Vancouver answers from a Vancouverite

[dallas52]

we will flying in on 7/25 and leaving on the NCL Sun on the 26, how far is it from airport to cruise port and where is best place to stay? we will not be renting a car so will have to rely on cabs or public transportation. there will be six of us and none of us have been to vancouver before. thanks for any info.

[Putterdude]

Any suggestions for our day in Vancouver if it is raining?

 

I assume that it's not much fun to visit Stanley Park in the rain. I know there is an aquarium but I have older teens and don't think this will hold there interest for long.

 

Ordinarily by early July we are into summer weather and if we do get rain it tends to be light or just showers. However if it is raining heavily you may want to head for Granville Island where for at least some part you will be under cover. We will cross our fingers for you.:)

[Putterdude]

we will flying in on 7/25 and leaving on the NCL Sun on the 26, how far is it from airport to cruise port and where is best place to stay? we will not be renting a car so will have to rely on cabs or public transportation. there will be six of us and none of us have been to vancouver before. thanks for any info.

 

From the airport to downtown is about a 30/35 min drive. With the six of you, you may want to look into a stretch limo, for a towncar HighEnd Limo has a contract for $39 + 5% tax to go from YVR to downtown but can chare more for a stretch limo...in the $50 to $60 range. If it much more than that you may want to think of 2 cabs which will run about $30/$35 each. Most of the downtown hotles are with in a mile of Canada Place which is what NCL uses...so budget about $12 per cab.

As to where to stay...without knowing what your budget is that is hard to say...the Pan Pacific at Canad Place is likely the best but that will run you about $300 pn. If you want to go on Priceline you can bid a room and this year it would seem that lots of people are getting 3.5* to 5* rooms for under $100. You go to the bidding screen, then to Downtown-Vancouver and bid for 3* + and start you bidding at $65 per room.

If you would prefer just to book a room then tell us what you would like to pay per room and we will try to help but you will find that the rack rate for most decent hotels start north of $150.

[dallas52]

thanks for the information, was wondering if we stay at a motel near airport that has a free pickup and take two taxis the next morning to thecruise port. what kind of rate is that? is there public transportation that we might use?

[scottbee]

thanks for the information, was wondering if we stay at a motel near airport that has a free pickup and take two taxis the next morning to thecruise port. what kind of rate is that? is there public transportation that we might use?

 

A taxi from Richmond (the area near the airport) to downtown will be approx $30-35 depending on traffic. You could take the bus, the #98 runs from Richmond to downtown for the pricely sum of $3.75/ea. (in 3 months you'll be able to do it airport-downtown on a new subway, but alas you're too early).

 

map which shows downtown in relation to the airport: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=100934763039761071004.000467645fcda21dd87b2&ll=49.238,-123.121719&spn=0.135842,0.363922&z=12

 

city bus info: http://translink.bc.ca/

[peeches]

HI vicky, thanks for your generous offer to help.. is there cheaper parking in Vancouver? it doesn't have to be near the terminal, but we would need to be able to get to the terminal. we are planning to be on the ship for 14 days and it gets to be costly.

 

thanks, peeches

[Putterdude]

Yes parking in Vancouver, particularly downtown, is very expensive. If you would consider a stay, park and cruise package as an option may I suggest the Accent Inn in either Richmond (near the airport) or in Burnaby (burb just east of Vancouver) in the city's West End there is also the Coast Plaza Hotel which offers a similar package.

 

www.accentinns.com/

www.coasthotels.com/home/sites/vancouvercoastplaza

[Urban trekker]

Some excitement in Vancouver this afternoon.

 

Real excitement at the aquarium today as the people got to watch the birth of another baby Beluga whale - interestingly it was the mother of the beluga that gave birth earlier this year.

 

Mother and baby seem to be doing well - swimming beside each other - there was a good size crowd watching the event and it was the lead story on the newscasts tonight.

 

Auroura has done it again. She and her daughter have both given birth recently.

 

Here's a link to the Aquarium website:

 

http://www.vanaqua.org/home/

 

and here's one to their You Tube showing the birth:

 

 

FYI - to my knowledge there is only one adult male at the aquarium so he must be a real ladies man.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

Edited June 8, 2009 by Urban trekker
links added

[Putterdude]

I watched it on the 6pm news on Global...it was facinating.

[jaspercat]

Hello Dennis and Putterdude -- just wanted to stop back in and say "thanks again" for all the info you provide (as other do as well) for travellers heading to Van. Got back from the Serenade on the 6th, and spent 2 beautiful days prior to our departure. My stay at the Coast Plaza on Comox was great. Hotel was exactly in the area I was looking for and enjoyed the local area very much. Had lunch and dinner one day at The Boathouse (great food and service); enjoyed the walk along English Bay to Stanley Park and the rhonedendrons (sp) were spectacular. Also walked (not the same day LOL) from Fairmont Waterfront along the Seawall back to the hotel. A lot of us from the CC thread met Friday night at Earls Paramount - we had a great time.

 

From checking this thread off and on I found lots of info that helped make the stay in Van terrific.

 

Keep up the great job!

[Urban trekker]

Glad to have been able to help

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Glad you enjoyed our city...we have a great time with the information part.:D

[wheelchair mama]

I was excited to see the news. I had thought the baby beluga wasn't going to be born until after we had been there. One more wonderful thing to see in vancouver. This just keeps getting better.:d

[crooz1]

Sort of off topic...but maybe not. The girl on ABC's Bachelorette this season lives in Vancouver. Tonight's show was filmed IN Vancouver!!! Showed lots of the area....Canada Place, B. C. Stadium, Stanley Park, Granville Island, etc. It's all beautiful on TV, too!!

 

And....congratulations on the new baby beluga!!!

Edited June 9, 2009 by crooz1

[Urban trekker]

"I had thought the baby beluga wasn't going to be born until after we had been there"

 

Babies don't always arrive when people expect. T

 

Thanks also for remaining me about the Bachelorette - they also got lucky with the weather - it was sunny and hot here when they were doing the filming. Actually its on here right now while I am typing.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[BayStateguppy]

In my search for reasonably priced restaurants in Gastown, I came across the Irish Heather. But a footnote on their website says: "BC law does not permit minors in the Irish Heather, but we are allowed to serve minors at our communal table and are delighted to do so."

 

Does anyone knwo what they mean by this? Is the communal table outside? Is this going to be a problem for us (and our 17/yo DS) at a lot of Vancouver brew pubs and restaurants?

[Urban trekker]

That term is new to me so I don't know exactly what they are referring to but I thought of the Irish Heather being more of a nightclub than a restaurant and for nightclubs you have to be 19 - our legal drinking age.

 

Perhaps PD who has some experience in operating a license premises can explain it better.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[galelynn]

We are presently booked at the Cascadia Hotel and Suites (was the Residence Inn by Marriott's) at 1234 Hornby St., for our upcoming cruise in Sept on the Golden Princess. We will be in Vancouver for a 2 nights stay before the cruise, wondering about the location and if we would be better to switch to a hotel closer to Canada Place? TIA

[Putterdude]

That term is new to me so I don't know exactly what they are referring to but I thought of the Irish Heather being more of a nightclub than a restaurant and for nightclubs you have to be 19 - our legal drinking age.

 

Perhaps PD who has some experience in operating a license premises can explain it better.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

I am no longer sure of the different types of liquor licenses but I suspect that you have hit the nail on the head the Irish Heather is really more of a night club than a restaurant.

For the OP, no you son will have no problem in most pub style restautants, ones that leap to mind include Steamworks, Carderos and Rossies on Robson. He certainly will not have a problem in any traditional restaurants.

[Putterdude]

We are presently booked at the Cascadia Hotel and Suites (was the Residence Inn by Marriott's) at 1234 Hornby St., for our upcoming cruise in Sept on the Golden Princess. We will be in Vancouver for a 2 nights stay before the cruise, wondering about the location and if we would be better to switch to a hotel closer to Canada Place? TIA

 

The only problem you will have with your choice is that Urban trekker will insist on waiving to from his condo just down the street.:)

Other than the above you will be just fine, you can walk to many of the city's sights such as Granville Island, English Bay, Stanley Park, the Art Gallery, Robson St...just to name a few. You will be a $10/12 cab ride to Canada Place on your day of embarkation. Just watch out for that guy waiving from his window....:)

[Urban trekker]

As PD said - nothing wrong with the location - nice indoor pool and closer to Granville Island ferries that most other hotels - yes I live a block away and can see the hotel from my condo - walk by it almost everyday.

 

There will be a Game 7 in hockey and the Manitoba Moose also won so they will have a Game 6 so we aren't quite finished with hockey yet.

 

PD - assume you know that the new Abby team is called the Heat so when the two teams meet we will have to careful and not type this to describe the matchup - Moose n Heat.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[crazycath]

I am trying to win a hotel room for Wednesday August 5th in Vancouver on Priceline. Is there anything going on that week that would make hotel rooms hard to get? Others are winning rooms and I am not having any luck.

 

Thanks for your help

 

Cathy

[Putterdude]

Cathy, there is nothing that I know of, Aug 1 thru 3 is a provincial holiday and the Celebration of Light fireworks is on Aug 1st but it is prime vacation time.

[crazycath]

Cathy, there is nothing that I know of, Aug 1 thru 3 is a provincial holiday and the Celebration of Light fireworks is on Aug 1st but it is prime vacation time.

 

Thanks for your quick answer

 

Cathy

[isleptwell]

I have a few hours before I need to check in for my flight out of Vancouver. Is there anything to do in the airport?

Edited June 10, 2009 by isleptwell