Bxc53

Normally I’m a day ahead to a cruise port guy, but this is a different situation.

The cruise is one way Vancouver to Honolulu in early October. Departure is 7 PM.

We live in the US but only about an hour drive away from the terminal  and we wont be flying back to Vancouver, so driving and parking at the terminal is not practical ( and quite expensive anyway) .

The cross border bus earliest arrival is 2:30PM but it’s (in)famously late and the border inspection is a wildcard.

So I’m hoping for feedback on the Vancouver cruise terminal Last on board time Vs the actual departure time.

Thanks 

Both itins is are so similar that I would choose the lower price.  Personally I find Sitka more appealing as well.  Either would be a great cruise.  

Thanks all for the feedback.  Looks like I’ll be staying in our original room. It’s a balcony in a nice location, so no big loss.  

I was reading the fine print in my cruise contract and ran across this: " .

Bid to Upgrade: XXXXXX ( Big box TA)  does not participate in cruise line bid-based stateroom upgrade programs.

So, am I out of luck trying for an upgrade?

After two Alaska cruises and several visits to SE AK for work, the best advice I can give is: Pack for anything from 40Deg and rain to shorts and t-shirt weather. Think layers...

About device sharing. If I understand, we could buy one 'connection' and use multiple devices ( iPhone and iPads) - but only one connected to the internet  at a time. Do I have this right?

As Twangster points out, there are several good tour options. As a counter point, you can also just walk around the (tiny) town and perhaps discover a less common aspect. As a pilot and general aviation buff, I sent most of the afternoon on a high deck of the ship watching the tour helicopters and planes come and go, with a nice snack and tasty adult beverage, of course. 

Lorabelle, you are making the smart choice. The border can be a breeze through, but can also take hours. As far as hotels in Vancouver, there are many choices a short walk from the Quick Shuttle stops.

The River Rock is a nice casino/resort with food and entertainment on site. You would need an Uber or cab to the pier in the AM. The Holiday inn is Ok but typical. Also a short cab ride to the pier.

If your inclination and budget supports it, check out the Pan Pacific, in the cruise terminal. 4+ stars and could not be more convenient..

I can't speak to direct experience post Covid, but we live not far from the Bellingham (BLI) airport , and have flown in and put dozens of times and we have also used the Quick shuttle to the cruise port (Canada Place).

Bellingham is a smaller but well set up airport. Easy/quick to get in and out.

Quick shuttle is a good choice (almost the only choice) for BLI to the cruise port directly. 

Its not an excursion or sightseeing situation, just a (usually crowded) bus.. It stops at the border and the passenger are left to deal with Customs, etc. directly- no hand holding. Be sure to have all the needed documentation done before hand and ready. If you are not familiar, Canada currently requires the use of ArriveCan app or website a couple days before the trip. Of course it could change before your trip. Best to review the Canadian border and the Cruise boarding requirements a couple weeks ahead of your cruise- its been a rapidly changing landscape. 

I’d say yes, if you can find one nearby that you and meet face to face. That may be a challenge, however. My wife is a retired TA. She left the business when booking flights , hotels, etc went on line for the consumer and commissions disappeared. There are good vacation focused TAs still out there much fewer than in the past..

We often stay onboard for ports we have little interest in. Much of the cruise appeal for us is the ship activity, especially on the larger ships. Less crowded, easier to access the popular activities. 

You may wish to check out the hotels near Jersey Gardens. Convenient to the cruise port and Newark airport.  

It’s been a few years but we stayed at the Embassy for a Hawaii cruise. It was fine and had a shuttle to the cruise port. 

We enjoyed the 25 hr days on our last Westbound Transatlantic. It has to even out somewhere 😉. 

10 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

But if not getting off the ship you would never have contact with CBSA.  I'm hoping it won't be necessary.

We live two miles from the Canadian border, so this is not an abstract tropic…

I would plan on having and using the ArriveCan app. You will be entering Canada whether you disembark or not. 

Given your apparent priorities/preferences, I would look at the Wonder out of port Canaveral . Easier flights to MCO and no  hassle / expense transferring  from FLL or MIA . Biggest/ newest ship and easy to add Disney, etc.  One of the realities of cruising is that the cruise fare is only a relatively small part of the overall cost of a cruise vacation, especially if you are doing the Disney / Orlando experience, so don’t let the cruise fare be a major decision point..

On 4/2/2022 at 10:08 AM, yamaha dancer said:

Made it with time to spare. Arrived at FLL at at 10:55 am day of departure, picked up our checked luggage, and was on the ship before noon. Took an Uber for $13.17 to the port (tipped in cash).

Got off ship at 8 am, took another Uber, and was getting my nose swabbed at the airport at 08:40. Had over 2 hours to kill before our 11:37 am flight. Flights book by Celebrity were perfect 🙂

Glad you made it and ( hopefully) had a great cruise! If it was me, I'd have bought a few lottery tickets and bet big on the long odds in the casino- before my luck ran out 🙂

As the title says. We have a 10 day to Hawaii in October but might need to cancel and take a different cruise later in 2023. Can the NR deposit be transferred?  

Having retired form a 25 year career that had airline travel nearly every week, I’m hardwired to have a contingency plan.  You mention that you can only travel Sunday. Is that absolute or is  a Saturday evening flight possible? If so,  I would take the earliest flight you can, stay at the MCO Hyatt in the terminal and book the Royal shuttle for Sunday AM. And, sorry if this is harsh, have a contingency plan if you miss the cruise.. 

if your cruise style is live in the public spaces and only use the room for the bath and bed, you are right where you want to be. 

We spend a fair amount of time in the room and truly love the views and fresh air on the balcony. Watching, listening and enjoying the sea breezes flowing by is a big part of why we cruise.

+1 for the arrive a day or two ahead plan. We have had the SNAFU happen twice so far and would have missed the cruises if we had tried for same - day. 

Taxi or Uber . The cruise port and airport are quite close together.

 As I research the QOTS itineraries, as part of my over planning  for our Vancouver to Hawaii in Oct 2023,  I see it leaving Singapore sometime after April 11 and apparently dead heading to Seattle for the start of the Alaska sailings on May 4, and then of course to our Hawaii repo in Oct. 

I spent a long week in Aruba a few years ago on a work project with a few vaca days added on. Local shopping was fun and interesting, lots of things we don’t see here in the US . Did a self guided island tour in a rental car, lots of interesting spots. The casinos were nice but infamously poor payouts. On a cruise visit , I’d probably opt for the Jeep tour  and a little shopping. 

Anyone know (or have a good guess) when Royal will announce the Hawaii to Australia cruises for Fall ‘23?

We are early planning for a celebration cruise for retirement and a couple ‘ big’ birthdays.

Thanks.