Convince Me R/T Vancouver is Worth It!

[jormot]

We currently have the Crown Princess booked for May 2016 R/T Seattle. They are offering a similar trip one week earlier R/T Vancouver. Same ports with just a little more time in port with the Vancouver departure. However, it would cost us almost $1600 more for the Vancouver trip as we have free flights to Seattle. I know there are options for getting to Vancouver from Seattle for a reasonable price but we have two issues. One, we are short on time and only have the day prior to the cruise and the day after for travel. Two, we have never been to Seattle or Vancouver and since we are going to one want to spend a bit of time exploring one of the two cities rather than going from plane to bus/train. I just can't help replaying the options over and over and second guessing our decision. Help!!!!

[Budget Queen]

We currently have the Crown Princess booked for May 2016 R/T Seattle. They are offering a similar trip one week earlier R/T Vancouver. Same ports with just a little more time in port with the Vancouver departure. However, it would cost us almost $1600 more for the Vancouver trip as we have free flights to Seattle. I know there are options for getting to Vancouver from Seattle for a reasonable price but we have two issues. One, we are short on time and only have the day prior to the cruise and the day after for travel. Two, we have never been to Seattle or Vancouver and since we are going to one want to spend a bit of time exploring one of the two cities rather than going from plane to bus/train. I just can't help replaying the options over and over and second guessing our decision. Help!!!!

 

You make reference to time and money, I think you have answered your own question?

 

But the "second guessing", means- a conflict, in my opinion? And YOU not being "ok" with your current choice. Is there an option for more time, if you wait? Is the money an issue? I'm no help in any of your choices, because you are the only one who should make them. You're going to get the should and shouldn't replies, but look at what you are really saying? It is going to have to be a compromise you can live with.

[Coral]

I would do the Seattle trip this time and next time (there will be a next time :) ) when you have more vacation time, look at a Vancouver departure. Vancouver and Seattle both have plenty to see before the cruise.

 

$1600 can buy a lot of excursions and a down payment towards another cruise.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Coral

[Putterdude]

IMO the best product is a Vancouver itinerary...call me biased if you will as I live here. That out of the way, some of the best scenery is between here and the north tip of Vancouver Is., what you don't see going up, you are likely going to see on the way back. Out of Seattle you are going to have the better part of a day in either direction out in the Pacific on the west side of Vancouver Is. where you are going to see nothing. In the end its a decision that you have to make, its going to take a little more time, you are going to need passports if your don't have them already and its going to cost you more.

[xlxo]

If you never been to Cascadia... why not fly into Vancouver and then go home from Seattle.

 

What would Vancouver offer you?

• inside passage
  
• a collapsed currency for additional savings
  
• Whistler and Banff for extended stays
  
• La Casa & Bella Gelato
  
• Mink chocolates
  
• Japadog
  
• lots of Asian dining opportunities!
  
• Storybrooke
  
• a hockey team!
  
• Whitecaps
  
• yes they have Starbucks too!
  

Then again... if time is short.... Vancouver may be too much for you as it can fill several days...

 

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Edited June 10, 2015 by xlxo

[Ashland]

IMO the best product is a Vancouver itinerary...call me biased if you will as I live here. That out of the way, some of the best scenery is between here and the north tip of Vancouver Is., what you don't see going up, you are likely going to see on the way back. Out of Seattle you are going to have the better part of a day in either direction out in the Pacific on the west side of Vancouver Is. where you are going to see nothing. In the end its a decision that you have to make, its going to take a little more time, you are going to need passports if your don't have them already and its going to cost you more.

We have always done the northbound cruise on RCI Radiance (yes..I'm a loyal royalite)...but this September (last minute booking for us) we had the choice of roundtrip Seattle on Jewel or Vancouver on Radiance...glad to see we have made the right choice.

 

Also how do you (your personal opinion please) think the waters will be on this route...at this time of year...chances of calm seas or not ?

 

I'm very familure with your posts and the general vacinity you live...have given you a wave...but not sure you noticed...I'll try again this September 4th ;):)

[LEtue]

Since you didn't give the actual dates I am assuming you mean the May 21st Crown vs May 14 Star?

 

The port time in Ketchikan is too short on the Crown and you get Sitka on the Star :) Plus as mentioned, leaving from Vancouver is so much better for scenery and it eliminates the manditory stop in Victoria and you spend the last day sailing along Vancouver Island into Vancouver. :D

 

You didn't mention how many of you are traveling but I have never found flying into YVR that much more whether using FF miles or buying seats :confused: There are also lots of flight on Alaska Air between the two cities or stay in Seattle and take the morning train to Vancouver to meet the ship. It is a beautiful 4 hour trip along the coast. Then either fly home from Vancouver or return to Seattle. Lots of options to check before you eliminate leaving from Vancouver.

[CruisingSince2012]

I agree with the people who said it is better to see Vancouver than spend a day traveling from Seattle. You can take a HOHO tour the morning of embarkation - I will do that - to see some of Vancouver. However, if you can stay in a hotel at both ends of the cruise, Seattle would offer more to do.

 

You did not say what day of the week the Victoria stop would be on. If it is on a Friday or Saturday night, you will have plenty to do there. Any other day, you'll see more places that are closed.

[tangerinebunny]

How does the money impact your budget? For some people, it's not much, for others it's a lot.

 

Odds are you'll enjoy either trip. Pick one and then stop comparing.

[bonvoyagie]

Well I see that the ship will be the same - the Crown Princess. It looks like Princess is doing 2 RT out of Vancouver before locking into the Seattle RT.

 

The cruises visit the same ports - on the Vancouver RT you shoot all the way to Glacier Bay from Vancouver - you arrive around 11:00 AM - usually the ships arrive around 6 AM - not sure if the park rangers would be onboard for your 11AM arrival. You would also miss Victoria - which is a neat place to see.

 

The Seattle RT gets to Juneau in the usual day and a half - you get a reasonable amount of time here - all in the afternoon. Good news is that the fog may clear enough to get great views from Mt Roberts.

a full day in Skagway and Glacier Bay then on to Ketchikan for the morning then it is off for another sea day to Victoria - arriving at 7:00 PM you will probably not be able to book an Orca Whale watch - but the downtown harbor area is wonderful after dark.

 

On my first AK cruise (back in 02) we left from Seattle and went through the inside of the island - I believe we went to Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm and Ketchikan in that order. We did the same trip again in 03 - in 12 we went the same route as you are taking. Yes I have never cruised out of Vancouver.

 

I have looked and the cruise prices are the same for either itinerary so your 1600 must all be in airfare. Not sure how many of you there are, or where you are flying in from. If it is from the central or eastern time zone you could take advantage of the time zone differences and leave late Fri PM and take the AM train from Seattle to Vancouver and then to the ship.

 

You would have a full day and a half before Glacier Bay and two days until the first port to recover :D

[quack2]

For me it's two things:

 

1. The last day at sea coming through the narrows at dusk. Just beautiful.

 

2. Coming into Vancouver in the early morning with the sun reflecting off the skyline. The bad thing is that the cruise is coming to an end.

[TATraveler]

We cruised out of Seattle this year. On the outside of Vancouver Island, we saw puffins and whales on the way up. On the way back, we got our first chance to do some things on board the ship. In Alaska, we had hardly any time for the ship activities so it was nice to have that relaxing shipboard day before disembarking. And if you want to see wilderness, there is nothing more wilderness than open ocean. Seeing puffins was a trip highlight for me. I've never seen them in the wild. So it was totally worth it to go that way.

 

We debated. But realistically, we're local to Seattle metro and could drive up Vancouver Island and see the narrows. The convenience of leaving out of Seattle was worth it....even though I'm probably in the minority when I say I could miss Victoria, IMHO, a wasted day. And I would have liked to have spent more time up north, since I'm from here and can see the beauty of this region anytime, so the fact that the Vancouver itinerary includes Sitka might be justification.

 

Sooooo I would say, if you think you might cruise to Alaska again, then use your free plane tix. You'll enjoy the outside of Vancouver Island for the reasons I listed and maybe more. But if this is a one time deal....mmmmm.....it's probably worth $1600 for more Alaska via Sitka plus the narrows.

[Budget Queen]

.

 

The cruises visit the same ports - on the Vancouver RT you shoot all the way to Glacier Bay from Vancouver - you arrive around 11:00 AM - usually the ships arrive around 6 AM - not sure if the park rangers would be onboard for your 11AM arrival. You would also miss

 

ALL cruise ships are escorted into Glacier Bay with Park Rangers on board cruise ships.

[LEtue]

Just to add, it doesn't take a day to travel to Vancouver - only 4 hours. The train leaves at 7:45 am and arrives in Vancouver at 11:45 am. Then you can transfer right to the ship. Works well for a pre-cruise stay in Seattle and part of the adventure :)

 

Also, I would disagree that Seattle has more to do than Vancouver. I guess it would depend on what you what you like to do but wow, there are so many wonderful areas to explore - Granville Island, Stanley Park, Gastown, Grousse Mountain.

 

Both cities offer great pre-cruise options - even for a short stay. So what cruise do you want to take? That is the real decision :)

[Casey12]

For $1600, you can do another cruise to Alaska the following year. Go out of Seattle and see if you like Alaska. Return with the money another year.

[captain_hug99]

We currently have the Crown Princess booked for May 2016 R/T Seattle. They are offering a similar trip one week earlier R/T Vancouver. Same ports with just a little more time in port with the Vancouver departure. However, it would cost us almost $1600 more for the Vancouver trip as we have free flights to Seattle. I know there are options for getting to Vancouver from Seattle for a reasonable price but we have two issues. One, we are short on time and only have the day prior to the cruise and the day after for travel. Two, we have never been to Seattle or Vancouver and since we are going to one want to spend a bit of time exploring one of the two cities rather than going from plane to bus/train. I just can't help replaying the options over and over and second guessing our decision. Help!!!!

We had a similar time constraint and flew to Seattle due to having enough points for free airfare on Southwest. Here is what we did. Our ship was Wednesday R/T from Vancouver.

 

Tuesday: flew from Denver to Seattle, got in at 10:30 at Seattle hotel by 11:30. Spent the day touring the city.

Wednesday morning: train to Vancouver, got on the boat.

Wednesday a week later, off the boat, dropped off bags at Vancouver hotel. Toured the city.

Thursday morning: train to Seattle, plane to Denver.

 

Of course your flight times might not work as well as ours did.

Edited June 13, 2015 by captain_hug99
spelling

[varoo]

IMO the best product is a Vancouver itinerary...call me biased if you will as I live here. That out of the way, some of the best scenery is between here and the north tip of Vancouver Is., what you don't see going up, you are likely going to see on the way back. Out of Seattle you are going to have the better part of a day in either direction out in the Pacific on the west side of Vancouver Is. where you are going to see nothing......

Well, I do not live in Vancouver but as someone who has done it both ways, I totally agree with you.

 

People cruising out of Seattle who have never done the Vancouver itinerary are likely to be unaware of how much they are missing.

 

But cruising back down through the beautiful inside passage enjoying the magnificent scenery recently, I was really feeling sorry for the people who miss it all by spending that day traveling out in the open ocean instead.

 

On the northbound itinerary from Vancouver, occasionally we have even been lucky to get an additional bonus treat when the captain decided to take us up the narrow, scenic Grenville Channel.

 

 

I am not claiming that we will never again take an Alaska cruise from Seattle instead of Vancouver, but it has to be an especially good deal or an unusual itinerary to entice us to do it.

 

[aarrcc2]

Not to confuse you more but we will make our 14th annual trip to Alaska in August and if you like/love Alaska, I'm sure you will be back in the future. For your trip in 2016, you have free airfare to Seattle and limited time. Seattle is a great city (as is Vancouver) so enjoy seeing Seattle and save yourself $1600! As someone else said you can use that money for your next trip to Alaska. I bet there will be a next trip because you'll want to see Denali and mainland Alaska! And yes one of our trips was round trip Seattle and we loved it. So will you!

[BCHappyGal]

Info on Vancouver from a local!

 

My favorite must do attractions are

 

1) Grouse Mountain – http://www.grousemountain.com – this is a wonderful scenic mountain only about 15 mins from downtown Vancouver. Ride the airtram to the top for lots of fun activities that include a loggers show, birds of prey show, 2 movies (1 about the Vancouver area and 1 about the 2 Grizzly Bears who make their home on Grouse Mtn) ride a chair lift higher up the mountain to visit the wind turbine that generates approximately 30% of the power required for Grouse Mountain Resort and visit with 2 live Grizzly Bears. Thrill to a 2 hour Zip Line Tour. Enjoy a meal in any of the restaurants. Caveat only spend the money to go up on a clear day.

2) Capilano Suspension Bridge – http://www.capbridge.com – this is Vancouver’s oldest tourist attraction and I still enjoy visiting it! Located on Capilano Road just before you reach the Grouse Mountain parking lot. Walk across a suspension Bridge over the Capilano Gorge, wonder the trails thru the rain forest, walk thru the treetops on the new Tree Top Adventure, traverse a Cliff Top walk, visit the trading post for a huge selection of souvenirs, watch native weavers and/or carvers at work.

3) Capilano Fish Hatchery is also located on Capilano Road and is a great place to view salmon jumping up the fish ladders to get around the Cleveland Dam. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capilano_River_Regional_Park

4) Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge – http://www.lynncanyon.ca - is also located in North Vancouver and is much less touristy than Capilano but it also is not as spectacular. The bridge is slightly higher above the water but much shorter in span. Located in a Provincial Park this bridge comes with some nice hiking trails and you will find an ecology centre in the park as well as picnic tables and a food concession outlet. Should you choose to enjoy the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge always cross the suspension bridge first and then hike down the trail to the lower (Twin Falls wooden) bridge to cross back over the Lynn Valley River and return to your car – that way you are hiking downhill rather than uphill. It is also free to visit this suspension bridge!

5) Stanley Park – http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/ - is the crown jewel of Vancouver's parks. As one of North America's largest urban parks, covering over a 1000 acres and offering an abundance of activities. Enjoy the totem pole collection near the Brockton Point Light House, hiking trails, beaches, water parks for the kids (young & old), rose gardens, miniature train, petting zoo, aquarium –http://www.vanaqua.org – many view points, and several restaurants.

6) Vancouver Aquarium – http://www.vanaqua.org – is Canada’s largest aquarium and is committed to the conservation of marine life and education. Located in Stanley Park this is a fun place for the family to visit.

7) Fly Over Canada incorporates state of the art technology in an Imax theatre to show you supernatural Canada, Fly from coast to coast taking in breath stealing views of Niagara Falls, Lake Louise, The Rockies & more. Spectacular! http://www.flyovercanada.com

8) Gas Town – the location where Vancouver originated. The name is derived from a very colorful character named Gassy Jack who was one of the first settlers in the area and a salon keeper – while in Gas Town don’t miss your photo op with the statue of Gassy Jack and by the Steam Clock.

9) At the start of Gas Town is the Harbor Centre Tower http://www.vancouverlookout.com a great spot to start your tour of Vancouver with a birds eye view of the city. Either take the elevator up to the lookout level or go to the top and enjoy a meal in the revolving restaurant.

10) China Town is only about 6 blocks over from Gas Town and is the largest China Town north of San Francisco. While in China Town enjoy a visit to the Dr Sun Yat Sen Classical Gardens http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com and also make sure you visit the world’s thinnest building it is only 6’ wide!

11) Granville Island – http://www.granvilleisland.com – is a huge public market area which not only sells fruit & veggies but you can also buy frozen fish to be shipped to your home. Many artists make this their home and you can watch them at work in their studios – making this a great place to buy unique souvenirs. The Granville Island Brewery is also located here and you can stop in for a free tour & tastes. There are theatres for live performances and many fine restaurants. A fun way to get to Granville Island is via the Aquabus – http://www.theaquabus.com

12) Burnaby Village Museum – http://www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca – is an open air museum with over 30 restored homes, shops, school, church and a 1912 carousel situated on 10 acres

13) Gulf of Georgia Cannery – http://www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.com – is a restored fishing cannery located in the historic fishing village of Steveston (part of Richmond). Here you see exhibits that showcase the history of the fishing industry in British Columbia. Once finished in the museum it is great fun to walk along the fishing docks and see the fishing boats which are selling their catch. There are also some excellent restaurants located here.

14) The Vancouver Maritime Museum located on the shore of English Bay is fun for the whole family with lots of hands on exhibits for the kid in all of us. Here to you will find the ship St Roch which the RCMP sailed from Vancouver to Halifax via the Northwest Passage and then completed the return journey in 1944. You actually get to tour this ship. http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com

15) Queen Elizabeth Park http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/queenelizabeth The 130 acre (52 hectare) park is one of the most beautifully maintained public parks in the world. Second only to Stanley Park in annual visitations, it receives nearly 6 million people a year who marvel at its superior standard of garden plantings.

The park was originally quarried for its rock which served to build Vancouver's first roadways. In 1929 the Board proceeded to acquire the property which had become an abandoned eyesore but still served as the site for two holding reservoirs for the City's drinking water. Dedicated as a park by King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth (the present Queen's mother) on their much lauded visit to Vancouver in 1939.

16) Fort Langley is the restored wooden fort built by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post. It is the origin of British Columbia and was the first capital. This Fort is operated by the Federal Parks Board. http://www.fortlangley.org

17) If you are a wine lover you might want to rent a car and spend a day visiting a few of the many excellent wineries located in the Fraser Valley only about a 1 hour drive from your hotel. Almost all of the wineries offer free tastes & tours. Two of the wineries have excellent restaurants on the premises. This makes for a very fun and relaxing day. Check out the Fraser Valley Wine Association web site for a map of winery locations and a brief description of each winery http://www.fvwa.ca

18) VanDusen Botanical Garden is a scenic 55- acre garden of international renown – a living museum of plants collected from around the world and artistically displayed amidst rolling lawns, woodlands and five tranquil lakes, all in the heart of Vancouver and just 15 minutes from downtown.

Due to Vancouver’s mild climate, plants bloom at the Garden year-round. This same climate creates a unique environment where plants from varying climate regions thrive and grow – at VanDusen you will see plants from the southern hemisphere, tropical areas and the high Arctic tundra along side native species. The Elizabethan Maze (one of only six in North America) provides year-round fun.

19) UBC Botanical Garden located at the University of British Columbia covers 110 acres and includes an Alpine, Asian, Native, Food, and Japanese Gardens. http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org There is also a treetop walk which is great for “fit” explorers who are not afraid of heights – however I would not recommend it for anyone who has any mobility issues. Also these gardens are not as well maintained as I would expect a botanical garden to be!

20) Enjoy a FREE walking tour of Vancouver. The Gastown tour starts in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the statue of Gassy Jack in Gastown. The Downtown tour starts at the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the Olympic Cauldron. The China Town tour starts at the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the Chinese memorial statue. All of these tours start at 11am. The Granville Island Tour starts at 3pm at the bus stop just at the entrance to Granville Island. Check these tours out at http://www.tourguys.ca The Tour Guys have added an afternoon walking tour of Granville Island and 2 evening tours….

21) A new addition I have just found for the FOODIES in the gang! Check out 2 companies that offer food tasting tours http://www.foodietours.ca and http://www.offtheeatentrack.ca – both offer an excellent tour http://www.foodietours.ca visit much more high end restaurants in the heart of the west end of Vancouver while http://www.offtheeatentrack.ca concentrates on more casual eateries in the historic original section of Vancouver! (Gastown)

I just enjoyed Foodietours “Guilty Pleasures Gourmet Tour” and was very impressed with the organization, quality of restaurants & refreshments, guides knowledge of foods and the eateries we were visiting as well as the area we were walking in. Felt it was excellent value for the money provided you did not spend the extra $20. For the alcohol! This company also offers a tasting tour on Granville Island Public Market and of the Vancouver Street Food Carts.

As for Off the Eaten Track - this company offers culinary tasting tours of various areas of Vancouver. This company has now expanded and offers a brunch tour and a dinner tour. I did the Railtown Urban Eats tour and it was Fabulous! This tour would blend well with the free walking tour offered by http://www.tourguys.ca … you could easily do the free walking tour and then meet up with this tour company for this tour for your lunch - the food is plentiful & wonderful you will not leave this tour hungry!

 

 

 

 

 

Vancouver has a bunch of hop-on hop-off buses

 

http://www.vancouverpinkbustours.com/

 

http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/tours/hop-on-hop-off

 

http://bigbus.ca/home/

[Coral]

Not to confuse you more but we will make our 14th annual trip to Alaska in August and if you like/love Alaska, I'm sure you will be back in the future. For your trip in 2016, you have free airfare to Seattle and limited time. Seattle is a great city (as is Vancouver) so enjoy seeing Seattle and save yourself $1600! As someone else said you can use that money for your next trip to Alaska. I bet there will be a next trip because you'll want to see Denali and mainland Alaska! And yes one of our trips was round trip Seattle and we loved it. So will you!

 

Yes I agree.

 

I have done (1) RT Vancouver

(1) RT Seattle

and at least 7 one ways trips if not more to Alaska (still early, having trouble counting).

 

I honestly think the people who go RT Vancouver are missing out as I much prefer the one ways. I prefer 2 glacier days and most RT Vancouver are missing one port or glacier trying to get back to Vancouver.

 

In some ways I think the RT Seattle is nice because of Victoria.

 

They all have pluses and minuses. For $1600, I would not go to Vancouver. Save the money and plan another trip the following year out of Vancouver or maybe you will want to do a one way.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Coral

[CaribbeanIsland]

I fall under the camp that believes that this will not be your last trip to Alaska. Do the Seattle trip and later plan a land and cruise trip for another year.