Vancouver - Seattle shuttle: when should you make reservations?

[Phalst]

We will be disembarking from a Millenium cruise in Vancouver on Friday, July 19, 2013. How much in advance (months, weeks, days) should we make reservations on the Quick Coach shuttle from Vancouver to Seattle? According to the published schedule there are three departures from Canada Place: 9:00 am, 9:15 am, and 10:45 am. Is 9:00 too early? Is 10:45 better? We are spending the night in Seattle and flying out on the 20th. Any advice is sincerely appreciated.

[Putterdude]

I would be making my reservation ASAP. By requesting an early disembarkation time you will make either the 9 or 9:15 times. The 10:45 will just have you sitting around Canada Place with your luggage and nothing to do.

[Phalst]

I would be making my reservation ASAP. By requesting an early disembarkation time you will make either the 9 or 9:15 times. The 10:45 will just have you sitting around Canada Place with your luggage and nothing to do.

 

Thank you for your quick response. I would certainly prefer to leave earlier rather than later, but when I completed my online check-in I was asked about transportation post cruise. I put 10:45 by bus, and I got a message in red that the time was too early! That's why I posed this question. Consequently I haven't made any reservations yet, but I definitely feel we should.

[Serendipity333]

We will be disembarking from a Millenium cruise in Vancouver on Friday, July 19, 2013. How much in advance (months, weeks, days) should we make reservations on the Quick Coach shuttle from Vancouver to Seattle? According to the published schedule there are three departures from Canada Place: 9:00 am, 9:15 am, and 10:45 am. Is 9:00 too early? Is 10:45 better? We are spending the night in Seattle and flying out on the 20th. Any advice is sincerely appreciated.

 

If it was me I would book it sooner rather than later to make sure you have seats. Trouble with the 9 or 9:15 AM times is what if your ship is running late arriving in Vancouver or there is a hold up if you have to clear customs? Canada Place is a neat area if you have to hang around a bit (or you could take a late disembarkment time off the ship). There is a Starbucks at the front of Canada Place and there is a big hotel to lounge around in if you have time to fill.

 

Another bus line that goes to Seattle is Cantrail. You have to get a cab to the train station to pick it up but it only makes 2 stops on way to border and then direct to King Street Station in Seattle.

[Putterdude]

I wouldn't worry too much about a ship running late. Short of hitting a whale or a mechanical difficulty the ships are along side at Canada Place shortly after 0600 and the first of the self-disembarkers are walking off about 0700. Oh, there was a whale strike a couple of seasons ago and I have never heard of them being late due to a mechanical problem.

[Dan G]

I would book the departure that is an express to the border. Some go direct with no stops and others make a ton of stops. If there isn't an express then it doens't matter but normally one of the morning ones is an express. Thos will save you time at the border and the trip down

[Putterdude]

You raise a good point. The express route is the 9:00 am one which operates on Mon, Fri. Sat and Sun. However they do operate extra coaches if there is a demand so not all will depart exactly 9:00 am.

[SeattleCruiselover]

We will be disembarking from a Millenium cruise in Vancouver on Friday, July 19, 2013. How much in advance (months, weeks, days) should we make reservations on the Quick Coach shuttle from Vancouver to Seattle? According to the published schedule there are three departures from Canada Place: 9:00 am, 9:15 am, and 10:45 am. Is 9:00 too early? Is 10:45 better? We are spending the night in Seattle and flying out on the 20th. Any advice is sincerely appreciated.

 

Honestly, with the bridge out and no real sense of when the temporary fix will ACTUALLY be done, I wouldn't be looking to make reservations that take me over the border on the ground, unless it is the train,at least if you have time constraints.

[baadbee]

You don't need to worry too much about the bridge. It's been running under an hour delay at rush hour and should be reasonable for a bus leaving Vancouver in the morning. The traffic delays are brutal for the folks who live in Mt Vernon but for a trip taking 3 to 4 hours with border waits the extra bridge delay won't seem so bad, especially if you aren't the one driving.

[zephyr17]

The 9am Quick Coach is the express directly from Canada Place that doesn't make any other stops besides Bellingham, Downtown Seattle and SeaTac Airport. It is clearly designed for cruise ship folks.

 

At this point, I wouldn't worry about the I-5 Skagit Bridge problem either for mid-July. WashDOT is saying they'll have the temporary spans in place to re-open I-5 in mid-June. Reports are all the pieces have been delivered to the site and they are beginning to work on it.

[Putterdude]

While the temporary bridge that will be in place by mid-June will have a reduced speed limit over it...once the novelty wears off I don't think that it will add but a few minutes to a bus or car trip.

[Dan G]

here are some traffic camera links if you want to check for delays

 

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/SkagitRiverBridgeReplacement/cameras.htm

[Phalst]

Today I booked our tickets for the 9:00 AM shuttle. The general consensus seemed to be to book ASAP on the first shuttle. Thanks again to those who took the time to respond to my question. :)

[scottbee]

I wouldn't worry too much about a ship running late. Short of hitting a whale or a mechanical difficulty the ships are along side at Canada Place shortly after 0600 and the first of the self-disembarkers are walking off about 0700. Oh, there was a whale strike a couple of seasons ago and I have never heard of them being late due to a mechanical problem.

 

Rarely are the ships alongside at 0600, most of the time 0700 is a closer time, and one this week didn't dock until nearly 0800

[BillB007]

Where does the Quick Shuttle drop off at Sea Tac. Is it in an area where the parking lot shuttles can pick you up or will we have to walk to the pick up/drop off islands.