Getting off ship in Vancouver - long wait for flight

[PattyCruiser2013]

My aunts are cruising with us from Vancouver to Alaska. I expect we will get off the ship on Sat @ 9. Their flight home is at 11 pm. I really had no choice because the only flights were at 6 am (before ship arrives!) or late at night (weird, I know). Anyway, trying to figure out what they can do in that time. One of my aunts just turned 80 so she will get awfully tired hanging around vancouver and the airport for a full day - with no where to go for a rest.

 

I will post on Canada board too - but wanted to check here to see if anyone has had a similar long wait for a flight home and what you did or what the options are for them. Even if they decided to do more touring around vancouver - is there a place for them to leave their luggage until its time to head to the airport?

 

Thanks!

[mapleleaves]

there is a left luggage facility at Canada Place.( PRIORITY LUGGAGE)

Store your luggage, explore for the day, then after dinner head for the airport. I think they also deliver to the airport, not sure of the details or cost so you;ll need to check that out.

Edited June 6, 2014 by mapleleaves

[cruiseryyc]

Book them into a hotel for the night and then perhaps there is a more reasonable flight time the next day. Better to be in a nice hotel than hanging around the airport.

[martincath]

Re: Mapleleaves note above - Priority Baggage will send bags to the airport for $40 (up to 4 bags). Only available some time after 4pm when the peir office closes - but airport offices are open until midnight-ish (if memory serves one terminal stays open until 1am, the other 11:30pm - both more than enough time to be collecting bags for an 11pm flight anyway). An even better option might be to use the cruise line 'send the bags to the flight for you' service if offered.

 

When you say 'they' do you mean that they'll be by themselves? You have an earlier flight yourself? Forget their age, I'd be more concerned how experienced & comfortable they are with travel - if they don't know the city and aren't big travelers then even though it's annoying to hang around the airport I would suggest a city tour or HOHO to fill the morning/early afternoon, then take a cab to the airport plenty of time before their flight.

 

Treat them to an airport lounge so they're comfortable killing a few hours in the evening out at YVR - there's a Plaza lounge available to book for anyone at all the terminals (2/3/6 hour visits for $36/45/63). It's the least you can do if you're abandoning elderly relatives in a strange city;-)

[Philcruze2014]

We had something similar happen this week. Our cruise line offered a tour of Vancouver and airport drop off as an excursion. It was only a two hour tour, then off to the airport

They have longer tours called the Hop On Hop Off. Where you can get off in various locations and get back on every half hour and make it last as long as you want.

[genealogyfan]

Once when I was at LAX I had a 11 hour layover - found out some local hotels rented "day rooms" - regular hotel room for the day - think I had to be out by 5pm. It was great- took a shower, got room service and just relaxed until I had to go to the airport again. Make sure it's a hotel with free airport shuttle too

[runnergirl71]

We had something similar happen this week. Our cruise line offered a tour of Vancouver and airport drop off as an excursion. It was only a two hour tour, then off to the airport

They have longer tours called the Hop On Hop Off. Where you can get off in various locations and get back on every half hour and make it last as long as you want.

 

I'm doing the hop-on-hop-off with luggage service and airport transfer when I get off the HAL Westerdam in Seattle in August - opted for the red-eye rather than paying for another night in a hotel. Plus it takes the pressure off my friend to "show it all" in the day and a half before the cruise. :)

Edited June 7, 2014 by runnergirl71

[PattyCruiser2013]

Thanks everyone for the ideas! We are doing HOHO pre cruise but we may not get to spend much time in all the spots they'd like to see so I will consider that. I also like the lounge idea and the "day room". They are fairly experienced travelers w/in US. They drive all over visiting their 20 siblings from FL to NY to MN!

But, I plan to set up all the logistics for them ahead of time!

We aren't intentionally leaving them;) they had horrible flights going back to their hometown.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[martincath]

<snip> We are doing HOHO pre cruise but we may not get to spend much time in all the spots they'd like to see so I will consider that. </snip>

 

If you have HOHO tickets for pre-cruise, they can be used again post-cruise. Booking online in advance includes a free second day with all the HOHO companies I believe; you can also add a second day for a token sum (I *think* $5 more?) if you buy tickets as you board the bus.

 

That second day isn't consecutive - it's any time within 14 days (and frankly they don't even enforce that - my parents used their second day on the trolley 17 days after the first...)

[Putterdude]

Land/Sea Tours (aka Vancouver Tours) offer several post cruise tours that pick you and your luggage on the selected tour then drop you and your luggage off at YVR at the conclusion of the tour. It is highly unlikely that any of the tours will dovetail with your 11pm flight but this is an option. The other thing that you may care to investigate is a day room at the Fairmont Airport which forms part of the YVR terminal.

 

http://vancouvertours.com/tour/pre-cruise-vancouver-city-tour/

http://www.fairmont.com/vancouver-airport-richmond/