Post-Cruise Vancouver flights?

[Calantha]

I'm starting to think about my Alaska cruise next year and I've seen a lot of pre-cruise questions on the forum - but not as many post-cruise. I also realize things could be different next year...but when do people fly back to the East Coast? Since the cruise is Monday to Monday, I don't want to take another day off if I can help it...but I would think most flights back east would be overnight.

Thanks!

 

[ahain]

We didn't fly all the way to east coast, but to Michigan....we flew home the day we disembarked and got home late that night

 

[Disneypeach]

I took a one stop red-eye the day of disembarkation and got into Atlanta at 5:30 am the next morning. Would have made for a tough workday if I hadn’t taken that day off as well.

 

[Cheburashka]

I'm starting to think about my Alaska cruise next year and I've seen a lot of pre-cruise questions on the forum - but not as many post-cruise. I also realize things could be different next year...but when do people fly back to the East Coast? Since the cruise is Monday to Monday, I don't want to take another day off if I can help it...but I would think most flights back east would be overnight.

We were flying back to Texas and a same-day flight would have been a red-eye, and I've sworn off of those. So we spent the night at Fairmont Airport Hotel (very nice), and toured Vancouver the day of disembarkation. Flew out early the next morning, which was easy to do as we just had to take an elevator downstairs from our hotel room.

 

[mmouse37]

We are on the Hawaii cruise that ends in Vancouver next May are currently looking at flights home (one way) and there are some flights during the day but most are connecting and we want a non stop so we are staying the night in Vancouver and will book an early morning non stop on Air Canada to EWR.

Back in 2011 when we did our Alaskan cruise we flew Cathay Pacific roundtrip from NYC to YVR and our flight home was a red eye. We spent time at the aquarium and toured Granville Island and spent a few hours at the airport before our flight home. We were able to send our luggage on to airport for a fee from a third party vendor set up in the cruise terminal. We claimed it in the airport and then checked it in for our flight at the airport. Not sure if they still do that.

MJ

 

[KGmomoftwins]

Fellow east coaster! We are planning to fly back on Monday. The earliest flight out we can get is 1:30pm which puts us into Syracuse NY @ 12:30am east coast time stinks because then we have an hour plus drive home but beats the alternative. We would rather do 3 nights ahead of the cruise in Vancouver then spend the night after. Maybe by the time the release the flights for next August they might have more flight times

 

[ladyofthetramp]

East coast (Boston). On our cruise we spent the day/night in Vancouver upon disembarking. We stayed the night at the Fairmont at the airport. Getting there was easy peasy with public transportation. There was a service that delivered our bags to the airport (not sure if they are still around). We scored a non-stop Air Canada flight for an amazing price that made it very worth it. No red-eyes, no 15 hour flight times due to multiple stops and layovers. Arrived home sad that our trip was over, but well rested and relaxed. I booked that flight around Nov-Dec time frame for an August cruise. All pre-pandemic, so no one knows what things may look like now.

 

[Calantha]

Sounds like a mix of options. I'm limited by the fact that I have expiring vouchers from United for our trip to South Africa - so we'll just have to wait and see what the flights look like - and maybe I'll just plan a late arrival to Vancouver and then we'll stay over the day we return.

 

[mmouse37]

East coast (Boston). On our cruise we spent the day/night in Vancouver upon disembarking. We stayed the night at the Fairmont at the airport. Getting there was easy peasy with public transportation. There was a service that delivered our bags to the airport (not sure if they are still around). We scored a non-stop Air Canada flight for an amazing price that made it very worth it. No red-eyes, no 15 hour flight times due to multiple stops and layovers. Arrived home sad that our trip was over, but well rested and relaxed. I booked that flight around Nov-Dec time frame for an August cruise. All pre-pandemic, so no one knows what things may look like now.

The airport Fairmont is one of the hotels I am looking at for next May for the night we depart the cruise. Hoping they still have the service that delivers bags to the airport. I know they did deliver the day of the flight but my question is they delivered your bags to the airport the day BEFORE your flight? Air Canada does have some nice one way fares from Vancouver we are looking at.

MJ

 

[mrs.explorer1977]

We're booked for an Alaskan cruise next August, and even with just needing to fly back to Edmonton, I'm considering taking the next day off as well, just to hang on to that "relaxed, vacation feeling" a little longer! lol

 

[chamberlain]

We are also cruising to Alaska out of Vancouver August 2022 and flying from the midwest. What is the earliest that they recommend booking return flights for disembarkation day? Is a 1pm flight realistic? Also trying to avoid getting back so late at night.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

The airport Fairmont is one of the hotels I am looking at for next May for the night we depart the cruise. Hoping they still have the service that delivers bags to the airport. I know they did deliver the day of the flight but my question is they delivered your bags to the airport the day BEFORE your flight? Air Canada does have some nice one way fares from Vancouver we are looking at.

MJ

CDS is the name of the service. At the time-2018, you checked in your bags at the port with them and they delivered to the Fairmont at the airport. The hotel then placed them in our room. It was wonderful. Then the next morning we just rolled them on downstairs to the terminal. All in with taxes-$253 per person economy for a nonstop to Boston (Air Canada). I was pretty happy. Here is their website-looks like they have delivery to the Fairmont. http://www.cdsbaggage.ca/

 

[bcwife76]

1pm is definitely reasonable from Vancouver. I wouldn't book a flight much earlier than that. Absolutely nothing before noon, but even noon would be a little tight.

 

[mrs.explorer1977]

We are also cruising to Alaska out of Vancouver August 2022 and flying from the midwest. What is the earliest that they recommend booking return flights for disembarkation day? Is a 1pm flight realistic? Also trying to avoid getting back so late at night.

I think 1 pm is reasonable. I think we had 1 pm flights when we did the Hawaii cruise in 2015, and managed to get on an earlier flight because we got to the airport fairly early.

 

[jrabbit]

Welcome to the "joys" of flying from the west coast to the east coast / Florida. It's a full day going east. Especially if you have a layover somewhere in-between (Like Atlanta or Chicago, Salt Lake, Denver, etc). Count on 12 - 14 hours of "Clock Time" unless you can get / afford a non stop. In the past there have been lots of flights leaving between 6am and 8am arriving on the east coast between 6 pm (if you're lucky) and 9pm. So even if you decide to spend the day in Vancouver, the next work day still is going to be worse than normal.

Getting from the cruise terminal to the airport is pretty simple ... unless you are wrangling little one and/or have to much luggage. The very first Alaska cruise we paid Disney for the transfers to the airport and on the bus ride there the bus driver pointed out the Canada line train that passed us. Said that it was a quick an easy way to get to the airport. We've used it several times when in Vancouver. We have stayed out near the airport and took the hotel shuttle to either the airport or one of the other Canada line stops and used it to get into town and back each day. For the cruise we usually have one larger suitcase and one carry on and maybe one extra suitcase because Alaska ... Layers!! We have never had an issue getting on or off the train with our luggage.

 

[chamberlain]

Very useful information! Thanks!

 

[mmouse37]

CDS is the name of the service. At the time-2018, you checked in your bags at the port with them and they delivered to the Fairmont at the airport. The hotel then placed them in our room. It was wonderful. Then the next morning we just rolled them on downstairs to the terminal. All in with taxes-$253 per person economy for a nonstop to Boston (Air Canada). I was pretty happy. Here is their website-looks like they have delivery to the Fairmont. http://www.cdsbaggage.ca/

Thank you so much....this is exactly what I was looking for!!

MJ

 

[mmouse37]

Update: I contacted that baggage service via email about our 2022 plans and just got this response:

Hello,
At the moment we are uncertain if we will be operating in the Canada Place cruise terminal in 2022. Please check back with us closer to your arrival date.

Thank you,

http://www.cdsbaggage.ca/

 

[kathi]

Great timing for your question and thanks to everyone for the input. We are also sailing out of Vancouver next August and flying from Philly. We are on Celebrity, but facing the same challenges with timing.

 

[otten]

I live in Vancouver and in normal times fly from there often, between the length of the flight and the time difference, flying to the east coast from Vancouver is pretty much an all day affair. I wouldn’t plan on working the next day.