Cruise Xfers: Can we leave the airport?

[StknCPA]

Our Celebrity cruise ship returns to Vancouver at 7:00 am; of course, it will take awhile to get off the ship. Our flight does not take off until 7:00 pm.

 

Am considering purchasing Celebrity transfers to the airport, and then renting a car at the airport. Am also considering trying to rent a car at/near the pier, though it will be Ballantyne.

 

If we purchse Celebrity transfers to the airport, will they take our luggage to the airport and check it into the airlines immediately? Will we be able to check in for the flight while there? Assuming this is all done early enough, would we be able to rent a car, leave the airport, and then return later in the day without repeating the check in process? Our luggage would already be checked, so we would no longer have it????

 

If we rent a car at/near the Ballantyne pier instead, I am concernd about how we will get to the rental car. From various postings, it sounds like a zoo situation without enough taxis.

 

Any thoughts/feedback appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[LeftcoastBC]

Our Celebrity cruise ship returns to Vancouver at 7:00 am; of course, it will take awhile to get off the ship. Our flight does not take off until 7:00 pm.

 

Am considering purchasing Celebrity transfers to the airport, and then renting a car at the airport. Am also considering trying to rent a car at/near the pier, though it will be Ballantyne.

 

If we purchse Celebrity transfers to the airport, will they take our luggage to the airport and check it into the airlines immediately? Will we be able to check in for the flight while there? Assuming this is all done early enough, would we be able to rent a car, leave the airport, and then return later in the day without repeating the check in process? Our luggage would already be checked, so we would no longer have it????

 

If we rent a car at/near the Ballantyne pier instead, I am concernd about how we will get to the rental car. From various postings, it sounds like a zoo situation without enough taxis.

 

Any thoughts/feedback appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

I think that you must go through security with your luggage and if my experience is typical you can't check in your luggage more than 2-3 hrs ahead. So...I would guess the best way would be to rent from the pier and then your stuff is where you know where it is anyways. I wouldn't want my bags floating around an airport all day anyways (Even if it is Canada)

 

Someone mentioned here on the forum about Allamo having an office at Ballantyne. Why not call them & see if this is an option for you. You are correct on the taxi's

[Bennett'sCruise]

We just did this a week ago.

You CANNOT check your luggage more than 2 hrs. before your flight. Once you check in you must go with your luggage thru customs. And then must stay in the airport.

On the bottom floor at YVR there is a luggage storage place. Just left of Burger King. We checked our luggage for a few hours, came back and retrieved it and then went to check-in for our airlines. I think it was $4.50 for a small bag and $5.00 for a large bag. It was well worth it!

Our Vancouver friends picked us up at the airport and took us out to lunch and a little sightseeing, so I don't know about car rentals. I do know there were all the players in the car rental field represented, tho.

BTW: Luggage retrieval from the cruise line WAS A MESS! Because we had a late flight (6:30 pm), we were just about the last to leave the ship. Our luggage met us at the airport. We were bussed over ($25/pp thru cruiseline) to YVR and then had to stand in a HUGE LONG line for about 90 minutes before our bags showed up. It was about 1 pm before we got our bags, checked them and were able to leave the airport. :o Take a PATIENCE PILL before you get to YVR ...

BTWW: Good luck going thru customs. Those agents are awful. They seem to really dislike all the cruise pax that come thru Vancouver. Even suggested to us that next time we go round trip from Seattle and avoid Vancouver all together. Pardon me ... but aren't we their "bread and butter"????

Have a great trip!

 

~d

[ell52]

BTWW: Good luck going thru customs. Those agents are awful. They seem to really dislike all the cruise pax that come thru Vancouver. Even suggested to us that next time we go round trip from Seattle and avoid Vancouver all together. Pardon me ... but aren't we their "bread and butter"????

I just want to remind people that 'those agents' are US customs & immigration, not Canadian.

 

We (Canadians) are very happy to have cruise passengers here. :)

[Bennett'sCruise]

I just want to remind people that 'those agents' are US customs & immigration, not Canadian.

 

We (Canadians) are very happy to have cruise passengers here. :)

 

Well now ... I didn't know that. The guy who spoke with us was downright nasty! (whichever country he was from)

Why do they have US customs agents in the Vancouver airport?

And, as I checked my baggage I had my carry-on searched and they took a small pair of manicure scissors. The agent very clearly stated, "In the US these are legal ... here in Canada, OUR laws state they are not legal."

Hmmmmm ......

~d

[ell52]

Well now ... I didn't know that. The guy who spoke with us was downright nasty! (whichever country he was from)

Why do they have US customs agents in the Vancouver airport?

This is a pre-screening process by US Customs & Immigration' date=' so you don't have to go through the process on arrival in the US. There are a select number of Canadian airports who have this facility.

 

Just to be clear, the US agents are the people in the booths area behind the ticket counters and past the duty free shop.

 

And, as I checked my baggage I had my carry-on searched and they took a small pair of manicure scissors. The agent very clearly stated, "In the US these are legal ... here in Canada, OUR laws state they are not legal."

These are contracted security people (equivalent to your TSA) and they are Canadian.

[Bennett'sCruise]

This is a pre-screening process by US Customs & Immigration, so you don't have to go through the process on arrival in the US. There are a select number of Canadian airports who have this facility.

 

Just to be clear, the US agents are the people in the booths area behind the ticket counters and past the duty free shop.

 

 

These are contracted security people (equivalent to your TSA) and they are Canadian.

 

Yeppers ... it all makes sense now!

 

The first guy was the JERK ... U.S., I guess. He was obviously having a very bad day and was taking it out on all the cruisers going home to the States.

The Canadian security guy was very pleasant (although he did take my nice little scissors:o .... and the lady being checked next to me got to go thru with all her ship Spa {Elemis} supplies clearly way over the 3 oz per pkg limit and not in a see-thru bag. Very strange .....)

Thanks for clearing this us for me ....

~d