Vancouver Pre-Cruise Suggestions

[mousefan73]

So today I am nervously starting to plan the pre and post cruise stuff for our April 2022 Vancouver to Hawaii cruise.. PRAY and PRAY even harder this ship sails!
Anyways I am looking at hotels in Vancouver. I need some tips and suggestions on how to do this pre-cruise..

Option 1: My mom and I book 3 nights in the city. Enough time to recover from jet-lag and check out the city.
Option 2: Seeing the kids have Easter break the two weeks before the entire family flys over a good week before the cruise and we do that area.. Rest fly home when mom and I embark.


For Option 2 here are my questions:
1. Where would you base yourself if you also wanted to see Whistler, is V.I. a day trip or not? What about Seattle, worth a ferry over for a few hours? We dont need to be city center.. suburbs ok too. seeing my might explore outside of the city.
2. Ideally we would like and Airbnb with kitchen then.. BUT Covid had wreaked me mentally. I want a hotel chain I can cancel, no stress right before the trip. Any hotel chains and locations that offer kitchenettesß
3. Any cool things to see and do.. We are a mixed group.. active teens and grandma who can walk, but not hike.
4. would be willing to rent a car.
5. What other sites near Vancouver are a must see for a day trip.


thanks! The family add-on would be easy to say we do it,, but I need to then figure out taking a month off of work.

 

[bcwife76]

Time Square Suites is very popular with the Alaska cruising set, you will find decent sized rooms and kitchens there. Only rent a car if you are getting out of town, don't need one if you are just staying downtown or the surrounding suburbs. Grouse Mountain, Stanley Park, Granville Island, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge and Park (this bridge is FREE and lots of great hikes), Blodel Conservatory, Richmond Night Market (that might only run in the summer, not sure it's open as early as April). ....lots to keep you busy for a few days! Don't bother with Whistler unless you will be here for several more days, to me it's not worth a trip up there if you only have, say, a few days in the area. Also,if you are here in April that means getting a rental car with snow tires as they are mandatory until April 30th on the way up to Whistler. You WILL encounter snow. Vancouver Island cannot be done in one day unless you want to take a seaplane over (they go from right downtown in Coal Harbour, steps from Canada Place and the cruise port.

 

[mousefan73]

Time Square Suites is very popular with the Alaska cruising set, you will find decent sized rooms and kitchens there. Only rent a car if you are getting out of town, don't need one if you are just staying downtown or the surrounding suburbs. Grouse Mountain, Stanley Park, Granville Island, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge and Park (this bridge is FREE and lots of great hikes), Blodel Conservatory, Richmond Night Market (that might only run in the summer, not sure it's open as early as April). ....lots to keep you busy for a few days! Don't bother with Whistler unless you will be here for several more days, to me it's not worth a trip up there if you only have, say, a few days in the area. Also,if you are here in April that means getting a rental car with snow tires as they are mandatory until April 30th on the way up to Whistler. You WILL encounter snow. Vancouver Island cannot be done in one day unless you want to take a seaplane over (they go from right downtown in Coal Harbour, steps from Canada Place and the cruise port.

Ok thanks! When looking at Vanvouver Island I had no idea how big it is.. I was thinking it some little island you hope over to from the City.. lol... Whistler we might HAVE to do as my family are skiiers and my son had heard about the mountain biking park they got there. need to see what is open that time of the year. I will check out Time square suites.

 

[bcwife76]

Ok thanks! When looking at Vanvouver Island I had no idea how big it is.. I was thinking it some little island you hope over to from the City.. lol... Whistler we might HAVE to do as my family are skiiers and my son had heard about the mountain biking park they got there. need to see what is open that time of the year. I will check out Time square suites.

The bike park won't be open when you are here, unfortunately. It usually doesn't open til the end of May (this year, for example, they are planning on opening May 21st).

 

[Distinkt]

I wasn't impressed with Whistler, but we thought Grouse Mountain Park was nice, and its much closer. We stayed at the Delta Hotel downtown and it was great, and easily walkable to all the downtown sights. We spent a few days there before our cruise, and I do regret not going to Victoria Island. I would recommend the foodie tour of the Granville Island market, and I believe we took a walking history tour from the same company. We loved them both. I loved Vancouver!

 

[Cheburashka]

I would only do a few days, not a full week. Vancouver has some nice sights, including Fly Over Canada, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Stanley Park, and VanDusen Gardens (my favorite off the three, an excellent set of gardens with a great hedge maze).

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

We did 4 days pre-cruise and it wasn't enough. Mass transit is amazing in/around Vancouver. We got our daily compass passes at the pharmacy across the street. Very handy. Buses, skytrains & seatrains are easy-peasy and timely to boot. We were based on Broadway and were all over. A hidden gem was the Museum of Anthropology at University of British Columbia. Fantastic. Grouse Mountain was great as was the Capilano Suspension bridge. Stanley park, the Aquarium & downtown were great. Art everywhere. Chinatown was neat - during daylight hours. Didn't look like a place we wanted to be in after dark. The Science Museum was a bit young for our kids who were 15, 13, 13 when we were there but it was still neat.

 

[lolomarie]

I don't know about hotels because we always stay with family, but my favourite sights are Stanley Park including walking the sea wall, Granville Island with tasting at the brewery, eating in Gas Town at night, getting tacos at one of the Tacofino locations, taking a sea taxi to no where in particular and walking back home.

On the Island my favourite things are Buchart Gardens, visiting the Parliament building, exploring Fisherman's Warf, one of the many easily google-able hikes, and doing a whale tour. Vancouver Island is not a day trip, but in my opinion worth the trip. The Island is my favourite place in Canada and I live within driving distance of Banff National Park.

 

[auntlynne]

Seattle? I did it after a Princess cruise.

Day 1: Off cruise in Vancouver. To bus/train station. Bus to Victoria (via ferry). Checked in to Fairmont Empress. Bus RT to Butchart Gardens. Had a late afternoon/evening visit. But it was early July. Later sunset.

Day 2: hydrofoil Victoria to Seattle. Taxi to Arctic Club. Bus to Chihuly Museum / Space Needle. Monorail somewhere.

Day 3: Light rail to Seatac. Flight home.

Lots of traveling (Various modes was part of the adventure). Enjoyed what we saw. But it was just teenage niece and me; no wrangling a group.

International crossings give me pause when making plans, yet I have flown into Seattle for a Vancouver cruise. No problems checking in at Amtrak the morning of sailing. But if the train had been delayed, it would have been a horrible start to the cruise.

 

[auntlynne]

Wow. You have got some spunk. I guess the At Sea days on the cruise would give you time to chill after spending a family vacation before a cruise.

Since this is a forum, and you asked about your options, I thought I’d have a little chat as though we were friends. Some things I’d ask:

Is the Vancouver area a place the kids want to go for Easter break? Would it be easier to go somewhere closer to home or more the kids’ choice?

Or do you actually want three days pre-cruise with Mom in Vancouver? I find the long cruises to have enough built-in relaxation time that rest time ahead wasn’t as necessary.

Of course, Vancouver is a beautiful area. One of the reasons we see it in movies and TV shows so often.

Are you from Canada? Or some other long haul flight? Do you have passports (if not From there) for the entire family?

You don’t have to answer; just chatting here. Giving you more stuff to muddle through.

 

[auntlynne]

Oh, congratulations on getting a reservation on the cruise! Hawaii is such a great destination.

 

[mousefan73]

Wow. You have got some spunk. I guess the At Sea days on the cruise would give you time to chill after spending a family vacation before a cruise.

Since this is a forum, and you asked about your options, I thought I’d have a little chat as though we were friends. Some things I’d ask:

Is the Vancouver area a place the kids want to go for Easter break? Would it be easier to go somewhere closer to home or more the kids’ choice?

Or do you actually want three days pre-cruise with Mom in Vancouver? I find the long cruises to have enough built-in relaxation time that rest time ahead wasn’t as necessary.

Of course, Vancouver is a beautiful area. One of the reasons we see it in movies and TV shows so often.

Are you from Canada? Or some other long haul flight? Do you have passports (if not From there) for the entire family?

You don’t have to answer; just chatting here. Giving you more stuff to muddle through.

No problem
We are flying in from Germany. And are in another lock down we are all desperate for worldwide travel again. Adding this on is making up for lost time. Back in the fall and it looked like Covid would be over soon we had planned to fly to Vancouver this coming May for two weeks. My son really wants to try out their bike park. I just read they have a ski season that extends to end of April so that would make my husband and kids really happy if they were able to test Whistler out as they avid Alpine skiers. I don’t ski so this is perfect for my mom as I would then just walk at the base of the mountain with her around

At Whistler. The city looks beautiful and it’s also an area my husband would be interested in.It’s most likely a place we were gone anyways it’s just a family of four without my mom and the cruise. It’s just my mom and I on the cruise the rest would fly home. Iwe would be saving money since my mom and I would be there anyways. And in my mind more than only paying for three extra flights

As for vacationing somewhere close to home— I want to get the heck out of this country.!!!

My only concern is me getting enough time off of work. I’m furloughed right now since I work for an airline so ironically I have the time but there’s nowhere to go. With my luck things will pick up by then and it will be busy busy so I might have to convince my boss to let me bring my laptop with and do a few days virtual from Vancouver while the family had fun.

 

[mousefan73]

Oh, congratulations on getting a reservation on the cruise! Hawaii is such a great destination.

We were also on the canceled one last year. And I literally cry tears as we were only silver when I was able to get the same type of cabin on the ceiling. Like I said in my original post pray and pray more that we sail.

 

[scottishclover]

We stayed in Vancouver for 5 nights before our Alaska cruise in July 2019. We absolutely loved the city. I posted a lot about the Vancouver section of our holiday in my trip report in this forum. We based ourselves in an Airbnb in North Vancouver. We much preferred being over the water, rather than in downtown and you have really easy access via the seabus. If you like to hike being on the north shore is better.

Vancouver Island is in my opinion too far for a day trip but I want to suggest Bowen Island as an alternative. It’s a small island with great scenery and various hiking trails. It’s just a 20 min sail from Horseshoe Bay. It was a highlight for us but we also had perfect weather, which helped.

We did not go to Whistler, although we had relatives who live in the city who told us we should go. However, my sister has been a few times and has told us it‘s not as pretty as what you see in the Alps, so maybe nothing new for you if you’re from Germany.

You will love Vancouver, it’s an amazing city. Fingers crossed your trip happens.

 

[mousefan73]

We did not go to Whistler, although we had relatives who live in the city who told us we should go. However, my sister has been a few times and has told us it‘s not as pretty as what you see in the Alps, so maybe nothing new for you if you’re from Germany.

I have heard this too alsow when comparing the Denver Area. Experienced skiiers like to try the different type of snow.. Supposdily more "powerdry". But I have heard the scenery and more important the ski "hut" lodge infrastruture is not the same. and disappointing. Europeans like a place at the TOP of the run to grab a quick bite to eat or a beer, coffee while wearing ski gear... from my understanding apre ski or ski "dining" is totally different in the US and CA- bascially no hut dining or apre ski culture. Which is nice for non skiers as we can ride the Gondola up with them and sit with a view from the top indoor while sipping a coffee. correct me if i am wrong, but I look at the Whistler ski run map and dont find any huts like this.. just two "fine dining" restaurants.

 

[auntlynne]

Sounds like a ski trip for y’all to Whistler! It originally sounded more like, maybe we‘ll just do a day trip to Whistler. Now, it sounds like serious skiing or activity. That’s a lot different than flying in to Vancouver just to get a feel for a town. Which seems to be what a lot of people do when they have those few days before the cruise starts.

You sold me - I wonder if you sold yourself, too.

You can go from the wintry mountains of Whistler to the sunny beaches (and mountains) of Hawaii. I do hope you get to go.

Here’s hoping the best for you in Deutschland.

(I see the tag under your name that “Germans are faster at dubbing.” Who knew you would actually be IN Germany).

Aloha!

 

[auntlynne]

There seems to be more dining at Whistler than the Resorts I‘be skied in my youth (mainly in Colorado). We often had only one venue for dining, But I did not go where you could just ride a gondola without being a skier. Seems like protocols for COVID have taken some of the leisurely relaxing out of the experience.

whistlerblackcomb.com/the-mountain/more-options/on-mountain-dining .aspx

 

[auntlynne]

I am a fan of Butchart Gardens north of Victoria on Vancouver Island.

 

[mousefan73]

(I see the tag under your name that “Germans are faster at dubbing.” Who knew you would actually be IN Germany).

Aloha!

this is so wierd.. After the reboot (hack) I notice my tagline... which I swear I did not do...??? I need to ask my son if he added that.. strange.. though I have had this acount almost 10 years I htink?? but I am stumped... I am American though.

 

[auntlynne]

I assumed the tag line was put there by the moderators. I don’t recall picking mine, either.

I didn‘t think you were German; probably from your writing style, wording. But i wasn’t so sure about the Canadian v. US.

Thanks for chatting. I’m an extrovert living with an Introvert sister during a pandemic after being stuck at home with an elderly father while I dealt with a physically-limiting autoimmune disease for four years. Now I am feeling great and ready to get out there! (At least I was able to get to WDW a few times in 2020, pre- and mid-pandemic). And ... 15 days in Hawaii last March. That’s why I want your cruise to happen. It combines my love of Paradise with that of long Disney cruises (PC and TA both ways). I always want everyone to have such great experiences.