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Leaving Vancouver - 3:05 Flight - Suggestions on Things to Do?


spart02
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We have a 3:05 flight after our cruise in Vancouver. Is it practical at all to do anything besides just get off the boat and head to the airport? We plan to take the train from the cruise ship terminal to the airport. Any suggestions that will fit into our tight time frame?

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I would get the latest disembarkation possible. Then go directly to the airport . Security on a cruise day (Sat or Sun) lines to check in , security and US government can take a long time. Then have a quiet lunch once in the US Departures area.

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You have at least three hours to enjoy the city, and the longer you do so the shorter the queues at the airport. Most of your fellow pax will have earlier or later flights - anyone heading to the east coast US is almost certainly in a desperate scramble for a morning flight or getting a redeye late evening, since anything in-between is pricier (and less available).

 

So there is a steady build of folks arriving at YVR and clogging up the queues from ~8am (earliest possible time to get there if you are among the first folks off the ship) through ~11am (latest time you're likely to arrive if in last disembarkation group is ~9:30am+an hour or so taxi wait+30min drive time). If you show up at 1pm like a sensible traveler, the vast majority of your fellow cruisers have already moved through check-in, security, immigration.

 

So if you get off first (by 7:30am) you can realistically spend 4.5 hours downtown, plus travel time, and arrive at 1pm - which is more than sufficient for YVR unless it's a SHTF day. If you're nervous, if 3 ships are in port and it's in May, 3 hours preflight is more sensible - but unless it's a 3 shipper early in the season (or a 4 shipper any time) it's overkill.

 

That's enough time to do any one large attraction that doesn't involve too much travel, or more than one smaller site. You could easily do Capilano bridge - allow an hour for getting there and back on their shuttle from right outside the pier and you have 2 hours on-site, plenty to see it all. Grouse would be challenging - more to do, slightly longer travel, but it costs about the same as Cap so even if you can't see everything the value-for-money may be even better. Anything downtown at all is a doddle - art gallery, wander neighbourhoods and so on.

 

Even a HOHO tour would work - although you'd have very limited on and off choices, as even in peak summer season you lose at least 20mins per stop and if the next vehicle is full a further delay. I'd be inclined to pick just one or two Must See sights off the bus if you did that to ensure you got back in time.

 

Consider combining a ride on FlyOver Canada (right at the pier, total time from entry to exit is ~30mins so even if there's a queue to get in an hour is more than enough time to allocate) then a walk through Gastown and Chinatown for some photo-ops. Grab an early lunch before heading back to the pier and then out to the airport.

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Yes, in an ideal world we could frolic longer in Vancouver, but unfortunately, I can't take more time off work, so we're squeezing this trip in and have no days to spare.

 

 

Vancouver is a great bonus port to check out for a few days. No need for a same day flight.
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You have at least three hours to enjoy the city, and the longer you do so the shorter the queues at the airport. Most of your fellow pax will have earlier or later flights - anyone heading to the east coast US is almost certainly in a desperate scramble for a morning flight or getting a redeye late evening, since anything in-between is pricier (and less available).

 

So there is a steady build of folks arriving at YVR and clogging up the queues from ~8am (earliest possible time to get there if you are among the first folks off the ship) through ~11am (latest time you're likely to arrive if in last disembarkation group is ~9:30am+an hour or so taxi wait+30min drive time). If you show up at 1pm like a sensible traveler, the vast majority of your fellow cruisers have already moved through check-in, security, immigration.

 

So if you get off first (by 7:30am) you can realistically spend 4.5 hours downtown, plus travel time, and arrive at 1pm - which is more than sufficient for YVR unless it's a SHTF day. If you're nervous, if 3 ships are in port and it's in May, 3 hours preflight is more sensible - but unless it's a 3 shipper early in the season (or a 4 shipper any time) it's overkill.

 

That's enough time to do any one large attraction that doesn't involve too much travel, or more than one smaller site. You could easily do Capilano bridge - allow an hour for getting there and back on their shuttle from right outside the pier and you have 2 hours on-site, plenty to see it all. Grouse would be challenging - more to do, slightly longer travel, but it costs about the same as Cap so even if you can't see everything the value-for-money may be even better. Anything downtown at all is a doddle - art gallery, wander neighbourhoods and so on.

 

Even a HOHO tour would work - although you'd have very limited on and off choices, as even in peak summer season you lose at least 20mins per stop and if the next vehicle is full a further delay. I'd be inclined to pick just one or two Must See sights off the bus if you did that to ensure you got back in time.

 

Consider combining a ride on FlyOver Canada (right at the pier, total time from entry to exit is ~30mins so even if there's a queue to get in an hour is more than enough time to allocate) then a walk through Gastown and Chinatown for some photo-ops. Grab an early lunch before heading back to the pier and then out to the airport.

 

 

Thank you for the information (we have never been to Vancouver). We have a 7:30 pm flight and were considering doing the Hop On Hop Off bus for the day. The FlyOver Canada sounds interesting as well. The problem I see is what to do with our luggage for the day? In reading your post, we should plan on being at the airport about 3:30pm for check in? Thank you.

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Thank you for the information (we have never been to Vancouver). We have a 7:30 pm flight and were considering doing the Hop On Hop Off bus for the day. The FlyOver Canada sounds interesting as well. The problem I see is what to do with our luggage for the day? In reading your post, we should plan on being at the airport about 3:30pm for check in? Thank you.

Use CDS baggage at the pier to send your bags on to YVR for you. $40 for the first 4, $10 per extra, and as long as your flights is after 6pm you can use the service. Lack of bags makes it ridiculously simple to take SkyTrain - $1.85 to $4.10pp depending on your age and the day of the week, and the saving compared to a cab (~$35) will pay for the difference in cost for the luggage transfer compared to just storage (at least $5 per bag to store for the day). heck, if there's just 1 or 2 of you it almost pays for the whole thing!

 

And you NEVER need to be as early as 4 hrs preflight even at peak times - 2 hrs beforehand is more than enough for any but the worse times/days. Given how crappy airline food is I'd be inclined to show up at 4:30pm so you have time for a sit-down dinner after security, but if you can tolerate eating on the plane then 5:30pm is the sensible timeframe. Usually it's under an hour for the whole rigmarole, but it's wise to have some padding in case it's a busy day.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Use CDS baggage at the pier to send your bags on to YVR for you. $40 for the first 4, $10 per extra, and as long as your flights is after 6pm you can use the service. Lack of bags makes it ridiculously simple to take SkyTrain - $1.85 to $4.10pp depending on your age and the day of the week, and the saving compared to a cab (~$35) will pay for the difference in cost for the luggage transfer compared to just storage (at least $5 per bag to store for the day). heck, if there's just 1 or 2 of you it almost pays for the whole thing!

 

And you NEVER need to be as early as 4 hrs preflight even at peak times - 2 hrs beforehand is more than enough for any but the worse times/days. Given how crappy airline food is I'd be inclined to show up at 4:30pm so you have time for a sit-down dinner after security, but if you can tolerate eating on the plane then 5:30pm is the sensible timeframe. Usually it's under an hour for the whole rigmarole, but it's wise to have some padding in case it's a busy day.

 

Sorry, I have more questions that I hope you can help me with. Here is the what I'm thinking how to plan the day.

 

We get off the ship and give our bags to CDS Baggage and they will send directly to the airport? Can we catch the hop on/hop off trolley at the ships pier? If not, where do we catch the trolley? Where do we catch the Skytrain to the airport?

 

Thanks again for your help.

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The Hop on Hop off buses will be curbside outside Canada Place which is where your ship will berth except on days when there are three ships in town in which case they will be curbside one block south on Cordova.

The Canada Line station you want is Waterfront - about a five minute walk from Canada Place - as you are walking towards Waterfront Station you will see an entrance to Skytrain - that's what our system is called as you start walking to Waterfront - don't take this entrance - it leads to the other line in the system.

The cars on the Canada Line were design for airport travel - they have lots of room to put luggage.

Hope this helps.

Cheers!

Dennis

:):):)

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Sorry, I have more questions that I hope you can help me with. Here is the what I'm thinking how to plan the day.

 

We get off the ship and give our bags to CDS Baggage and they will send directly to the airport? Can we catch the hop on/hop off trolley at the ships pier? If not, where do we catch the trolley? Where do we catch the Skytrain to the airport?

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

You just go up the

Oh by of the Pan Pacific, part of cruise terminal. The Hop on Hop Off stops if front of the hotel. Don’t prepaythe tickets. Because if it is raining the ride can be very wet and to wet to get off especially in the park.

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...Where do we catch the Skytrain to the airport?

Since you're doing the 'CDS send bags' thing here's no need to return to Waterfront. If you do get off HOHO there at the end then Dennis' info remains valid - but you can board at ANY Canada Line station, there are three in the downtown core where the HOHOs run. Vancouver City Centre, Yaletown-Roundhouse or Waterfront are the relevant stations unless you get further out of downtown.

 

 

Just be sure that you use the correct platform (to YVR, not to Waterfront) but worst case if you get on the wrong way you can just stay on the train at Waterfront and it will head off to YVR a few minutes later. NB: that there are other SkyTrain lines, which go nowhere near the airport - if you see a station other than those listed above, it will only have the other lines which run out to the 'burbs. Waterfront is the only shared station you'll see with both Canada and other lines - hence Dennis' warning not to use the first entrance, which heads to the wrong platform.

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Use CDS baggage at the pier to send your bags on to YVR for you. $40 for the first 4, $10 per extra, and as long as your flights is after 6pm you can use the service. Lack of bags makes it ridiculously simple to take SkyTrain - $1.85 to $4.10pp depending on your age and the day of the week, and the saving compared to a cab (~$35) will pay for the difference in cost for the luggage transfer compared to just storage (at least $5 per bag to store for the day). heck, if there's just 1 or 2 of you it almost pays for the whole thing!

 

And you NEVER need to be as early as 4 hrs preflight even at peak times - 2 hrs beforehand is more than enough for any but the worse times/days. Given how crappy airline food is I'd be inclined to show up at 4:30pm so you have time for a sit-down dinner after security, but if you can tolerate eating on the plane then 5:30pm is the sensible timeframe. Usually it's under an hour for the whole rigmarole, but it's wise to have some padding in case it's a busy day.

We have a May cruise arriving in Vancouver. Does CDS baggage service operate that early in season?

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

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Correction early April cruise

CDS generally start service at the pier when cruise season begins - but if this is one of the occasional cruises which are much earlier than others (i.e. a gap of a couple of weeks until multiple-cruises-per-week start) they may not be operating. I'd call them and get it straight from the proverbial equine orifice:

Phone: 604-683-3696

 

Email: info@cdsbaggage.ca

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CDS generally start service at the pier when cruise season begins - but if this is one of the occasional cruises which are much earlier than others (i.e. a gap of a couple of weeks until multiple-cruises-per-week start) they may not be operating. I'd call them and get it straight from the proverbial equine orifice:

Phone: 604-683-3696

 

Email: info@cdsbaggage.ca

Thanks! I sent an email. Waiting for response.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

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