Alaska advice/suggestions welcome

[Donna3271]

The main advantage to question 1 is that if DCL is flying you in, they'll do everything they can to get you on the ship if your flights run late. On our December Fantasy cruise, the ship left Port Canaveral a few hours behind schedule for this reason (it was during a winter storm that had gummed up travel throughout the northern states).

In response to question 2, yes, they provide ground transfers to anyone who wants them (you don't have to book flights via DCL to book their transfers). You can also book a pre or post cruise hotel stay via DCL.

THIS>>>>>> Exactly! DCL KNOWS you are on a delayed flight if you book transfers through them. Best $35 per person I've ever spent!

 

[xlxo]

Originally thought we might go to Seattle first to visit family

I recommend Seattle post-cruise after the long weekend. Travel will be easier weekdays.... especially across the border.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Is it feasible to fly home on disembarkation day or should we plan to stay over and leave the next day? What are transportation options to and from the cruise terminal?

We flew home the same day. We had a long wait at the airport and we couldn't check our luggage in for a few hours. We ended up hanging out in the airport lobby, reading, catching up on emails and getting some food/drink. We would have preferred doing something else, but we did have a lot of luggage with us.

At the Hampton at 7:00am, go to the front desk and make a reservation for their shuttle to take you to the cruise port. There will be many people doing this and they keep a list of names/times. You want to be on the list. I tipped the driver $5USD for the ride. We used DCL transfer back to the airport, but taxis were much more efficient that day.

Follow-up questions - is there any advantage to booking flights through DCL vs. separately? Does DCL offer ground transportation to the airport after the cruise?

I've read lots of reports of people not happy with the flights DCL chose for them. DCL has airport transfers, but they are buses and the day we used it to get back to the airport, there was a line and the people working (wearing DCL clothing) had no idea what was going on and we told to go to different places by different people. I wouldn't do it again. It's less expensive to walk outside and take the train or the taxis. And it would have been much quicker if we didn't use the DCL transfer.

Looking back, I think we would have been better off taking a train or taxi to somewhere that we wouldn't mind dragging our luggage along and then take the train/taxi to the airport when it got to be time that we could check in.

 

[JenMarie82]

We are from Michigan and were in the same boat. The cost of flying round-trip to Vancouver was so expensive, but we really needed to fly home the same day we got off the boat. We ended up flying Southwest one way to Seattle, sightseeing a bit, and then taking the train the next morning. We actually really enjoyed the train ride and were glad we did that. We then flew another one-way home on United from Vancouver. We took the city trains back and forth to the airport in both locations without any problems, and that was traveling with a 5 and 11 year old. We each had 1 small roller suitcase and a back pack. Whatever you do, check the cost of the website frequently. I ended up getting our flights for half of what they were originally going for by waiting a few months to book them.

 

[lpandorf]

We are on one of the June Alaska cruises, also flying out of SW Ohio. I've been watching the flights on Expedia as well as Delta. When I last checked, Delta had a few departures from Vancouver to Cincinnati around 12pm and 1pm on debarkation days. They each had one connection and arrived at CVG around 10-11 pm. I decided to book one way flights as I found some good prices and times on Expedia. I booked the flight home on Tuesday morning leaving around 9am and getting into CVG in the evening. Had one connection. On debarkation day we'll drop the luggage with the company at the port that will transport it to the Fairmont airport hotel and sightsee in Vancouver during the day. We'll catch the Skytrain to the Fairmont airport hotel (lastmintutetravel.com had some good prices at Fairmont) when we are done sightseeing and get to sleep at a decent hour so we can get up for the 9am flight. I'm still debating my flight from SW Ohio to Vancouver. May take Delta out of Cincinnati. I have enough frequent flyer miles to pay for it. Or there are a few one way flights on Expedia for $200 and under one way. Seattle does appear cheaper but I'm trying to minimize travel time as we already have long flights and a three hour time change.

 

[Racer X]

Hi - we are in the same boat (pardon the pun!) What is the secret to using lasminutetravel? The Fairmont is not listed. Did you have to use the Undercover Hotel option? That would freak me out a little bit with not knowing exactly what i was booking...

 

[KristiMc]

We did two one-way rentals in June 2015. We flew into Seattle Saturday evening, rented the car at the airport and then drove to just over the boarder where we stayed for the night. The next morning we got up and drove into Vancouver to the Pan Pacific. We returned the car to the agency that was right in Canada Place. Toured Vancouver for the day. When the cruise returned the following Monday we rented a car at Canada Place, drove back to Seattle and toured for the day. Stayed at a hotel near the airport and flew out the next day. It was a little bit of traveling, but my husband does not mind driving and we saved quite a bit over flying into Vancouver. We also got to check out Seattle since we had never been there.