Princess transfer, Seatle to Vancouver

[pinoy1]

Is anyone taking the Princess transfer from Seatle airport to Vancouver cruise terminal? We are booked B2B May 31 and June 7 and will be purchasing our own air from Atlanta to Seatle RT. I wonder when the Princess transfer start in the AM so that we can plan our arrival in SeaTac.

Thanks.

__________________

Danny and Myrna, Atlanta

 

Can't wait to say Gone Cruising !!!!

[midwestsolo]

I asked the same question awhile ago. Was advised that you will probably be tied up in customs with all of your luggage for some time. Requirements are that everything and everyone get off and be checked. I think that Princess shuttle leaves SEATAC around 11AM, scheduled to arrive around 4pm(approximately). I decided to do the AMTRAK Cascades train, which leaves around 730AM-even cheaper than the cruise transfer. You don't have to get off to go thru customs.

[Putterdude]

Amtrak is likely the most pleasant way to go but there is only one train in either direction per day. The other option is the shuttle. Plan that the shuttle will be 3 hrs of driving and up to 2 hrs at the border both coming and going. Here are the links to both.

 

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage

http://www.quickcoach.com/schedule.htm

[pinoy1]

I asked the same question awhile ago. Was advised that you will probably be tied up in customs with all of your luggage for some time. Requirements are that everything and everyone get off and be checked. I think that Princess shuttle leaves SEATAC around 11AM, scheduled to arrive around 4pm(approximately). I decided to do the AMTRAK Cascades train, which leaves around 730AM-even cheaper than the cruise transfer. You don't have to get off to go thru customs.

 

My DW feels that it is safer to take the Princess transfer just in case there are delays. Amtrak is cheaper but I guess one has to take a cab from the SeaTac to the train station. We will be arriving May 30 at 10pm and probably get a hotel near the airport and then go back to the airport for the Princess transfer bus at 11am.

 

I wonder how far is the Amtrak train from SeaTac since taking it could be an option if the timing is right. Thanks.

[SeattleCruiselover]

My DW feels that it is safer to take the Princess transfer just in case there are delays. Amtrak is cheaper but I guess one has to take a cab from the SeaTac to the train station. We will be arriving May 30 at 10pm and probably get a hotel near the airport and then go back to the airport for the Princess transfer bus at 11am.

 

I wonder how far is the Amtrak train from SeaTac since taking it could be an option if the timing is right. Thanks.

 

You are far more likely to be delayed on the bus than you are on the train, since the former has to stop at customs/border inspection and the latter does not. If the bus leaves at 11 and the ship is supposed to sail at 4 pm, you might not make it in time to get aboard before they close check in (can take up to 5+ hours to get there from here on the road/through the border). The train, on the other hand, is generally IN Vancouver by shortly after 11:30 or so.

[zephyr17]

My DW feels that it is safer to take the Princess transfer just in case there are delays. Amtrak is cheaper but I guess one has to take a cab from the SeaTac to the train station. We will be arriving May 30 at 10pm and probably get a hotel near the airport and then go back to the airport for the Princess transfer bus at 11am.

 

I wonder how far is the Amtrak train from SeaTac since taking it could be an option if the timing is right. Thanks.

King Street Station where Amtrak departs from is on the southern edge of downtown, about 10 miles from the airport. If you were to take Amtrak, I'd stay at a downtown hotel, since the train leaves at 7:30 am. From the airport to downtown cab fare is a $28 flat rate. There is also an airport to downtown hotel bus service from Grey Line that is much cheaper.

 

Don't worry about being late. The train originates in Seattle, so it is not coming cross country with the danger of getting delayed enroute. It is nearly always on time or very close to it. I take it quite a bit (and will be going up this Sunday in fact), and am usually done with customs and on the street in Vancouver by noon. The latest the train has ever been when I was on it was 12:45.

 

It is much more scenic and more comfortable than a bus. And you will almost be in Vancouver by the time the bus even leaves at 11. You will have that much more time on the ship.

[SueCruz]

King Street Station where Amtrak departs from is on the southern edge of downtown, about 10 miles from the airport. If you were to take Amtrak, I'd stay at a downtown hotel, since the train leaves at 7:30 am. From the airport to downtown cab fare is a $28 flat rate. There is also an airport to downtown hotel bus service from Grey Line that is much cheaper.

 

Don't worry about being late. The train originates in Seattle, so it is not coming cross country with the danger of getting delayed enroute. It is nearly always on time or very close to it. I take it quite a bit (and will be going up this Sunday in fact), and am usually done with customs and on the street in Vancouver by noon. The latest the train has ever been when I was on it was 12:45.

 

It is much more scenic and more comfortable than a bus. And you will almost be in Vancouver by the time the bus even leaves at 11. You will have that much more time on the ship.

 

How far from the train station to the cruise terminal? How's the best way to get there?

[Putterdude]

How far from the train station to the cruise terminal? How's the best way to get there?

 

I am guessing that you mean Vancouver cruise terminals. If that is the case, you are about a $10 cab ride to the Ballantyne terminal which is in an industrial area with really no bus service. If you are departing from the Canada Place terminal, you are about a $12 to $15 cab ride away. If you only have a bag each and can manage a short walk, you can catch Sky Train to within 100 or so paces of Canada Place. You would come out of the train station, cross over a park area, cross Main Street to the Sky Train station, it is a short 15 min trip and you get off at the Waterfront Station. The cost, $2.50 (CDN) per person.

[midwestsolo]

Putterdude, if we take the cab from the Amtrak station to Canada Place(2 of us),how much do you recommend tipping the driver?

[Putterdude]

Putterdude, if we take the cab from the Amtrak station to Canada Place(2 of us),how much do you recommend tipping the driver?

 

It is kind of a short trip, so I would think something around $3 would be in order depending how much baggage you have and how helpful and friendly he is.

[pinoy1]

Thanks for all your assistance. How early should one be at the Amtrak station in Seatle for the train ride to Vancouver. If we are arriving in SeaTac at 11pm the previous day, it might not be cost effective to stay in a hotel for a few hours. Better to just hang around the airport and take a cab to the Amtrak station at 5am in time for the 7:30am departure. Can tickets be purchase on the same day?

[Putterdude]

I think I will leave that for Karen, the SeattleCruiseLover to answer.

[midwestsolo]

I'm not Karen, but I have heard that tickets sell out fast. What I did is purchase our tickets over the phone, you can also purchase on line, to be picked up at the station. Fortunately for me, we live close to an Amtrak terminal, so I am going to pick up our tickets there before we leave for Seattle. Hopefully this will allow a little more sleep time before we need to be at the station.