Vancouver BC Cruise Port to Airport

[gigito2]

According to my travel info, the Norwegian Jewel from Seward AK to Vancouver BC will dock at 7:00 on Monday, Sept 14.

Assuming I carry my bags off the ship is it cutting it too close to arrange a flight leaving at 10:35AM? 

Says it takes about 1/2 hour to get to the airport. 

Would arrange an Uber or taxi.  

Would purchasing Priority Boarding help?

Thanks for any info/advice.

[1025cruise]

You might want to ask on the West Coast Departures board.

[Kilroy986]

Yes, 10:30am is too tight, book Noon... take Skytrain from Waterfront Station to Airport, takes about 30mins, direct line, about $4, don't forget you have to clear US customs at YVR after security

[gigito2]

Never mind - I just read on Trip Advisor that it would be almost impossible.  Oh well...

[nwcruiselover]

Yes, Trip Advisor is correct.  It would be nearly impossible.  Try for Noon or later.

[united4life]

No Uber in Vancouver yet. Take the Skytrain 

[don't-use-real-name]

Getting off the ship with baggage in hand is not the problem

Getting a cab to the airport is not much of a problem

Taking the SkyTrain may or may not be just as timely

but is LESS expensive and no Tipping

Arriving at the airport - check-in with your airline

 

NOW THE FUN BEGINS -

after checking your luggage in - carry on you take with you

you clear the TSA security point

then the USA Customs point

then proceed to your gate assignment

 

If it was not for the cruise ship you arrived on and perhaps

1 or 2 more the check in effort at the Vancouver airport would

be a breeze and your 10:30 am flight tight and possible.

 

NOW realize that your cruise ship is going to have a major

impact on the number of passengers leaving Canada via

the Vancouver airport.

 

LINES - lines - lines

 

You are not skipping TSA or Customs security points to

waltz up and catch your flight - it is not that easy !!!

 

Recently sailed the JEWEL had an escort to the cab stand -

Left cab stand at about 8:15 -

took about 30 minutes to get to the airport - arrive 8:45

Frequent flyer affinity with my airline - 8:55

TSA Pre Check and Global Entry fast check Customs clearance -

TSA - 9:10

AND THEN - - -

Customs ( a real zoo - GE computer stations down for reboot ?)

Customs - 9:45

Flight was at 11:05 am and arrived at the gate about 10:00

ONLY to be advised the flight was an hour late due to weather

at Seattle (rain and lots of it)

 

Oh this can be done if absolutely positively everything clicks in

order with no glitches kinks snarly snafus - - -

 

Your Impossible Mission Mr. Phelps is to - - -

[gigito2]

Thank you all for the advice.  I had forgotten about Customs and TSA lines.  I really appreciate that you all took the time to set me straight! 

Love these boards!

[martincath]

While the key point (that a 10:35am flight would be challenging) is correct, and the best advice I can offer personally is to extend your stay by as many days as you have available vacation time (Vancouver is awesome, and there's more stuff here than in every port you hit on the way down combined so logically you should be here for at least a week...) there is some incorrect info above that could bite you in the butt on your visit unless corrected.

 

Specifically, there is no TSA in Canada - so TSA Pre is utterly worthless as it only works for that specific organization whereas we have our own, much less unpleasant, security peeps (CATSA). Global Entry does work when heading home as the immigration/customs preclearance is handled by US CBP Agents - but unless you have the actual physical card with you it is also worthless, as the folks guarding the queue entrance at Security do not scan passports: they only look at boarding passes and cards with the naked eye so they can't verify your GE Status exists without your card - which means being bumped to the long security queue!

 

Given you're cruising in September OP, and from your profile seem to be based in Western New York state, I'd suggest applying for NEXUS unless you already have it. It's half the price of Global Entry, gives all the benefits of both GE and TSA Pre, plus gets you expedited entry into Canada - including your very own private, NEXUS-only bridge in Niagara that can save you literally hours on busy holiday weekends if you ever drive over the border. On a one-way cruise like yours, where you meet Canadian CBSA on disembarkation this would also get you an even faster processing at the pier (no dedicated lane, as it's pretty quick regardless, but as a verified low-risk traveler on Canadian systems too the odds of any secondary inspection or more than a token question reduce markedly). The only downside of NEXUS is that the interviews have to happen where there are both US and Canadian border agents available - but there are several of those within a day trip drive for anyone from Western NY.

 

If you already have GE or TSA Pre, stick a note on your calendar to apply for NEXUS instead come renewal time.