Cruise to Victoria? Or take the ferry from seattle?

[adverb]

Hello! I've been wanting to go to Victoria for quite a while, and I have some Southwest points I need to use (so I can't just fly directly to there or Vancouver). Originally I was planning to fly into Seattle and take the ferry to Victoria. However, I've been also looking at cruises. I've heard Victoria is gorgeous at night. And because of that, there are a couple that jump out at me.

 

One is the Celebrity Infinity, leaving Sept 18. It is in Victoria from 1-10PM so plenty of time to see it at night. It's also during fall when I would get to see colors. I know this is not necessarily a good time to go to the gardens. It's RT out of Vancouver though, which would cost a little more getting to and from. If I did this, my plan was to fly into Seattle, take the Cascades train to Vancouver up. And then on the way back maybe just do a bus?

 

The other option I was looking at is the Crown Princess. This leaves at the end of April, so no fall colors. How is the garden at this time? It's in Victoria from 8-midnight though so I get a little more time. Definitely better deals to be had too, although I've been on Princess many times before. Goes to Astoria too which sounds fun. I could take the Vancouver rail back to Seattle since it ends in Vancouver.

 

The other non-cruise option I was looking at was flying into LAX, taking the scenic rail all the way up to Vancouver, and then going to Victoria from Vancouver. I'd get more time in Victoria, although I'd have hotel costs to worry about too (and food). And I'm not sure how much time I really NEED in Victoria.

 

How good is the scenery on the way up from San Fran when cruising? Is it just boring water or will I see mountain ranges? I like the idea of cruising in and out of the Golden Gate.

 

Thanks!

[martincath]

First - the left coast and fall colours are terms that don't really go together. We have a few species of tree with leaves that turn a fairly pretty colour before dropping but the vast majority of foliage in this neck of the woods (including most of Vancouver Island) is evergreen conifers. You will be sadly disappointed if you come with any expectation of a display like the maples on the other side of the country...

 

Secondly, if you want to go to Victoria - go to Victoria. Even the longest cruise stops - well, frankly they suck for actually seeing much of the city. You've plucked one of the few lengthier ones out, but even they only allow you to do Butchart (pretty at any time of year, but the price of entry tracks the overall prettiness quite well IMO so summers is definitely the best time to visit - plus, fireworks!) and another site, maybe two. Then it's back aboard and away you go.

 

How much time you need? Depends 100% on your interests. Victoria offers a 'Little Britain' experience so you could easily spend a day riding double decker buses and hitting the pubs; another day sitting in the dark to recover from your hangover; and many hours visiting assorted historic buildings, museums, gardens... it's not a big city, but even ignoring the rest of the island entirely and not going on a whalewatching tour I think you could easily spend two full days without getting bored, three if you do get out of town even a little.

 

By all means tie in a cruise up to Alaska or down the coast before or after a Victoria stay. Some folks even ditch the ship a day early, disembarking in Victoria and staying on for a short break before returning via ferry to Seattle.

 

You really won't see much of the coast from SF up to here - sailing outside California waters allows options like cheaper diesel fuel and casinos which greatly pad the bottom line of the company. Only as you approach or leave ports will you see much scenery.

[Putterdude]

Both dates for a Victoria visit have pluses and minuses. April is a great month for spring blossoms in Victoria and the gardens so if you hit a nice sunny day then its absolute heaven. The negative is April tends to be a fairly damp month.

 

With September on the west coast it is going to get dark earlier and after mid-September the gardens close at 5 pm. We do not get the brilliant fall colours you may be thinking of, here we are pretty green all year round and most deciduous trees...well they just turn yellow and fall. The gardens themselves will still look very nice. We often get a warm dry September but either date is a bit of crap shoot from a weather perspective.

 

As for how much time you need to see Victoria well that really depends upon how much you want to see of it. The gardens are a full 35/45 mins from the pier in either direction and you will want to have 2 to 3 hrs at the gardens. Victoria's metro population is about 350K with only about 85k living in the city itself. As you might imagine the downtown is quite compact and once you have walked on some of the historical streets such as Government and Water St, walked through the lobby of the Empress Hotel and the seen the legislature building all illuminated....you have kind of seen Victoria unless you wish to take in the Royal BC Museum. You like could do both the museum and the gardens with the April date but not with the September date.

 

With regard to a cruise from San Francisco, once you sail under the Golden Gate bridge you sail about 35 miles or so off shore and don't see a thing until you enter the Strait of Juan de Fuca which is the body of water between Washington State and Vancouver Is. I have had no experience with the train from LA.

[adverb]

Thanks both for your suggestions. I did go to Vancouver a couple years ago in October and I really liked the colors. But then again I'm from Florida where we have nothing.

 

How cold would it be September 24? I am thinking about doing that Celebrity Infinity cruise and just getting off in Victoria and staying overnight, per Putterdude's suggestion. How does that work exactly? I've only ridden cruises until the very end. Do you have to notify someone beforehand so they're not waiting around for you?

 

Another option I am considering is scrapping the cruise entirely and trying to drive the PCH, take the train to Vancouver, and then head on over to Victoria - although I worry that might be too much to cram in a week.

[Putterdude]

Disembarking in Victoria is not a problem, it done quite regularly. However, you do need to set it up with the cruise line who have to arrange with CBSA for a full customs clearance for you in Victoria, pax who getting off just for a few hours are given a very cursory clearance.

 

As for temps in late September they will be in the 60's, a real warm day would be gently into the 70's but that would be a bit unusual.