LeftcoastBC

Great site. Great thread.

 

 

We're cruising in Aug, and plan to be in Vancouver for 3 days prior. We'll fly in on Friday, and board the cruise ship on Monday (Princess).

 

Should we book through Princess, or just do it on our own?

The only reason I can think of for booking with a cruise line is to take advantage of any flight deals or specific hotels deals you may have/get with them..if not, booking yourself is generally cheaper.

Victoria Gardens and Chinatown seem to be the 2 must sees for us.

By Victoria garden I assume you mean Butchart gardens on Vancouver Island. This is really not a day trip without a car and even then time would be short and I would recommend a night over there. A two hour ferry trip each way is involved unless you fly. They are spectacular.

Sounds like it's between the Pan Pacific and the Four Seasons...

 

 

Thoughts on the better location and/or view? It sounds like they are both outstanding hotels.

Pan Pacific is bettter for views you are overtop of Canada Place. Both hotels are just fine :)

Aplologies if this has already been asked - I've tried search, and ran out of time after reading over 100 replies to this thread! :eek:

 

Is anything within walking distance of Canada Place?? (With a late arrival, we'll be staying at a hotel close to the airport, and taking the Vancouver shuttle to Canada Place the next morning.)

Yes lots of things/shopping/gas town/liquor store/restaurants all within 2/3 blocks..plus water front

will be on the vision 5/4. 3 couples. understand we leave from ballyantyne[sp?] pier. are there any hotels in this area?

haven't decided if we're driving from sea or taking the train so we might have a car. didn't know there was another pier so though car return @ c.p. would be a breeze, now guess well have to drop car off @cp & cab to ballyantyne.

if we take the train should we look for a hotel close to the station?

this thread is GREAT!! thanks so much for all the info .plan on using hop on/off trolley. trip to liquor store before cruise lol,

karen

No hotels closer than those usually discussed for Canada Place. It is a dock area..that's it. Same for the train it's only a $10 cab ride to main hotels/CanadaPlace or Ballantyne.

How far from the cruise terminal are we? Do you have any idea if it isCanada Place or the other pier that Infinity is using this year?

About 6 miles. Easy access Willingdon to freeway to mcGill to Ballantyne pier. Sunday morning will take you about 15 mins. to pier.

When are you going?

We will be arriving in Vancouver on the 26th ( one day pre-cruise) and we are staying Hilton-metrotown. My question is does anyone know anything about this hotel and is there a rental car drop-off for Alamo near the pier? I am sure we will have more questions as the date gets closer, like what to do for the day, where to eat, etc.

 

Thanks in advance for the assistance.........

All I know about the hotel is that it's a BIG Hilton. Area is all shopping and the sky train runs very close by.

Burnaby is a neighbour to Vancouver..you can't really tell when you cross form one to the other and access to all other area's from there is fairly easy. You are about 1/2 hour from downtown Vcr. depending on rush hours.

I do not know anything about alamo. sorry.

I have not stayed in either. But have driven past them frequently.

Both are recognisable main stream chains and both "Look" like that.

Both are in "OK" area's for an overnighter. The Howe st. address is very walkable to the small ferry boats that ply the waters near Granville island.

Street is very busy with traffic in and out of the city.

To our Canadian friends I have a couple of questions please.

 

We'll be in Vancouver 1 day post cruise on 5/21/07 arriving on Celebrity's Infinity.

This is the holiday. The day that is the STAT.

It was called "Victoria Day" Her birthday was the 24th of May. "If you don't give us a holiday we'll all run away" was the ditty.

NOw it's the closest Monday to the 24th. this yr. the 21st.

I think I got it right :) eh?

To our Canadian friends I have a couple of questions please.

 

We'll be in Vancouver 1 day post cruise on 5/21/07 arriving on Celebrity's Infinity. We're considering booking The Times Square Suites for the 1 day.

 

My questions are:

 

1) Our flight leaves at 1:15 from YVR, is there a SuperShuttle that picks you up at the hotel that takes you to the airport?

 

From some hotel's yes.

times square ?? It's kind of out of the way.

 

2) Since this is a Monday how will the traffic be going to the airport? I know we should be there at least 2 to 3 hrs. beforehand so I'm trying to factor in time.

 

This should not be too bad as you are going against the flow at 10/11AM and this is a Canadian Stat Holiday (24 MAY Just a little early this yr. :) ) Most of us will sleep in or be at the cottage and in the traffic line around 5 PM tryin' to get home. Then the traffic wil be nutz.

3) Are there other hotels in the area where Times Square Suites it located that you would recommend?

 

As above kind of out of the way, Major hotel closest I guess would be the Westin Bayshore very nice but $$$$

Thanks so much for any help and information.

xxxx

Doing a wheel chair stroll near the Wall won't be great. The streets off the very busy main street all slope away downhill. Going will be easy. :) gettin' back ??

There are a few places to drop into for food as across the street is one of the city' major hospital but I am not aware of any great restaurants near there/ (wheel chair wise)

The grounds of the Wall are quite nice however and you will for sure be able to stroll there and is easy to do. (busy street noise aside)

Good Vancouver Restaurants are all over. I wouldn't worry about finding one. Just ask at the hotel when you are here.

There are lot's of wheelchair cabs available intown and certainly will be close by because of the Hospital across the street.

Problem with day trip to Victoria/Vancouver Island is the time spent getting to and from and on the ferry's. I generally advise you are going to be intransit for about 4 hours.(Downtown Van to Downtown Vic for people in tourist mode)

Here's the BC Ferry site. http://www.bcferries.com/

Summer travel generally is a lot easier with reservations but that cost's extra. Weekends can have long line ups.

The route to look at for your trip is "Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay"

sorry no info on the Aviawest at all.

Address is on the fringe of two area's.. sort of in the middle. Shopping on Robson & Yale town. Around the corner from the Library. Walkable to most spots but not really what I would call the top tourist area.

A car would be handy for both your trip to the "Mountains" and getting to and from the Ferrys to Vancouver Island and Victoria. If you are inclinded to drive... do that.

We are flying into Vancouver on June 1st but our flight doesn't arrive until midnight. I booked some rooms at the Hampton Inn by the airport and they have transportation from the airport. I am just wondering are there any stores close by so we can buy a couple of cases of water and caffeine free diet coke for our cruise? Would we be better off staying in the downtown area? I would like to bid on priceline but I don't know if it is too early. We are a large group and need four rooms. Thanks....

I don't think there are any stores within walking distance of this hotel at that time of night. But in the AM a Taxi enroute to the Port of your choice could easily stop along the way at a suitable store if you told the driver what you needed.( and he speaks english :) )

A downtown hotel would give you a bit of extra time the next morning but I think the rates out by the airport will be the best.

I have stayed at this hotel it's fine for an overnighter.

John& Betty.

Yes you are reading that correct. First year that's happened normally she is at Canada Place. Thanks for bring that to my attention. We are going with a group of CCer's in Auguast and I know we were all thinking Canada Place. :eek:

Now your airfare..... Why don;t ou just take the first cruise North from Down there in California or over to Hawaii or something. :D and then pull into Vancouver on a ship.

Sorry got no good idea's on air. It's always a pain. Just don't forget you need a passport now to fly.

Hello,

 

Four of us are going on a cruise on the Infinity May 27th this year. We are thinking about staying at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Vancouver and taking the airport limo from the airport. http://www.yvr.ca/pdf/guide/limojetbrochure.pdf

 

We understand that these limo's are lined up out front and would charge a total of 47.70 CAD to take the 4 of us to the hotel. They also quoted us 32 CAD from the hotel to the Ballantyne terminla.

 

Does anybody know anything that might not work with all this????

 

John & Betty

:eek: The $32 from the hotel....

Now I just read this again and you say Infinity and Ballantyne normally she sails form Canada Place. So if It is the former you're fine

You can almost throw a rock to the dock. lol. almost. It's likley because they would have to pull a limo from the routine of back and forth on their routes. Take a cab.

We have used the limo airpoort servce a number of times would use it again and highly recommend it especially with all the Olympic construction goin' on.

Hi/ The Hampton Inn is at the end of Robson Street about 6 blocks from where all the shopping action is but it is walkable. (without carrying anything other than a backpack) From those 6 blks you turn towards Canada Place and it is another 6 blocks.

All the area is walkable for those in reasonable shape. But it is not close to anything really down there.

Head off in the other direction SW sort of and you are fairly close to Yale town and a water taxi to Granville Island.

You have to get around BC Place (Huge Sports Dome) and GM Place (hockey rink) to get south and East. However 2 blocks that way to Sky Train which is a great way to get around and see the Lowermainland to the East.

You are however not where I would call the centre of any immediate action.

Google your hotel on Google maps and it all be comes quite clear.

Tammy, I haven't been down to Gastown in ages. It's gotten quite seedy in the past few years. I wouldn't recommend it in the evening for a stroll. You can check the Vancouver tourism website for a description of the area.

 

I think it would be great to go for a walk up Robson Street from the Public Library to Stanley Park. Lots of shops, restaurants, etc. And very lively in the evening. You could walk back along the seawall along Coal Harbour which brings you to Canada Place cruise terminal. The Victorian Hotel is a bit of a walk from Robson Street (4 blocks) and a bit further from Canada Place. But, if you are into strolling in the late afternoon/early evening, that would be a nice walk for the group of you. There is nothing in the way of touristy stuff near the Victorian Hotel.

A great job by Traveller123 Eh?.

Gas town would not be a problem in the daytime..

late evening & night time info would be correct.

Teri

This is my favorite site for vancouver. Check it out. There are a lot of great hotels and some of not so great prices (expensive)

http://www3.telus.net/cruise_watch/info.htm

There is a map here with hotel positions. check it out and then maybe do some pricing to find your own comfort zone.

Weather in May.?? It's the coast. Could be really nice or really rainy. sorry that's as good as it gets.

Fish House in Stanly Park...... name says it all.

Rain City Grill..... a little too pricey but interesting food and wine parings.

Both short cab rides from the Wall.

THis is a great thread for us, since we will be visiting Vancouver for 2 days post-cruise and have never been there before!

According to Trip Advisor, the Hampton Inn downtown is Number 1! Has anybody stayed there or heard anything about it? Is it walking distance from the port when we disembark?

Thanks for any help!

NOPE. not close at all. It's over near BC Place a football stadium. You could wander downbelow Canada Place and take Sky Train and get off at Stadium Station but then its still quite a slog with stairs etc... but with luggage this would ot be something I would want to try ever.

Take a cab. Your hotel is walking distance to Granville Island via a small px ferry though and Yale town.