Where to stay & what not to miss in Vancouver?

[scrpnstmp]

DH and I just came back from Majesty and booked Serenade for June 08 while on board. We are looking at the hotels in Vancouver. I'm sure there's a thread on this somewhere, I just haven't found it yet :)

 

We are thinking of using our priority club points and staying at one of the Holiday Inns, but which one would be the best?

 

Also, since we don't get to Vancouver very often, this is our first time, is there anything that we should not miss on this trip? We are thinking about flying a a couple of days before we cruise so we can enjoy the city.

 

We appreciate all suggestions. Thanks.

[Lightsluvr]

Don't miss Stanley Park. We enjoyed the horse drawn trolley tour and just walking in the gardens...

Lots of great restaurants downtown near Canada Place. Check out the Vancouver threads in the West Coast departure forum. Many suggestions, including some of our favorites.

 

LL

[dirtgirl]

There is also info on the Alaska thread.:cool:

 

I always recommend Grouse Mountain and the Capilano Suspension Bridge, as well as Stanley Park. I would avoid Chinatown, unless you are on a tour bus - it is in a rather icky part of town, and I personally would never walk around there.:rolleyes:

 

The good hotels, from what I can gather, are the Pan Pacific, Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Hyatt, Merriot, Blue Horizon, Hampton Inn and Suites, Westin Bayshore, Sylvia, and a host of others.

[dam1050]

Check the Port of Calls - Canada Boards at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=39 and you'll find lots of info on Vancouver. :)

 

Dave

[mollyeilis]

Shopping or just walking along Robson Street, watertaxi over to Granville Island (not really an island, you can drive or even walk on, but the watertaxi is super-fun). The aquarium in Stanley Park is nice, and Stanley Park is lovely but was devastated by storms and I haven't been since they blew through.

 

I love either of the Westins in Vancouver (Grand is generally more expensive, Bayshore? is bigger, more resort-ish, and further away from things), and I adored the Listel Hotel.

 

I also stayed at a not-as-high-end hotel as Westin or Listel, it was a place a little bit away from Robson (but still walking distance), with some suite-type rooms with kitchens...that was nice, too, though of course not the Westin. :)

 

The tourismvancouver website is a good one (I think that's its partial name, at least).

 

Of course, everyone will mention the Pan Pacific b/c it's right across from Canada Place! We've only done one cruise and it was from Ballantyne instead of Canada Place, so the PP wasn't worth it to us.

[tomko2]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=541729

 

In case you are sailing on June 7th, I have pasted our Roll Call above. We are staying at the Hyatt using points. I believe Stanley Park is doing well since the storm. Vancouver has lots of lovely areas to visit including Granville Island.

 

Kathy

[coast2coast]

Here's a link to a review I wrote (when I was known as fajitapita) from our 08/04 cruise on the Serenade with a pre-cruise stay in Vancouver.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=66904

[maxxboy]

We`stayed at the Sutton Place Hotel after our Radiance cruise May '06. Took a shuttle from the pier to (if I remember correctly) the Hyatt to rent a car. Stanley Park is a must see (offers great views of the city), along with the Gaslight district, Robson St, and Granville Island. Granville Island was one of my favorites, but we got there late (around 5PM) and some things were starting to close.

 

We absolutely loved Vancouver and wouldn't hesitate going back.

[Spurs Fans]

We would definitely recommend Stanley Park and the Aquarium, as well as Capilano Suspension Bridge. Both are very interesting. If you are Marriott club members, there is a really nice Marriott on the waterfront not too far from the dock.

[stjohnrocks]

We really liked the Westin Bayshore and Stanley Park. I agree with another poster forget Chinatown. Be aware there is alot of construction in Vancouver right now but not near the Bayshore.

[negc]

We have stayed in Vancouver at the end of two cruises and would go back to this city in a heartbeat. There are good hotels in all price ranges and representing just about every major chain, so pick one that fits your needs and pocketbook. I concur with the various suggestions that have already been made and would suggest that you allocate one day of your stay, if you have the time, to a trip to Victoria and to Butchart Gardens. Our cruiselines provided a bus tour of the city to fill the time until we could check into our hotels (we stayed at the Hyatt and Pan Pacific, and were pleased with both) and the tours gave us a wonderful overview of this great city and some good ideas of those sites that we wanted to return to and view in more depth. Capilano Suspension Bridge is a fascinating take in and there are any number of great restaurants in the downtown area. Enjoy one of our favorite cities in North America.:)

An added feature of Vancouver is that it is home to Dirtgirl.;)

[FitzLA]

We always stay at The Pacific Palisades hotel on Robson St. In all the times we have been to Vancouver, that is actually the only place we have ever stayed. Great central location, walking distance to Stanley Park. Shopping and dining right outside your door, great views. And it is all suites. We always get the one bedroom suite because they have balconies. Also, Graniville Island as some have mentioned is a great place to do some walking eating shopping and they have some great galleries too.

[dirtgirl]

An added feature of Vancouver is that it is home to Dirtgirl.;)

 

Why, I'm blushing...:o Thank you Bill!:D

[Captain Canuck]

the safe injection site....safe place for heroin addicts to shoot up....still does not stop them from shooting up in doorways even in nice neighbourhoods...I LOVE Vancouver but its a fact that people let down their guard on holidays...Vancouver is pretty safe but it does have its down sides...On the positive..Stanley park, Granville Island...

[FitzLA]

the safe injection site....safe place for heroin addicts to shoot up....still does not stop them from shooting up in doorways even in nice neighbourhoods...I LOVE Vancouver but its a fact that people let down their guard on holidays...Vancouver is pretty safe but it does have its down sides...On the positive..Stanley park, Granville Island...

 

Wow! Compared to where I live, Vancouver is the cleanest safest city I have ever been too. And as I am sure this happens there, in all the times I have been there, I have never seen this. And I have been to vancouver 1/2 a dozen times all for 4-6 days at a time.

[Fran Harp]

DH and I just came back from Majesty and booked Serenade for June 08 while on board. We are looking at the hotels in Vancouver. I'm sure there's a thread on this somewhere, I just haven't found it yet :)

 

We are thinking of using our priority club points and staying at one of the Holiday Inns, but which one would be the best?

 

Also, since we don't get to Vancouver very often, this is our first time, is there anything that we should not miss on this trip? We are thinking about flying a a couple of days before we cruise so we can enjoy the city.

 

We appreciate all suggestions. Thanks.

 

If you are there for a couple of days, rent a car and take the ferry to Victoria - walk around the city, drive to Butchart Gardens, even drive up-island a bit towards Nanaimo. If you want to take longer and stay in Victoria, I recommend the James Bay Inn - price is reasonable for that time of year, walking distance from downtown Victoria and Beacon Hill Park - you can see the Olympic Mountains and Oregon across the strait on a good day.

 

 

Someone else said Chinatown in Vancouver wasn't that great - I didn't think it was that bad, actually. Gastown and the market are rather interesting, of course Stanley Park - and I think in Queen Elizabeth Park (??? hope I've got it right) there is an ancient linden tree which surely covers a space the size of a city block.

 

Fran in Toronto

[debandbill]

How much time you have to stay in Vancouver will determine what you can see. Vancouver has a marvelous transit system with water taxi's, trains and buses. We stayed at the Hyatt downtown (Priceline bid). The train station was right below the hotel...we used it to get around...very easy and quick. Also, if your time is limited....I would suggest the Greyline Bus Tours...we chose one that hit all the highlights in one day...really nice buses and our driver was terrific. They picked us up at the hotel and took us to the transfer area...nicely marked with signs for the correct buses...also people to help. Tour was like 6-7 hours and we got to see a lot of the area including Grouse Mountain and the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Your hotel Concierge should have the information on the bus tours as they pick up at all the major hotels.

 

Also, if you stay downtown, you can walk to Canada Place and watch some of the other cruise ships leave. We saw a Celebrity ship off...great fun!

 

We loved our stay in Vancouver...it wasn't long enough but we were happy to board the ship...our cruise was really nice as well (Radiance.)

[airnvo]

I live in Vancouver and I can tell you right now, there is so much to do and especially to see here.

 

Stanley Park is a popular place filled with totem poles and loghouses of the First Nations people. Also, the Capilano Suspension Bridge is a treat for thrillseekers. If you're really afraid of heights, I do not recommend this. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Telus World of Science yet. It's a fun-filled place for people of all ages, especially families. Lots of fun and educational activities and displays. Chinatown is also a nice place, but not a lot to do there. If you're a fan of Chinese food, Chinatown is just right for you.

 

If there are any die-hard shoppers in your party, I suggest Robson Street. No explanation needed here. It's a few ways away, but if you've got the time, I also recommend Metrotown. Lots of hip, modern shops for the younger generation, if you're interested. Granville Island is a real neat place for those cooking fanatics. There are so many markets and specialty food stores to choose from.

 

Another nice place to visit is the The Gulf of Georgia Cannery in Steveston Village in Richmond, which is a smaller city a couple of minutes away from the Vancouver airport.

 

Hotels: Mariott, Westin Bayshore, Executive Plaza Inn in Richmond, Hyatt, Fairmont Hotel in the airport.

 

I know this is kind of long, but I hope it helps.

[FreewayFortune]

I agree with what everyone else has said. Vancouver is an amazing city:) We loved Stanley Park and the Aquarium and Robson Street, Gastown, Victoria especially Butchart Gardens and The BC Museum we also enjoyed Tea at The Empress. If you have the time you should try to get up to Whistler too. We stayed at the Fairmount Waterfront and it was a gorgeous hotel.

[scrpnstmp]

OMG! I never really paid much attention to message boards before, so I am amazed at how many people responded to my question. Everyone seems so friendly and full of advice. I love it!

 

There seems to be so much to do in Vancouver that I will need to ask for another week's vacation! Mmmmmm....I wonder if my boss would mind?

 

Thanks to everyone for such wonderful ideas. Thank goodness we have almost a year to decide! The shopping, the Aquarium, Grouse Mountain, and Capilano Suspension Bridge sound really good!

 

We are booked for June 7th but we may move it up a week. I'm curious about the meet & mingle thing. I've just starting reading Cruise Critic so I am off to find out more about that.

 

Thanks again everyone!

[TravlGrl]

You've gotten some GREAT "Don't miss" advice from previous posters, but one I think that was missed was Death By Chocolate. Don't miss it!

 

We head to Vancouver quite frequently -- a few times per year -- since we're so close, and Death By Chocolate is a "Don't Miss" for us for sure!

 

http://www.deathbychocolate.ca/menu.html

 

Have fun!

tj

[Pradagal]

The Fairmont Waterfront Hotel is so fabulous. If you stay there get a waterview room the view is to die for. We stay here and in Victoria the Grand Dame The Fairmont Empress.

We love the Pacific Northwest. B.C is so beautiful and I second and third Granville Island,go to the huge farmers market pick up plenty of fresh food for a picnic.

[FreewayFortune]

OMG! I never really paid much attention to message boards before, so I am amazed at how many people responded to my question. Everyone seems so friendly and full of advice. I love it!

 

There seems to be so much to do in Vancouver that I will need to ask for another week's vacation! Mmmmmm....I wonder if my boss would mind?

 

Thanks to everyone for such wonderful ideas. Thank goodness we have almost a year to decide! The shopping, the Aquarium, Grouse Mountain, and Capilano Suspension Bridge sound really good!

 

We are booked for June 7th but we may move it up a week. I'm curious about the meet & mingle thing. I've just starting reading Cruise Critic so I am off to find out more about that.

 

Thanks again everyone!

 

 

Cruise Critic was a wonderful thing to find. I discovered it when I was doing my research on the Panama Canal cruise and I found my roll call. It was great to have a spot to talk to people about cruising and all things panama canal cruise too. Once I got on the ship I already had a bunch of people to talk to.

Good luck with your trip planning:) We had one day pre-cruise in Vancouver and we went to Stanley Park and the Aquarium. Stanley Park is huge so we did the hop on hop off bus for about 35 dollars for 2 days worth each and it gave us a tour of the City and took us to the Park. The only problem with it is that you hear the same narrated tour over and over again but you can get to Robson Street, Granville and a bunch of other city spots. After the cruise we spent 3 days going to Grouse Mountain, Whistler and Victoria. It was an expensive trip but well worth it. The cruise was last minute so we didn't do much planning, but loved it anyways.