Post-Cruise Flight from YVR

[huskerdan25]

Our southbound cruise is supposed to arrive in Canada Place at 7:30am. If we walk off the ship (Sapphire Princess) and take a taxi to YVR, would we be able to take a flight that leaves at 11:09am to Denver? Would we be able to get to the airport and through customs to make this flight?

 

Does anyone know if the Princess ezcheck can be used in Vancouver for a flight back to the United States?

 

The other options are to fly out around 1pm or 2:30p.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

Dan

[Putterdude]

With your ship getting in at 0730 it is not likely to be cleared and people starting to walk off until about 0800 by the time you clear Canadian customs and are on the curb it will be about 0830, you are about 35 mins from YVR and you may have to wait a few minutes for a cab....As you need to be at the airport a full two hours before flight time....it going to be a bit tight. My advice would be to go with the 1300 flight and breath.

[huskerdan25]

Thanks Putterdude for the wise advice. I think we will spend that Saturday enjoying Vancouver and fly home on Sunday, getting to the airport in plenty of time to take an 11 o'clock flight home. We went to Vancouver a day before our last northbound cruise to Alaska in 2010, staying at the Sutton and we really enjoyed the city. No reason to stress out getting to a flight home the day the cruise ends when we can relax another day and then go home.

 

Dan

[Langley Cruisers]

^ Nice. I agree with Putterdude as well - besides, YVR has U.S. pre-clearance and that can be a long line to get through as well. I'm glad you will be staying overnight. Vancouver is fantastic; I hope you'll enjoy your afternoon and maybe go for a fabulous dinner somewhere downtown. :)

.

[scottbee]

Our southbound cruise is supposed to arrive in Canada Place at 7:30am. If we walk off the ship (Sapphire Princess) and take a taxi to YVR, would we be able to take a flight that leaves at 11:09am to Denver? Would we be able to get to the airport and through customs to make this flight?

 

Does anyone know if the Princess ezcheck can be used in Vancouver for a flight back to the United States?

 

The other options are to fly out around 1pm or 2:30p.

Thanks for your input.

 

I would aim for the 1pm. Also, taxi will not be the fastest way to YVR, walk a couple of blocks to Waterfront station and take the Skytrain. It will also be $3.75/ea vs $40 for a taxi.

[Langley Cruisers]

^ OP has decided to stay over and fly out the next day.

[Putterdude]

Regrettable post #5 is erroneous to the extent that there is a representation that the Canada Line is the fastest. The travel time of a train from Waterfront Station to YVR is some 24 mins to which one must add the time to walk from Canada Place to Waterfront Station, fumble to pay the fare, wait for the elevator, walk to the platform, wait for a train, then once at YVR one must wait for an elevator, then walk into terminal all of which will add at least 10 and more like 15 mins to ones travel making the trip somewhere between 34 to 40 mins....all the while schlepping ones luggage like a gypsy. YVR on its website suggests that a taxi fare to downtown is between $28 to $32 therefore a fare with tip in the range of $35 is closer then the posters suggestion of $40. What is correct is that the Canada Line is less expensive then a taxi and therefore is an option worthy of consideration.

[scottbee]

Regrettable post #5 is erroneous to the extent that there is a representation that the Canada Line is the fastest. The travel time of a train from Waterfront Station to YVR is some 24 mins to which one must add the time to walk from Canada Place to Waterfront Station, fumble to pay the fare, wait for the elevator, walk to the platform, wait for a train, then once at YVR one must wait for an elevator, then walk into terminal all of which will add at least 10 and more like 15 mins to ones travel making the trip somewhere between 34 to 40 mins....all the while schlepping ones luggage like a gypsy. YVR on its website suggests that a taxi fare to downtown is between $28 to $32 therefore a fare with tip in the range of $35 is closer then the posters suggestion of $40. What is correct is that the Canada Line is less expensive then a taxi and therefore is an option worthy of consideration.

 

Assuming that;

 

• There's enough taxis waiting at the cruise terminal (I've waited 30 minutes getting off a cruise in Vancouver for a taxi);
  
• You're lucky and there's limited traffic on Vancouver's busy streets;
  
• You don't hit too many red lights (not sure exactly how many traffic lights between downtown and airport, but I suspect it's at least 40, probably 20 just to leave downtown);
  
• You're unable to take an elevator at the airport, and cross 3 lanes of traffic (which has a person directing the crossing) without undo delay;
  
• It takes you longer to fumble for money to pay for Skytrain; than it would for you to fumble for money to pay for a Taxi.
  

Then the above poster is correct.

[Putterdude]

I guess I have just lived a charmed life because in 48 years of going from downtown to YVR I have never been more than 35 mins and often as little as 25 mins in the morning against the morning commute and never had a cab fare including tip of greater than $37.

If one self-disembarks they will be among the first off the ship and it is highly unlikely that there will be a wait for a cab.

The Canada Line is definitely cheaper and with cheaper comes some measure of inconvenience however, it is definitely not any faster.

[huskerdan25]

Appreciate the input and I didn't mean to start an argument.

 

When we went to Vancouver a day in advance of our northbound Coral cruise in July 2010, we tool the Canada Line downtown and then walked another 5 blocks to get to the Sutton. It was a pain doing it with our luggage and would not want to go through that experience again. Of course, it was very close to rush hour at the end of the day when we were doing this so the train was very full. And there were a lot of stops. My preference will be to use a cab next time.

 

We booked a night at the Sutton at the end of our Sapphire cruise in June and are flying out the next day at around 11am. We will get to the airport in plenty of time for this flight since we aren't rushing off the ship. If there is one thing I am serious about, it is making sure that our vacations are as stress free as possible, if I have any control at all. In this case, I do. We don't have to head home the day the cruise ends, but we can enjoy Vancouver for a day and then fly home.

 

Dan

[Urban trekker]

I am going to suggest a solution to the impasse that we have between PD and ScottBee and it is similar on what we do during Bike to Work week and that is a little challenge - you will both meet on a Saturday morning at 9AM during cruise season at the disembark entrance to Canada Place and PD will take a cab to YVR while Scott Bee will board and take Canada Line to YVR - you will both have one piece of rollable luggage and a carry on bag and since you are playing this as a tourist ScottBee you will have to use the ticket machine for your fare purchase.

 

First one to arrive in the domestic terminal by the First Nations art work gets treated to lunch at a YVR restaurant by the person arriving second.

 

Any takers?

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Under any other circumstances I would be delighted to take up the challenge however as I now longer live in the city and unlikely would be able to be in town on a morning as a ship arrives in town so we could test both systems under the same conditions, I must decline.

However, I have taken the Canada Line to YVR, know whats involved and a good idea of the time it takes. As I posted above I have some 47 years of taking cabs from downtown to YVR and stand by my representation. I also genuinely take exception to Scottbee's continual promotion of transit as the be all and end all....it clearly is not. At best for a visitor to our city, it is cheap option and with that cheap option comes various degrees of inconvenience which I will continue to expose as long as Scottbee continues to promote it as the only option.

[Urban trekker]

My post was an attempt to invoke a little humor into the ongoing saga of taxi vs Canada Line/bus as the best way to get from Point A to Point B.

 

I didn't mean to offend anyone and didn't expect the challenge to be accepted.

 

Canucks vs Leafs tomorrow so GO CANUCKS GO!!!!

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[LeftcoastBC]

My post was an attempt to invoke a little humor into the ongoing saga of taxi vs Canada Line/bus as the best way to get from Point A to Point B.

 

I didn't mean to offend anyone and didn't expect the challenge to be accepted.

 

Canucks vs Leafs tomorrow so GO CANUCKS GO!!!!

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

Nice try anyways lol

Go Leafs Go :D

[scottbee]

Nice try anyways lol

Go Leafs Go :D

 

Golf Leafs Golf?

[NW Pacific]

Have read above posts, does anyone have first hand recent experience geting from the Port, (either one) to Airport to make an 11:45am flight to US. We will have priority disembarkation, it will be on a Sunday morning, May 6, 2012. (8:00am supposed depart time). We are on Alaska Air, this flight would be soo convenient for us but do not know how long it takes getting through US I&C? Can you get the forms ahead of time, if so from where, if not, is there an area to fill out forms instead of trying to do so with them in hand? think I can get an extra customs form from the Ship.

any helpful information will be appreciated.

[scottbee]

Have read above posts, does anyone have first hand recent experience geting from the Port, (either one) to Airport to make an 11:45am flight to US. We will have priority disembarkation, it will be on a Sunday morning, May 6, 2012. (8:00am supposed depart time). We are on Alaska Air, this flight would be soo convenient for us but do not know how long it takes getting through US I&C? Can you get the forms ahead of time, if so from where, if not, is there an area to fill out forms instead of trying to do so with them in hand? think I can get an extra customs form from the Ship.

any helpful information will be appreciated.

 

Customs forms that you might get, getting off the ship will be Canadian ones, whereas you'll need the US form at the pre-clearance at YVR. Not to stress, it only takes 90 seconds to fill it out.

 

On a Sunday morning, traffic should be light, and a taxi, and/or skytrain will be similar timing. Taxi will be $35ish, and Skytrain would be $2.50/ea but involves walking 3 blocks (one ahead, and two left) from the cruise terminal into Waterfront Station complex. Then a straight shot to YVR. Automatic ticket machines for Skytrain take C$, Debit and Credit cards.

[Putterdude]

May 6th is a Sunday and traffic will be light, however there will be 2 ships in at Canada Place. If your priority disembarkation is self-disembarkation then you should have not trouble being through Canadian customs and on the curb by 9 am. You then have the option of taking a cab of walking the 2 blocks to Waterfront Station and taking the Canada Line out to the airport in either case you should be out there inside of 45 mins. In which case you should make an 1145 to the US. As for the US customs form, the pursers desk on the ship should have a supply and if not they are located at several kiosks just inside the US departures area of the airport and only take a couple of minutes to complete....only one form is required per family.

[Urban trekker]

May 6th is also the date of the Vancouver Marathon and with the finish line in the area of the new Convention Center there could be some traffic delays. It is a new route this year with the half marathon coming in over the Cambie bridge to downtown and the main marathon coming over the Burrard bridge and then around Stanley Park and approaching the finish line from the west. I will try to link to the marathon site and the routes - will start my bike escort volunteer training in a little over a month and once that starts will be able to give better view of what the traffic flow should be like.

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Ut, correct me if I am wrong but when this happens don't the cabs and other forms of transportation use the other access to Canada Place?

[scottbee]

May 6th is also the date of the Vancouver Marathon and with the finish line in the area of the new Convention Center there could be some traffic delays. It is a new route this year with the half marathon coming in over the Cambie bridge to downtown and the main marathon coming over the Burrard bridge and then around Stanley Park and approaching the finish line from the west. I will try to link to the marathon site and the routes - will start my bike escort volunteer training in a little over a month and once that starts will be able to give better view of what the traffic flow should be like.

 

Good info, road traffic in and out of downtown Vancouver will likely be difficult on the 6th, and in this case I suspect Skytrain would be MUCH faster.

[NW Pacific]

What time does the Marathon start?

The Skytrain would not work for us.

Is cab service from Port to Airport really going to be effected?

 

Do apreciate the "heads up" information

[Urban trekker]

Here's a link to the Marathon web site:

 

http://www.bmovanmarathon.ca/index.php

 

PD - that was the case in previous years but I believe looking at the new route it might not be a problem this year - most cabs would use Howe St to the Granville bridge and then down Granville to the airport - the race starts early like about 6 or 7 AM and most half marathoners will finish in under four hours and the first marathoners a little over 2 hr 30 minutes. The list of street closures isn't posted yet as plans are still be finalized. Until that info is posted I would be reluctant to suggest the early flight.

 

Hope this helps some.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Ut, thanks for the update, I would rather suspect that the crowds generated by the marathon will likely put extra pressure on transit and the Canada Line in and out of the downtown core, wonder if they will operate extra trains or operate the reduced weekend sked?

[Urban trekker]

There could be as many as 15,000 people in the Marathon as there is also an 8km fun run and a kids walk - plus a walking division as well - trying to remember if Sky train/Canada Line ran early on the Sunday - it might have because one of our riders came in from Edmonds station area with his bike and we are there around 5:30 AM on race day. One year volunteers were given a fare saver for a free ride to there posts on race day.

 

Hotels near the finish area are likely to be booked as well - the Westin Bayshore has been the official hotel the past few years but with a new race management group this year that could have changed.

 

In answer to about taxis to the airport the only delay could be at the point where the race crosses Granville but by the time you are off the ship and getting there the bulk of the racers will be past there - there will be police and crowd control people there who might hold traffic for a minute or two while some of the stragglers make there way along the course - there are set times when racers/walkers must get off the roadway and onto the sidewalks and wait at traffic lights to proceed.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis