Hercules67

The prebooked Yellow Cab arrived on time at 4.30 am. Was planning if it didnt show up by 4.35 am, I would call an Uber. The cab is metered and cost CAD14 to Pacific Central Station within 10 min. All went smoothly and looking forward to my Alaska cruise!

So glad to know this! 😇

I did check with Lyft and was quoted similar charge of CAD38 before tip. Then I tried Yellow Cab app that allows prebooking. The app showing my prebooking but there is no confirmation and so I wonder tomorrow morning will there be a no-show that got me anxious.

I need to arrive Pacific Central Station from Paradox Hotel (West Georgia St) at 5 am. I tried to prebook Uber and was quoted about CA$38 for the 10 min ride. I am not sure whether I should go ahead and prebook or can call for Uber tomorrow at 4.30 am? At such early hour, will there be surcharge that still will hit the CA$38 amount? Appreciate urgent advice.

Yes, understand the 'risks' I am taking to cruise Alaska in the month of October but I have sort of no choice due to work schedule. Have been working very hard to piece together my cruise on shore excursion plans (now that martincath directing me maybe can whale watch at Vancouver, I have to start another round of reading).

Hello martincath! Yes, I have quite a bit of time in Vancouver but not aware that can catch whale watching there. Where? Where? Where can I book whale watching in Vancouver? 🤩 *Allen Marine not running whale watching tours in October. I am having hard time combing for alternative if I don't want to book via NCL.

I keep reading about need to book for onshore excursions as soon as possible else maybe fully booked when on shore, and so I am quite 'troubled' with deciding on 'to book or not to book'.

My original plan was to go to Mendenhall Glacier Adventure (with canoeing and trekking) but the tour was withdrawn and I am still trying to figure this out (that I feel no chance of making the tour happens). So, my second choice is to whale-watch that cost about USD180/pax. I read that the whales may not be around much in October and so I am still hesitant to book the tour. Any experienced ones can advise pls (as in whether I should pay USD180 and then not seeing a single whale in those 3 hours while at sea)?

Thanks for sharing the update details of the recent shooting incidents. I am looking forward to my Alaska cruise! *some of the fine prints of my insurance travel cover pertaining to general exclusions read as:

Please don't roll eyes. I wanted to join a zipline activity (shore excursion). Then I went through the fine prints of my travel insurance and found out that they don't cover zipline activity/risks. I would have presumed such simple leisure activity will be covered but then strictly specified no coverage. I am very cautious of the fine prints in insurance policies to know the limits that I can go (coz I still have kids at home to support).

I know my paranoid might have kicked in with the recent two shooting cases, esp from the beginning when friends were advising me not to stay over at Seattle (that eventually I sorted out the logic of 'it cannot be that bad' and planned for the pre and post cruise stay over). Perhaps coz I am an Asian with distinctive black hair and eyes with a petite built that I feel may become an 'easy target' and so better to play safe to retreat before dark (since the objective is really the Alaska cruise). *Just sharing, many Asians do travel with some fears in them when going to western countries. My daughter's 19 yo classmate was snatched of her phone in a busy street in Manchester and when she wanted to take it back out of reflex, she was being swept like a doll into a road and almost got hit by a passing car. No one helped her in that situation and that big man just walked away. My daughter was at the scene and she suffered some trauma until now with fears of travelling to western countries. Another male friend of mine got robbed in Italy outside a 5-star hotel that he was staying in. Also he tried to snatch back his wallet in reflex, a knife was plunged into him. "Reflex" may kill in such circumstances.

I managed to get a friend from Phoenix to join me for the cruise (since the room was charged double pricing even though I originally intended to travel as a single). Then I changed my hotel from the Mayflower to Paramount for a bigger room size. Intended to just do some regular sight seeing and shopping + Pike Place Market during daytime. Will definitely retreat to the hotel room before dark (even went to read my travel insurance to see whether I will be covered in the event that I get shot / injured over there. Paranoid, I know.). *the US has deteriorated quite a bit in the minds of Asian parents. I have several friends who shunned the US as a probable country of choice for their kids' overseas education (and opted the UK and Australia that they feel 'safer'). A friend's son just completed his study in the Harvard and he shared with me about security in the Harvard was quite tight and students have an emergency number to call if they ever feel life-threatened in anyway (then patrol car will be sent to escort the caller back to the accommodation). Feeling quite sad when I heard of all these as afterall, I graduated from the US (30+ years ago when life was much simpler).

I have booked Paramount Hotel.

I watched news about the recent shooting cases at Capitol Hill and Rainier and feeling quite uneasy about my 2 nights staying there pre and post cruise. So far, any shooting cases ever happened in downtown area where I will be staying? *Pls pardon my paranoid.

I really admire you to still visit gym at the age of 75. I hope I can be like you when I reach your age (currently mostly having long hours 'seat work' other than the 10,000 steps I commit to achieve daily). I am mentally prepared for some uphill walk (that I hope I don't find it steep to give me the huff and puff else I will Uber!).

Thanks SCX22 and Milhouse for the details (these are important for clueless visitors like me to navigate in a more efficient way). As long as the path is not too steep, I can manage the walk well (just praying that it doesn't rain too much).

Thanks for the head up! May I know is the 'uphill' steep enough to warrant I packing a pair of walking shoes to change into from my formal shoes when need to walk back from the Convention Centre to the Paradox? *does Uber take ride for such a short journey (in the event that I am too tired to walk)? My conference ends at about 7 pm.

Thank you for your affirmation that it is walkable. I shall switch from Pan Pacific to Paradox then for my total 12 nights stay (don't mind to walk the about 15 min journey in order to clock my 10,000-step/day regime as compared to the chore of packing and repacking).

I will be attending a conference at the convention centre and so the company booked for me Pan Pacific for those nights. I would appreciate your further advice of whether it is difficult to walk from Paradox to the convention centre (since now I am thinking of changing my paid stay from Pan Pacific to Paradox). If the walk is not easy, then I shall stay put in Pan Pacific (which will then entail checking out of Paradox after the 2 self-paid nights for checking in to Pan Pancific, further to check out from Pan Pacific to Paradox after the conference is over - this I find it a hassle). Looking at the map, it does seem doable to walk from Paradox to Pan Pacific. *I will be on Alaska cruise after the conference but the sailing will be ex Seattle.

Thanks both for your replies. At least I am more assured that I will be in an OK hotel (I want to stay at a 'cheaper' hotel but not a 'cheap' hotel). Am surprised to know that Pan Pac is considered as a 'downgrade' against Paradox coz if that's the case, I may change my subsequent paid nights at Pan Pac to Paradox (still trying to gather more info as Paradox doesn't have a lot of online reviews yet and those limited positive reviews I am worried whether those are 'paid' reviews). It's nice to get advice from parties whom I think are helpful and more neutral like you. Really appreciate that!

I need to self pay for 2 nights in Vancouver prior to my work trip with paid hotel at Pan Pac. I received an offer from my agent for Paradox Hotel at USD190/night for a King Room (incl taxes for early October stay). Looking at Pan Pacific at USD500+/night for the same 2 nights makes me wonder is Paradox an OK hotel? (I am unwilling to self pay USD500+/night for Pan Pac and so looking for alternative.) Appreciate advice.

Hey, thank you so much for your warm hospitality! The total flight time to Vancouver for me is about 22 hours + the time taken to go to the airport, custom clearance etc = more than 25 hours of time needed just to make myself at the doorstep of Pan Pac. So I have to arrive 2 days before the first day of conference to get the panda-patch off my eyes and recover from jetlag to attend the intensive 5 days conference. I can imagine full exhaustion after that (and that's one of the reasons why I don't mind to get on the 7-day Alaska cruise to rest well if in the event that really nothing much to do due to the weather. The other reason is I don't think I will visit Vancouver again due to the dreadful 'panda-eyed' journey and so Alaska cruise for this coming trip is a do-it or miss-it decision). I am quite confident to navigate Vancouver on own as I have researched 'extensively' on it (esp convenient when I will be staying in Pan Pac). The Stroll Buddy is very interesting! Shall explore it if after researching on Banff, my confidence level is still not good enough to explore on own (so far, it seems 'doable' and I hope I am not wrong about it). Logically needles would not be just strewn around on the main streets (alleys maybe). That's why I am always skeptical about what I read on the web that defies logic. 🙃 Thank you once again for your kindness!

Yes, I am confident to stay 2 nights in Seattle now. Noted the good idea of both Meander and yourself of staying overnight in Seattle to catch the clipper the next morning if I go to Victoria. It actually didn’t cross my mind that I can split my two nights in Seattle to 1 night each for pre and post cruise! I am comfortable with rideshares (provided it’s before dark, haha). Will try the Lyft and EastSideForHire as well while there. Basically, I can’t drive at all and so car rental is not an option for me (and so I have to depend solely on public transport). Also as I am traveling solo, I will not be having snow activities to avoid risk of injury. The trip to Banff is mainly for the scenery + to relax + the hikes. You are right that I am constrained with my two fixed dates of the conference and the cruise. I can’t do anything before the conference as I need to ‘prepare/work’ before and during the conference and so the mind will be pre-occupied till the conference ends on 12 October. It’s only after 12 October then I can begin planning the 3 weeks of pure holidays. Guess the conference dates were scheduled in October coz of the ‘shoulder time’ (lower cost for every participants) and so no choice that I have to make do with the ‘messy in-between parts’. I intend to travel as light as possible and still yet to figure out my luggage items. Intend to keep my formal attire with Pan Pac after the conference stay and I hope they can keep for me when I am away for the cruise and Banff. Thanks for your ‘economical ideas’ of winter wear and will take notes of them (I yet to dig out my winter wear from my storeroom to see what I have or not as I have not been travelling to winter countries for more than 3 years since covid outbreak). Thanks for sharing more insights on the topic of homelessness/street life/’gingerbeardism’. ‘Fears’ can be ‘irrational’ at times that one needs to overcome esp with the common overloading of info from the internet (those info that warning people of needles on the street and don’t step on them etc). I will return to the hotel before dark to rest just to be 'safer'. 😅

Lfyt is completely new to me and will try it while there. Will note the First Avenue at Pike. I am completely sold by the blog to change my sub trip to Banff! (yet to fully research on this actually coz originally was focusing on how to go from Seattle to Victoria or Whistle after cruise). Thanks! If you may advise, can I just settle at a hotel in Banff and then pick up excursions there and then while there? I intend to do two 'easier' hikes (about 120 minutes) while in Banff area.

I am still trying to fill in the gaps for my Vancouver trip. The intention is to stay in Victoria for 2 nights. If I were to plan Victoria after NCL cruise ex Seattle, what is the best way that I can transport myself from Seattle to Victoria. I checked there's a ferry that takes less than 3 hours from Seattle to Victoria. Unfortunately this ferry only runs once a day at 8 am that I cannot make it. Then I looked at flights ex Seattle to Victoria that take about an hour and pondering the total time taken for plane check in etc is it worth the total time saved along with much higher cost. The original plan was to take Amtrak train back to Vancouver, then take a ferry from Vancouver to Victoria, with total time I estimated to reach Victoria downtown after train departed from Seattle to be around 8 hours (quite reluctant to go by this route as wasted almost my whole day lugging my big luggage along). Appreciate any input on this. *I also plan to stay 3-4 nights in Whistler. So, I am still trying to figure it out is it more logical to go to Victoria or Whistler first after Seattle? **Or it is more workable/feasible if I were to sacrifice Victoria and Whistler in exchange for a 5 nights in Banff (that I have to figure out how to go from Seattle to Banff)?