Hello there Sarah, and welcome aboard planDisney!
It's so great to hear that you'll be embarking on a 7-Day voyage up to
Alaska, and like so many fellow West Coast seafarers, you'll begin and end your journey in the great city of
Vancouver, British Columbia. This was my home port for months in my years spent living and working at sea that actually began on the Disney Wonder, and after personally experiencing and even overseeing the Debarkation process myself I'm happy to provide you with some insight as you head off to your flight:
- Personally I would also highly recommend an afternoon flight departure, as the debarkation process can sometimes have the potential to take an extended amount of time. On the Debarkation information that you'll receive in your stateroom the day prior, it'll often indicate when they expect all guests to have already exited such as 9:30 A.M. - but this does not take into account any waiting time within the terminal itself. On the bright side, the Disney Wonder does have fewer guests on board compared to her larger sister ships in the fleet but it's also important to take into consideration the distance to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) from the Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal when arranging transportation ahead of your flight. (The city is known for its traffic snarls - especially across its bridges - and I've even found it quicker to take the SkyTrain in these scenarios!)
- That said, by taking advantage of Express Walk-Off early in the morning I've personally been able to be out and on my way in less than 15 minutes - just as long as you're efficient in getting ahead of the crowd and among the first in line to proceed through CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) clearance in the terminal building. This is however always pending the ship's clearance and the fact that most passengers heading the United States through Vancouver International Airport will still have to queue up for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance after passing through security so I'd still always recommend playing it safe with your flights to avoid any anxiety over missing it that morning.
You'll also be happy to hear that we've been successful in adding
Ground Transportation despite not initially purchasing it when we made our reservation; it was very simple to do by calling in directly. Be prepared to provide your inbound and outbound flight details and have a back-up plan in mind as this is subject to availability, though I have noticed that guests have sometimes been successful in snagging remaining spots even on the day. (Bear in mind that if you booked your cruise through a travel agent, you may need them to book your ground transportation for you instead - this was the case on one of our trips and the Disney Cruise Line representative was unable to do so from their end.)
I hope that this helps, Sarah -
come back to us here at planDisney again for any other tips or tricks to make the most of your journey on the Disney Wonder!
Wishing you the smoothest travels home after your Alaskan adventures!
Prince