Vancouver B.C. Questions

[billylen]

Ok, So I have paid for the upcoming cruise. Now I'm entering that period of insanity when I'm waiting for the docs and doing last minute planning.

 

Here are my questions:

 

1. Does anyone know the name or address of the port in Vancouver?

 

2. I'm flying into BC the day before. Any suggestions on what to do and see in the city for the evening?

 

3. I'm flying out the day we return to port. Is it difficult to get in and out of the Vancouver airport?

 

I guess I'm getting REALLY REALLY excited about cruising Alaska (first time) anything I'm missing?

 

Thanks for any and all suggestions...

 

Bill in Monrovia

 

"Everyone has some good in them. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder to find it..."

 

6/27 Serenade of the Seas

[PH8]

I can answer number one for you...the Serenade is going out of the Ballantyne Pier.........it is downtown Vancouver............

 

For all the other info,go to the ports of call board(ALASKA)............lots of help regarding things to do,how to get around,etc.........

 

ALASKA

 

 

 RCCL Serenade--5/30--Alaska

 RCCL Jewel--10/28--repositioning

**RCCL SOS-8/27/04** Carnival Miracle-2/13/05**

[jstducky]

bill...hello from a fellow southern californian!

 

anyhow, parrothead is right, the serenade is out of ballantyne pier in Vancouver. there are two piers, ballantyne and canada place.

 

ballantyne is located at 655 centenniel road.

 

here is a link to the port of vancouver website and it has all the info you want on the piers and their locations

Port of Vancouver

 

vancouver is a wonderful town. there's a good reason that people call it the most beautiful city in the pacific northwest. you might want to take a stroll through stanley park at night or walk around gastown, its pretty nice. or maybe go over to chinatown and grab some good chinese food. also there is an observation tower located not too far from canada place pier, if you go up at night it gives you a nice 360 degree view of the city!

 

finally i found YVR to be a breeze. its a pretty big airport but very well run. there are a lot of tourists that go in and out of vancouver for an alaskan cruise. checking in luggage was quick and easy. the airport is well maintained and very nice. just remember that before you leave the airport to come back to LA you need to pay canadian airport tax. the simplest thing to do is to pay with your credit card to get a good exchange rate, and there are booths all over the check in counters where you can just slide your credit card it and you receive a voucher that you show. since you are flying international though back to the US, there is US Customs there at the airport to check through your bags before they let you into the gate area, thats they only place where it might be a little slow!

 

anyhow, enjoy your alaska vacation. its my favorite vacation of all time!

 

its so amazing and beautiful and breathtaking that going to alaska once won't be enough for you....

 

jstducky!

-----------------

...til 9/04 - Jewel of the Seas - Canada / New England

 

====================================

...til 7/04 - Zuiderdam - Western Caribbean

 

=====================================

7/03 - Zaandam - Alaska

4/03 - Norweigan Star - Hawaii

7/96 - Noordam - Alaska

7/96 - Golden Princess - Alaska

8/95 - Jubilee - Mexican Riviera

[Folgy]

POST:Question

 

2. I'm flying into BC the day before. Any suggestions on what to do and see in the city for the evening?

 

Answer:

 

You might really enjoy Harbour Inn Restaurant.

Downtown Vancouver.The restaurant rotates while you wine and dine and listen to the Pianist. You get the whole view of the Harbour as the tower rotates.Also a great view of the entire city.

[Cruise Junky]

I live in Vancouver, feel free to ask anything you want. Make sure you take a cab to Ballantine, not a place to try and get to on your own. As previously stated, YVR is a breeze, won't take you long to get there or back from downtown.

 

What to do the day before.... do you have kids? or just the two of you? Stanley Park is wonderful, usually a must for our tourists, there's tons of city bus tours, take the sea bus over to North Vancouver. Don't know how much time you have, but Whistler is only 1 1/2 hr away by car, fabulous day trip. Skyride up to Grouse Mountain if it's a clear day. There really is tons to do. You should contact the Tourist Board and ask them to send you some stuff.

 

Any questions, don't hesitate

 

Island Princess

Some Ship, Some Itinerary, Somewhere in the Med.

Mexican Riviera - Rhapsody of the Seas

11 Day Circle the Caribbean - Splendour of the Seas

Alaska - Dawn Princess

[billylen]

You good folks (and others ) never dissapoint!

 

I will be traveling solo (first time) The son will be with his mom...all my clients will be out of sight (and out of mind!) and I hope to relax for a solid week!

 

I have a timeshare in DT Vancouver, but my flight won't arrive until early afternoon. I have heard many mention a park that is a must see.

 

This vacation will be a sleep, eat, and sightseeing trip.

 

Some great tips so far.

 

Thanks a million!

 

Bill in Monrovia

 

"Everyone has some good in them. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder to find it..."

 

6/27 Serenade of the Seas

[pieshops]

here are 2 good sites for info, hope it helps

 

 

http://www.bcpassport.com/bus/index.html

 

http://www3.telus.net/cruise_watch/info.htm

 

Until our Cruise Critic Group Alaska Cruise

 

Come check out the links below for our Cruise Critic group cruise to Alaska - August 2004

 

http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=frm&s=927093444&f=9693034447

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/interests/groups.cfm?ID=43

 

Carnival Holiday 1991

Norwegian Sea August 2001

Carnival Triumph August 2003

Celebrity Horizon October 2003

[billylen]

What great sites! Thanks! I see that there is a CC cruise in August. Sounds like it will be a BLAST!

 

Bill in Monrovia

 

"Everyone has some good in them. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder to find it..."

 

6/27 Serenade of the Seas

[Krazy4Kruisin']

Cruise Junky,

I am trying to get info on going to Victoria for 1/2 day. Is this possible? Our cruise leaves on Sunday and we will arrive in Vancouver Thursday late morning. We are thinking about taking a ferry to Victoria so we can see Buchart Gardens. We would like to go about noon and stay till evening. How long does it take each way on the ferry and how often do they run? Also, how much does it costs to take that? I think flying would be quicker, but too much money.

[TropicalFlyer]

If you like Chinese food, there is a very good chinese restaurant in the shopping center (Royal Center) under the Hyatt in Vancouver. It's called the Victoria Restaurant. I love going for the morning/lunchtime dim sum there.

 

Another restaurant I like close to the cruise ship terminal is Aqua Riva. Good bar, nice views from the window tables, and great food.

 

Some suggestions for exploring Vancouver:

 

1) Go to Stanley Park and walk, bike or rollerskate along the seawall around the park. Rentals are available near the park. You can also take a horse drawn trolley tour.

 

2) Walk along Robson Street and then Denman Street towards English Bay. The streets are filled with shops, restaurants, and cafes. Don't forget to stop for a gelato along the way.

 

3) Take the bus or a cab to Granville Island Public Market. You can check out the many food vendors, artisan shops, art galleries, and theatres. You can keep yourself occupied for hours here.

 

4) If you're into arts and culture, the Vancouver Museum is downtown and the Museum of Anthropology is at the University of British Columbia. Both are quite interesting.

 

Have a good time!!

[Cruise Junky]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Krazy4Kruisin':

Cruise Junky,

I am trying to get info on going to Victoria for 1/2 day. Is this possible? Our cruise leaves on Sunday and we will arrive in Vancouver Thursday late morning. We are thinking about taking a ferry to Victoria so we can see Buchart Gardens. We would like to go about noon and stay till evening. How long does it take each way on the ferry and how often do they run? Also, how much does it costs to take that? I think flying would be quicker, but too much money.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Hi - you need at least a full day to do Victoria. There are coach tours that you could take that would get you there and back in a day, but it's a long day. The ferry ride is 1 1/2 hours each way minimum, then you've got to get to the ferry terminal, all the waiting and lining up. Haven't taken a ferry in a year or two, but for two people and a car, it was around $40 - 45 cdn. I think and around $10 -15 for a walk-on. Do a search for BC Ferries and they'll give you a better idea.

 

Island Princess

Some Ship, Some Itinerary, Somewhere in the Med.

Mexican Riviera - Rhapsody of the Seas

11 Day Circle the Caribbean - Splendour of the Seas

Alaska - Dawn Princess