Vancouver to Seattle advice

[Cy'all@C]

We disembark in Vancouver on a Monday with a 5am flight out of Seattle on Tuesday. Before leaving Vancouver we'd like to see the Capilano Bridge and take the 6-ish Amtrak train to Seattle. How do we best do this? I'm wondering about our luggage and transportation from ship to Bridge and Bridge to train station. Thanks.

 

Also, since our Seattle flight the next day is at 5am we'd like to stay at a hotel near the airport. Do you know of any hotel that offers shuttles to the train station as well as the airport? Thanks again!

 

Trudy

[martincath]

We disembark in Vancouver on a Monday with a 5am flight out of Seattle on Tuesday. Before leaving Vancouver we'd like to see the Capilano Bridge and take the 6-ish Amtrak train to Seattle. How do we best do this? I'm wondering about our luggage and transportation from ship to Bridge and Bridge to train station. Thanks.

 

Also' date=' since our Seattle flight the next day is at 5am we'd like to stay at a hotel near the airport. Do you know of any hotel that offers shuttles to the train station as well as the airport? Thanks again!

 

Trudy[/quote']

If Cap Bridge is your main thing to do, then the simplest (NB: not best - there's no option that is best for all!) is probably to leave your bags at Canada Place pier, then get on the free shuttle that goes to the bridge from just outside, and use it to return when you're done at the bridge. On your return, you could use transit to get to Pacific Central (Amtrak Station) but a taxi should a) cost only $10 or less, b) there won't be big queues of cruisers piling off their ships when you come back so long wait for the cabs.

 

You do need to pick up your bags at the pier by 4pm - which is more than enough time to do Cap Bridge justice and get back. Dining on the Amtrak is, well, OK but far from great - if you want to get food near the Amtrak station there are limited options, Campagnolo is on the next block up Main Street. It opens at 5pm though, so grab food to go - I love their salumi platter and the large fits nicely in a couple of to-go containers. It's big enough to make a decent picnic for two. There's also a Subway if a sandwich for dinner will be enough.

 

Seattle - all the hotels near the airport offer shuttles, but nobody does a shuttle to Amtrak, it's far too far from Seatac. Amtrak is right downtown, next door to light rail and bus services. I've used the light rail out to Seatac several times, it's really hard to get lost as long as you can find the ticket machines (upstairs on street level) and go down the escalator/elevator to the right platform (they're clearly marked which direction, towards Seatac or towards Westlake).

 

Local Seattleites can probably recommend a cab or car service and cost it much more accurately than I, but ballpark $40 should get you from downtown to Seatac hotels.

[Cy'all@C]

If Cap Bridge is your main thing to do, then the simplest (NB: not best - there's no option that is best for all!) is probably to leave your bags at Canada Place pier, then get on the free shuttle that goes to the bridge from just outside, and use it to return when you're done at the bridge. On your return, you could use transit to get to Pacific Central (Amtrak Station) but a taxi should a) cost only $10 or less, b) there won't be big queues of cruisers piling off their ships when you come back so long wait for the cabs.

 

You do need to pick up your bags at the pier by 4pm - which is more than enough time to do Cap Bridge justice and get back. Dining on the Amtrak is, well, OK but far from great - if you want to get food near the Amtrak station there are limited options, Campagnolo is on the next block up Main Street. It opens at 5pm though, so grab food to go - I love their salumi platter and the large fits nicely in a couple of to-go containers. It's big enough to make a decent picnic for two. There's also a Subway if a sandwich for dinner will be enough.

 

Seattle - all the hotels near the airport offer shuttles, but nobody does a shuttle to Amtrak, it's far too far from Seatac. Amtrak is right downtown, next door to light rail and bus services. I've used the light rail out to Seatac several times, it's really hard to get lost as long as you can find the ticket machines (upstairs on street level) and go down the escalator/elevator to the right platform (they're clearly marked which direction, towards Seatac or towards Westlake).

 

Local Seattleites can probably recommend a cab or car service and cost it much more accurately than I, but ballpark $40 should get you from downtown to Seatac hotels.

 

Your suggestions sound very doable! Can you tell me more about leaving the bags at Canada Place? Is this through the cruise line? Is there a fee? I know nothing about the light rail in Seattle but if it can accommodate patrons with luggage for a significant savings, then we're in! Thanks for the info.

 

Trudy

[martincath]

Your suggestions sound very doable! Can you tell me more about leaving the bags at Canada Place? Is this through the cruise line? Is there a fee? I know nothing about the light rail in Seattle but if it can accommodate patrons with luggage for a significant savings' date=' then we're in! Thanks for the info.

 

Trudy[/quote']

Sorry, I should have put the link up before - Priority Baggage are the people who store bags at Canada Place. Unfortunately their website has had the old info removed, but no new info put back on it yet - they have been confirmed to be in operation this season though.

 

Here's their phone number and last year's pricing schedule:

 

CANADA PLACE CRUISE TERMINAL

(604) 683-3696

Open: CLOSED UNTIL 2012 Cruise Season

Hours: 7:30am/0730 Closed: 4:00pm/1600

(Closed MONDAY, THURSDAY and closed on days no ship is docked at Canada Place Pier)

 

 

Prices:

 

$5.00 – Small i.e. Carry-on luggage

$6.00 – Regular i.e. Average sized suitcases, Small boxes

$7.50 – Oversized items i.e. large trunks, larges boxes and sports equipment

Prices are per piece, per day.

 

As to the Seattle light rail - here's the website. It'll be $2.75 per person (you'll be getting on at International District/Chinatown station, and riding to the end of the line at Seatac).

[Putterdude]

I will toss out another option for luggage and that will be to take it to the bell desk at either the Pan Pacific or the Fairmont Waterfront hotels and give the bell captain a nice tip to hold your luggage for you.

[Cy'all@C]

Here's their phone number and last year's pricing schedule:

 

CANADA PLACE CRUISE TERMINAL

(604) 683-3696

Open: CLOSED UNTIL 2012 Cruise Season

Hours: 7:30am/0730 Closed: 4:00pm/1600

(Closed MONDAY, THURSDAY and closed on days no ship is docked at Canada Place Pier)

 

As to the Seattle light rail - here's the website. It'll be $2.75 per person (you'll be getting on at International District/Chinatown station, and riding to the end of the line at Seatac).

Thanks for the link to the light rail. Unfortunately our ship sails in on a Monday so we'll need to rethink leaving our bags at Canada Place.

 

I will toss out another option for luggage and that will be to take it to the bell desk at either the Pan Pacific or the Fairmont Waterfront hotels and give the bell captain a nice tip to hold your luggage for you.

Thanks for giving us another option. If we go to PP or the FW, will we need a taxi from the pier? Does the free shuttle to the Suspension Bridge pick up/drop off from either of those locations? Much appreciate your input!

 

Trudy

[scottbee]

Thanks for giving us another option. If we go to PP or the FW' date=' will we need a taxi from the pier? Does the free shuttle to the Suspension Bridge pick up/drop off from either of those locations? Much appreciate your input!

[/quote']

 

The Pan Pacific is on top of the Cruise Ship facility, the Fairmont Waterfront is across the street.

 

The free shuttle to Capilano picks up from in front of Canada Place basically in front of the western berth -- exit Canada Place, turn right and there's an info booth about 75 metres away, and that's where it picks up.

 

From the sound of the popularity of luggage services, and the fact that a few of us work right downtown, I suspect we're in the wrong business, and should just be holding luggage for people.

[Cy'all@C]

The Pan Pacific is on top of the Cruise Ship facility, the Fairmont Waterfront is across the street.

 

The free shuttle to Capilano picks up from in front of Canada Place basically in front of the western berth -- exit Canada Place, turn right and there's an info booth about 75 metres away, and that's where it picks up.

 

From the sound of the popularity of luggage services, and the fact that a few of us work right downtown, I suspect we're in the wrong business, and should just be holding luggage for people.

 

Thanks for the info. Sounds easy enough.

BTW... If I had a luggage service I'd call it "Bag Lady" and change the whole connotation of the word. :p

 

 

Trudy

[Cy'all@C]

Train transportation won't work for us this time. We realized our arriving in Seattle at 10pm with a 5:30am flight is crazy. We couldn't justify getting a hotel for 5 hrs and didn't like the idea of hanging out at the airport for so long. So we want to arrive in Seattle ASAP via bus.

Are there any advantages to taking the Quick Shuttle or Amtrak bus over the ship's transfer? QS is actually $8pp more than ship's transfer. Thanks.

 

Trudy

[papadave]

We disembark in Vancouver on a Monday with a 5am flight out of Seattle on Tuesday. Before leaving Vancouver we'd like to see the Capilano Bridge and take the 6-ish Amtrak train to Seattle. How do we best do this? I'm wondering about our luggage and transportation from ship to Bridge and Bridge to train station. Thanks.

 

Also' date=' since our Seattle flight the next day is at 5am we'd like to stay at a hotel near the airport. Do you know of any hotel that offers shuttles to the train station as well as the airport? Thanks again!

 

Trudy[/quote']

 

We went from Vancouver to Seattle, post cruise, by Amtrak four years ago. It was a nice way to travel. Sushi (to go) in the Vancouver Amtrak station was quite decent and the train ride was very pleasant. The train station in Seattle is quite close to the stadium. The night we arrived a game (or perhaps a concert) was letting out and it took quite a while to get from the station to our downtown hotel. I can't really offer sound advice here, but you may want to arrange your transportation in advance if there is an event across the street from the Seattle Amtrak station.

[Putterdude]

Train transportation won't work for us this time. We realized our arriving in Seattle at 10pm with a 5:30am flight is crazy. We couldn't justify getting a hotel for 5 hrs and didn't like the idea of hanging out at the airport for so long. So we want to arrive in Seattle ASAP via bus.

Are there any advantages to taking the Quick Shuttle or Amtrak bus over the ship's transfer? QS is actually $8pp more than ship's transfer. Thanks.

 

Trudy

 

I must say that I am surprised that QS is more than the ship's transfer....in which case having done ship's transfers elsewhere....I can't think of a single reason not to go with the ship's transfer.

[langleyfld]

After disembarking in Vancouver, how early is safe to board the Quick Shuttle to Seattle?

I know the ship arrives at 8am on a Monday. How do we get to Quick Shuttle? And which would be better, the 9:15 am or the 10:45 am be better, after disembarking?