Capilano same day before sailing @ 5PM?

[lukydog]

We are flying into Vancouver arriving around 10PM and staying at Coast Vancouver Airport hotel. Our cruise leaves the next day (a Sunday) at 5 PM. I would really love to go to Capilano Suspension Bridge. Would I have time to go there before boarding? What would the transportation options be? Also concerned about luggage storage.

[lukydog]

Couldn't figure out how to edit my original post so adding on.....

 

If Capilano is not doable, is there anything close to the cruise terminal worth checking out on a Sunday afternoon? Is it worth checking in for the cruise, dropping of luggage in the cabin, then getting back off the ship to go look at?

[snoodqueen]

I wouldn't risk going to the Suspension Bridge but there are lots of places to visit downtown. Drop off your bags about 10:30 and head into Gastown (3 blocks away) or walk the seawall to Stanley Park. If you wait to board and then get off the ship you will have very little time to explore. Canada Place is right downtown so no shortage of things to do. Right above the terminal on the street is where all the tour buses pick up so maybe taking a city tour for a couple hours would work for you. Enjoy!

[martincath]

You have more than enough time to do Cap before cruising, as long as you DO NOT BOARD the ship first! Drop your bags off with the longshoremen at the pier (officially this only starts at 10am, but really it's dependent on how quickly they get the arriving pax offloaded - if less than three ships are in port, assume you can drop bags by 9:30am). Take the free shuttle from just outside Canada Place (worst case, assuming you could not drop bags until 10am this will be the 10:20 shuttle, getting you to the park and inside for 11am).

 

Explore Cap for a couple of hours, grab a bite at the cafe, and be on a shuttle back to downtown by 2pm. This will get you back to the pier a little after 2:30pm, by which time the queues for boarding will be greatly reduced and you should smoothly go through all the steps for embarkation (remember, you need to do US Customs & Immigration here - and Canadian if you choose to board then get off again, hence me strongly recommending against doing so!).

 

Now, whether this is the BEST thing to do before boarding is an entirely different matter! Yes, it's very popular - but if this is your first trip to Vancouver, bluntly there are much better things to do than Cap.

 

Stanley Park and the Seawall are the most definitively Vancouvery things to see, and they're both actually in the city - unlike Cap. Renting a bike for half a day is probably the most efficient way to see these - while the bike rental spots at Canada Place are pricey, it's worth the extra to have access to the bike right away and right next to the seawall which you can follow along to the park and loop all the way around it, stopping as you care to for photos and deviating onto the trails to see things like the Totem Poles, Rose Garden etc. inside the park (if you don't mind a bit of a hill, you can get up to Prospect Point which is up at the height of Lions Gate bridge, giving tremendous views across to the North Shore and down onto the water where your ship will pass by on the way out).

 

Other things close enough to walk to on the morning you embark include Gastown (the historic centre of the original town), the FlyOver Canada ride right at the pier, the Vancouver Art Gallery and/or Bill Reid gallery.

[lukydog]

Thanks for the input. We normally just have 1 carryon suitcase and backpack each so usually don't turn luggage over to the porters outside the terminal. May have to this time so we can venture out for a while.

[sweetsleep]

If you get there early you should have no problem. That area is just absolutely gorgeous. Hope you have good weather the day you go. It is so lovely you may not want to leave! You can likely save time in the line by getting tickets in advance?

[xlxo]

Thanks for the input. We normally just have 1 carryon suitcase and backpack each so usually don't turn luggage over to the porters outside the terminal. May have to this time so we can venture out for a while.

It will be strange watching someone dragging that suitcase across the bridge.

 

Another vote for doable..... possible timeline....

• 9:15 check out hotel and taxi to cruise terminal
  
• 10am drop off checked luggage at cruise terminal
  
• 10:20 catch cruise terminal shuttle to Capilano, just east of Pan Pacific
  https://capbridge-capilanosuspensi.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/May-2016-Shuttle-Pad-for-web.jpg
  
• 10:50 arrive at Capilano...
  
• 12:40pm most say 90 minutes is sufficient time at the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Return to cruise terminal on free shuttle.
  
• 1:10pm arrive at cruise terminal
  

 

Keep in mind, the later you arrive at the cruise terminal, the congestion will be less.... however you miss out on the welcome lunch that you paid for.

 

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Edited March 22, 2016 by xlxo

[Renstr]

Where are you staying? Remember most hotels will store luggage for you after you check out :)

[lukydog]

Where are you staying? Remember most hotels will store luggage for you after you check out :)

 

 

We are staying at the Coast Airport Vancouver.