Need Help With Vancouver Embarkation/Logistics

[Crowsie]

Hi All...

We are embarking (Canada Place) the Diamond Princess this Saturday..yeah!

 

We arrive Friday early morning in Seattle and will drive immediately to Vancouver.

 

Car rental is with National. We are staying at the Blue Horizon. One person in our group has difficulty walking long distances.

 

Here are my questions:

 

1. Will we be able to see the fireworks spectacular from our hotel? Should we ask for rooms on any particular side of the hotel.

 

2. We would like to drop our luggage at the baggage storage at Canada Place early morning. (Our car rental rate goes up by $200 if we do not drop within a 24 hour period) Once we drop our luggage we need to drop the car at the National Car location at Canada Place. From there, we would like to use the hop on hop off trolley to tour the city.

a. Once we drop the car are we within walking distance of the trolley stop?

b. When we are ready to board, is it walking distance from the hop off stop to the cruise ship terminal? If not, what is the best way to get there?

 

3. Any recommendations for dinner and lunch? We are 6 people ages 14 - 80, and like everyone else....on a budget...although we would like someplace nice for dinner. We are not picky eaters and like to try new things.

 

Is there anything else I have not considered?

 

Thanks so much for all your help!

Crowsie

[Urban trekker]

I will try and answer your questions?

 

1. re fireworks - if you are on the top floors facing south you might be able to do - but in reality you are on the wrong side of the crest of the downtown core - the hotel should be able to answer that question for you. It just occured to me that you will be staying at the Blue Horizon on Friday - if so the fireworks are on Saturday.

 

2. Canada Place, National car rental and the HOHO are located within a short block of each other.

 

3. As for dinner - there are so many places to eat in the downtown core for all particular taste buds that it is hard to recommend any one in particular. If you were to tell us some taste choices that would help - as you have a teenager in group - there is a Red Robin a block away from your hotel - the Old Spaghetti Factory in Gastown is good for all ages.

White Spot is our local favorite - http://www.whitespot.ca - there is one near the entrance to Stanley Park.

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[ceilidh1]

Hi All...

We are embarking (Canada Place) the Diamond Princess this Saturday..yeah!

 

We arrive Friday early morning in Seattle and will drive immediately to Vancouver.

 

Car rental is with National. We are staying at the Blue Horizon. One person in our group has difficulty walking long distances.

 

Here are my questions:

 

1. Will we be able to see the fireworks spectacular from our hotel? Should we ask for rooms on any particular side of the hotel.

 

2. We would like to drop our luggage at the baggage storage at Canada Place early morning. (Our car rental rate goes up by $200 if we do not drop within a 24 hour period) Once we drop our luggage we need to drop the car at the National Car location at Canada Place. From there, we would like to use the hop on hop off trolley to tour the city.

a. Once we drop the car are we within walking distance of the trolley stop?

b. When we are ready to board, is it walking distance from the hop off stop to the cruise ship terminal? If not, what is the best way to get there?

 

3. Any recommendations for dinner and lunch? We are 6 people ages 14 - 80, and like everyone else....on a budget...although we would like someplace nice for dinner. We are not picky eaters and like to try new things.

 

Is there anything else I have not considered?

 

Thanks so much for all your help!

Crowsie

 

I would recommend that you request a wheelchair for the elderly person in your group as soon as you arrive at the terminal. Saturdays are busy days in terms of embarking as there are 2 ships in port and all passengers have to go through the same security screening point and US customs before check in. Having a wheelchair will fasttrack you through a lot of the lines and will help with the elderly person not having to stand for long periods.

[Crowsie]

Thank you both for the excellent tips and hints. We will definitely request a wheelchair for embarkation.

For dinner....we'd like to experience local cuisine..specialites etc. We lived in landlocked MN..so perhaps pan-asian or seafood?

Thanks again