11:05 flight out of Vancouver on cruise departure?

[tinybiny]

Is it realistic to get from the cruise ship terminal, supposed to be off by 8:00am to get to a flight leaving at 11:05am? I am using the cruise's airline transport and luggage service, but I keep reading horror stories of people spending several hours in lines at the airports now.

 

I can change my flight to a later flight which will cost more and have 2 stops instead of one. Or, I just stay with what I have and hope for the best. I have insurance for my cruise, but my airline insurance is through the airline, Alaska.

[xlxo]

To clarify.... which date is your flight? Not a problem on a single boat day. The problems occur when 3 or more ships are unloading at the same time.

 

11am flight?

• Need to be at airport around 8am. They want you there 3 hours preflight for check-in, customs and your security searches (hand, body, carry-on, liquids, weapons, and WMD's)
  
• congestion.... the airports are busy when ships dock
  
• 7:25am you want to be in a taxi or some vehicle. Takes about 30 minutes to travel from pier to airport.
  
• 7am walkoff with the luggage? It will be busy
  
• 6:30am ship docks? What time does your ship dock? Takes about 30 minutes to secure the boat and extend the plank.
  

[Putterdude]

Is it realistic to get from the cruise ship terminal, supposed to be off by 8:00am to get to a flight leaving at 11:05am? I am using the cruise's airline transport and luggage service, but I keep reading horror stories of people spending several hours in lines at the airports now.

 

I can change my flight to a later flight which will cost more and have 2 stops instead of one. Or, I just stay with what I have and hope for the best. I have insurance for my cruise, but my airline insurance is through the airline, Alaska.

 

I think you better check with your TA or cruise line as I don't believe that a ships transfer and baggage service will support a flight that early.

 

Can you make it on your own....well you are really pushing the envelope....but yes, you likely can if you are in the first walk off group with all your own luggage and are in a cab heading for YVR by 0830. If you can't handle all your own luggage then you better think of a later flight. If you do decide to stick with the 1105 flt, you are placing yourself under a great deal of stress, however I do understand that some people have work and family commitments.

[VTX-AL]

Presumably, the OP is disembarking in Vancouver from a U.S. departure port. That means a trip through the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) inspection process. So no hopping off the ship and hopping directly into a cab to the airport :(.

 

...VTX-Al

[Putterdude]

Presumably, the OP is disembarking in Vancouver from a U.S. departure port. That means a trip through the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) inspection process. So no hopping off the ship and hopping directly into a cab to the airport :(.

 

...VTX-Al

 

You are absolutely correct. It won't matter if he is Canadian or American he will have to clear CBSA and that is why I suugested he should be in a cab by 0830 if he is in the first walk off group.

Edited May 16, 2016 by Putterdude

[Keith1010]

I would not do this.

 

Either go with the later flight or spend the night in Vancouver.

 

To me it is too risky.

 

We just disembarked in Vancouver last week.

 

Airport was quite busy and this was early in the tourist season. We also have Global Entry which provided some benefits in terms of taking advantage of Nexus.

 

Also our ship arrived earlier than the other two ships.

 

If you are adverse to stress then that is another reason to avoid such an early flight.

 

Keith

[Langley Cruisers]

I also would not book such an early flight - too much can potentially go wrong, so much is out of your control. There are those who say YES, go for it, you will make it... but since you asked for advice, mine is to book a later flight so you won't spend your entire vacation worrying about it (and trust me, you will).

 

.

[tinybiny]

To clarify.... which date is your flight? Not a problem on a single boat day. The problems occur when 3 or more ships are unloading at the same time.

June 6.

I think you better check with your TA or cruise line as I don't believe that a ships transfer and baggage service will support a flight that early.

 

EDITED: Just went back through my docs. My flight was 12:05pm and the airline changed it to 11:05am. I just updated the info with the cruise line, but won't risk it.

 

I am easily stressed out when traveling. I think I'll go ahead and book a later flight. I will still be home later the same day. It will just cost a bit more and have more transfers, but I won't have to worry if anything is going slow.

Edited May 16, 2016 by tinybiny

[xlxo]

I think that is a one boat day (Disney Wonder)... travel delays should be minimal.

 

A later flight means you can enjoy that breakfast on the Wonder... that you paid for.

[tinybiny]

I think that is a one boat day (Disney Wonder)... travel delays should be minimal.

 

A later flight means you can enjoy that breakfast on the Wonder... that you paid for.

 

That may be a nice experience. I think I've only had one breakfast when departing. We are always rushing off to get home. We are deciding between going home that day or spending the night. For how often we go to Vancouver (which is never), I figured it wouldn't hurt to put our feet up for a while.

[Langley Cruisers]

My flight was 12:05pm and the airline changed it to 11:05am. I just updated the info with the cruise line, but won't risk it.... I am easily stressed out when traveling. I think I'll go ahead and book a later flight.

 

If the airline changed your flight, you might try phoning them and telling them/pleading with them that this does not work for you. Be kind, agreeable, not combative. :) I have read a few times on this board that they have booked a later flight and waived the charges/fees. Personally, I think the noon flight would have been OK but the 11 am is definitely too risky.

 

Let us know. :)

[martincath]

^What Karen said - explain the situation, that you have two sets of immigration/customs to get through and the official airport info says to be there three hours before flight (impossible if your ship is due in at 8am!)

 

At the very least I'd expect no change fees to be levied; ideally no extra charges at all even if the flight you could get later is listed at a higher ticket price (if you'd booked it the same day as you originally booked your 12:05 that became 11:05, pricing could have been totally different...)

[VibeGuy]

Alaska will generally allow you one free change when they make a schedule change like this.

 

I don't know that I'm quite as pessimistic about the flight time as some. My arrivals in Vancouver from foreign ports have not had particularly extensive customs and immigration processes in the terminal - I've generally just had a brief conversation with a CBSA agent while standing right by the exit to the terminal, after handing over my declaration sheet. While it hasn't been a nonstop walk from gangway to street, it's not been more than a couple of minutes not moving.

 

Two weeks ago I was still on the ship at 8:20ish and could have presented myself for transborder checkin at YVR at 9:10. I would have been 12 minutes earlier had I not just missed a YVR train whilst tourists futzed with the ticket machine. This was an arrival from Victoria rather than the US, so there's a bit of a delta there. This was with a rollaboard and a laptop bag and a brisk pace. It strikes me YVR trains are more frequent on weekday mornings, so I might have had just a six minute wait had it been a weekday. Alaska takes bags up to one hour before departure at YVR and is still saying a two hour arrival at the airport is suggested,

 

Do you have a trusted traveler relationship like Global Entry or PreCheck?

[Putterdude]

June 6.

 

 

EDITED: Just went back through my docs. My flight was 12:05pm and the airline changed it to 11:05am. I just updated the info with the cruise line, but won't risk it.

 

I am easily stressed out when traveling. I think I'll go ahead and book a later flight. I will still be home later the same day. It will just cost a bit more and have more transfers, but I won't have to worry if anything is going slow.

 

Then you best go back to the airline and get a later flight. Often when airlines make such a change and it creates a hardship they will make a further change without penalty.

[Keith1010]

June 6.

 

 

EDITED: Just went back through my docs. My flight was 12:05pm and the airline changed it to 11:05am. I just updated the info with the cruise line, but won't risk it.

 

I am easily stressed out when traveling. I think I'll go ahead and book a later flight. I will still be home later the same day. It will just cost a bit more and have more transfers, but I won't have to worry if anything is going slow.

 

I would call the airline and see if they will move your flight to a later time given that they changed the flight you had booked.

 

Keith