Getting from Vancouver to Seattle airport following Celebrity cruise in September

[cruisingnana]

Doing last Alaska cruise for season on Solstice and will finish in Vancouver. Would like to book SW which means we will have to return to Seattle for flight home. Best transportation ideas and earliest return flight time. Would we have to stay over an extra night? Really prefer nonstop flights if at all possible.

[threetowner16]

Doing last Alaska cruise for season on Solstice and will finish in Vancouver. Would like to book SW which means we will have to return to Seattle for flight home. Best transportation ideas and earliest return flight time. Would we have to stay over an extra night? Really prefer nonstop flights if at all possible.

 

Quick Shuttle run a coach service from Canada place cruise terminal to SeaTac look their website for details

[martincath]

The best is a cruiseline transfer IF it is offered. These make no stops, and the going rate seems to be $39pp, a significant discount over Quickshuttle. Either this or QS should have you at SEA for about 1pm, so do not even consider a flight before mid-afternoon (border crossing delays, I5 blockages due to accident/bridge issues, general Seattle traffic concerns would all make me personally not consider a flight before about 4pm to play safe).

 

Other sensible options include renting a car one-way (NB: since your cruise is far in the future, many rentals will show a drop fee of some level - as you get into August and the rental companies figure out how many cars are going to be in the 'wrong; city, these fees tend to disappear and rates of under $100 become the norm) or the other bus companies - Bolt & Greyhound. You need to get to and from bus stations with these guys, but for two or more people that's still cheaper than Quickshuttle who definitely charge for the convenience of pier to pier/airport.

[Pierlesscruisers]

Doing last Alaska cruise for season on Solstice and will finish in Vancouver. Would like to book SW which means we will have to return to Seattle for flight home. Best transportation ideas and earliest return flight time. Would we have to stay over an extra night? Really prefer nonstop flights if at all possible.

 

One thing I never see mentioned in replies to questions like this are rental cars. Now, there are very possibly 2 good reasons for this: 1) People are on vacation and don't want to drive; and 2) People don't think of doing that. Both are certainly very valid reasons, but a rental car (if you don't mind driving) is a valid method and has 2 advantages. One advantage is, at least in my limited experience, passage through the Canada-US border via an auto is a LOT quicker than via a bus since bags are often not required to be unloaded from the autos coming through. Another advantage is that there are 3 different car rental companies (Enterprise, Thrifty, & National) located at Canada Place that have drop-off capability at the car rental garage at SeaTac. The last time I did a rent and drop it took less than $50 to get 3 of us from SeaTac to Canada Place. Of course, you have to reserve early enough to get one of the cars that they will rent on a one-way rental so that's a consideration also. But, that's worth a try.

 

Thought I'd pass this thought on.

 

Tom

[Putterdude]

Doing last Alaska cruise for season on Solstice and will finish in Vancouver. Would like to book SW which means we will have to return to Seattle for flight home. Best transportation ideas and earliest return flight time. Would we have to stay over an extra night? Really prefer nonstop flights if at all possible.

 

For sure I would look at a ships transfer if they offer one, once you clear customs at Canada Place you won't have to touch your luggage again until you arrive at SEA. The next best would be Quick Shuttle which is an excellent service and normally departs from Canada Place during the cruise season.

 

Rental cars are an excellent option but the traffic thru Seattle is horrendous particularly during week, I have just returned from a n/b trip and it was no fun at all....and it was a sunny dry afternoon.

 

While it won't put you in Seattle for a flight the same day (except for a red eye) you might consider spending the day seeing the sights of Vancouver and taking the Amtrak-Cascades in the late afternoon. This would have you freah in the morning for an early flight home.

[shadowmeboy]

While it won't put you in Seattle for a flight the same day (except for a red eye) you might consider spending the day seeing the sights of Vancouver and taking the Amtrak-Cascades in the late afternoon. This would have you freah in the morning for an early flight home.

 

I concur with this assertion, although you will need to find a place to store your bags, since you cannot check them until you clear US customs at the train station. I always like this option, but only if it works for your flights.

[Putterdude]

VIA Rail used to hold luggage for Amtrak pax at the station but I am not sure that they still do....if they do you have to pick it up before clearing CBP and boarding the train. The other luggage checking options include using the luggage service at Canada Place called CDS or taking your luggage to Pan Pacific hotel that forms part of Canada Place or the Fairmont Waterfront which across the street and tipping the bell desk to hold your luggage in their lockup.

[Roz]

I use Quick Shuttle, but they get to SeaTac after all the SW flights back to Nashville have already left. I stay at a hotel near SeaTac (use hotel shuttle), and then catch a nonstop bright and early the next morning.

 

Roz

Edited April 19, 2016 by Roz