Vancouver questions, pre and post cruise

hello! Thank you in advance for assisting us while visiting Vancouver.

We arrive 10pm on Saturday the 12th of May. Will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Richmond. Check in on Sunday For our cruise (Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas) is from 11-3.

Question 1 - what is the best way to get from our hotel to the pier? We are capable of totting our luggage so are thinking SkyTrain, unless a taxi would be easier. We are in no hurry to be on board and would prefer to avoid long lines if possible. I’d also love to find a place to pick up a bottle of wine to bring on board. Any suggestions for us?

Question 2 is regarding disembark day, Friday the 18th. We are staying one night at the Pan Pacific so I believe we can walk off the ship and drop our luggage and then do some sightseeing. We are not go-go-go people but want to see some of the highlights. Suggestions?

Question 3 - early morning flight on Saturday (8am - was booked at 11 but the airline changed it for us). Will take a taxi to the airport - what time do we need to leave the hotel? I’m thinking 5 am - will that be adequate?

Thanks for your suggestions.

hello! Thank you in advance for assisting us while visiting Vancouver.

We arrive 10pm on Saturday the 12th of May. Will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Richmond. Check in on Sunday For our cruise (Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas) is from 11-3.

Question 1 - what is the best way to get from our hotel to the pier? We are capable of totting our luggage so are thinking SkyTrain, unless a taxi would be easier. We are in no hurry to be on board and would prefer to avoid long lines if possible. I’d also love to find a place to pick up a bottle of wine to bring on board. Any suggestions for us?

 

Question 2 is regarding disembark day, Friday the 18th. We are staying one night at the Pan Pacific so I believe we can walk off the ship and drop our luggage and then do some sightseeing. We are not go-go-go people but want to see some of the highlights. Suggestions?

 

Question 3 - early morning flight on Saturday (8am - was booked at 11 but the airline changed it for us). Will take a taxi to the airport - what time do we need to leave the hotel? I’m thinking 5 am - will that be adequate?

Thanks for your suggestions.

If you are on the domestic side of the terminal, go down one level and you will find both a 7/11 convenience store and next door is a wine and beer store that same a modest selection of wines. Your other option is the Harbour Centre building in downtown Vancouver that also has a liquor store. There are many others, but those two sound like the best options.

I would use skytrain. Short walk from your hotel.

As for what to see in Vancouver it depends on your interest. If you are into the outdoors, there is a shuttle bus to the north shore from in front of the hotel. That location is very central for shopping, museums, art, restaurants, coffee, walking along the water.

1) SkyTrain from Bridgeport station (<10mins walk from your hotel). Head downtown about 9am, arriving 9:30ish, and drop bags at the pier then go sightseeing for a while, returning after 2pm and hitting the Harbour Center BC Liquor Store en route. Wine should to be in carryons not checked bags so no point buying earlier and having to carry it around!

2) HOHO bus will show you around downtown core - see a thing that looks good, get off, if not, keep going until you do!

3) 5am is plenty early - arriving YVR ~5:30am gives more than enough time. I'd get an extra 30mins of sleep at least myself though... even 2hrs early is overkill on weekend mornings with little business travel. If you have Global Entry or NEXUS, 90mins is quite adequate even for US-bound flights.

Thank you for this information! Can’t wait to visit Vancouver- last time we were there we got off the ship and headed straight to the airport! So I’m looking forward to seeing more of the city.

Never thought to drop off the bags on Sunday. Thanks for that suggestion!

Been reading and studying a lot this weekend for this trip.

Groupon has a HOHO special. You can leisurely see things and get off if it interests you

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1) SkyTrain from Bridgeport station (<10mins walk from your hotel). Head downtown about 9am, arriving 9:30ish, and drop bags at the pier then go sightseeing for a while, returning after 2pm and hitting the Harbour Center BC Liquor Store en route. Wine should to be in carryons not checked bags so no point buying earlier and having to carry it around!

2) HOHO bus will show you around downtown core - see a thing that looks good, get off, if not, keep going until you do!

3) 5am is plenty early - arriving YVR ~5:30am gives more than enough time. I'd get an extra 30mins of sleep at least myself though... even 2hrs early is overkill on weekend mornings with little business travel. If you have Global Entry or NEXUS, 90mins is quite adequate even for US-bound flights.

YVR is very busy during cruise season. There can be many ships in port on some days. I would not leave it too late to arrive and do Security and US Customs. AMs can be very busy too.

Nexus passengers have to still remove clothes items and shoes etc., fluids separate and lap top computers, where in the US you often do not have to all that.

The ship may arrive early but it has to Clear before you can disembark.

YVR is very busy during cruise season. There can be many ships in port on some days. I would not leave it too late to arrive and do Security and US Customs. AMs can be very busy too.

Nexus passengers have to still remove clothes items and shoes etc., fluids separate and lap top computers, where in the US you often do not have to all that.

 

The ship may arrive early but it has to Clear before you can disembark.

I think you completely failed to read the post I was replying to - this poster has an 8am flight and is not flying out right after a cruise, so disembarkation time is irrelevant for them, and all the folks disembarking that same day will be getting to YVR long after they are already at the gate for their flight!

Secondly, you do NOT have to remove shoes or virtually any summer clothing for NEXUS scans as a matter of course - bulky outerwear yes, but even regular Canadian security does not require shoe removal unless the shoe 'beeps' due to too much metal or is extremely bulky. In winter I place my coat into the bin - the other three seasons I always ask if whatever light jacket I'm wearing needs removed (varying from a pretty heavy tweed jacket to a waterproof shell) and am always told 'no, keep it on'

I've never once been asked to take off shoes or even ankle-high hiking boots when using NEXUS - check CATSA website and you'll see no mention of shoes at all except a suggestion of what types to avoid to minimise the metal detector risks (i.e. the assumption is that you are wearing them when passing through).

Laptops do have to be removed from bags as does the liquid container, yes, so that is an extra thing compared to TSA Pre - but it's not slow to open a bag and pull out two large items, even if you are a first-timer who does not know to have those ready to slip out. I've only had one TSA Pre experience which was faster than a NEXUS security line - that was last week in PDX when I finally managed to get through the scanner for the first time in 4 years without it beeping about something and then me having to go back to remove one or more items which TSA claim would NOT set off the alarm (watch, wedding ring, belt buckle, and even spectacle frames have all had me 'beep' in US airports - I honestly think that the TSA guys just forget to reset the detectors from 'normal lane' settings more often than not).