**** Vancouver FAQ Thread **** A few updates in main post!

[pjstevens]

For the Best Western Plus downtown Vancouver on the corner of Granville and Drake, take a taxi.

Yes, the taxi's know the Amtrak's arrival time and stack up outside waiting for the passengers.

(Transit-wise, you would have to take skytrain downtown, then a bus along granville to the hotel, a bit of a pain. Plus until the end of this year, the skytrain station that services the amtrak is undergoing renos. Still open, but more difficult to get into and out of.

Thank you so much for the info.

 

[GrtWtNorth]

Question about the walk to the Pan Pacific...we will have my MIL with us who has knee issues and uses a cane. Is the walk too far for her? Wondering if we should just grab a cab.

If you exit Waterfront Station at the main entrance on Cordova Street (nearest the elevators), it is a 350 m / 383 yard walk to the Pan Pacific. (Google maps says 4 minutes.) I have no idea whether that is reasonable for someone to walk with a cane.

Note: There is at least one station entrance on Howe Street (even closer to the Pan Pacific), but I believe it has stairs and no elevator.

 

[GrtWtNorth]

Just so you know, Translink is in the process of phasing out Faresaver tickets.

http://www.translink.ca/en/Fares-and-Passes/FareSaver-Tickets.aspx

Have you heard if the Compass Cards can be used to purchase multiple tickets, like for a family? If they are designed for a single rider only, I guess I should stop directing travelers to 7-Eleven...

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Have you heard if the Compass Cards can be used to purchase multiple tickets, like for a family? If they are designed for a single rider only, I guess I should stop directing travelers to 7-Eleven...

It looks like it is one card per person. I was actually looking at a Daypass for each of us as we will only need to use transit one day while we are there to get over to North Vancouver, Grouse Mountain and Capilano.

 

[motheroftheyear]

Anyone booking hotels in Vancouver for summer of 2014 yet? We're on the August 25 sailing.

Anyone have a strong opinion one way or the other between Pan Pacific and Sutton Place? What kind of rates have people managed to get at these two for this year's sailing?

Thanks!

 

[jtkboston]

Anyone booking hotels in Vancouver for summer of 2014 yet?

If you or a family member works for a big company, check whether you can use negotiated corporate rates for personal travel. I've saved a bunch this way!

 

[Tenkawa]

Anyone booking hotels in Vancouver for summer of 2014 yet? We're on the August 25 sailing.

Anyone have a strong opinion one way or the other between Pan Pacific and Sutton Place? What kind of rates have people managed to get at these two for this year's sailing?

Thanks!

Hey MotherOfTheYear.

Yup. Same cruise here. Welcome! There are several people who have booked so far, but the most helpful would be to join the facebook group for our cruise. We have more than 15 families already in the group and we can help answer questions.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/375041592628435/

 

[motheroftheyear]

Thanks! I actually requested to join earlier today! I'll be looking forward to it!

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

2 questions. I'm so sorry if this has been covered but this thread is super long.

How far is it from the pier to the Vancouver airport?

Does anyone think we could make a 10:40 flight? It's either 10:40 or 5:30pm. yuck

 

[Freesia123]

It's about ten miles. You can take the sky train directly there or a taxi.

You won't make the morning flight. The pier is downtown and there are a zillion things to do in Vancouver until you need to head out to get the later flight. Check your bag and get walking!

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

It's about ten miles. You can take the sky train directly there or a taxi.

You won't make the morning flight. The pier is downtown and there are a zillion things to do in Vancouver until you need to head out to get the later flight. Check your bag and get walking!

Thank you!

Where could we check them? We will have 1 big ones and 4 carry ons.

 

[Freesia123]

There is a place at the port. When r u sailing?

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Not until June 2015. I'm a bit of a planner...

 

[Keyser]

Anyone booking hotels in Vancouver for summer of 2014 yet? We're on the August 25 sailing.

Anyone have a strong opinion one way or the other between Pan Pacific and Sutton Place? What kind of rates have people managed to get at these two for this year's sailing?

Thanks!

I posted above that I managed to get the Pan Pacific via Hotwire for $190/night (plus tax), though I saw it earlier for $185. This is for early August, and we needed two nights. It was going for $276 from the hotel's website.

Iv'e been to Vancouver before but haven't stayed at either of these. We wanted the Pan Pacific since the idea of just taking an elevator down to the cruise terminal the day of departure sounded a whole lot nicer than having to arrange a cab to take us there, or walking several blocks with luggage.

 

[love280mickey]

Does anyone know the process and rates for checking bags on the return day of the cruise? We'll be all day as we have the red eye back home, not leaving till sometime around 11 pm.

 

[GrtWtNorth]

Does anyone know the process and rates for checking bags on the return day of the cruise? We'll be all day as we have the red eye back home, not leaving till sometime around 11 pm.

Priority Baggage is the company that provides storage services at the port. They also operate at the airport, so they may be able to deliver your luggage. I don't know how much it costs - their web site is not very informative. But they do have phone numbers posted on their "contact us" page.
http://www.prioritybaggage.ca/contact.html

When you learn the details, please share them here.

 

[love280mickey]

Does anyone know the process and rates for checking bags on the return day of the cruise? We'll be all day as we have the red eye back home, not leaving till sometime around 11 pm.

We are staying at the Renaissance for 2 days pre cruise. I called and asked them what we should do with our luggage till we fly out....they said they'd be happy to store it for us on that day, yay!!!

 

[RedSox68]

I posted above that I managed to get the Pan Pacific via Hotwire for $190/night (plus tax), though I saw it earlier for $185. This is for early August, and we needed two nights. It was going for $276 from the hotel's website.

Iv'e been to Vancouver before but haven't stayed at either of these. We wanted the Pan Pacific since the idea of just taking an elevator down to the cruise terminal the day of departure sounded a whole lot nicer than having to arrange a cab to take us there, or walking several blocks with luggage.

We stayed at the Pan Pacific for three nights pre-cruise. We booked through their website and got a fantastic special that was going on with a free upgrade to a water/bridge view. We loved that hotel, the location, the rooms. And yes, be sure to pre-arrange with the front desk to have a porter pick up your luggage at your specified time on morning of embarkation. He gives you a ticket, you tip him and you don't see your luggage again until you are onboard! It was awesome. We took the elevator down with just our carry-ons and were checked in in less than 30 minutes! Didn't even have to go outside!

 

[Katipilrgrl]

Aloha. I'm taking a one day Vancouver to Seattle on another cruiseline ( I know, I know but what's a girl to do when there's not enough vacay time to do any other on Disney). Here's my question, it leaves from the other pier, Ballantyne, and I am wondering if anyone has a hotel recommendation for this pier versus Canada Place. I'm very bummed that it's not leaving from Canada Place because it would be the perfect excuse to stay at the Pan Pacific. I love staying there.

TIA!

 

[richmo]

Aloha. I'm taking a one day Vancouver to Seattle on another cruiseline ( I know, I know but what's a girl to do when there's not enough vacay time to do any other on Disney). Here's my question, it leaves from the other pier, Ballantyne, and I am wondering if anyone has a hotel recommendation for this pier versus Canada Place. I'm very bummed that it's not leaving from Canada Place because it would be the perfect excuse to stay at the Pan Pacific. I love staying there.

TIA!

I don't think Ballantyne and Canada Place are all that far from each other (maybe a mile?). If you like the Pan Pacific that much, why not just stay there and take a quick cab ride over to Ballantyne?