Another "Will I Make It" Question

[Lynda90]

Looking at flights from Vancouver on a Saturday. I have a choice of departing at 11:45 AM or 3:00 PM. Would really love to take the earler flight, but is that cutting it too close?

Thanks for your help! :D

[TravelnAl]

In June, we took advantage of the onboard airline check-in. For $15/person, your baggage is picked up from your room the night before arrival, and the next time you see it is a the baggage claim at your destination airport.

 

Your boarding passes are available the next morning accoording to a schedule. Once you have your boarding passes, you are escorted to a waiting bus and when the bus is full (5-10 minutes), you leave for the airport, bypassing Canadian immigration. We were scheduled to pickup up our boarding passes at 8am. Everything worked very smoothly and we were at our airline gate by 10am. They only security you go through is the normal airport screening.

 

It works like a charm. Check with Princess to see if they will still be offering the program in 2006.

[WhereIBelong]

My experience (two years ago) in Vancouver was just the opposite. We got off the ship and onto the bus just fine, but had to wait 2+ hours at the airport to get our bags (we were told a customs wait) and then another 2+ hours to get through U.S. customs. The real rub was having to pay the airport authority an xtra per diem charge for "airport improvements!"

 

We barely made a 2pm flight. I will never fly out of Vancouver again. I would take the later flight.

[Lynda90]

Wow, two completely different experiences. Now I don't know what to do. I guess I'd better take the later flight.

Has anyone used the USA Direct program or something like that?

 

Thanks!

[Lynda90]

Sorry, double post.

[Budget Queen]

I would say, your early flight is still too early even with US Direct. International flights still recommend a 2 hour window- not counting customs. It is a 45 min. transfer to the airport, plus loading time if you take a bus, which I do NOT recommend if you go with the early flight. Take a cab, since there can be significant cab lines, haul your bags upstairs to the Pan Pacific, tip the doorman and get a cab quicker.

 

Frankly- a great number of people want early off, and think they are entitled to it. Suite passengers are sometimes given priority, but no one is going to be off the ship before it clears, which is an unknown.

 

If you go with the early flight, be aware of all ticket restrictions for standby. Be prepared, you are NOT likely to get out that day with all the cruise ship passengers/flights run full and will likely need an overnight.

[Colo Cruiser]

Book the later flight and standby for the early one when you arrive at the airport. :)

[Coral]

It really varies!

 

We did the US Direct this last year and not all the buses that were supposed to be US Direct, ended up going through US Direct (they directed some to the regular terminal). We ended up being dropped off at the regular front area of the airport and had to go through the long customs areas. You can not count on US Direct working as smoothly as they claim.

 

Though, another year, I did something similiar to US Direct (they called it differently then) and had a noon flight - they put me on a bus with people who had flights after 2 pm (they gave me the wrong tags and how it was coded I didn't know they were wrong). We got to the airport at 11:30 and I still made my noon flight. I was sweating it though.

 

I now aim for a 1-2 pm flight and have never had problems. Even going through the regular terminal this last time, I would have made an 11:45 flight but I am not sure if I would want to chance it.

 

Maybe take the later flight and plan on a tour after the cruise.

[Lynda90]

Thanks everyone for the great information. I will definitely book the 3 PM flight. I really don't want to stay an extra night after being gone for two full weeks. The flight from Vancouver to Portland, OR is only a little over an hour so I don't feel the need to spend an additional night.