Hawaii Cruise & Return Flight from YVR

[Nibby1]

Just wondered if there's anyone out there who has flown to Honolulu, taken the 12-day cruise including Hawaii and then on to Vancouver and flown out of Vancouver back home. My question is would a 10:30 am flight out of Vancouver be doable? What is the nature of and timing for customs at YVR? We will not have been outside the USA on the 12-day cruise until we arrive in Vancouver. I know the ship (Millennium) docks in YVR at 3:30 am but I'm sure debarkation doesn't start till around 7 or 8 am, right?

 

Thanks for any advice that folks might have on this question?

[wrp96]

There is no way you will make a 10:30am flight at YVR. Remember that when you dock in Vancouver you will have to go through Canadian immigration and customs at the pier AND at the airport you will have to go through US immigration and customs before you board your flight.

[Atomica]

Agreed - a 10:30am flight isn't going to be feasable here.

 

Disembarkation won't start until 7 or 8am, even though you dock early in the morning. Getting from Canada Place to YVR is a good 30-40 minute drive, and all you need is one accident on the road to really screw things up. That, plus customs at YVR for a US flight can be a fairly considerable wait (it's hit and miss - one time I was through in ten minutes, another I waited close to an hour).

 

Take a flight leaving after 12pm - it will be far less stressful!

[stlrboo]

We have booked a cruise on the CCL Spirit from Hawaii to Vancouver in April 2010..! I've looked at open-jaw flights (using 2009 as a guide of sorts) and can't come close to what CCL wants for 'air'.. I added Carnival 'air' to the booking in case I can't get cheaper than $900. pp.. (Flying from Buffalo, NY!):)

 

Would it be prudent to keep the 'air' thru CCL, as it includes transfers etc..?? I booked 'air' once thru the cruiselines, and it wasn't great, but we made the ship... All of my recent cruises I have done 'air' myself, and been thoroughly pleased! :D The Honolulu/Vancouver scares me a tad...;)

[steve20832]

I agree with the others. I wouldn't even catch a 10:30am flight from FLL and the pier is 3 miles away. When we were on Enchantment, the first person didn't get off the ship until just after 9:00am thanks to customs holding up the ship. Now you have 2600 people trying to get off at once and it doesn't work. We got to the gate at 10:45am and didn't have to go through customs or anything. Luckily the flight was 11:45.

I would catch a flight after 12noon.

[wrp96]

Would it be prudent to keep the 'air' thru CCL, as it includes transfers etc..?? I booked 'air' once thru the cruiselines, and it wasn't great, but we made the ship... All of my recent cruises I have done 'air' myself, and been thoroughly pleased! :D The Honolulu/Vancouver scares me a tad...;)

 

 

I always book my cruise with cruise air to begin with and then search for better airfare. That way I know what the maximum amount I need to budget for airfare is.

[stlrboo]

I always book my cruise with cruise air to begin with and then search for better airfare. That way I know what the maximum amount I need to budget for airfare is.

I'll keep the CCL 'air' until I can find something better, or NOT!... I tho't the quote was fairly reasonable to begin with, considering transfers etc are included...:)

 

Never been to either port, so I'm somewhat leary.. Luckily, the Spirit stays in Honolulu over night the first night, so late arrivals will still make the ship! :D

[greatam]

I'll keep the CCL 'air' until I can find something better, or NOT!... I tho't the quote was fairly reasonable to begin with, considering transfers etc are included...:)

 

Never been to either port, so I'm somewhat leary.. Luckily, the Spirit stays in Honolulu over night the first night, so late arrivals will still make the ship! :D

 

 

Since your cruise isn't until 2010, as you posted, you can't get 2010 prices. I don't know where you are looking, but I can see open jaw flights for most of October 2008 for LESS than $800-BUF/LAX/HNL and YVR/SEA/BUF.

 

And if you want to get really creative, you can get the flights for less than $700.00-three separate tickets. BUF RT to LAX. Then a separate ticket on Hawaiian to HNL and a separate ticket on Alaska, Air Canada or United from YVR to LAX. Of course, those are 2008 prices. Are you SURE CCL is GUARANTEEING pricing on air???? I thought there were NO guarantees UNTIL final payment.

 

It is VERY easy to get from the HNL airport to the cruise port. Taxis all over and there are shuttles to Wakiki (where the cruise port is).

 

Getting to the airport in YVR is slightly more difficult because of customs and immigration. You can take a taxi (usually a long wait) or arrange for a car to pick you up.

 

And if you want a couple of days pre cruise in Honolulu, look at Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays or Site 59 and a couple of other "discount packagers". VERY often, you get a couple of days hotel AND air for the price of air alone.

[stlrboo]

Since your cruise isn't until 2010, as you posted, you can't get 2010 prices. I don't know where you are looking, but I can see open jaw flights for most of October 2008 for LESS than $800-BUF/LAX/HNL and YVR/SEA/BUF.

Actually, I was using April 2009 pricing on kayak.com, as the cruise is in April 2010, so tho't the pricing would be similar; tho' fuel costs can change drastically, so just used the same month for 'grins'!

 

And if you want to get really creative, you can get the flights for less than $700.00-three separate tickets. BUF RT to LAX. Then a separate ticket on Hawaiian to HNL and a separate ticket on Alaska, Air Canada or United from YVR to LAX. Of course, those are 2008 prices.

I'm guessing I would be a total wreck and stressed out.. 'guess I'm not that adventuous, but thanks for the 'heads up'! :p ;)

 

Are you SURE CCL is GUARANTEEING pricing on air???? I thought there were NO guarantees UNTIL final payment.

I was under the impression that this was a fact, but I truthfully don't know for sure. Guess a call to my PVP is in order, since we are looking to book another cruise anyhow..:)

 

And if you want a couple of days pre cruise in Honolulu, look at Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays or Site 59 and a couple of other "discount packagers". VERY often, you get a couple of days hotel AND air for the price of air alone.

Now that is worth a 'look see'.. DW would be thrilled.. Thanx..:cool:

[greatam]

Actually, I was using April 2009 pricing on kayak.com, as the cruise is in April 2010, so tho't the pricing would be similar; tho' fuel costs can change drastically, so just used the same month for 'grins'!

 

I still don't know what you are looking at, but I just did a Kayak search and came up with $801 for mid April, 2009. NW from BUF/DTW/LAX, then Hawaiian one way to HNL, then United to Portland and NW to Buffalo, again through Detroit. And this was through Orbitz.

 

How is that ANY different than booking 3 separate tickets?? (except you save money) EXCEPT with three separate tickets, you will have to recheck your luggage at LAX both ways. But AT LEAST you KNOW your luggage made it to LAX. MUCH easier to try to find it at LAX when the luggage came in on a nonstop from BUF than try to find it from a one/two stopper in HNL.

 

Booking for the same dates on 3 separate tickets allows NONSTOP from BUF to LAX, same Hawaiian flight, then three separate choices from YVR to LAX as previously posted and a NONSTOP back to Buffalo.

 

You don't really think from Buffalo that you will do much better with cruise air tickets, do you???? Anyway you look at it, you will have AT LEAST one stop from Buffalo to HNL. There are NO nonstops from BUF to HNL or from YVR to BUF. And most likely you will have more stops, as the cruise lines buy the CHEAPEST bulk tickets they can get.

 

 

I was under the impression that this was a fact, but I truthfully don't know for sure. Guess a call to my PVP is in order, since we are looking to book another cruise anyhow..:)

 

Now that is worth a 'look see'.. DW would be thrilled.. Thanx..:cool:

 

Check it out thoroughly, as quite a few of the cruise lines ARE NOT guaranteeing airfare UNTIL final payment.