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

[TagsMissy]

3. The price of the cheapest groceries in Vancouver is marginally more expensive than Florida and about 30-50% higher than California prices. However, your biggest challenge may be finding a convenient grocery store. If your time-share is downtown, there are convenience stores or a few high-end grocers. For slightly more reasonable prices, there are Safeway stores outside downtown -- use Google maps to find the most convenient for you. For cheaper options, drive or take the Skytrain to Metrotown and shop at either Superstore (warehouse-style, bag-your-own) or T&T Supermarket (full-service asian grocer with excellent take-out meals). Most Vancouver grocery stores are open 8 am to 10 pm, seven days a week.

OK I know I am replying to something rather old but I wanted to point out that there are 2 Safeway stores right in downtown (one on Robson and one on Davie), plus now just over the Cambie Street bridge is a Whole Foods & a Save on Foods.

 

[megsablue]

OK I know I am replying to something rather old but I wanted to point out that there are 2 Safeway stores right in downtown (one on Robson and one on Davie), plus now just over the Cambie Street bridge is a Whole Foods & a Save on Foods.

In addition to the grocery stores TagsMissy just added, there's also a NoFrills (that's the name) on Denman in the Denman Place Mall (closer to the English Bay end of Denman) as well as a SuperValu on Davie St (if you're traveling from English Bay, up Davie St. past the Safeway a few more blocks).

 

[DisneyCruiser2008]

If we can save up the money, we are thinking of taking a seaplane from Vancouver to Victoria for the day. We'd like to include a stop at Butchart Gardens. Does anyone have a suggestion for which company to use? It will be DH, myself, DS(8) and DD(5). TIA!!

 

[TagsMissy]

If we can save up the money, we are thinking of taking a seaplane from Vancouver to Victoria for the day. We'd like to include a stop at Butchart Gardens. Does anyone have a suggestion for which company to use? It will be DH, myself, DS(8) and DD(5). TIA!!

I recommend Harbour Air http://www.harbour-air.com/

 

[carolmb]

We are on the June 21st cruise and have to decided to use miles to fly into Vancouver. We are planning on staying at the Pan Pacific the night before the cruise. We are thinking of using hilton pts for the other nights. I am trying to decide between the Hampton Inn at the airport and the Hampton Inn in downtown. The hotel at the airport is less pts and we will have a rental car because I want to do a day trip to Victoria. I guess I was just wondering if staying by the airport was to far off of the beaten path to go into the city. Thanks for any advice.
Carol

 

[cindy18]

It's official - airfare is booked out of JFK (awesome direct price to Vancouver - thanks to my DIS friends). PanPacific is booked for the 4 nights before cruise (added an extra night when I called back and added AAA the price went down alot).

Now just need to find some sort of day room since we have a very late flight home.

Can I ask what airline you are flying direct to Vancouver out of JFK? Our options so far are AA out of LaGuardia with a stop in Dallas or Continental non-stop out of Newark. Thanks!

 

[Momrow]

Can I ask what airline you are flying direct to Vancouver out of JFK? Our options so far are AA out of LaGuardia with a stop in Dallas or Continental non-stop out of Newark. Thanks!

I believe Cathay flies from JFK to YVR direct. It arrives very early in the am (1:30 or so).

 

[GrtWtNorth]

We are thinking of using hilton pts for (our post-cruise stay). I am trying to decide between the Hampton Inn at the airport and the Hampton Inn in downtown. The hotel at the airport is less pts and we will have a rental car because I want to do a day trip to Victoria. I guess I was just wondering if staying by the airport was to far off of the beaten path to go into the city.

Hampton Inn Vancouver Downtown -- it is in Yaletown, a trendy (but not child or stroller friendly) area very close to BC Place (football stadium and convention center). If you are there on a weekend or a game night, the area will be inundated with many intoxicated people (driving is impossible for 20-30 minutes after a game lets out). As well, if you stay here, current self-park rate is $19 per night. Driving is typical for any downtown core. It is a good location to explore downtown Vancouver on foot.

Hampton Inn Vancouver Airport -- This hotel is located on Bridgeport road, very close to the airport. Of course, there will be jet and highway noise, but no masses of drunk pedestrians. To explore downtown, I would suggest either driving downtown (easy, 15-20 minutes, double in rush hour) or taking the Skytrain (5-10 minute walk + 20 minute train ride). Parking should be free for hotel guests. This part of the city is definitely more car-friendly than downtown. It is also 15-20 minutes closer to the ferry to Victoria. The only issue with this location is navigating Bridgeport Road and Sea Island Way to connect to highways, bridges to Vancouver, as well as the airport -- the navigation is not always intuitive -- you may want to get a good map, directions from hotel staff, or a GPS.

 

[ededmd]

BLTOH:

Regarding "I would hope that since the airline made this small time frame for connecting flight that we should be ok and not have to worry about missing our connecting flight but want to make sure."

We were booked on DL from CLT to ATL and ATL to ANC for our recent AK cruise. The connection time was 45" which is tight anyway for ATL but it was "their" time / choice.

Air traffic out of CLT and then into ATL was slow / delayed and we got to our gate in ATL *right* after they closed the door to the jetway. This was with all able bodied people hustling on a terminal change.

Well, a lot of stress, with a private / personally booked interim flight from ATL into DEN, and an endorsed ticket from DL to AS for the DEN to ANC connection and we arrived 8 hrs later and $1200 lighter.

I'd be disinterested in repeating the "experience" as I've chosen to remember it.

I offer this as a cautionary tale only and hope for you your trip is smoooooth!

 

[DVC Mary]

Looking for hotel ideas

What are the perks w/staying at one hotel over another?
I am looking for family friendly


Could someone please explain which hotel you are choosing & WHY?

transportation you are using to get the boat
transportation you are using to tour Vancouver

We were planning on renting a car

Thank for any feedback. I need to get hotel rooms booked soon.

THANK YOU !

 

[ededmd]

Could someone please explain which hotel you are choosing & WHY?
I chose the Fairmont Pacific Rim because it is new as of Spring 2010 and has 2 QUEEN beds in the room versus 2 doubles.
LOVED the hotel, friendly staff, great service!

transportation you are using to get the boat
At the Fairmont PR you are 2 blocks away from the port and *could* walk but the very helpful bellman will drive you over in one of their hotel vehicles (think BMW X5) complimentary.

transportation you are using to tour Vancouver

We got around quite nicely using public transportation including subways and buses. The system is clean and easy.

 

[princess81499]

Can I ask what airline you are flying direct to Vancouver out of JFK? Our options so far are AA out of LaGuardia with a stop in Dallas or Continental non-stop out of Newark. Thanks!

Cathay Pacific - came highly recommended

 

[BLTOH]

BLTOH:

I'd be disinterested in repeating the "experience" as I've chosen to remember it.

I offer this as a cautionary tale only and hope for you your trip is smoooooth!

yeah i am thinking positive and telling myself it will be ok. not much i can do about it as all their flights are like this. so i will jsut have to trust that the airline is allowing enough time to do what needs to be done. if not it could get really ugly as i will fight them on it.

 

[nzdisneymom]

yeah i am thinking positive and telling myself it will be ok. not much i can do about it as all their flights are like this. so i will jsut have to trust that the airline is allowing enough time to do what needs to be done. if not it could get really ugly as i will fight them on it.

Is there a big Fare jump if you take the earlier time for the first leg and a later time for the second leg? You sometimes have to scroll down to find those flight options but I would certainly want more time between connecting flights. Good luck with sorting it.

We haven't looked yet to see what options there are from Atlanta but we booked it thru DCL.

 

[carolmb]

Hampton Inn Vancouver Downtown -- it is in Yaletown, a trendy (but not child or stroller friendly) area very close to BC Place (football stadium and convention center). If you are there on a weekend or a game night, the area will be inundated with many intoxicated people (driving is impossible for 20-30 minutes after a game lets out). As well, if you stay here, current self-park rate is $19 per night. Driving is typical for any downtown core. It is a good location to explore downtown Vancouver on foot.

Hampton Inn Vancouver Airport -- This hotel is located on Bridgeport road, very close to the airport. Of course, there will be jet and highway noise, but no masses of drunk pedestrians. To explore downtown, I would suggest either driving downtown (easy, 15-20 minutes, double in rush hour) or taking the Skytrain (5-10 minute walk + 20 minute train ride). Parking should be free for hotel guests. This part of the city is definitely more car-friendly than downtown. It is also 15-20 minutes closer to the ferry to Victoria. The only issue with this location is navigating Bridgeport Road and Sea Island Way to connect to highways, bridges to Vancouver, as well as the airport -- the navigation is not always intuitive -- you may want to get a good map, directions from hotel staff, or a GPS.

Thanks for the advice. I think that we might just stay by the airport and save the extra Hilton pts and parking fee. I was planning on touring Vancouver on the Monday before the cruise anyway. So we could get an early start and checkin at the Pan Pacific. DH could return car at airport and then we would tour Vancouver with the HOHO bus or trolley. Any recommendations on which is better? From what I could tell the trolley goes through Stanley Park more and bus the has 2 stops in park. Otherwise the routes look about the same. Thanks for all of your great advice.

 

[BLTOH]

Is there a big Fare jump if you take the earlier time for the first leg and a later time for the second leg? You sometimes have to scroll down to find those flight options but I would certainly want more time between connecting flights. Good luck with sorting it.

We haven't looked yet to see what options there are from Atlanta but we booked it thru DCL.

i couldnt book each leg separate thru Air Canada they didn't have that option on their web site. But we have non-refundable tickets and its already booked so pretty much locked into this schedule now. We will just go with the flow and think positive. Doing the research to learn the airport and all now and make sure we have what we need so we can get thru. nice thing is i did the seat assignments and decided hey i never flown in the front of the plane before lets get seats there for the trip out so we should be one of the first ones off the plane which should help. we are the first flight going out but i think there are other planes getting in at about the same time as us. so i figure as long as my organized side of me does its homework and prepares for it we should be ok.

 

[MrsG]

Thanks so much for all the great info!!!!

Does anyone know if you can use DVC points at any of the hotels in the area??

 

[mmmears]

Quick hotel question:

Anyone have a strong preference between the Fairmont Waterfront and the Pan Pacific? I'm leaning towards the Pan Pacific, but I'd love to hear from someone who has stayed at one or both of them.

 

[tanyaewa]

The Pan Pacific is on the water side of the street - the cruise ships pull right up alongside. The Fairmont is across the street. I prefer the atrium area of the Pan Pacific to the lobby area or the Fairmont. I have never stayed in either - but have been to both many, many times for trade shows, conferences, dinners etc.

 

[tanyaewa]

MrsG - is DVC transerable to any of the *exchange* progams like II?