only 4 hrs in Victoria Bc Canada

Three weeks ago we took a nice, 10 minute walk down the path to the left. It led us right to Fisherman's Wharf where we had a bite to eat at Barb's Fish and Chips. We had a Barb in our party so we bought a hat for less than $15. Great food and a nice table on the pier to relax at. We headed back and had plenty of time to finish packing as disembark was the next morning. Great finish to a great week.

There's the online store that's open 24hrs.... you can even have the product shipped to your home pre-cruise...

• http://www.rogerschocolates.com/
  
• http://www.rogerschocolates.com/SearchByKeyword?word=ice%20wine
  

Anytime I ship anything from Canada to US or vice versa, it costs a fortune!

Just looked it up - not going to spend $20 for shipping. Not only that, there is no way I would ship chocolate to my house right now, it would melt!

I don't find Victoria, that "remote" for many people. Seattle is a tourist mecca with plenty of visitors. It's very easy to get to Victoria by ferry and flights for extended time.

An option to also consider- with added time, is to simply get off the cruise ship in Victoria. You will see several people doing this from cruise ships, since it's an excellent opportunity to extend your travels. You then just take Victoria Clipper back to Seattle. (very nice, scenic, comfortable ride)

BQ makes an excellent point, however it does require making arrangements in advance with the cruise line as you will have go thru a full CBSA clearance as compared to the very cursory one that is given passengers who are just disembarking for a few hours. But yes it is something that is often done in Victoria.

ok now im bummed. I looked up Rodgers chocolates and they close at 7:00 ...we get in at 7:30....who wants to meet me at the pier with chocolate. lol...Just kidding

They're open until 10pm for summer - not sure when the hours change back, so with your cruise being mid-Sep they might be back to earlier closing. If so, and you don't find them open late specially for the ship, you can easily acquire a selection of their choccies in Thrifty Foods 24hours a day - the James Bay location only adds about 5mins to the shortest walk between the ship and downtown... still much faster than walking around via the waterfront.

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We don't bother getting off the ship in Victoria. We spent two nights there a couple of summers before our first cruise to Alaska, so we were able to see the sights, including about four hours at Butchart Gardens. (Longwood Gardens is another favorite of mine. I've been there several times, even though it's 400 miles from home.)

The Butchart Gardens website indicates that they are open for one hour past the admission closing time. So, even though they close at 10, those already inside the gardens are good until 11.

That may be true but if they sail at midnight and it takes an hour to get back and everyone agrees that you should be back on board at least 30 minutes before they MUST leave no later then 10:30 at the very latest to make the ship and hope there are no traffic incidents.

That may be true but if they sail at midnight and it takes an hour to get back and everyone agrees that you should be back on board at least 30 minutes before they MUST leave no later then 10:30 at the very latest to make the ship and hope there are no traffic incidents.

Absolutely agree with you. I want to help emphasize that to anyone reading this thread and who thinks they can do the Gardens in 4 hours is kidding themselves, in my opinion. Staying at the Gardens until 11 pm is a recipe for disaster, especially if, God forbid, it is a Saturday night and they have the fireworks - you won't get out of the parking lot for half an hour. It's insane.

That may be true but if they sail at midnight and it takes an hour to get back and everyone agrees that you should be back on board at least 30 minutes before they MUST leave no later then 10:30 at the very latest to make the ship and hope there are no traffic incidents.

Absolutely agree with you. I want to help emphasize that to anyone reading this thread and who thinks they can do the Gardens in 4 hours is kidding themselves, in my opinion. Staying at the Gardens until 11 pm is a recipe for disaster, especially if, God forbid, it is a Saturday night and they have the fireworks - you won't get out of the parking lot for half an hour. It's insane.

Just do the ship's tour which I have done. There are a ton of busses going and the ship will wait for the busses to come back.

It has not been an issue.

Love the gardens. We have done the ship's excursion at night and never a problem. One driver kept us for fireworks as all the drivers agreed to do this. There were 7 busses late going back to the ship as they knew the ship wouldn't leave until they all returned. One of my favorite places.

We have done the 4 hour evening stop in Victoria and we did the horse carriage ride around the town. You load right at the ship and see lots of sights, and it's very relaxing. Easy to take pictures as there are no windows. It was raining when we were there (with thunder and lightning) but the carriages are covered so no problem.

As to the Butchart Gardens, we just got back from there (on a longer Victoria stop) and there is no way to do it in such a limited time. It takes at least two hours to see everything, and that is walking at a brisk pace. If you do want to do it, definitely do your ship's excursion there so the ship will wait for you if there are any delays. And just be prepared that you will probably not see everything and just enjoy what you do see. It's beautiful that's for sure. But I do recommend the horse carriage ride as an option as well.

Victoria is lovely and the first time we were there, we strolled through town, a little shopping, the Princess hotel, etc. All lovely. And when you only have four hours, it's fine. But we felt rushed, like we couldn't really invest in anything - by the time you get off the ship, get to downtown, etc., you're watching the clock -- it was just rushed and, while lovely, we didn't get much from it.

BUT, the second time . . . wow. Check your excursion catalogue for Orca watching in Victoria. The company that did ours was Orca Spirit. They board right at the dock, so you get off the ship and right onto the catamaran and these guys really know the resident pod there. We saw dozens and dozens of Orca. It was amazing. Plus you're there about sunset, so the water is lovely and they take you way out in and amongst the islands and waterways.

Absolutely gorgeous, amazing wildlife, great excursion and well worth the money. Even better than whale watching in Juneau IMHO. Really felt like we got value for the stop rather than just killing time.

They won't have much time for Butchart Gardens. They arrive at 7:30. Reality is by the time they get off (15-30 minutes), load onto the bus, drive for an hour to Butchart Gardens with it closing at 10:00. That leaves them about an hour to see the whole thing.

Reading this, gave me concern as I have a ship excursion to Butchart Gardens in July and our ship docks at 7 pm and I did not want such a short stay at the site. Google maps shows the ride as being 33 minutes not 60. The fireworks start at 10 pm and the website encourages visitors to linger after the fireworks for an organ recital. Being on a ship excursion, I am confident the Butchart Gardens is worthwhile and I am looking forward to it.:)

How far is the walk from the ship to town? Do we need to book the ship transport from the ship to town?

Google maps shows the ride as being 33 minutes not 60. The fireworks start at 10 pm and the website encourages visitors to linger after the fireworks for an organ recital. Being on a ship excursion, I am confident the Butchart Gardens is worthwhile and I am looking forward to it.:)

Just a note to say that I lived in Victoria for more than 30 years and trust me, you can't get from Ogden Point (cruise ship terminal) to Butchart Gardens in 33 minutes. Not a big deal for you since you are doing a ship's tour, which is recommended for an evening visit and the only way I would attempt it, even though it is more expensive.

Have fun. :)

Solstice will arrive 6:00 pm to 12.

Since it will be late, guess we'll just wander around. Might spend some time on our aft balcony with some drinks...and watch the night lights.:D

How far is the walk from the ship to town? Do we need to book the ship transport from the ship to town?

Sure, it's walkable. But with limited time, $10 for the shuttle ride is worth it. If you walk both ways, you'll probably spend close to an hour of your visit just getting there and back. Not worth it, IMO.

We took the shuttle, checked out the Empress Hotel, the Parliament Building, etc, around the harbor. We briefly considered the Royal BC museum, but didn't think we had time to enjoy it properly. Did some shopping while walking up Government Street, found the chocolate shop. Then we settled in at the Irish Times Pub for some drinks and dinner. Fun evening! I think our ship was there from 7 to midnight.

thanks for all the tips. I will be in Seattle before cruise so will be buying some of my Seattle chocolates for while on cruise. (may have to buy more before I fly home as my mom will want some and I know there will be none left/lol). I do not cruise til June 2017 so. keep the tips coming....

Sure, it's walkable. But with limited time, $10 for the shuttle ride is worth it. If you walk both ways, you'll probably spend close to an hour of your visit just getting there and back. Not worth it, IMO.

 

We took the shuttle, checked out the Empress Hotel, the Parliament Building, etc, around the harbor. We briefly considered the Royal BC museum, but didn't think we had time to enjoy it properly. Did some shopping while walking up Government Street, found the chocolate shop. Then we settled in at the Irish Times Pub for some drinks and dinner. Fun evening! I think our ship was there from 7 to midnight.

Thank you for the information! I think we will purchase the shuttle ticket.

Does the shuttle make different stops. We were thinking of just walking to fisherman's wharf to eat, hang out, then walk back.

Does the shuttle make different stops. We were thinking of just walking to fisherman's wharf to eat, hang out, then walk back.

The basic shuttle Princess offers (I forget the vendor name) drops you off and picks up by the Empress hotel. No other stops. There may be other vendors or options though...

Alternatively, you can certainly walk one way and grab a cab back for less than the price of one shuttle ticket. It is a flat, short walk to the downtown core for those who do not have mobility problems.

In my opinion, walking is part of the charm of this port stop. It's beautiful and very walkable. Be sure to see the Parliament Buildings - they are lit up at night. :)