe just outside the pier is being resurfaced - it should be done in theory by early May, but there's a coned-off bit of roadway right now for pedestrians which makes Uberlyft access to near the pier much more hassle (taxis have a dediated queuing lane to enter the pier, which cuts the street down to a single lane for everyone else including rideshares right now).

 

YVR bag check is rather different, unless you've flown from Canada to the US before - with Prescreening there is a single, centralized bag drop for all flights to the US during CBP operational hours (4:30am-8:30pm daily). CBP are the ones who put a hard cap on the timing - which is max 3 hours before, min 1 hour. With Global Entry you will get quicker Security as well as a dedicated set of kiosks inside the preclearance area - so as long as you get there before the 1hr cutoff for checked bags, you will definitely get through security and CBP in time to board.

 

Do take the physical GE card with you if you have it - CATSA, our equivalent of TSA, do not have access to the database at the security queue so the only way to tell if you have membership is to show them the card. If you don't have one (I've heard a few long-time members of GE say that back in the day they could choose just to get a sticker in their passport instead!), don't worry - simply use YVR Express to book your security timeslot instead which gives you access to the same short queue as GE/NEXUS. It's free - and given your timeline, choose a slot 75mins ahead of your flight. If you're more than 90mins early (there's a 15min grace period either side) you won't need the short queue, and if you're less than 60mins early you're rebooking a flight anyway or abandoning your checked bags!!!

 

 

[alainciao]

Can you book with YVR Express the day before?

[2012_Alaska_bound]

17 hours ago, martincath said:

CBP are the ones who put a hard cap on the timing - which is max 3 hours before, min 1 hour.

 

Thank you for the correction.

[martincath]

2 hours ago, alainciao said:

Can you book with YVR Express the day before?

Definitely - if there are slots remaining, you can even do it when you arrive at YVR! The cutoffs are no more than 72hrs in advance, no less than 90mins for Int'l (including US), no less than 45mins for Domestic. Just double-checked the FAQs to make sure I got the numbers correct - so note that my 'book it 75mins before' advice actually doesn't work for US-bound flight, min 90 on those.

 

Edit - if you can't get online on the ship the day before, I'd make use of your downtime while traveling (SkyTrain has free Wifi, works even in tunnels) or while waiting for a cab (the pier itself has their own free Wifi, and city-provided #VanWiFi should also get a signal if you're at street level e.g. trying to get an Uberlyft).

28 minutes ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

Thank you for the correction.

No worries - as we recovered staffing levels post-covid there may have been tighter restrictions, and some airlines differ in how long preflight they open their desks for old-school in-person check-in (and then blame CBP, or YVR, or Anyone But Them when folks complain despite it being entirely down to airline choice to save cash by only staffing desks for 2 hours - budget airlines in the UK are a nightmare for this kind of weaseling)...  so you may be accurately remembering a 2hr period being mentioned to you!

 

If it's not too busy, the 3 hours can sometimes stretch longer too - CBP have limited holding space for bags, so it's all down to how many bags per hour they can scan plus do they have enough room to hold them while pax work their way through Security (CATSA staffing) and Prescreening (CBP staffing) - until you are cleared, your bag doesn't get released for transfer to the plane, as every bag needs to be available for inspection at the time you are speaking with CBP agents. Min 1, max 3 is a pretty safe general rule though.

Edited April 15 by martincath
Add alternate Wifi access ideas

[doowopbob]

Does anyone know if when disembarking from the ship with your bags if you walk straight across to the customs area or if you have to walk down the flight of ship's stairs to get there?  I ask because at another port we had to do that and it was very difficult for my wife and that was years ago. 

[Bruce61]

I recall there were several ramps (I don't remember stairs) but you also don't have your bags until you  get into the Cruise Port - just your carryons.  Your bags are waiting and you have to find them and can exit.  

[doowopbob]

4 minutes ago, Bruce61 said:

I recall there were several ramps (I don't remember stairs) but you also don't have your bags until you  get into the Cruise Port - just your carryons.  Your bags are waiting and you have to find them and can exit.  

I should have said that we were thinking of taking our bags off with us so we can get to the airport in time.  Ramps are not a problem, stairs are.

[martincath]

1 hour ago, doowopbob said:

I should have said that we were thinking of taking our bags off with us so we can get to the airport in time.  Ramps are not a problem, stairs are.

Gangway off the ship is a 'stacked ramp' job, no stairs; inside the terminal building you have elevators, escalators, and stairs that need used (you will not be allowed onto the escalator, or I believe the stairs, unless you have a hand free - staff guard the top for health & safety reasons). Elevator queues can get bad because every wheelchair and scooter user as well as folks with too many bags have to use them.