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

[smeecanada]

Awesome. This sounds like a great plan. Thanks!

If you need help with further logistics of Victoria. Just ask.

 

[mellers]

We live in Seattle and have this problem every summer so decided to book an inside passage just to guarantee sleep in Alaska.

We'll do our sightseeing off a public deck area when needed.

We live just across the lake on the Eastside--we booked an inside cabin too, for the same reason

 

[smeecanada]

There are a couple of special things that happen in Vancouver that people might be interested in doing.....


Theater Under the Stars

Outdoor theatre performance in Stanley Park. Tickets are required. Plays and dates will be announce by Feb. 1

http://www.tuts.ca/content/2011-information


Celebration of Light

3 nights of incredible fireworks set to music in English Bay in Vancouver.
July 30 / Aug 3 / Aug 6. Free. Usually starts around 9:30/10. This is a competition that has been held annually for years.


In Victoria....

The Symphony Splash

The Victoria Symphony puts on a very popular outdoor concert. The Symphony performs on a floating barge in the Inner Harbour in front of the Empress Hotel.

Usually held the Sunday of the August Long Weekend. Which is July 31 this year. They plays various selections, a couple of young guest performers, and they finish with the 1812 Overture complete with canons. Free - they have donation barrels if you want to contribute to the Symphony.

 

[mellers]

There are a couple of special things that happen in Vancouver that people might be interested in doing.....


Theater Under the Stars

Outdoor theatre performance in Stanley Park. Tickets are required. Plays and dates will be announce by Feb. 1

http://www.tuts.ca/content/2011-information


Celebration of Light

3 nights of incredible fireworks set to music in English Bay in Vancouver.
July 30 / Aug 3 / Aug 6. Free. Usually starts around 9:30/10. This is a competition that has been held annually for years.


In Victoria....

The Symphony Splash

The Victoria Symphony puts on a very popular outdoor concert. The Symphony performs on a floating barge in the Inner Harbour in front of the Empress Hotel.

Usually held the Sunday of the August Long Weekend. Which is July 31 this year. They plays various selections, a couple of young guest performers, and they finish with the 1812 Overture complete with canons. Free - they have donation barrels if you want to contribute to the Symphony.

I would also add Canada Day at the Victoria Parliament Building on July 1st. We went to Canada Day last year and had a wonderful time! (My daughter still has her little Canadian flag.) In addition to live music and a big fireworks celebration, they also have a lot of performers and various little food pavilions down by the waterfront during the day--we loved it.

For those of us from the USA--Canada Day is like Canada's 4th of July.

 

[mellers]

One corollary to the earlier post I made about the long days in Alaska--I am 99% sure Disney will not have fireworks on the cruise. The reason for this (in addiition to the licenses) is because of those long days--the sun goes down so late, the kids wouldn't be able to stay awake that long.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Just made my hotel reservations at the Pan Pacific for the night prior to our cruise. Obtained a decent AAA rate, though I believe the lower categories of rooms may already be sold out.

The reservationist told me the Canadian dollar is a tad stronger than the U.S. dollar right now, but it usually favors the U.S. tourist by summer. We shall see, I am taking my chances. No prepaying after what happened to me last year for our rooms prior to the Baltic cruise in Dover U.K.

We are still on the fence about transportation between Seattle and Vancouver, though. Car rental still a possibility. The train would be good, but the schedule is not good. So we shall see on that one. Still considering perhaps a car service, too.

Anyone else finalizing their plans yet?

 

[mellers]

Just made my hotel reservations at the Pan Pacific for the night prior to our cruise. Obtained a decent AAA rate, though I believe the lower categories of rooms may already be sold out.

The reservationist told me the Canadian dollar is a tad stronger than the U.S. dollar right now, but it usually favors the U.S. tourist by summer. We shall see, I am taking my chances. No prepaying after what happened to me last year for our rooms prior to the Baltic cruise in Dover U.K.

We are still on the fence about transportation between Seattle and Vancouver, though. Car rental still a possibility. The train would be good, but the schedule is not good. So we shall see on that one. Still considering perhaps a car service, too.

Anyone else finalizing their plans yet?

We're taking a car service from the Seattle area (they have a hefty discount through my husband's workplace, and we have 5 people), and staying at the Four Points Sheraton Vancouver Airport in Richmond. (We also like the La Quinta Vancouver Airport a lot, but we had enough points to spend three nights at the Four Points--free always wins )

 

[denise]

we are taking the quick shuttle from Vancouver to Seattle. Seemed like the easy thing to do for the three of us.

 

[lilpooh108]

Just made my hotel reservations at the Pan Pacific for the night prior to our cruise. Obtained a decent AAA rate, though I believe the lower categories of rooms may already be sold out.

The reservationist told me the Canadian dollar is a tad stronger than the U.S. dollar right now, but it usually favors the U.S. tourist by summer. We shall see, I am taking my chances. No prepaying after what happened to me last year for our rooms prior to the Baltic cruise in Dover U.K.

We are still on the fence about transportation between Seattle and Vancouver, though. Car rental still a possibility. The train would be good, but the schedule is not good. So we shall see on that one. Still considering perhaps a car service, too.

Anyone else finalizing their plans yet?

CarolAnnC, what was your AAA rate, if you don't mind me asking? Is it available by phone only?

 

[cindy18]

We booked Pacific Rim using AAA and we did it online. We have to show our AAA card when we check in to get the rate. We are flying into Vancouver on the Saturday before our cruise (I think we get in early afternoon) so we have 2 1/2 days to check out the city before we leave. Our big logistical concern right now is how to get from Vancouver to Seattle once the cruise ends. Considering the amount of luggage we will have, nothing seems easy, and car rentals (our original idea) are ridiculously expensive. The shuttle times didn't seem so good. I'd be interested in a car service, but I don't have any ideas about how to find a reliable one. Thoughts?

 

[mellers]

We booked Pan Pacific using AAA and we just did it online. We have to show our AAA card when we check in to get the rate. We are flying into Vancouver on the Saturday before our cruise (I think we get in early afternoon) so we have 2 1/2 days to check out the city before we leave. Our big logistical concern right now is how to get from Vancouver to Seattle once the cruise ends. Considering the amount of luggage we will have, nothing seems easy, and car rentals (our original idea) are ridiculously expensive. The shuttle times didn't seem so good. I'd be interested in a car service, but I don't have any ideas about how to find a reliable one. Thoughts?

Cindy--I have had good luck with Seattle Green Limo--http://www.seattlegreenlimo.com They've been quite reliable. Which cruise are you taking?

 

[cindy18]

Cindy--I have had good luck with Seattle Green Limo--http://www.seattlegreenlimo.com They've been quite reliable. Which cruise are you taking?

Thanks for this suggestion! We are on the August 23rd cruise.

 

[mellers]

Thanks for this suggestion! We are on the August 23rd cruise.

Unfortunately, we will be leaving just as you're boarding, otherwise I would have offered to share.

 

[poohj80]

Cindy--I have had good luck with Seattle Green Limo--http://www.seattlegreenlimo.com They've been quite reliable. Which cruise are you taking?

I didn't see anything on their site about transportation from SEATAC to Vancouver. Can you give me an idea of their prices for such transfers?

Unfortunately, we will be leaving just as you're boarding, otherwise I would have offered to share.

And we'll be boarding as Cindy is leaving.

 

[cindy18]

It's too bad we can't all go together!

 

[CarolAnnC]

CarolAnnC, what was your AAA rate, if you don't mind me asking? Is it available by phone only?

We paid $269 CAD per room per night. You can book it on the website, if still available.

 

[mellers]

I didn't see anything on their site about transportation from SEATAC to Vancouver. Can you give me an idea of their prices for such transfers?



And we'll be boarding as Cindy is leaving.

They are pretty expensive. What made it worth it for us is that my husband gets a 20% Microsoft discount, he has a heart condition (which makes hauling around luggage not good for him at all), and we have 5 people going. Otherwise, we would have used the Quick Shuttle (and usually do).

We were quoted a one-way fare of $455.40 (including fuel, but not including gratuity, and I believe taxes are also extra--double-check), before the discount. This does have the potential to go higher if there is a long wait at the border. ($69/hr. over 30 minutes at the border). The advantage of this is that it's a straight shot back to Seattle, and you don't have to make a second transfer. We have 5 people, and we would have to take a taxi to catch the Quick Shuttle, so overall it was an okay deal for us.

 

[mellers]

It's too bad we can't all go together!

I know! It wouldn't just have been less expensive, it would have been more fun.

 

[cindy18]

They are pretty expensive. What made it worth it for us is that my husband gets a 20% Microsoft discount, he has a heart condition (which makes hauling around luggage not good for him at all), and we have 5 people going. Otherwise, we would have used the Quick Shuttle (and usually do).

We were quoted a one-way fare of $455.40 (including fuel, but not including gratuity, and I believe taxes are also extra--double-check), before the discount. This does have the potential to go higher if there is a long wait at the border. ($69/hr. over 30 minutes at the border). The advantage of this is that it's a straight shot back to Seattle, and you don't have to make a second transfer. We have 5 people, and we would have to take a taxi to catch the Quick Shuttle, so overall it was an okay deal for us.

I saw one quote from a Vancouver company that was actually slightly higher than that (or maybe it was because it was in Canadian dollars), so that's probably the going rate. Renting a car is as expensive, and it's a bigger hassle because you have to get yourself to a car rental location that is willing to let you take the car to Seattle (usually at the airport). Forgot about the wait at the border.....

 

[cwdefouw]

Just a question for the locals on this event...

Celebration of Light

3 nights of incredible fireworks set to music in English Bay in Vancouver.
July 30 / Aug 3 / Aug 6. Free. Usually starts around 9:30/10. This is a competition that has been held annually for years.


Where would be a good place to view the fireworks? We will be arriving in Vancouver on 7/30 and would like to see this if possible.

Thanks,
Chris