Vancouver answers from a Vancouverite

[thecook]

We have rented a car from National and will be driving from Seattle to Vancouver (Fairmont Waterfront) on Sat. June 14th. Our flight arrives At 11:44am. Can you provide any helpful hints (best route etc.) about crossing the border into Canada?

Thanks for all of your help. :D

[ceilidh1]

Tourism Vancouver is advertising the following special:

 

Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites

 

Location: Vancouver DowntownCruise Package

 

Going on a cruise, the Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites has a special pre or post cruise package for you! Whether you are relaxing after your trip or getting ready to sail, our friendly staff are here to assist you. Our cruise Package includes accomodation, a $25.00 food voucher for each day of stay and transfer by limo from Hotel to the pier if a precruise stay or taxi transportation from the pier to the Hotel if a post cruise stay. If driving to Hotel we will provide complimentary parking during your stay and you may leave your car with us while on your cruise. Proof of cruise itenary will be needed at check in for this special deal. 48 hour prebooking required and 48 hour cancellation. Rooms From $175.00 CAD per night

 

Not sure how good/bad a deal this is and I have never stayed at this hotel, but it may be helpful to someone...the Tourism Vancouver website is: http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/index.php

[Putterdude]

The Coast Plaza Hotel package if available at $175.00 is a good deal if you are driving. The value of the parking for a 7 day cruise is worth $126 and throw in the food voucher and transfer, your room is cost is just about free. The hotel is good but is at Denman and Comox Sts. in the West End of Vancouver and while a vibrant neighbourhood, certainly is not downtown but is close to Stanley park and English Bay. There are lots of restaurants on Denman including the Boathouse at Denman and Beach Ave.

[midwestsolo]

Welcome back, how was your trip?

[Urban trekker]

Same question - how was the trip?

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[maren91]

Granville Room is on Granville Street and it's in the bar/club area of downtown (it's not in Granville Island). It's a lounge/restaurant, but I feel it's really more a lounge than a restaurant.

 

I would personally choose Dockside over Granville Room. Dockside has a nice patio. Dockside Brewing and Dockside Restaurant is the same place - sort of. The Brewery is the loung-y/pub-y part; the Dockside Restaurant is the restaurant part...The location is waaaay better, and the atmosphere more relaxed, than the Granville Room.

 

Your best bet is to take a cab from your hotel to get to Granville Island. Another option, if you're not averse to walking about 20 minutes to the foot of Hornby, is to take the Aquabus. Or you can take the Aquabus to Granville Island and take a cab back (the Aquabus I think stops service at 10PM)

 

The only upside to the Granville Room, IMHO, is that you can walk there. But that is not enough for me to want to go there, especially if a nice dinner is what I am after.

 

Thank you, Dockside it will be!

[Putterdude]

Same question - how was the trip?

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

The trip went well, after I get a few things done around here I will write a review.

Air Canada did some great things, Super Shuttle at LAX performed well in rush hour trafic, Crowne Plaza at San Pedro was ok but it is back to the Double Tree Inn in the future. The Golden Princess at the age of 7 is starting to show her age but nothing that would effect ones cruise; it is just that within essentially the same box as the Grand class with the Diamond and Sapphire and likely the new Ruby, Princess has done a better job in the common areas and dining venues. Food and service was very good but had some issues with the anytime dining concept but eventually overcame. Weather was good in LA, cooler in San Diego, still cooler in Santa Catalina and San Francisco and not to bad in Victoria. Loved the independent golf cart tour on Santa Catalina which was the higlight but thought the "150 Years" exhibit at the Royal BC Museum was kind of light weight.

[verga]

I don't know if this has been covered in previous posts, but please check out the See Vancouver Card:

 

http://www.seevancouvercard.com/menu/attractions_beyond.html

 

The 2-day adult card is $119 + tax and it includes a free bus tour to Whistler and Shannon Falls, a free Vancouver bus tour, a free ticket to Imax at Canada Place and ALSO a free entry to Capilano Suspension bridge.

 

The 3-day adult card is $149 + tax; cheaper for a child card.

[Putterdude]

I don't know if this has been covered in previous posts, but please check out the See Vancouver Card:

 

http://www.seevancouvercard.com/menu/attractions_beyond.html

 

The 2-day adult card is $119 + tax and it includes a free bus tour to Whistler and Shannon Falls, a free Vancouver bus tour, a free ticket to Imax at Canada Place and ALSO a free entry to Capilano Suspension bridge.

 

The 3-day adult card is $149 + tax; cheaper for a child card.

 

This was the subject of another thread about 6 weeks ago and as I recall all were concerned about the validity of this program. However if anyone has had any experience with this program we would love to hear from them.

[verga]

I didn't realize it was discussed 6 weeks ago. Sorry - I have no first hand experience of using the card itself. It was referred to me by a friend as my sister and I are planning to visit Victoria in early June and I am checking the Victoria attractions which aren't a lot to make the smartcard worthwhile.

[Putterdude]

I didn't realize it was discussed 6 weeks ago. Sorry - I have no first hand experience of using the card itself. It was referred to me by a friend as my sister and I are planning to visit Victoria in early June and I am checking the Victoria attractions which aren't a lot to make the smartcard worthwhile.

 

There is no need to be sorry and I hope my remarks didn't offend you; if so then I am sorry. I just wanted to point out that nobody seemed to know anything about the card on the last go round.

[SuMac]

Shopper's Drug mart, London drugs and 7-11 are all within 3 - 4 blocks of Canada Place - the first two would have the best prices for the pop and there is a government liquor store across from Waterfront Station which is next door to Canada Place to get your beer - beer is not sold in grocery or convenience stores in BC. That liquor store is not open Sundays or late evenings so if your are traveling on a Sunday there is another government store several blocks away that is.

 

There are a number of private liquor stores that are opened 7 days a week but their prices are much higher.

Q? how to do plan on getting the beer on board the ship?

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

Man, it's taken me forever to find where I posted the question. You have to make a post to find a post here!

 

The last times we sailed Princess & RC, we rolled a suitcase filled with cans of beer & cokes onboard as carry-on. Even tho it went thru the scanner, no one cared. I carefully packed the beer in 12 pack soda boxes with soda toward the top just in case someone looked, but no one did. You can refill in the ports too. A grocery sack scanned full of cans, and no one said a word.

 

It saves you a ton of money onboard, and if it gets confiscated, oh well - we tried. The room steward even kept our beer packed in ice for us. (RCL's fridges do not work at all! and Pricess's do somewhat if you leave the outter door open all the time)

 

Also you can get a box of wine onboard in checked luggage with no corkage fee - because there is no cork!

 

In fact RC is so much on the honor system, you can bring booze onboard from a port. After the scanner they say, be sure to check it. About 20' inside the ship, you could walk right past the check point and no one knows you have it. Not that we did, but it certainly can be done.

[141314]

We are staying at the Ramada Limited on West Pender for one night post cruise in june. How far from where the ship docks to our hotel? Walking distance? Also would like to go to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. What is the best way to get there and approximate fare? What else to do in the area of our hotel? Resturants , attractions ,shoppping etc.Thanks in advance for any help!:)

Janice

[ceilidh1]

The Ramada is very close to the cruise terminal (assuming you are leaving from Canada Place). It's about 4 blocks, a 10 minute walk or so. You are very close to Robson Street for shipping and restaurants, and also Gastown and Chinatown are easy walks. Stanley Park is walkable, but would take about a half hour from your hotel. You are close to the seabus, so could do Capilano by public transportation if you wished (seabus and then bus). It's very easy and doesn't take too long if you check the schedules beforehand and get your connection sorted www.translink.bc.ca I have also posted a link on here in the past about a tour that the HI hostel runs (you do not need to stay there to participate). It is a full day and take in either Capilano or Lynn canyon, depending on the day. It is very "low budget" and takes public transportation, etc, but is an excellent tour! The link to this is http://www.hihostels.ca/PM/227/hi-vancouver+downtown_activities+++programs.hostel

[Urban trekker]

You are about 4 blocks from Canada Place to the Ramada if that is where your ship is berthing so it is walkable.

 

As for the suspension bridge the cheapest way is to take public transit - during the week it is $3.50 per person each way - transfers good for up to 90 minutes - weekends it's one zone so $2.50 etc. The best way to get to the bridge is to take the Seabus from Waterfront station which is next door to Canada Place and then transfer to a Grouse Mountain bus at Lonsdale Quay which is where the Seabus will dock - the Quay itself is well worth spending time exploring - its a urban market place with lot's of kiosks and eating places. Here's a link:

 

http://www.lonsdalequay.com/

 

As for restaurants - the main eating area would be a few blocks away - perhaps if you gave us some idea of what your food tastes are us locals could then make some suggestions.

 

You are only a couple of blocks to both Gastown and Chinatown.

 

Here's a link to a Gastown web site:

 

http://www.seegastown.com/index.htm

 

Here's a link to Vancouver's Chinatown

 

http://vancouverchinatown.ca/

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise and your visit to our great city.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[141314]

Thanks ceilidh1 & Urban Trekker for your help. As for our tastes in food, we are open to just about anything except sushi maybe. Like steak (Of course- we are from the midwest part of Ohio!) seafood,basic american food, mexican, and chinese.

 

We are looking forward to visiting your city!:)

[Putterdude]

The closest reasonably priced steak house to where you are staying is the Keg Caesars at Hornby and Dunsmuir and for seafood the closest would be AquaRiva by Canada Place. There are some restaurants to the east of you in Gastown like the Water Street Cafe or back towards Canada Place there is Steamworks.

 

http://en.kegsteakhouse.com/locations/British_Columbia/Downtown_Vancouver/Keg_Caesars

 

www.aquariva.com/

 

http://www.letsgofordinner.com/Vancouver.cfm?detail=181

 

www.steamworks.com

[scottbee]

We have rented a car from National and will be driving from Seattle to Vancouver (Fairmont Waterfront) on Sat. June 14th. Our flight arrives At 11:44am. Can you provide any helpful hints (best route etc.) about crossing the border into Canada?

Thanks for all of your help. :D

 

Head north on I5 out of Seattle. Once you're past Bellingham, tune 1130 or 730am and listen to the border crossing wait times (every 10 mins).

 

Your two choices are the Douglas "Peace Arch" crossing and the Pacific Highway "Truck" crossing. I give both names as sometimes reports will say one, but the official signs say the other. Two miles from the border you need to make your choice, if you're going through the main I5 (Douglas) crossing, you don't need to do anything. If you decide that the Pacific Highway crossing will be faster, exit off I5 onto Highway 543.

 

Other than that it's pretty straight forward. As you're crossing at a land crossing you technically don't need a passport, but you'd be silly not to have one, as I think it's required for the cruise.

[ceilidh1]

Also, be prepared for some waiting at the border. I heard on the news that they are closing 4 lanes at Peace Arch - not sure how long for, and if they will reopen by the time you cross, but those borders are always so unpredictable. I have crossed with less than a 15 minute wait at times, and over 3 hours at others....

[aggiesmom]

Any chance there is a music store downtown Vancouver where my daughter can buy the latest Sam Roberts Band CD. My daughter is "DYING" to get it since its not available in the US yet.

[scottbee]

Also, be prepared for some waiting at the border. I heard on the news that they are closing 4 lanes at Peace Arch - not sure how long for, and if they will reopen by the time you cross, but those borders are always so unpredictable. I have crossed with less than a 15 minute wait at times, and over 3 hours at others....

 

four southbound lanes affecting US bound traffic are closed for construction

[scottbee]

Any chance there is a music store downtown Vancouver where my daughter can buy the latest Sam Roberts Band CD. My daughter is "DYING" to get it since its not available in the US yet.

 

Lots. Future Shop (Granville/Robson), and HMV (Burrard/Robson) are your best bet.

[patterbones]

Hi Vancouverites!

I'll be visiting your fair city June 28-30 prior to a cruise. I was interested in live theatre and couldn't really find anything of interest (to me)in town that weekend except Bard on the Beach. Can you tell me about "festival seating"? It looks like a beautiful venue. Is it easy to get to via public transportation or how much would cab fare be to Hyatt Regency downtown? Saturday tickets seem to be be "limited" according to the website so it looks to be crowded(?) Are they bench seats or are we sitting on the ground? Thanks for your help

[aggiesmom]

Thanks Scottbee for this valuable info. Maybe it will put her mind to rest.:cool:

[patterbones]

I have this other question: trolley or double decker bus? I hear alot of talk on these boards of the trolley tour but I also see a double decker bus. I printed off the maps and see they go basically most of the same route but is one more frequent then the other? I'm assuming they have both been around for awhile? I saw an online discount for the double decker and was going to pre-buy but I don't want to be disappointed..thanks! MY other question (Bard on the beach)is just above so you can reply to both--that would be great, just great!:p