Suggestions for Family of 6?

I've rec'd a ton of info on here already - thanks. Family of 6, kids age 9-16, spending 2 nights pre-cruise. Meeting other family in Vancouver on second night.

1) Best trans to hotel from YVR? I doubt we'd all fit in 1 cab.

2) Can get Pan Pacific in mid-$200 range on Hotwire, or Days Inn $100 cheaper. How much further is Days Inn? Is the Hampton Inn further from cruise terminal? Pretty sure we'd need 2 rooms.

3) Full day before cruise: would like to rise early, head to Cap Bridge, Grouse Mtn in morning, then Stanley Park (aquarium, poss biking). Perhaps Chinatown for dinner? Is this too much? Suggs for lunch? I've read of free shuttle to cap bridge - does that go to Grouse too? Do I make arrangements for this shuttle or does it run a certain route all day?

Thank you!

Best way from YVR to downtown hotels are taxi's. It's $35 ($24 USD) for the carload. They can seat 3 to 4 people each depending on how much luggage you are packing. There are taxi van's, but you may need to wait a few minutes.

3) Full day before cruise: would like to rise early, head to Cap Bridge, Grouse Mtn in morning, then Stanley Park (aquarium, poss biking). Perhaps Chinatown for dinner? Is this too much? Suggs for lunch? I've read of free shuttle to cap bridge - does that go to Grouse too? Do I make arrangements for this shuttle or does it run a certain route all day?

To get best value... you need to check the Grouse show schedule for the birds and lumberjack show. This can dictate how many hours you want to spend on Grouse. Also does the bear breakfast interest you?

https://www.grousemountain.com/products/breakfast-with-the-bears

The shuttles are free.... https://capbridge-capilanosuspensi.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/May-2016-Shuttle-Pad-for-web.jpg

What time are you arriving in Vancouver the first day? Perhaps we can start the sightseeing earlier to extend the day? Some attractions are open til 8pm or 9pm!

What do you hope to do in Stanley Park? Totems? Heritage mini train? If the Aquarium.... you should plan your visit with the summer show schedule too for best value.

What is your sailing date? We can identify seasonal opportunities.

Have you considered arriving a few days earlier to see more of this bonus port that is bigger than all the Alaskan ports combined?

Best way from YVR to downtown hotels are taxi's. It's $35 ($24 USD) for the carload. They can seat 3 to 4 people each depending on how much luggage you are packing. There are taxi van's, but you may need to wait a few minutes.

Ok, thanks.

It's kinda tough to cram everything into one day.

To get best value... you need to check the Grouse show schedule for the birds and lumberjack show. This can dictate how many hours you want to spend on Grouse. Also does the bear breakfast interest you?

https://www.grousemountain.com/products/breakfast-with-the-bears

 

The shuttles are free.... https://capbridge-capilanosuspensi.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/May-2016-Shuttle-Pad-for-web.jpg

 

What time are you arriving in Vancouver the first day? Perhaps we can start the sightseeing earlier to extend the day? Some attractions are open til 8pm or 9pm!

 

What do you hope to do in Stanley Park? Totems? Heritage mini train? If the Aquarium.... you should plan your visit with the summer show schedule too for best value.

 

What is your sailing date? We can identify seasonal opportunities.

 

Have you considered arriving a few days earlier to see more of this bonus port that is bigger than all the Alaskan ports combined?

LOL - I'd love to come in earlier! But this one extra day was all my husband could take off from work. I'm just happy we got this extra day.

Did not know about bear breakfast, will look into that. I thought the wind turbine looked pretty cool, but really haven't researched Grouse much yet. Stanley Park - definitely aquarium. Is mini-train just for really young kids?

We sail out on June 24. Working on flight arrangements - you're right, perhaps that evening will give me a little extra time. Sounds like I need to do more research on a few things!

Thanks for the advice. It's a huge help.

Nothing downtown is much further away than anything else in teal terms - most hotels, including Days Inn and Hampton Inn, are less than a mile away (and therefore c.$10 per cab load - DI is easily walkable, just three blocks away). Given you are considering budget hotels with mediocre reviews also consider the YWCA Hotel - biggest rooms in the city at up to five beds, though it's probably more civilized to get an ensuite double for you parents and then a multi-bed room for the kids. Clean, safe, and the cheapest downtown rack rate option by a long shot - and consistently better reviewed than Days Inn or Hampton!

Other options - condo hotels, like Rosedale on Robson. A 2 bedroom condo should handle all six of you. As with YWCA, having access to a kitchen also makes breakfasts and packed lunches cheaper and easier, as well as allowing for any picky eaters among your sproglets to be catered to with favourite cereals etc.

I too think that one day plan is a bit OTT. You'll have enough light to go late, especially if the park is left until last, but will ALL of your kids handle a twelve hour day of roaming around???

Different shuttles. If you go to Grouse first, you can ask nicely to get dropped at Cap - it's no skin off the drivers nose as they literally drive right past. No chance of doing that the other way around though. Otherwise budget for transit tickets - $2.75 for adults and 14+kids, $1.75 for under 14s - to take a public bus up the hill to Grouse from Cap (you can't get lost - they're both on the same road).

Train in Stanley Park is tiny & cheesey - I'd be shocked if your teens though much of it. They should fit on it - I've managed myself on occasion and I'm a rather portly 6'1" - but until Klahowya Village returns (not this year) the regular train is just a loop around through the trees which you can see as well or better on foot on the trails - without banging taller knees on the hard wooden seatbacks!

Good call on biking - with this many, consider renting from the cheaper agencies (i.e. not the ones right on the seawall or right outside the park). Just a few blocks further to Ezeeriders near the park saves a chunk over the Spokes rates; Simons is also cheap and very close to Hampton and YWCA - though with no bike lane right outside, unless everyone is experienced in urban biking I would strongly recommend walking bikes up a couple of blocks to Dunsmuir from Robson before actually cycling.

Lunch, you'd basically HAVE to eat at one of the attractions if you do both cap & grouse - no way you're getting done with both before you need to eat, realistically it's two hours at Cap and three plus at Grouse depending how many shows and other optional things like the turbine you do. Grouse does have more dining options.

Remember you have the morning of embarkation free too - it's very feasible to do Cap then. Drop bags at pier, hop on next shuttle (say 10am), spend three hours there and shuttle back to pier by 2pm - when queues for boarding should be much lighter too.

We sail out on June 24. Working on flight arrangements - you're right, perhaps that evening will give me a little extra time.

Stanley Park - definitely aquarium. Is mini-train just for really young kids?

http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park-miniature-train.aspx

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Did not know about bear breakfast, will look into that. I thought the wind turbine looked pretty cool, but really haven't researched Grouse much yet.

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Wow - thank you! Those videos are great. We will be arriving around noon, so we now have an extra half-day to spend. And, got a fabulous deal at Pan Pacific I couldn't pass up. Now just need to plan our activities!

One more question - I'm hoping for an early start to the day to avoid some of the crowds. Is it a greater benefit to begin at Capilano or Grouse? I understand that we can be dropped off at Cap by the Grouse return shuttle - could we catch a bus to Grouse if we started at Cap?

Thanks again - you've all been a great help

June 24 sailing.... is this a 7 day round tripper? If so... try to stay a few days post-cruise in Vancouver. There is a fireworks show at the cruise terminal on July 1st in the evening.

No, we head up to Seward then fly out of Anchorage July 1.

Thanks - will definitely check out the bike companies! Thinking now of doing Stanley Park biking the afternoon we arrive - legs will need a little pedaling after the long flights from Pennsylvania! :)

We will be arriving around noon, so we now have an extra half-day to spend. Now just need to plan our activities!

 

One more question - I'm hoping for an early start to the day to avoid some of the crowds. Is it a greater benefit to begin at Capilano or Grouse? I understand that we can be dropped off at Cap by the Grouse return shuttle - could we catch a bus to Grouse if we started at Cap?

Thoughts for Day 1....

• noon airport arrival
  
• 1pm hotel checkin
  
• 1:30pm.... time think about sight seeing....
  
  • Stanley Park?
    
    
  • Granville Island?
    
    
  • Gastown?
    
    
  • Storybrooke?
    
    

  [*]8pm.... dinner.... most restaurants start shutting down around 9pm in Vancouver.

  [*]9pm sunset

  [*]10pm Gelato for dessert? La Casa closes at 11pm

Thoughts on Day 2...

Most like to relax and start their vacation later. However, this means less crowds if you want to hit Capilano at 9am when the gates open. Check the shuttle schedule for your hotel for the morning pickup. Of course this means missing the Bear breakfast at Grouse for 8:30am.

Capilano to Grouse can be done with public transit ($2.75 each) or a $10 taxi carload.

Unless you are going to the Bear breakfast.... I prefer to arrive at Grouse 11am to 5pm when the shows (Lumberjack and Birds) are running. Need to confirm the summer schedule closer to your cruise. Capilano is open until 8pm if you want to go when the crowds are lower after 5pm. I think the shuttles run til 6pm however.... so you will be on public transit to return to your hotel.

Fly Over Canada at the cruise terminal runs until 9pm.

Info on Vancouver from a local!

My favorite must do attractions are

1) Grouse Mountain – http://www.grousemountain.com – this is a wonderful scenic mountain only about 15 mins from downtown Vancouver. Ride the airtram to the top for lots of fun activities that include a loggers show, birds of prey show, 2 movies (1 about the Vancouver area and 1 about the 2 Grizzly Bears who make their home on Grouse Mtn) ride a chair lift higher up the mountain to visit the wind turbine that generates approximately 30% of the power required for Grouse Mountain Resort and visit with 2 live Grizzly Bears. Thrill to a 2 hour Zip Line Tour. Enjoy a meal in any of the restaurants. Caveat only spend the money to go up on a clear day.

2) Capilano Suspension Bridge – http://www.capbridge.com – this is Vancouver’s oldest tourist attraction and I still enjoy visiting it! Located on Capilano Road just before you reach the Grouse Mountain parking lot. Walk across a suspension Bridge originally erected in 1889 over the Capilano Gorge. This bridge stretches 450’ end to end and hovers 230’ above Capilano River. Wonder the trails thru the rain forest, walk thru the treetops on the new Tree Top Adventure, traverse a Cliff Top walk, visit the trading post for a huge selection of souvenirs, watch native weavers and/or carvers at work.

3) Capilano Fish Hatchery is also located on Capilano Road and is a great place to view salmon jumping up the fish ladders to get around the Cleveland Dam. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capilano_River_Regional_Park

4) Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge – http://www.lynncanyon.ca - is also located in North Vancouver and is much less touristy than Capilano but it also is not as spectacular. The bridge is slightly higher above the water but much shorter in span. Located in a Provincial Park this bridge comes with some nice hiking trails and you will find an ecology centre in the park as well as picnic tables and a food concession outlet. Should you choose to enjoy the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge always cross the suspension bridge first and then hike down the trail to the lower (Twin Falls wooden) bridge to cross back over the Lynn Valley River and return to your car – that way you are hiking downhill rather than uphill. It is also free to visit this suspension bridge!

5) Stanley Park – http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/ - is the crown jewel of Vancouver's parks. As one of North America's largest urban parks, covering over a 1000 acres and offering an abundance of activities. Enjoy the totem pole collection near the Brockton Point Light House, hiking trails, beaches, water parks for the kids (young & old), rose gardens, miniature train, aquarium –http://www.vanaqua.org – many view points, and several restaurants.

6) Vancouver Aquarium – http://www.vanaqua.org – is Canada’s largest aquarium and is committed to the conservation of marine life and education. Located in Stanley Park this is a fun place for the family to visit.

7) Fly Over Canada incorporates state of the art technology in an Imax theatre to show you supernatural Canada, Fly from coast to coast taking in breath stealing views of Niagara Falls, Lake Louise, The Rockies & more. Spectacular! http://www.flyovercanada.com

8) Gas Town – the location where Vancouver originated. The name is derived from a very colorful character named Gassy Jack who was one of the first settlers in the area and a salon keeper – while in Gas Town don’t miss your photo op with the statue of Gassy Jack and by the Steam Clock.

9) At the start of Gas Town is the Harbor Centre Tower http://www.vancouverlookout.com a great spot to start your tour of Vancouver with a birds eye view of the city. Either take the elevator up to the lookout level or go to the top and enjoy a meal in the revolving restaurant.

10) China Town is only about 6 blocks over from Gas Town and is the largest China Town north of San Francisco. While in China Town enjoy a visit to the Dr Sun Yat Sen Classical Gardens http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com and also make sure you visit the world’s thinnest building it is only 6’ wide!

11) Granville Island – http://www.granvilleisland.com – is a huge public market area which not only sells fruit & veggies but you can also buy frozen fish to be shipped to your home. Many artists make this their home and you can watch them at work in their studios – making this a great place to buy unique souvenirs. The Granville Island Brewery is also located here and you can stop in for a free tour & tastes. There are theatres for live performances and many fine restaurants. A fun way to get to Granville Island is via the Aquabus – http://www.theaquabus.com

12) Burnaby Village Museum – http://www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca – is an open air museum with over 30 restored homes, shops, school, church and a 1912 carousel situated on 10 acres

13) Gulf of Georgia Cannery – http://www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.com – is a restored fishing cannery located in the historic fishing village of Steveston (part of Richmond). Here you see exhibits that showcase the history of the fishing industry in British Columbia. Once finished in the museum it is great fun to walk along the fishing docks and see the fishing boats which are selling their catch. There are also some excellent restaurants located here.

14) The Vancouver Maritime Museum located on the shore of English Bay is fun for the whole family with lots of hands on exhibits for the kid in all of us. Here to you will find the ship St Roch which the RCMP sailed from Vancouver to Halifax via the Northwest Passage and then completed the return journey in 1944. You actually get to tour this ship. http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com

15) Queen Elizabeth Park http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/queenelizabeth The 130 acre (52 hectare) park is one of the most beautifully maintained public parks in the world. Second only to Stanley Park in annual visitations, it receives nearly 6 million people a year who marvel at its superior standard of garden plantings.

The park was originally quarried for its rock which served to build Vancouver's first roadways. In 1929 the Board proceeded to acquire the property which had become an abandoned eyesore but still served as the site for two holding reservoirs for the City's drinking water. Dedicated as a park by King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth (the present Queen's mother) on their much lauded visit to Vancouver in 1939.

16) Fort Langley is the restored wooden fort built by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post. It is the origin of British Columbia and was the first capital. This Fort is operated by the Federal Parks Board. http://www.fortlangley.org

17) If you are a wine lover you might want to rent a car and spend a day visiting a few of the many (23 Licensed) excellent wineries located in the Fraser Valley only about a 1 hour drive from your hotel. Almost all of the wineries offer free tastes & tours. Two of the wineries have excellent restaurants on the premises. This makes for a very fun and relaxing day. http://www.bcwine.com (click on the Fraser Valley button)

18) VanDusen Botanical Garden is a scenic 55- acre garden of international renown – a living museum of plants collected from around the world and artistically displayed amidst rolling lawns, woodlands and five tranquil lakes, all in the heart of Vancouver and just 15 minutes from downtown.

Due to Vancouver’s mild climate, plants bloom at the Garden year-round. This same climate creates a unique environment where plants from varying climate regions thrive and grow – at VanDusen you will see plants from the southern hemisphere, tropical areas and the high Arctic tundra along side native species. The Elizabethan Maze (one of only six in North America) provides year-round fun.

19) UBC Botanical Garden located at the University of British Columbia covers 110 acres and includes an Alpine, Asian, Native, Food, and Japanese Gardens. http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org There is also a treetop walk which is great for “fit” explorers who are not afraid of heights – however I would not recommend it for anyone who has any mobility issues. Also these gardens are not as well maintained as I would expect a botanical garden to be!

20) Enjoy FREE guided walking tours of Vancouver. The Gastown tour starts at the Howe & Georgia Street entrance to the Pacific Center Mall and ends at the statue of Gassy Jack in Gastown. The Downtown tour starts at the Howe & Georgia Street entrance to the Pacific Center Mall and ends at the Olympic Cauldron. The China Town tour starts at the Howe & Georgia Street entrance to the Pacific Center Mall and ends at the Chinese memorial statue. All of these tours start at 11amCheck these tours out at http://www.tourguys.ca The Tour Guys have added an afternoon walking tour of Granville Island and 2 evening tours….. The Granville Island Tour starts at 3pm at the bus stop just at the entrance to Granville Island.

21) For the FOODIES in the gang! Check out 2 companies that offer food tasting tours http://www.foodietours.ca and http://www.offtheeatentrack.ca – both offer an excellent tour!

http://www.foodietours.ca visit much more high end restaurants in the heart of the west end of Vancouver (tourist/hotel district)

while http://www.offtheeatentrack.ca concentrates on more casual independently owned eateries in various areas of Vancouver! (Gastown, Main Street Area, Vancouver East)

I just enjoyed Foodietours “Guilty Pleasures Gourmet Tour” and was very impressed with the organization, quality of restaurants & refreshments, guides knowledge of foods and the eateries we were visiting as well as the area we were walking in. Felt it was excellent value for the money provided you did not spend the extra $20. For the alcohol! This company also offers a tasting tour on Granville Island Public Market and of the Vancouver Street Food Carts.

As for Off the Eaten Track - this company offers culinary tasting tours of various areas of Vancouver. The brunch tour visits local establishments in East Vancouver while the dinner tour concentrates on the Main Street area and the Railtown Urban Eats tour is an area adjacent to GasTown. All are Fabulous! The Railtown Urban Eats tour would blend well with the free walking tour offered by http://www.tourguys.ca … you could easily do the free walking tour of GasTown and then meet up with this tour company for your lunch - the food is plentiful & wonderful you will not leave any of the tours hungry!

For the tourist in town you actually meet at Waterfront Station and the company drives you to the tour location and then of course back at the end. Just to give you a hint of what to expect - the Gems of Main Street tour started in a Chocolate Shoppe – how can it be anything but wonderful when one starts out with chocolate…. And of course we must mention the rum cocktail concoction at the Tiki Lounge paired with a pork slider & the Pizza Joint owned and run by a chef who actually worked at the Vatican making pizza for the Pope – now if it is good enough for the Pope it has to be good enough for us! After 5 great stops with the history of the area being shared by our guide Bonnie we were all absolutely stuffed! Great job Bonnie!

22) A new addition to the Vancouver scene. The Richmond Olympic Experience located at the Richmond Olympic Oval. Visitors are welcomed by a sculpture paying tribute to the volunteers who made the 2010 Vancouver Games possible. You will then be whisked away on an interactive journey that celebrates the Olympic spirit. A multimedia theatre takes you to the heart of the Olympic dream through a series of multimedia galleries evoking the triumphs, tragedies, controversies and celebrations of Olympic history. Thrilling interactive sport simulations including a virtual ski jump will get your heart racing. Outside the Oval, you can follow the incredible journey of the Olympic torch across Canada via a commemorative torch relay trail through the outdoor plazas.

23) Rogers Arena Get a behind-the-scenes look at one of the premier sports and entertainment facilities in North America with a Rogers Arena tour. See where, for over 15 years, we’ve thrilled and entertained fans from all over the world, staged the best of the best in entertainment and sports, and welcomed over 25 million fans through our doors. Experience first-hand the “cathedral of hockey” that brings in millions of fans coming to see the Vancouver Canucks live (Hockey), and where history was made when the Canadian women's and men's hockey teams marked their moments in history during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Stadium behind the scenes tours are Wed – Sat at 10;30am, 12 (noon) and 1:30pm!

24) BC Place is BC’s Premier multipurpose stadium, hosting sport, exhibitions and live entertainment, right in the heart of Downtown Vancouver. Home of the BC Lions Football Club, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Soccer) and the BC Sports Hall of Fame. This state of the art facility intrigues with its retractable roof, 800 WIFI ports and 1,100 digital screens. The 36’ façade is lit up by thousands of individually- addressable LED lights that create colour animations bringing life to the Vancouver skyline.

Vancouver has a bunch of hop-on hop-off buses

http://www.vancouverpinkbustours.com/

http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/tours/hop-on-hop-off

http://bigbus.ca/home/