Looking for options in Vancouver before we fly back home

Hi! My trip to Alaska via Vancouver is fast approaching . We are all set to go but confused what to do the last day.

We have a very late flight back home the day we arrive back from the cruise. So we are looking for what to do that day that is fairly easy. We have 4 in our party including a 8 year old.

First off..when we get off the cruise what can we do with all our luggage?

Second off...any ideas? Is there a HOHO bus fairly close to the terminal? Any sight seeing fairly close? Walkable?

Thirdly...best way to get back to the airport once we collect our bags.

Thanks! Appreciate it!

Late flight - send bags to YVR. Removes any hassle of having to return to the pier (where you can store them, but MUST come back pretty early as they close by about 4:30pm) or a hotel (bell staff at big/good hotels, e.g. Pan Pacific and Fairmont Waterfront which are literally above and across the street from the pier respectively, will hold non-guest bags for a fee).

NB: a recent report from someone who used the 'send bags to YVR' service at the pier confirmed the pricing has remained the same (CAD$40 for first 4 bags, $10 per extra) but had some hassles on the customer service front - initially told it must be prebooked so they could not do it and some emaiuls had gone unresponded to... so DO contact CDS in advance, and if they don't answer emails CALL THEM to ensure you can do this.

Walkable depends on your group - if they can handle say half a mile in one go, and maybe 5 miles total spread over the whole day, you can do basically ANYTHING downtown!

HOHO stops right at the pier (and many other places). For 8 people though - woof, lots of cash! A private tour with a driver/guide in a ivan that fits you all could be comparable in total cost and would get you to everywhere you need to see, without any issues for a large group on HOHO (8 people, but if only 7 seats on next wehicle... will you split up the group or stay together and wait 20 mins while hoping next bus can take you all...?)

A regular bus tour is unlikely to be optimal - generally 4 hrs so don't fill much of the day, and longer ones go out of town with too-short stops at the various sites IMO. They would take care of your bags under the bus, but you'd still be paying a hefty sum for 8 people (much more than the HOHO) and ending up at YVR far too early to check-in your bags (4 hrs preflight at most before you can do that).

BEST way to airport - no such thing. Best way for YOU... you need to figure out! Options - SkyTrain is cheapest and fastest, but you need to be comfortable with using transit. It's easy to use and to find, ticket machines also pretty simple, but US credit cards need a Chip & PIN to guarantee they will work - if you don't have these yet and cannot organize getting one, you need to consider acquiring local cash to buy tickets. An evening ride to YVR is $2.85pp adults, $1.85 Seniors and Kids<14 so there's no way you'll beat that price. 2 cabs MIGHT be able to take you and your bags - depends how many bags you have - but if you do send your bags to the airport in advance any 2 cabs will definitely seat 8 of you, and kids do not need car seats in Vancouver taxis (legally-speaking - you may of course feel that you WANT to use a seat for your 8 year old...) Cabs are metered, approx $35 per vehicle.

A rental van for the day could be a bargain if you do your research on what to see, as even our outrageous downtown parking fees become cheap when divided by 8 people. This would also get you to YVR - but I'd recommend still using the 'send bags' service as theft from parked cars is endemic here, especially in downtown core and at all major tourist sites even miles out of town (tourists in rental cars have suitcases with all sorts of nice easily-fenced stuff in them - and minivans dpn't have a trunk you can hide stuff inside).

Last option to YVR would be a stretch limo - fixed rates are available between airport and pier in both directions, seats for up to 10, big trunk, and while about double the price of a cab per person are still significantly less than cruiseline transfers (which run US$24-29pp). Cruiseline-booked HOHOs and bus tours are also jacked up - plus they're just resold versions of the local coach company tours, so book direct in CAD and save time as well as being able to deal direct in the event of any issues, rather than having to contact your cruiseline to then contact the locals. Viator don't jack up pricing as much as cruiselines, but are never cheaper and rarely even the same price once you factor in currency exchange, with the same issue about contacting the tour providers.

Thanks. very informing

There's a service in Vancouver called Porter Genie that will pick up, store, and deliver your luggage anywhere in Vancouver, including the airport. We're using them to deliver our luggage from the port to our hotel while we go sight-seeing.

^Depending which hotel you're in that could be a total ripoff... many if not most downtown hotels are walkable from the pier, or at most a very, very short cab ride (anything over $15 on the meter for a cabload of people and luggage means you were ripped off - and that would be for the most distant possible hotels, the handful that are over 1.5 miles away).

If you're at an airport hotel it makes more sense - but again compare the pricing of Genie to CDS, who charge $40 for the first 4 then $10 per bag over that for shipping to YVR. Since you get free hotel shuttles from YVR, it's convenient and cheap to take SkyTrain to YVR after a day sightseeing, collect bags, then the free shuttle to your hotel for no more than a total of $4.10pp (less than $3pp if going after 6:30pm or on weekends) versus a cab that usually runs $40-50 from downtown to most airport hotels.