9-Night Alaskan or 10-Night Southern Caribbean?

[Shanti]

Once you finalize your flight and YVR arrival time.... we can help build a suggested sightseeing itinerary. Hint: Think an earlier arrival to maximize your sightseeing opportunities post-flight at your bonus port.

We are scheduled to arrive at the Vancouver airport on July 23rd (the day before the cruise) at 2:30pm. We're planning to stay at the Fairmont Airport Hotel, which I booked via DCL. I thought we could drop our luggage at the hotel, then do some sightseeing. The only two things in Vancouver we really want to see are the Suspension Bridge and Fly Canada. Since time is limited and we'll be at Canada Place the next morning with DCL taking our bags from hotel to port for us, I thought maybe we could do Fly Canada in the morning before the cruise. After the cruise, we will promptly take the bus to Seattle, to catch a 6pm flight to Long Beach, so we can spend the next two days in Disneyland.

This trip is already as long as we can possibly make it, and Disneyland is a bucket-list item for us (& we have park passes that will expire this December), so we won't ditch DLR for more days in Vancouver. Within those limitations, do you think we can take in those two activities in Vancouver?

 

[bcwife76]

We are scheduled to arrive at the Vancouver airport on July 23rd (the day before the cruise) at 2:30pm. We're planning to stay at the Fairmont Airport Hotel, which I booked via DCL. I thought we could drop our luggage at the hotel, then do some sightseeing. The only two things in Vancouver we really want to see are the Suspension Bridge and Fly Canada. Since time is limited and we'll be at Canada Place the next morning with DCL taking our bags from hotel to port for us, I thought maybe we could do Fly Canada in the morning before the cruise. After the cruise, we will promptly take the bus to Seattle, to catch a 6pm flight to Disneyland, where we will spend two days before returning to Austin.

This trip already is already as long as we can possibly make it, and Disneyland is a bucket-list item for us & we have park passes that will expire this December, so we won't ditch DLR for more days in Vancouver. Within those limitations, do you think we can take in those two activities in Vancouver?

Doing Fly Over Canada the morning of the cruise is a perfect idea, it maximizes your time in port! However with a 2:30pm arrival time into YVR that will put you into rush hour by the time you are through customs and have dropped your bags at the hotel. Yes, you can take Canada Line straight downtown then hop on the seabus over to North Van and take the bus up to Capilano Suspension Bridge but by the time you get there it will probably be at least 5pm. Sure, lots of daylight left but commuting during rush hour on transit.....ugh. Is your hotel room refundable? I would strongly encourage you to book a hotel downtown - doesn't have to be Pan Pacific or Fairmont Waterfront but being out at the airport, going all the way downtown then across to North Van and then making that same trek out to Richmond that night - THEN going downtown the next morning....it's going to be a big hassle, trust me.

 

[xlxo]

What rush hour??? July 23rd is a SUNDAY! I agree getting a downtown hotel would be more ideal, however as you have a DCL packaged deal.... let's work with what you have....

• 2:30pm wheels down
• 3:15pm Fairmont check-in
• 4pm Canada Line subway from the airport to downtown
• 4:35pm exit the subway and use your subway ticket for the Seabus ferry to Lonsdale Quay. The Ferry will allow you to bypass the congestion
• 5:15pm board the 236 Grouse Mountain bus with that subway ticket that will take you to the Capilano Suspension Bridge in 20 minutes just in time for the post-5pm discount!
• 7pm board one of the last Capilano shuttles to return for free trip back downtown across the historic Lion's Gate Bridge. In 2017, Capilano runs an extended evening shuttle (7, 7:30 and 8:15pm) to downtown.
  https://capbridge-capilanosuspensi....uploads/2016/12/May-2017-Shuttle-Schedule.pdf
• 7:30pm start looking for dinner some place.... otherwise, go to Fly Over Canada before they close at 9pm
• 11pm back to your hotel room with dreams on returning to Vancouver because you ran out of time.

 

[bcwife76]

What rush hour??? July 23rd is a SUNDAY! I agree getting a downtown hotel would be more ideal, however as you have a DCL packaged deal.... let's work with what you have....

• 2:30pm wheels down
• 3:15pm Fairmont check-in
• 4pm Canada Line subway from the airport to downtown
• 4:35pm exit the subway and use your subway ticket for the Seabus ferry to Lonsdale Quay. The Ferry will allow you to bypass the congestion
• 5:15pm board the 236 Grouse Mountain bus with that subway ticket that will take you to the Capilano Suspension Bridge in 20 minutes just in time for the post-5pm discount!
• 7pm board one of the last Capilano shuttles to return for free trip back downtown across the historic Lion's Gate Bridge. In 2017, Capilano runs an extended evening shuttle (7, 7:30 and 8:15pm) to downtown.
  https://capbridge-capilanosuspensi....uploads/2016/12/May-2017-Shuttle-Schedule.pdf
• 7:30pm start looking for dinner some place.... otherwise, go to Fly Over Canada before they close at 9pm
• 11pm back to your hotel room with dreams on returning to Vancouver because you ran out of time.

Didn't realize the 23rd is a Sunday. However this also means transit service will be LESS than ideal considering seabus and bus will then be running on weekend/Sunday service. So I still stand by my earlier statement that getting a hotel downtown would save some hassle.

Here's some more info about Capilano Suspension Bridge including locations downtown where you can pick up the free shuttle:
https://www.capbridge.com/visit/shuttle-service/

The park is open til 8pm during the summer.

 

[xlxo]

There was an announcement two weeks ago that Sunday frequency will be improved to 15 minutes til 7pm as Phase 1. This would be perfect for Airport to Capilano on public transit service in the summer.

• http://globalnews.ca/news/3186284/t...rst-10-year-vision-plan-transit-improvements/
• http://www.straight.com/news/856976...seabus-service-reduce-wait-times-and-crowding
• http://www.translink.ca/-/media/Tra...17 TransLink Phase 1 Backgrounder_FINAL.pdf

 

[Shanti]

What rush hour??? July 23rd is a SUNDAY! I agree getting a downtown hotel would be more ideal, however as you have a DCL packaged deal.... let's work with what you have....

• 2:30pm wheels down
• 3:15pm Fairmont check-in
• 4pm Canada Line subway from the airport to downtown
• 4:35pm exit the subway and use your subway ticket for the Seabus ferry to Lonsdale Quay. The Ferry will allow you to bypass the congestion
• 5:15pm board the 236 Grouse Mountain bus with that subway ticket that will take you to the Capilano Suspension Bridge in 20 minutes just in time for the post-5pm discount!
• 7pm board one of the last Capilano shuttles to return for free trip back downtown across the historic Lion's Gate Bridge. In 2017, Capilano runs an extended evening shuttle (7, 7:30 and 8:15pm) to downtown.
  https://capbridge-capilanosuspensi....uploads/2016/12/May-2017-Shuttle-Schedule.pdf
• 7:30pm start looking for dinner some place.... otherwise, go to Fly Over Canada before they close at 9pm
• 11pm back to your hotel room with dreams on returning to Vancouver because you ran out of time.

Wow- thank you!

 

[bcwife76]

There was an announcement two weeks ago that Sunday frequency will be improved to 15 minutes til 7pm as Phase 1. This would be perfect for Airport to Capilano on public transit service in the summer.

• http://globalnews.ca/news/3186284/t...rst-10-year-vision-plan-transit-improvements/
• http://www.straight.com/news/856976...seabus-service-reduce-wait-times-and-crowding
• http://www.translink.ca/-/media/Translink_Media/Content documents/2017/january/20170117 TransLink Phase 1 Backgrounder_FINAL.pdf

Good, it's about time. Sunday service in the past has been slower than the second coming

 

[xlxo]

I think everyone wants better service.... the question is how much is it going to cost and how much are you willing to pay?

When I see how much people are willing pay for gas, parking, insurance, tolls, taxes and congestion time for private vehicles. It appears there's an appetite for more money on transportation as people want to get around.

 

[PURTYPAT1]

For those dates Pan Pacific is coming out cheaper than Fairmont Waterfront (when booking directly through the hotels' websites). Surprisingly enough! $509CAD vs $649CAD. Still, ridiculous prices. Thanking for once we live here and can just leave home at 10am and be downtown 45 minutes later for our August Alaskan cruise

Hi will be in Vancouver for about 4 hours, any suggestions on a sightseeing tour? We went in 2011 and had a private Limo driver that was magnificent...lost his name & number. Does anyone know of something similar to this? Any info would bed great
Much thanks