04/27/11 DCL's WONDERful LA-VANCOUVER REPO ON THE WAY TO ALAKSA

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

We are using Enterprise. We are staying at the Doubletree at the port and we can drop the car off there.

We ended up booking a limo. I have a rental car thru 25th- return to LAX when pick up DH from airport when HE flies in, then we'll take the shuttle back to our hotel.... then limo to port. I didn't need a rental vehicle for 2 more days plus the drop off fee was astronomical. I crunched numbers- and used limos.com and it came out cheaper for us to just do the limo. Most places, besides Enterprise, you have to call to drop off somewhere other than airports and Enterprise said they charged $40 drop off fee but the price they quoted to drop off at San Pedro vs. dropping off at the same time at LAX was over $100 more! Idk why they said only $40 more.... and dropping off somewhere else and then having to get 2 taxis (for 5ppl and luggage) just made the limo cheaper for us.

I've booked our Victoria excursion (seems kind of silly since we live in Victoria!) - we are having tea at the Empress just after noon.

I know I'm going to buy a City Pass for San Francisco for me and my daughter. That should let us see a bunch of stuff without too much $$$$. The Exploratorium and the cable cars are included and those were our must-dos.

Now all I have to really worry about is how I am going to get to San Pedro port from Anaheim. I am trying to arrange a reasonable unshared ride but may have to go with a shared shuttle. Any tips from those in the know?

What's the city pass about? I need to research this! LOL

We are booked on the 5:55pm tour for Alcatraz. We booked on our own through http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/

I'm gonna book that same one! I was told by friend who lives in the area that the night one is the best one, if possible.
I was about to book it- and then thought... it IS on the 29th we stay that day/then overnight at SF, right? I don't want to book the wrong day! LOL

 

[Robin"D"]

We are booked on the 5:55pm tour for Alcatraz. We booked on our own through http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/

we did the same, 6:45pm though...
Alcatraz @ night!!!

Robin & Angel "D"

 

[Scott H]

Back from the dream and need to start thinking about this trip next.

 

[fitnessmouse]

You don't need to pre-book Grouse Mountain or the Capilano suspension bridge. I don't even know if you can!

If anyone has any ideas how to do this on your own, we are open to suggestions.

I see Viator has tours:
http://www.viator.com/tours/Vancouver/Capilano-Suspension-Bridge/d616-3584ADM
Not sure that this is really a tour, just admission?

This is the one we're looking at doing, haven't booked yet, since we're still working on our Vancouver itinerary, and the price is kinda :
http://www.viator.com/tours/Vancouv...ension-Bridge-and-Grouse-Mountain/d616-3914_2

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

we did the same, 6:45pm though...
Alcatraz @ night!!!

Robin & Angel "D"

4/29.. right?
trying to make sure what night that is before booking alcatraz on our own.

 

[katypop]

we did the same, 6:45pm though...
Alcatraz @ night!!!

Robin & Angel "D"

We booked the 6:45pm tour too

 

[katypop]

4/29.. right?
trying to make sure what night that is before booking alcatraz on our own.

Yes, 04/29 is correct

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Yes, 04/29 is correct

Thank you!
I kept checking and checking.... haha I appreciate you answering!

Wait- all those booking 5:55 or 6:45 alcatraz.... I just thought of something. I guess that means miss dining times on Wonder completely regardless if you have early or late dining. Correct? What time is the top deck dining? (I forget the name, I only know about Topsiders since we've only cruised Magic so far LOL) I wonder if we'd still be able to squeeze in there to eat after alcatraz?

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Beach Blanket is open until 8:30 and Goofy's is open until 11pm. I guess there is always room service, too!
http://www.wdwinfo.com/Photos/DCL-Navigators/5-30-10/NavigatorDay40001.pdf

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Sorry if this is a repeat, but we have been wondering - according to SmeeCanada, the Vancouver port schedule is out and we will be docking at Canada Place! Let the planning begin!

 

[katypop]

Thank you!
I kept checking and checking.... haha I appreciate you answering!

Wait- all those booking 5:55 or 6:45 alcatraz.... I just thought of something. I guess that means miss dining times on Wonder completely regardless if you have early or late dining. Correct? What time is the top deck dining? (I forget the name, I only know about Topsiders since we've only cruised Magic so far LOL) I wonder if we'd still be able to squeeze in there to eat after alcatraz?

Beach Blanket is open until 8:30 and Goofy's is open until 11pm. I guess there is always room service, too!
http://www.wdwinfo.com/Photos/DCL-Navigators/5-30-10/NavigatorDay40001.pdf

We are probably going to eat off the ship this night. Besides the room service, just so you know, there is usually the option of some late night snacks at the Promenade Lounge or Beat Street (this is on the Magic, not sure if the names are the same on the Wonder) between 11:00 pm and midnight. I imagine we will be looking for some snacks when we get back onboard that night!

 

[katypop]

Sorry if this is a repeat, but we have been wondering - according to SmeeCanada, the Vancouver port schedule is out and we will be docking at Canada Place! Let the planning begin!

This is perfect! Thanks for the update. We have the Pan Pacific booked for after our cruise

 

[trimix]

We are probably going to eat off the ship this night. Besides the room service, just so you know, there is usually the option of some late night snacks at the Promenade Lounge or Beat Street (this is on the Magic, not sure if the names are the same on the Wonder) between 11:00 pm and midnight. I imagine we will be looking for some snacks when we get back onboard that night!

There's a perfect plan! If you do a little searching, there are some really wonderful restaurants to choose from.

This is why I'll never do an all-inclusive resort. There are always a lot of good restaurant and activity choices that I haven't paid for, if I utilize them I feel guilty for 'wasted' money, and if I stick with the resort I feel guilty over all the missed opportunities.

 

[lozzypop]

What's the city pass about? I need to research this! LOL

City Pass is a program in many cities where you get admission to multiple tourist attractions. Usually, if you do three or more attractions, it works out to be much cheaper.

The City Pass for San Francisco is $64 for adults and $39 for kids. It includes

Cal Academy of Sciences
Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise
Aquarium of the Bay
SF Museum of Modern Art
Exploratorium
Unlimited cable cars & municipal transport for 7 days

No Alcatraz - sorry

For us, it was worth it. I was planning to do the cable car and the Exploratorium anyway and the Aquarium at the Bay sounds like fun too. I have done the math and we will save money.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

City Pass is a program in many cities where you get admission to multiple tourist attractions. Usually, if you do three or more attractions, it works out to be much cheaper.

The City Pass for San Francisco is $64 for adults and $39 for kids. It includes

Cal Academy of Sciences
Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise
Aquarium of the Bay
SF Museum of Modern Art
Exploratorium
Unlimited cable cars & municipal transport for 7 days

No Alcatraz - sorry

For us, it was worth it. I was planning to do the cable car and the Exploratorium anyway and the Aquarium at the Bay sounds like fun too. I have done the math and we will save money.

Ohhh
Okay- well thanks for the info. I don't think it will work for us. We want to do Walt Disney family museum and Alcatraz mostly.... well most importantly. I'm sure we'll see/do other things.

Wait- I just read FAQ's page on alcatraz:

Q. Can I use the Go San Francisco Card, City Pass or Wharf Pass to visit Alcatraz?

A. Alcatraz Cruises is pleased to offer Go San Francisco Card, CityPass and Wharf Pass. Go San Francisco Card, CityPass and Wharf Pass are not available for purchase on the website, but can be purchased at the Alcatraz Cruises ticket booth, located at Pier 33, in San Francisco, or by phone at (415) 981-ROCK (7625). A Go San Francisco Card, CityPass or Wharf Pass Combo package purchased through Alcatraz Cruises includes an Alcatraz Island tour, subject to availability. A Go San Francisco Card, CityPass or Wharf Pass purchased at any other location does not include the Alcatraz Island tour option. A Go San Francisco Card, CityPass or Wharf Pass with the Alcatraz Island tour option is for the day tour only. Alcatraz evening tours are not included in the Go San Francisco Card, CityPass or Wharf Pass program. Alcatraz tours can sell out several days in advance. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

so if you get the citypass thru them it will include a day pass to alcatraz! that doesn't work for us- we want the night tour... but thought I'd put that info out there for others who do want alcatraz during the day, and were considering the citypass anyway or also.

We are probably going to eat off the ship this night. Besides the room service, just so you know, there is usually the option of some late night snacks at the Promenade Lounge or Beat Street (this is on the Magic, not sure if the names are the same on the Wonder) between 11:00 pm and midnight. I imagine we will be looking for some snacks when we get back onboard that night!

Thanks for the info.
I think we'll just plan on eating off the ship. I doubt we'd get back in time for BB (thanks to magicfor2 for answering that it closes at 8:30!) and room service is so limited now and we'd be starving.. not looking for just late night snacks. Unless we like go to WDFM and then eat and then go to Alcatraz- then we might be ready for snacks... if we're not ready for bed. LOL

I wonder if there will be a lot of people not making their dining times that night. (especiall if they have main dining time) I wonder what show is that night. I hope it's one I don't mind missing. LOL

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Aw crap- i can't order tickets now for 5:55 or 6:45... even if I just put us 5 in (not including our friend and her son) it says exceeded maximum allowed.

I even tried to add to cart just 2 people- won't work.
*cries*

Oh no wait- i tried just one and it added to my cart ALL the tickets I'd looked at earlier today. hahaha
I looked to find "cart" to see if they were still in there and couldn't find a cart! LOL........

I'm having such a HARD time deciding on the time... and it's only 50min difference. LOL

Alright I booked 6:45pm..... I figure this will allow us to leave the ship later, eat lunch on ship, go to WDFM for hours, then right before alcatraz either eat somewhere or at least grab a snack somewhere- then do alcatraz. If we did the earlier time we'd be crunching our WDFM time and also eating too close together in time LOL

Um I clicked process my pymt and it took me to some other page about alcatraz and no "anything' about the order went thru or anything of that nature. *haz confused* LOL

Um. Well I went to add another ticket and my cart was cleared... so I guess the order went thru. ? I guess I'll wait to see if I get the email so I can print etickets... /this is weird.
well still no email.

those of you that booked -did you get a page where you could see an order number or something or just automatically receive an email or what? That was the weirdest thing... just took me to some other page telling me about alcatraz, emptied my cart, but no email and I have no idea if the order went thru or not.

I hope I don't get charged twice. I'll have to deal with it if I do. LOL But I rebooked the tickets again and clicked process and this time it loaded like it was processing and took me to a "order succesfully processed" page. LOL

 

[MAGICFOR2]

We are probably going to eat off the ship this night. Besides the room service, just so you know, there is usually the option of some late night snacks at the Promenade Lounge or Beat Street (this is on the Magic, not sure if the names are the same on the Wonder) between 11:00 pm and midnight. I imagine we will be looking for some snacks when we get back onboard that night!

Yes! The Navigator does show some late night snacks at Promenade and Route 66, I think!

We are hoping to take our friend out to dinner that night, so we will probably eat in the city, too. I'll bet the dining rooms are a little empty that night.

This is perfect! Thanks for the update. We have the Pan Pacific booked for after our cruise

You're welcome. I'm glad it's working out!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Does anyone know if there's a curfew for the first night in SF? Like the gangplank goes up at a certain time and if you aren't onboard, you have to stay elsewhere?

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Does anyone know if there's a curfew for the first night in SF? Like the gangplank goes up at a certain time and if you aren't onboard, you have to stay elsewhere?

I asked a DCL veteran and she said you can come/go anytime you want. I asked also because I wondered if you had to be back at a certain and/or couldn't leave in the morning until a certain time. She said while it's at the port of call you can come/go on the ship.
I would imagine that would be the case... I mean surely she's right. They wouldn't be locking families off the ship. LOL right right? I hope not. LOL I'll plop down right there and cry till they let me in. LOL

 

[njprincess]

We are booked on the 5:55pm tour for Alcatraz. We booked on our own through http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/

We booked 5:55 as well!

Wait- all those booking 5:55 or 6:45 alcatraz.... I just thought of something. I guess that means miss dining times on Wonder completely regardless if you have early or late dining. Correct? What time is the top deck dining? (I forget the name, I only know about Topsiders since we've only cruised Magic so far LOL) I wonder if we'd still be able to squeeze in there to eat after alcatraz?

We are going to eat in the city after the Alcatraz tour.

Sorry if this is a repeat, but we have been wondering - according to SmeeCanada, the Vancouver port schedule is out and we will be docking at Canada Place! Let the planning begin!

Yeah!

those of you that booked -did you get a page where you could see an order number or something or just automatically receive an email or what? That was the weirdest thing... just took me to some other page telling me about alcatraz, emptied my cart, but no email and I have no idea if the order went thru or not.

I hope I don't get charged twice. I'll have to deal with it if I do. LOL But I rebooked the tickets again and clicked process and this time it loaded like it was processing and took me to a "order succesfully processed" page. LOL

I got a confirmation page, with all the information and I also got an email. It gave me a web address to go to so I can print my tickets.