HAL transportation from ship to Vancouver airport

[creel5857]

We have transportation from ship to airport in Vancouver after southbound cruise. Can anyone give me some idea how well HAL handles this process and what to expect. We did this through Princess many years ago and was pleased but with ongoing changes by ships and airports and security issues I just wanted some info from anyone who has recent experience. Thanks

[creel5857]

I meant to say we have "HAL bus" transportation included......

[mllewis48]

We have transportation from ship to airport in Vancouver after southbound cruise. Can anyone give me some idea how well HAL handles this process and what to expect. We did this through Princess many years ago and was pleased but with ongoing changes by ships and airports and security issues I just wanted some info from anyone who has recent experience. Thanks

 

 

We did a HAL post cruise Vancouver excursion of the Vancouver area and then to airport which worked fine. Killed time until our flight.

 

 

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[dakrewser]

If you're just doing airport trans (i.e., no excursion) then you'll get off the ship, get your luggage, go to the indicated bus, get on, go to the airport, get off, claim your bags and go to airline check-in.

[mllewis48]

If you're just doing airport trans (i.e., no excursion) then you'll get off the ship, get your luggage, go to the indicated bus, get on, go to the airport, get off, claim your bags and go to airline check-in.

 

 

That's true but if you have a late flight you could have problems thus is why we did the excursion. Sometimes with airlines you cannot check in sooner than two hours b4 your flight so you may have to sit with your luggage?

 

 

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[creel5857]

our flight leaving Vancouver is at noon (12:00) so I was kinda concerned about having time to get off ship and through customs.....i know they have their system down pat but i am a little rusty about getting through customs....and thanks for comments....

[comcox]

The Canada Place cruise terminal in Vancouver runs quite smoothly, although I've only recently been through with one ship disembarking that morning. It's all quite compact with the buses loading on the lower level of the terminal building. Just be sure that you report to the ship's desk that you need early disembarkation so you are in one of the first groups off. Vancouver Airport has two terminals, side by side--one for Canadian flights and another for international and U.S. flights. If you are flying to U.S. you will process U.S. customs/immigration right there after you check in.

[Alberta Quilter]

The airport is only about half an hour from the cruise terminal. I know you didn't ask this, and I apologize if I'm being presumptuous, but it is quite a bit cheaper to take a taxi (around C$35-40) than to do the HAL transfer which is priced per person and in USD. Just something to consider, if you haven't already done so.

 

One other thing is that if taking a taxi, you'll probably have a long line to wait in for the taxi, but you would also wait on the bus for the bus to fill up with people. It really depends on what works best for you but I wanted to point out the taxi option.

[TheEmerson]

Sometimes with airlines you cannot check in sooner than two hours b4 your flight so you may have to sit with your luggage?

 

Two hours? What airlines have you experienced this restriction?

[Roz]

At FLL I could check in beforehand online, but they wouldn't take baggage until 2-3 hrs. before the flight due to the high volume of cruise passengers. I think that's what the poster meant.

 

Roz

[dakrewser]

Two hours? What airlines have you experienced this restriction?

 

Frequently, especially at European airports where there are no permanent check-in desks, you have to wait until 2 hours before. I believe it was in Berlin that we couldn't even go into the bldg until 2 hours before. Last time I was in FLL we had to wait outside the check-in concourse until 2 (or maybe 3) hours before the flight.

[highscar]

The airport is only about half an hour from the cruise terminal. I know you didn't ask this, and I apologize if I'm being presumptuous, but it is quite a bit cheaper to take a taxi (around C$35-40) than to do the HAL transfer which is priced per person and in USD. Just something to consider, if you haven't already done so.

 

One other thing is that if taking a taxi, you'll probably have a long line to wait in for the taxi, but you would also wait on the bus for the bus to fill up with people. It really depends on what works best for you but I wanted to point out the taxi option.

 

Our HAL transfers have always been in Canadion funds.

[mllewis48]

Two hours? What airlines have you experienced this restriction?

 

 

Flying out of Ft Lauderdale in Southwest, you cannot checkin until two hours b4 your flight! In San Diego same thing on Delta, we had to sit with our luggage until two hours b4 your flight.

 

 

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[dakrewser]

Our HAL transfers have always been in Canadion funds.

 

Which is approx CN$30 per person. So the taxi is $20-30 cheaper for a couple, isn't it?

[mllewis48]

Which is approx CN$30 per person. So the taxi is $20-30 cheaper for a couple, isn't it?

 

 

Agree, we did the Cab and it was, our opinion, the best way to get there, cost with tip around $45.

 

 

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[TheEmerson]

Flying out of Ft Lauderdale in Southwest, you cannot checkin until two hours b4 your flight! In San Diego same thing on Delta, we had to sit with our luggage until two hours b4 your flight.

 

Okay. That is why I have not had that happen to me before. I get OCD when flying so I check in at the airport for 3-4 hours before the flight and sit in the lounge. Since I predominantly fly with AA (US Scareways), or Virgin America neither have prevented me in checking in early. Once I checked in six hours early for an AA flight out of IND and went to the Delta lounge for a nap.

[Alberta Quilter]

Our HAL transfers have always been in Canadion funds.

 

Yes, but that depends on when one purchases the transfer. If purchased onboard, then it would be in USD. If purchased at time of booking the cruise, if one booked the cruise in CAD, then the transfers would also be in CAD (I think - it's been a long time since I purchased HAL transfers). Sorry, I didn't make that clear.

 

But, as dakrewser pointed out, the HAL transfers are per person and the taxi is for the vehicle so the taxi is still less expensive than the transfer.

[DaveOKC]

our flight leaving Vancouver is at noon (12:00) so I was kinda concerned about having time to get off ship and through customs.....i know they have their system down pat but i am a little rusty about getting through customs....and thanks for comments....

 

With a Noon flight, you might inquire at the front desk (or shore excursion office) while onboard if there are different bus departure times. If so, get assigned to the earliest one you can. On our last cruise they told us this was an option, but I did not try it out to be sure.

 

The two times we used a HAL bus we were among the last people off the ship (around 9:30 am), so with a fairly early flight the earlier you can catch the bus the better.

[Kansas Gal]

Two years ago we took the HAL transfer after an Alaska cruise from Vancouver to Seattle airport. The luggage compartment was sealed at the ship so we did not have to go through customs with it at the border, only the hand luggage we had with us. I believe we left relatively early in the morning and had plenty of time at Seatac to catch our (cheaper) flight. Don't remember what we paid.

[scrap47]

This is a really dumb question, however I rarely take taxis....are you able to pay in US dollars or by credit card? What is a normal tip,for two people with 2 bags from the cruise to the Vancouver airport? I really don't think we want to change dollars just for the cab ride. Our flight is at 1:15 pm so we're planning on doing self debarkment and we can handle our own luggage. Or would taking the train be an option? We arrive on a Saturday morning at 7 am. Many thanks !

[DaveOKC]

This is a really dumb question, however I rarely take taxis....are you able to pay in US dollars or by credit card? What is a normal tip,for two people with 2 bags from the cruise to the Vancouver airport? I really don't think we want to change dollars just for the cab ride. Our flight is at 1:15 pm so we're planning on doing self debarkment and we can handle our own luggage. Or would taking the train be an option? We arrive on a Saturday morning at 7 am. Many thanks !

 

I think the taxi is about $35-40 plus tip. The Skytrain is less than $10 for two and is not a bad option if you can handle your bags for about 2-3 blocks. Timewise they are about the same.

 

Will need CND$ for the train, but I am sure you can use credit cards. Check out their website for details.

Edited March 15, 2016 by DaveOKC

[mllewis48]

This is a really dumb question, however I rarely take taxis....are you able to pay in US dollars or by credit card? What is a normal tip,for two people with 2 bags from the cruise to the Vancouver airport? I really don't think we want to change dollars just for the cab ride. Our flight is at 1:15 pm so we're planning on doing self debarkment and we can handle our own luggage. Or would taking the train be an option? We arrive on a Saturday morning at 7 am. Many thanks !

 

 

We use a Credit Card for the fare and tip in US cash, factoring in the exchange rate.

 

 

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[martincath]

This is a really dumb question, however I rarely take taxis....are you able to pay in US dollars or by credit card? What is a normal tip,for two people with 2 bags from the cruise to the Vancouver airport? I really don't think we want to change dollars just for the cab ride. Our flight is at 1:15 pm so we're planning on doing self debarkment and we can handle our own luggage. Or would taking the train be an option? We arrive on a Saturday morning at 7 am. Many thanks !

Taxis are just the same up here as in the US - tip is % based, with at least 10% of the metered cost the minimum expectation. If the cabbie has to handle very heavy luggage or otherwise goes above & beyond, by all means up the tip! I've yet to hear about a local cabbie refusing USD cash, although the exchange rate they offer will not be as good as official rates (expect a ballpark rounding up by up to 5% in the favour of the cabbie - e.g. current rate of ~75cents to the dollar would be 80 cents, or approx. 4USD=5CAD instead of 3USD=4CAD).

 

You can pay by credit card in a cab or for Skytrain, provided your CC issuer lets you! Be sure to tell them in advance you plan to use it in Canada to avoid any complications...

 

On weekends Skytrain will cost you a whopping CAD$2.75pp - travel anywhere on the system is treated as a single Zone for offpeak travel. Assuming you can trundle your bags for 3 blocks, it's going to be faster than a cab in movement (no traffic) - but unless there is terrible traffic it's unlikely to be much faster end-to-end as you do have a few minutes extra walking and ticket-buying from an unfamiliar machine to figure out (they're very simple, but you won't know the patterns of the touchscreens so expect to spend a couple of minutes reading options).

 

A flight after 1pm has no time pressure, so whether you queue up for a cab or walk to the train, you'll have ample time to get to YVR.