Victoria, BC - evening call - mid September

[Bostonjetset]

I will preface this by stating that I have read several threads about Victoria in general but most address things to do during daytime calls. The few recent ones mentioning evening calls were in reference to mid-summer sailings. We will be calling from 6pm-11.59pm on Friday 16 Sept. and I'm at a loss in regards to things for us to do.

 

We most certainly will be getting off the ship to at least get a taste of this seemingly lovely city and plan to eat dinner much earlier [perhaps even at the buffet, depending on what we decide for an activity] than is the norm for us on a ship.

 

However, what is there to do in Victoria this late at night and this late in the season? I had originally wanted very much to go to Butchart but HAL wants over $80pp for their excursion and almost all reviewers who went late in the season said it was not so great at night. It got rave reviews in the evening dusk hours of July and August but those in September said it was too dark to truly enjoy it, especially at the price charged. I then thought about Craigdorroch but that gets so-so reviews and whilst HAL is offering an excursion, the home's website says they close at 7pm so I'm perplexed. Even if they stay open late for HAL, we may feel rushed. It is also too late for tea at the Empress, museums closed, Abkhazi closed, Parliament closed, etc etc. I know they must stop here as a formality to satisfy US shipping regulations but really couldn't they give us a proper day in port? It seems like the timing is simply an afterthought. I don't know when we'll be back to Victoria so I want to make sure we see at least some of it whilst we have the chance.

 

Those of you who have been here during this time or day [and year], please help with some suggestions. I suppose we can just stroll around and take night photos with the SLR but that's not overly exciting even if the buildings do look nice all lit up. I mean how long can that really take? Thanks in advance.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Bostonjetset

[cruiseryyc]

You are correct, the cruise line is simply complying with the PSVA. Sunset in mid-September will be round 7:30 so you really won't be seeing Victoria at its best. Having said that, the Inner Harbour area is really beautiful at night and there will be buskers out to entertain the cruise passengers.

 

You could take a horse drawn carriage ride; lots of craft brew pubs around; so there are things to do but not ideal timing for your visit.

[Bostonjetset]

You are correct, the cruise line is simply complying with the PSVA. Sunset in mid-September will be round 7:30 so you really won't be seeing Victoria at its best. Having said that, the Inner Harbour area is really beautiful at night and there will be buskers out to entertain the cruise passengers.

 

You could take a horse drawn carriage ride; lots of craft brew pubs around; so there are things to do but not ideal timing for your visit.

 

Thanks for responding! Neither DH nor I are big drinkers but I guess we could always go and grab a local beer and then just walk around taking photos of the nice buildings. Are there ANY stores open during these late calls? I assume there will at least be the requisite souvenir store selling postcards and magnets? That can occupy 15 min or so lol. Anything else?

[peety3]

I know they must stop here as a formality to satisfy US shipping regulations but really couldn't they give us a proper day in port? It seems like the timing is simply an afterthought.

I'm admittedly too lazy to check out the exact itinerary you're on, but when we did our last two Seattle round-trips to Alaska, both of them were in Skagway before getting to Victoria. I was curious about the timing, and did some "napkin math" to compare ship's speed and distance to what the ship could actually accomplish. Assuming the currents were zero (because I simply have no idea what they are, and suspect that in general they're net zero anyway), had our departure from Skagway been delayed more than 3.5 hours (perhaps if a ship-sponsored excursion was delayed in returning to port), the ship could not get to Victoria in time, even with 45.5 hours at maximum speed and a 7PM scheduled port arrival.

 

That also assumes the ship could "slide" right into its docking position from full speed, which is in reality a 20-30 minute experience and involves a tug boat (perhaps a Victoria requirement), and may actually involve slowing down from maybe an hour out. Essentially, there's just not enough margin in the schedule to get to Victoria much earlier, nor is the additional fuel burn/cost worthwhile (most likely).

[Bostonjetset]

I'm admittedly too lazy to check out the exact itinerary you're on, but when we did our last two Seattle round-trips to Alaska, both of them were in Skagway before getting to Victoria. I was curious about the timing, and did some "napkin math" to compare ship's speed and distance to what the ship could actually accomplish. Assuming the currents were zero (because I simply have no idea what they are, and suspect that in general they're net zero anyway), had our departure from Skagway been delayed more than 3.5 hours (perhaps if a ship-sponsored excursion was delayed in returning to port), the ship could not get to Victoria in time, even with 45.5 hours at maximum speed and a 7PM scheduled port arrival.

 

That also assumes the ship could "slide" right into its docking position from full speed, which is in reality a 20-30 minute experience and involves a tug boat (perhaps a Victoria requirement), and may actually involve slowing down from maybe an hour out. Essentially, there's just not enough margin in the schedule to get to Victoria much earlier, nor is the additional fuel burn/cost worthwhile (most likely).

 

Wow you really put some thought into it. :eek:

 

We are actually in Ketchikan the day before though, and I believe that is much closer than Skagway? {we don't even call at Skagway as we call at Sitka instead} The scheduled departure from Ketchikan is 1pm and then next day arrives in Victoria at 6pm. It seems like they could have made it earlier but I am not an expert in maritime navigation so perhaps not.

[peety3]

Wow you really put some thought into it. :eek:

 

We are actually in Ketchikan the day before though, and I believe that is much closer than Skagway? {we don't even call at Skagway as we call at Sitka instead} The scheduled departure from Ketchikan is 1pm and then next day arrives in Victoria at 6pm. It seems like they could have made it earlier but I am not an expert in maritime navigation so perhaps not.

Anything's possible, but the run from Skagway to Victoria was 49 hours...just over two whole days.

 

A quick search tells me that Ketchikan is 518 nautical miles from Victoria, which is likely an "as the crow flies" distance. At 20 knots (faster than what our ship averaged Skagway-Victoria, but not top speed), that's 25.9 hours, so 1pm ADT in Ketchikan to 6pm PDT in Victoria is 28 hours....not enough margin to get in much earlier.

[mauimary]

When we stopped in Victoria on Celebrity Solstace we also arrived in the evening. Things were delayed for us disembarking but we still had a good time. Because we were docked about a mile away we purchased shuttle tickets. There were plenty of pedicabs and taxi's so you had options if you did not choose to walk. We pretty much walked around and found a nice little restaurant for dinner. Some of the shops were still open. It was a beautiful night just walking around and enjoying all the lights. We had plenty of time for doing what we wanted to do.:)

[kitcrazy]

Thanks for responding! Neither DH nor I are big drinkers but I guess we could always go and grab a local beer and then just walk around taking photos of the nice buildings. Are there ANY stores open during these late calls? I assume there will at least be the requisite souvenir store selling postcards and magnets? That can occupy 15 min or so lol. Anything else?

 

All the stores will be open. Local businesses here are well versed on the cruise ship schedules and plan accordingly. Also, for something fun and different, and particularly if you like to walk, look up the various walking tours available in Victoria (just Google it). I know that there are several that offer night walks, some of which cover off several of the ghostly legends. I believe that they will include some sort of a historical pub stop as well. Might be the perfect way to end the evening if you have dinner on board the ship before you disembark.

Edited July 21, 2016 by kitcrazy

[Bostonjetset]

When we stopped in Victoria on Celebrity Solstace we also arrived in the evening. Things were delayed for us disembarking but we still had a good time. Because we were docked about a mile away we purchased shuttle tickets. There were plenty of pedicabs and taxi's so you had options if you did not choose to walk. We pretty much walked around and found a nice little restaurant for dinner. Some of the shops were still open. It was a beautiful night just walking around and enjoying all the lights. We had plenty of time for doing what we wanted to do.:)

 

All the stores will be open. Local businesses here are well versed on the cruise ship schedules and plan accordingly. Also, for something fun and different, and particularly if you like to walk, look up the various walking tours available in Victoria (just Google it). I know that there are several that offer night walks, some of which cover off several of the ghostly legends. I believe that they will include some sort of a historical pub stop as well. Might be the perfect way to end the evening if you have dinner on board the ship before you disembark.

 

Thanks guys!! I'm glad to hear some shops will be open. I may check out one of the walking tours as well. DH loves that type of thing, especially if it involved old-timey ghost stories haha. I realize that an Alaska cruise can be quite busy so it may be nice to spend the last night just wandering around, taking photos and popping into a few shops.

[meadowlander]

Butchart Gardens is an amazing and beautiful place but you are correct in that you will not have enough time to enjoy it in mid Spetember. I was there last week and the bus ride was about 40-45 minutes from the pier. Was able to see it in sunlight and it is stunning. When it became dark, the beauty of the gardens disappeared along with the sunlight.

 

As our bus drove through Victoria to the gardens, the city was enticing. It is a place I want to return to and enjoy. There is a large park/garden in the city and the Victorian architecture mixed with the modern buildings worked and looked nice. Our driver pointed out that there are no overhead power lines in Victoria, they are all in ground.

Late at night as we returned to ship about midnight, the city looked just as beautiful. One building (forgot which) was framed with white lights and it too was stunning!

 

Victoria is a destination I want to return to and for more than a port call. The downtown area looks magical and nearby Butchart Gardens, I want to see again at a leisurely pace not the frantic rush done on the port call. I am sure whatever you do in downtown Victoria, you will enjoy immensely. Let us know, what you eventually do.

[Bostonjetset]

Butchart Gardens is an amazing and beautiful place but you are correct in that you will not have enough time to enjoy it in mid Spetember. I was there last week and the bus ride was about 40-45 minutes from the pier. Was able to see it in sunlight and it is stunning. When it became dark, the beauty of the gardens disappeared along with the sunlight.

 

As our bus drove through Victoria to the gardens, the city was enticing. It is a place I want to return to and enjoy. There is a large park/garden in the city and the Victorian architecture mixed with the modern buildings worked and looked nice. Our driver pointed out that there are no overhead power lines in Victoria, they are all in ground.

Late at night as we returned to ship about midnight, the city looked just as beautiful. One building (forgot which) was framed with white lights and it too was stunning!

 

Victoria is a destination I want to return to and for more than a port call. The downtown area looks magical and nearby Butchart Gardens, I want to see again at a leisurely pace not the frantic rush done on the port call. I am sure whatever you do in downtown Victoria, you will enjoy immensely. Let us know, what you eventually do.

 

Thanks for the reassurance about the gardens in darkness. It's a pity we'll miss it this time but I can't justify spending $80 per person for a mediocre experience. I guess we'll just have to find time to return to Victoria!!

 

I will be sure to post what we end up doing as I usually keep a travel journal and post the thoughts when I return [though it will likely be in the HAL forum rather than here since it will recap the entire trip].

 

Thanks again!

[rockdoctor]

Don't waste your money at Butchart Gardens. You won't see anything. They call it subtle illumination but there isn't even enough light to read the map. I speak from experience.

[meadowlander]

Thanks for the reassurance about the gardens in darkness. It's a pity we'll miss it this time but I can't justify spending $80 per person for a mediocre experience. I guess we'll just have to find time to return to Victoria!!

 

I will be sure to post what we end up doing as I usually keep a travel journal and post the thoughts when I return [though it will likely be in the HAL forum rather than here since it will recap the entire trip].

 

Thanks again!

 

You are welcome.

Don't give a second thought as to not visiting the gardens due to darkness, as it is truly a stunning place which needs to be viewed in sunlight. The garden info center stated it was a 90 minute walk through the entire grounds. I would think it would be longer to fully enjoy it but I was there on a firework Saturday night and it was crowded. The Princess excursion was only $65. I felt it was worth every cent but an $80 charge for a limited time frame would be unwise. Enjoy Victoria, it looks like a beautiful city, especially the downtown area.