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

[LAWalz23]

Same thing happened to us from the Repo Cruise. But it was a CITI bank card. They called a couple of days after we were back. We had used the card two times. Once at a very reputable jewelry store and the other at the parking at the pier at Canada Place. Citi Bank wouldn't tell us where they thought it was compromised but just issued a new card...
Citi Bank has always been on top of this...not the first time this has happened but always caught by them....

Thanks for the reminder to always check credit card statements. I am also going to call the credit cards that I plan to use and let them know the dates that I will be away.

 

[joycsk]

$29 - Big Bus Tour, Lookout Pass & Gourmet Gelato, Reg. $58

http://www.travelzoo.com/ca/local-deals/deal/3618

First off, I wanted to post the above offer, which someone put on our facebook group.

Secondly, my family of 4 will be in Vancouver for Saturday afternoon, all Sunday and all Monday. I've been reading about the Big Bus, the Hop On/Off Bus, and the SkyTrain public transit. We know we'll be traveling around town - Stanley Park, Granville Is, and _possibly_ out to Grouse Mt. Can someone give me a "best guess" as to what my best options might be? (Planning to take a cab from airport to hotel, and maybe not do too much on Saturday.)

I appreciate any and all suggestions. I've read the posts, but somehow, I just can't seem to synthesize the information into a cohesive whole!

Thanks So much!

 

[DenverVal]

We also arrived on a Saturday afternoon. We took the sky train to the Pan Pacific, walked the seawall to Stanley Park, explored the park a bit, and hopped a bus back. We spent the entire morning and early afternoon at the aquarium the next day, thoroughly enjoyed that, and wandered around downtown, Gastown, and Lonsdale Quay the rest of the day. We went back to photograph the Olympic cauldron after it finally got dark about 11 pm. Monday we took public transit to Grouse Mountain, spent the morning there, and spent the afternoon at the Capilano Bridge. We enjoyed both parks. If I were to do it again, renting bikes to explore Stanley Park would have been great, because it's huge! We pretty much wore our feet out! I would also have liked to have made a trip to the museum at the University of BC to see the native people's exhibits, but there just wasn't enough time.

 

[Padres19]

$29 - Big Bus Tour, Lookout Pass & Gourmet Gelato, Reg. $58

http://www.travelzoo.com/ca/local-deals/deal/3618

First off, I wanted to post the above offer, which someone put on our facebook group.

Secondly, my family of 4 will be in Vancouver for Saturday afternoon, all Sunday and all Monday. I've been reading about the Big Bus, the Hop On/Off Bus, and the SkyTrain public transit. We know we'll be traveling around town - Stanley Park, Granville Is, and _possibly_ out to Grouse Mt. Can someone give me a "best guess" as to what my best options might be? (Planning to take a cab from airport to hotel, and maybe not do too much on Saturday.)

I appreciate any and all suggestions. I've read the posts, but somehow, I just can't seem to synthesize the information into a cohesive whole!

Thanks So much!

Joy,

Like any city, what you do with your family will depend in great part on how old your children are. I live in San Diego, but have been spending about a month in Vancouver every year for the past 12 years, as my wife has a family home there. It is a truly GREAT city. My twin daughters are now 8, so I can tell you what they have LOVED doing in Vancouver at each stage since they were infants.

The BEST things to do in Vancouver are as follows:

1) Rent a bike and ride around the Stanley Park Seawall. This is a tremendous experience, especially if the weather is sunny. I would suggest doing this on Monday, as most of Vancouver will be riding, skating, jogging, playing, etc. along the Seawall if it's sunny on Saturday and Sunday.

2) Hit as many of the following places as possible: Vancouver Aquarium (and do NOT miss the 4D movie), Science World (kids of all ages LOVE this place, but know that they are undergoing extensive construction renovation. Still, the "shows" that are put on at 20 minutes past the hour all day are absolutely worth the admission alone), Granville Island(If your kids are 10 or under (and especially if they are in the 4-8 range) be sure to go to the Kids Market), and if the weather is nice, be sure to go to the FREE water park on Granville Island. NOTE: Try to take one of the water taxis (Aquabus or False Creek Ferries) when you visit Science World and/or Granville Island. With the exception of the water park, you can do any of these activities no matter what the weather may be.

3) If the weather is clear and sunny, then go to either Grouse Mountain OR the Lookout (no need to go to both, since the primary purpose is the view). Grouse Mountain is expensive, but they have a fantastic lumberjack show that is every bit as good (and many feel is actually better) than the one that is performed in Ketchikan. Although Vancouver has had an unusually rainy and cool Summer thus far, IF it happens to be WARM/HOT when you are there, then head to the Bloedel Conservatory at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park. The Conservatory is terrific, but for kids of all ages, the real highlight is playing in the water fountains behind the conservatory. There is NOTHING more fun for a kid to do on hot day in Vancouver than to run through these fountains. The gardens at Queen Elizabeth Park are beautiful (although the Van Dusen Gardens are certainly better), and there is a wonderful view of Vancouver from the area around the conservatory.

4) There are lots of kid friendly places to eat in Vancouver, and I won't bother to repeat those that have already been posted here. But, in my personal opinion, the TWO best kid friendly restaurants in Vancouver are: Rocky Mountain Flatbread (which is on 1st Avenue in Kitsilano) and Yaletown Brewing Company (which is in the heart of Yaletown). The food is GREAT at both places so the the grown ups will love it and the kids will too (LOTS of choices on the kids menus at both places). But the real draw is this: On Sunday and Monday nights at Rocky Mountain Flatbread, kids get to make their own pizzas (any kid, even teenagers, will LOVE this); and on Thursday to Sunday nights at Yaletown Brewing, they have a magician named Yuri who goes table to table doing absolutely incredible close up magic. I promise you that he will do things that you will NOT be able to figure out how he does it. Kids from 3 to 93 will love his magic.

I hope this helps a little. Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions. I'm glad that you are spending a few days in Vancouver before the cruise. You will be very glad that you did.

Brian

 

[mom_rules]

You can buy a hop-on-hop off trolley special pass-if you buy online you get 2 days for the price of one - then if you combine it with a Vancouver Smartpass you can get into most attractions with it. you can buy 1, 2 or 3 day. we opted for 3 day-you can take a bus trip to Whistler using it also.

 

[Bullseyebaby]

Just got back from our Vancouver stay (5 days) then Disney Cruise (July 12th-19th).

In our opinion.... best thing we did..... rented a car and went to Whistler for the day and rode the peak to peak gondola & chair lifts. Absolutely one of the most beautiful places (views) we have ever seen. Even caught pictures of bears out on the trails. Fun day for kids too!

Other things we did: Aquarium (okay...we have Sea World close, so this was very small to us). Stanley Park... beautiful. Capilano Suspension bridge...fun but scared me (personally) but I did it!. Shopping on Robson street...lots of great stores. Our hotel was Hotel Le Soliel on Hornby. Great location, comfortable rooms, excellent staff, able to walk 4 blocks to port.... but no gym. Access to gym was $11 at the YWCA next door (but it was super nice). Steamworks Brewery Restaurant down by the waterfront (dock).... probably the best meal we had, but not sure if it's because we were drinking too. Also.... Vancouver is expensive. 10% tax plus the exchange rate & prices were higher than what we're used to. Plan accordingly.

 

[WDWLVR]

We were in Vancouver from Saturday afternoon until we boarded the Wonder on Tuesday afternoon. Here's what we did:

Saturday - checked into the Pan Pacific and basically chilled. We had a great view from our room and got to see two cruise ships leave.

Sunday - we booked a tour with Landsea Tours to go to Victoria for the day. It was fantastic. Got picked up at our hotel at 8am in a small mini-bus (I think it held 24 people). Made a few stops at other hotels and then drove down to the Ferry. Got to see a bit of the country before we drove onto the Ferry. The BC Ferry was great. It had restaurants, lots of seating, a gift shop, and the hour and a half passes quickly. We spent most of it outside looking at the views and weren't disappointed. Once we got to Victoria it was back on the bus and off the Ferry. Got to tour of the Victoria area and then given tickets that we could use at one of 5 locations. We opted for the Royal BC Museum. We were then on our own for 3 hours (roughly). We did some shopping, ate at a great Irish Pub, and then toured the museum. After that it was back on the bus and off to Butchart Gardens. This place is amazing! So beautiful. Those of you who have been to Epcot and gone to eat at LeCellier - the gardens there are modeled after Butchart. After about 2 hours there it was back on the bus, back to the Ferry (another great ride where we saw whales) and then back to our hotel. 13 hours in all and worth every penny we paid for it.

Monday we bought tickets for the Hop On/Hop Off bus. It was a great way to see the city and Stanley Park. At the first stop at Stanley Park we were able to Hop Off our bus and then onto a special Stanley Park bus for a complete tour of the park, then back on the regular bus. When we got to the Aquarium we were able to buy tickets from our bus driver that not only saved some money but let us skip the long line to get in. Our other stop was Gastown to do some more shopping.

Tuesday after we turned in our luggage at the hotel (we were on the cruise package and they took our luggage right to the ship for us) we walked over to the Vancouver Lookout. Great views of the area and the Wonder!

 

[GW45]

We also had a few days in Vancouver before the July 12th cruise. While we were exhausted and jetlagged after 2 long flights (first was transatlantic) we managed to walk to most places in Vancouver. We stayed on Hornby street too but further up I think -while it was tiring at times I liked getting the feel of the city on foot. We took a taxi to Grousse Mt (about $25-30 for the four of us) and did the same the next day to Capilano suspension bridge but got the free shuttle back which was very convenient.

I agree with a the pp who said that the lumberjack show on Grousse Mt was better than the one in Ketchikan. Maybe because the gags were new to us or that the beautiful backdrop scenery made it more pleasant or maybe because it didn't cost us extra but when you see a very similar show in Ketchikan with the exact same gags but at a hefty price once Disney get through with charging a full adult price for a 10 yr old kid....you wish you'd just strolled around the port instead.

 

[smeecanada]

Also.... Vancouver is expensive. 10% tax plus the exchange rate & prices were higher than what we're used to. Plan accordingly.

Sorry, about the tax unfortunately it's 12%.

WDWLVR glad you liked your trip to Victoria. It's a great place to live. The whales you saw are a local pod that are in the Gulf Islands area in the summer. I saw about 12 of them a few weeks ago while on the ferry. You see them around Active Pass quite frequently from the ferry in the summer.

 

[M&C]

We're planning on staying in Vancouver for 3 nights after our cruise. I thought it might be nice to stay in a Bed and Breakfast. Any suggestions?

 

[ariel39]

After our cruise, our flight isn't until 6pm. Any ideas on how we can spend the day in Vancouver? I don't really want to sit at the airport. There are 11 of us, 2 handicapped grandparents.

 

[3princessMommy]

We are taking the West Coast Sightseeing (Grey Line) post-cruise tour of Vancouver. They will pick us and our luggage up at the pier at 10am. Then they are dropping us off at the train station at 3:15. I think they will also drop at the airport. You make reservations via e-mail and pay with credit card when they pick you up at the pier.

Here's the website: http://www.vancouversightseeing.com/

You can also check my previous post on this thread and our cruise meet thread with other ideas.

Joann

 

[ariel39]

We are taking the West Coast Sightseeing (Grey Line) post-cruise tour of Vancouver. They will pick us and our luggage up at the pier at 10am. Then they are dropping us off at the train station at 3:15. I think they will also drop at the airport. You make reservations via e-mail and pay with credit card when they pick you up at the pier.

Here's the website: http://www.vancouversightseeing.com/

You can also check my previous post on this thread and our cruise meet thread with other ideas.

Joann

Wow thank you....Sounds pretty good!

 

[Bullseyebaby]

Sorry, about the tax unfortunately it's 12%.

WDWLVR glad you liked your trip to Victoria. It's a great place to live. The whales you saw are a local pod that are in the Gulf Islands area in the summer. I saw about 12 of them a few weeks ago while on the ferry. You see them around Active Pass quite frequently from the ferry in the summer.

You're right..... I knew it was high! Yikes, 12%.

 

[kandt]

My husband wants to drop me and my daughters off with our luggage at Canada Place and then return the rental car by himself. Does anyone know if it is easy to drop off passengers and luggage, and where exactly you do this? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Fivepin]

For any of you staying at the Marriott Pinnacle. Just an FYI-if you have a gropu of more than 5...Marriott must have a contract with Aerocar. We couldn't get the minivan to come to the hotel so would have had to take 2 cabs to the airport. Went to conceriege and we were able to get an 8 passenger limo from Aerocar for $50 plus tax. All of our luggage fit in the trunk no problem. There were 6 of us with 3 large suitcases and 3 carry ons.

I thought that price was reasonable.

 

[parkaroo]

My husband wants to drop me and my daughters off with our luggage at Canada Place and then return the rental car by himself. Does anyone know if it is easy to drop off passengers and luggage, and where exactly you do this? Thanks in advance for your help!

Yes it is easy to drop off. We dropped off some of our group and then parked the rental car at the airport and took the sky train back to the port.

Drive to Canada Place and where the people are directing traffic you drive down the right hand side of the garage. Tell the attendant you want to drop off for the cruise and they will direct you to back into a space right at the terminal to unload your luggage. The porters will take your luggage to the ship.

 

[dkmjgal]

For any of you staying at the Marriott Pinnacle. Just an FYI-if you have a gropu of more than 5...Marriott must have a contract with Aerocar. We couldn't get the minivan to come to the hotel so would have had to take 2 cabs to the airport. Went to conceriege and we were able to get an 8 passenger limo from Aerocar for $50 plus tax. All of our luggage fit in the trunk no problem. There were 6 of us with 3 large suitcases and 3 carry ons.

I thought that price was reasonable.

We are staying at the Pinnacle for a couple of nights before our cruise. How did you like the hotel? Did you stay here prior to the cruise also? Just wondering how we are going to get to the port on the morning we cruise.
Thanks!

 

[Mom2PrincessesLinSy]

OK, we have everything figured out for our cruise next week *squeal* except for how to get from the Amtrak Station to our hotel ( Pacific Rim, across from Canada Place). My DH says we can just call a cab when we get there, but I am uncomfortable with not having a "set plan" trying to get ourselves and 2 young children from the train to the hotel. Any suggestions from those who have done it?

 

[Fivepin]

We are staying at the Pinnacle for a couple of nights before our cruise. How did you like the hotel? Did you stay here prior to the cruise also? Just wondering how we are going to get to the port on the morning we cruise.
Thanks!

We liked it. We stayed pre and post. It was in a good location. We even got a rollaway bed for no extra cost. We actually walked to the port with our luggage-very walkable. My DH pulled 2 big suitcases, and I pulled one big one. The kids had their backpacks and 2 of them pulled the 2 carry on bags. We walked pretty slow with them and it took a good 10-15 minutes. A taxi would have been $10, but we would have needed 2. We cut through the hotel/convention center and took the elevator down to where the entrance of the terminal was. We also walked back to the hotel after the cruise-everything seemed heavier!! We bought our water for onboard the ship at Urban Fare-a mini grocery store and cafe one block away from the hotel. It as $1 for the Nestle 1 liter bottle. My kids are picky about water. Our room was clean and the beds were comfy, but they were double beds. We are spoiled in the US with those queen size beds in the room. Hope that helps.