timing our Vancouver day

[sss10]

We are in Vancouver before our cruise for 2 days. What time do people usually start to board the ship? I know the ship departs at 5:00 but can we "do" Vancouver until late afternoon or should we plan on getting onboard early afternoon?

[startwin]

We are in Vancouver before our cruise for 2 days. What time do people usually start to board the ship? I know the ship departs at 5:00 but can we "do" Vancouver until late afternoon or should we plan on getting onboard early afternoon?

 

I usually get there around 11. If it's a busy day in port - sometimes 4 ships boarding - it can take awhile to get through, but we are usually onboard by noon. This late in the season they are more organised..... in May it was a complete zoo and later in the day would have been better.:eek: Turned out the US customs guys were the problem but that's a whole 'nother story, LOL.

 

Our cruise leaves Vancouver on a Wednesday which is a much quieter day. Sundays are the busiest.

[smslms]

We are in Vancouver before our cruise for 2 days. What time do people usually start to board the ship? I know the ship departs at 5:00 but can we "do" Vancouver until late afternoon or should we plan on getting onboard early afternoon?

 

A lot of people show up early and want to board at 11:30 to 12:00. If you didn't want to board until 3:30 or so that wouldn't be a problem. Your cabin would be ready although your luggage might get there a little later than normal.

[SwissMyst]

For a Saturday departure with two large ships in port at the same time (Zuiderdam and Coral Princess - about 2000 each), we got there at 10:30 and there was a small crowd already gathering. They let the HAL people in first but they said sometimes the Princess people get in first, depending on who knows what.

 

There can be some big problems here on a few days every year when 5-6 ships are in port at the same time so check one of the port websites (Canada Place has this info) to see how many ships will be in and plan accordingly. Just add up 2000 passengers per ship coming and going and the crews for 5-6 ships and it has caused some really unfortunate meltdowns in the past, but luckily this only happens one or two days a year usually at the beginning and the end of the Alaska cruise seasons.

 

Since you have an overnight in Vancouver, we found the Boneta restaurant in Gastown to be wonderful - casual but they really know their food - classic "poutine" (chips, cheese and sauce) is way better there than it sounds and would bring us back to Vancouver for that alone.

[startwin]

We are in Vancouver before our cruise for 2 days. What time do people usually start to board the ship? I know the ship departs at 5:00 but can we "do" Vancouver until late afternoon or should we plan on getting onboard early afternoon?

 

If you want to make the most of Vancouver - and I know I'm biased but I believe it's the most beautiful city in the world:D - then get to the port later in the day, and do something else with your morning. So much to do quite close by, especially with Stanley Park on one side or Gastown on the other (but don't venture more than a few blocks in). As for eateries, my favourite is the Water Street Cafe in Gastown, or Aqua Vera right by Canada Place, or Steamworks (pub food).

[dmwnc1959]

On the full day you have in Vancouver make the most of it and see Vancouver. On the day you board your ship I wouldn't run the risk of sightseeing and showing up mid-afternoon behind 2000 other guests. And if more than one ship is at Canada Place it can be very busy by noontime. To make it less stressful show up early around 10:30am, get checked in, and once embarkation starts have a nice sit down lunch in the Lido area and tour the ship. Nothing says stress like a mid-afternoon traffic jam around the port entrance and Customs and Immigration Check-in counters.

[sapper1]

I may be way off base here, but HAL requires you to be onboard 90 minutes prior to sailing from US ports so as to comply with US Homeland Security regulations. I know Vancouver is a Canadian port but the ship is destined for US ports so I am wondering if that rule would be in play somehow. If it is, it is not to be sneezed at. I have heard of passengers being denied boarding for turning up after the 90 minute window has closed.

 

Even if the 90 minute rule does not apply, traffic is very heavy in that part of the city and I would not want to leave getting to the port until mid afternoon. There are too many variables.

[DougandEric]

I may be way off base here, but HAL requires you to be onboard 90 minutes prior to sailing from US ports so as to comply with US Homeland Security regulations. I know Vancouver is a Canadian port but the ship is destined for US ports so I am wondering if that rule would be in play somehow. If it is, it is not to be sneezed at. I have heard of passengers being denied boarding for turning up after the 90 minute window has closed.

 

Even if the 90 minute rule does not apply, traffic is very heavy in that part of the city and I would not want to leave getting to the port until mid afternoon. There are too many variables.

 

My thoughts exactly. I would not want to get left behind! I personally would not show up at the pier any later than 2PM just to be safe. Personally I kind of like the mayhem - it's fun to people watch - especially the meltdowns (provided they're personal and not directed at staff or other passengers!) - but then that's the evil side of me!:rolleyes: It's exciting knowing you about to board.

[sss10]

Thanks everyone! I think we'll get to the ship @2:00, gives us a morning and lunch in Vancouver. We arrive in Van. the day before @ 11:00 and I'm thinking we'll head to Granville Isl. for the afternoon. Thanks for the restaurant ideas!

[dmwnc1959]

Thanks everyone! I think we'll get to the ship @2:00, gives us a morning and lunch in Vancouver. We arrive in Van. the day before @ 11:00 and I'm thinking we'll head to Granville Isl. for the afternoon. Thanks for the restaurant ideas!

 

If the weather is nice and you enjoy flowers and manicured gardens try and spend some time here as well:

 

http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/queenelizabeth/

 

It reminds me of a smaller version of the Butchart Gardens in Victoria.

[SwissMyst]

Thanks everyone! I think we'll get to the ship @2:00, gives us a morning and lunch in Vancouver. We arrive in Van. the day before @ 11:00 and I'm thinking we'll head to Granville Isl. for the afternoon. Thanks for the restaurant ideas!

 

Having breakfast in the glass walled Cafe Pacifica in the Pan Pacific Hotel in the Canada Place terminal center will give you a table side view of the ship - and the food is fairly good too. You can get some excellent eye level photos of the ship before departure from their outdoor patio cafe. Worth it to just sit and enjoy views of your new home away from home to start your morning. The sun comes up just right to make her glow at that time of the day.

[3rdGenCunarder]

We're sailing on Zuiderdam in Sept. We are not staying right by Canada Place, so I'm thinking about boarding early (mainly to get rid of luggage), having lunch, and then going out for an hour or two. What's a good hour's walk near the pier? And somebody mentioned a liquor store near the pier? Where's that? We don't usually schlepp wine on a cruise, but a few bottles of bubbly for the balcony might be nice to have.

[startwin]

We're sailing on Zuiderdam in Sept. We are not staying right by Canada Place, so I'm thinking about boarding early (mainly to get rid of luggage), having lunch, and then going out for an hour or two. What's a good hour's walk near the pier? And somebody mentioned a liquor store near the pier? Where's that? We don't usually schlepp wine on a cruise, but a few bottles of bubbly for the balcony might be nice to have.

 

There's a liquor store across the road and east a bit, at Harbour Centre, on the ground level.

[SwissMyst]

We're sailing on Zuiderdam in Sept. We are not staying right by Canada Place, so I'm thinking about boarding early (mainly to get rid of luggage), having lunch, and then going out for an hour or two. What's a good hour's walk near the pier? And somebody mentioned a liquor store near the pier? Where's that? We don't usually schlepp wine on a cruise, but a few bottles of bubbly for the balcony might be nice to have.

 

One problem is most things around Canada Place on Saturday are closed or quite dead. Walking into Gastown which is quite touristy may be your only option, or taking the Canada Line metro out to some other part of the city to explore. There are lively chinatowns now out in the suburbs by the airport - Richmond etc.

 

Personally, since this is a large city I would take one of the city bus tours that lets you see and explore some of its far flung highlights in your short time there. On a Saturday.

 

Getting on the ship by 11:30 am for us allowed us time for our Mariner's Lunch, a quiet time to explore the ship, secure our dining preferences, then settle into the cabin and be there when the luggage arrived so we were all unpacked and ready for the sailaway and dinner.

[Davidson Duo]

One problem is most things around Canada Place on Saturday are closed or quite dead.

 

I'm not too sure what kind of places you are interested in as a tourist that are closed on a Saturday in downtown Vancouver. Saturday is actually their busiest day of shopping, so most retail outlets, parks, sightseeing tours, and adventure tours are open. Could you please elaborate about what places you have found closed Saturdays?

[SwissMyst]

I'm not too sure what kind of places you are interested in as a tourist that are closed on a Saturday in downtown Vancouver. Saturday is actually their busiest day of shopping, so most retail outlets, parks, sightseeing tours, and adventure tours are open. Could you please elaborate about what places you have found closed Saturdays?

 

Pretty much everything around Canada Place when we were there in June, at least before going over to the ship at 10:30 am. My guess is all those shops and underground places would be lively and busy during the week work days, but they were shuttered up on Saturday morning. I should have said we were not in this area later in the day. Thanks for pointing out this distinction if things open up later and are livelier downtown later on Saturday. Some locals on Chowhound told me to expect many downtown restaurants that catered to the working crowd would not be open on weekends. Bonus is less traffic so it is easier to get around and quieter.

[chipmaster]

Stanley Park one can explore for a day.

 

If you are into asian eats a drive to Richmond is in order.

 

Downtown for shopping and sightseeing is another thing.

 

We are in Vancouver before our cruise for 2 days. What time do people usually start to board the ship? I know the ship departs at 5:00 but can we "do" Vancouver until late afternoon or should we plan on getting onboard early afternoon?

[3rdGenCunarder]

One problem is most things around Canada Place on Saturday are closed or quite dead. Walking into Gastown which is quite touristy may be your only option, or taking the Canada Line metro out to some other part of the city to explore. There are lively chinatowns now out in the suburbs by the airport - Richmond etc.

 

Personally, since this is a large city I would take one of the city bus tours that lets you see and explore some of its far flung highlights in your short time there. On a Saturday.

 

Getting on the ship by 11:30 am for us allowed us time for our Mariner's Lunch, a quiet time to explore the ship, secure our dining preferences, then settle into the cabin and be there when the luggage arrived so we were all unpacked and ready for the sailaway and dinner.

 

This is what we usually do, too. We're arriving the day before by train, so we'll have an afternoon in Vancouver. If weather cooperates, we'll see some of Stanley Park. If it's rainy, we'll do a bus tour. We have the next Saturday, too, since we're staying on until San Francisco. So we have the whole port day to spend in Vancouver, probably focusing on Granville.

 

DH will NOT agree to take mass transit out of town just for the afternoon. We rented a car in Ft Lauderdale on a one-day stop so we could drive to South Beach and a HUGE accident on I-95 made us almost late returning to the ship. Fortunately, we left SoBe with a lot of extra time, and the guy at Hertz drove us back in the car, rather than making us wait for the shuttle. So we didn't miss the ship. But the fear of missing it has made us leery of doing too much. That's why I asked about walking distance from the pier.

 

Sounds like a "settle in" day is a better way to go.

[startwin]

The food fairs around the downtown core are closed on weekends - with the exception of Waterfront Place - because they cater to the business crowd during the week. Other restaurants are open, and all tourist venues. Robson Street is always incredibly busy on weekends, just a few blocks up from Waterfront. Gastown too. You'll find lots to do and places to eat.

 

Checking in around 2 pm would give you the whole morning, but you'd have your luggage to worry about, so maybe checking in early and then going back off the ship might be the best solution, as was suggested by an earlier poster.

[SwissMyst]

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The public transit in Vancouver is a treat- the Canada Place line is the perfect way to get from the ship to the airport directly with no hassles other than having to walk a few blocks from the port to the station. From from then on, it is home free and very easy to get to your gate at the airport - great signage all the way and even some boarding pass kiosks in the stations. Worth it just for the ride alone to see how this works so well as a day activity - RT.

 

Your signature line "3rdGen Cunarder" got me thinking, except mine would be "3rd Gen P&O'er" (sounds almost impolite :o) -- need to think about my next cruise ship here and carry on my own family tradition.

 

Except the one I remember most is seeing my grandparents off on the Matson Line Lurline to Hawaii from the SF piers - get chills just thinking about the magic of it all and when they would come home with stories about the Hawaiian Islands and the leis in the water. The might as well had visited the moon in my young eyes with those stories.

[3rdGenCunarder]

The public transit in Vancouver is a treat- the Canada Place line is the perfect way to get from the ship to the airport directly with no hassles other than having to walk a few blocks from the port to the station. From from then on, it is home free and very easy to get to your gate at the airport - great signage all the way and even some boarding pass kiosks in the stations. Worth it just for the ride alone to see how this works so well as a day activity - RT.

 

Your signature line "3rdGen Cunarder" got me thinking, except mine would be "3rd Gen P&O'er" (sounds almost impolite :o) -- need to think about my next cruise ship here and carry on my own family tradition.

 

Except the one I remember most is seeing my grandparents off on the Matson Line Lurline to Hawaii from the SF piers - get chills just thinking about the magic of it all and when they would come home with stories about the Hawaiian Islands and the leis in the water. The might as well had visited the moon in my young eyes with those stories.

 

Thread drift alert! My first memory of a ship was seeing my parents' friends off on a winter cruise to the Caribbean. I was maybe 6 or 7. All I remember was being fascinated by the idea of a swimming pool on a ship, and wondering why the doorways had to be stepped over to go out on deck. That and watching An Affair to Remember a zillion times when I was a teenager got me hooked on the idea of cruising!

[sss10]

Checking in around 2 pm would give you the whole morning, but you'd have your luggage to worry about, so maybe checking in early and then going back off the ship might be the best solution, as was suggested by an earlier poster.

 

We will be staying at the Pan Pacific the night before the cruise so will leave luggage there when we check out and return to pick it up just before boarding the ship.

[SwissMyst]

.....

We will be staying at the Pan Pacific the night before the cruise so will leave luggage there when we check out and return to pick it up just before boarding the ship.

 

We stayed at the Fairmont and paid extra for the East Port View room which was spectacular but the Zuiderdam came in on the western side of the port so we ended up with great photos of the Coral Princess with no hint of the Zuiderdam from our pricey room.

 

The end rooms at the Pan Pacific can give you views on both sides of the port, and a better shot seeing the HAL ship IF, they still dock on the same sides as they did when we were there -- HAL on the westside - Princess on the East side. Worth getting up early to see her (or them) come in to port from that Pan Pacific hotel view.