Vancouver hotels: PanPacific vs. Westin Bayshore?

[TexEm]

We'll be overnighting in Vancouver before our Coral Princess 5/10 cruise. Can anyone give us any info about these two hotels from their own experiences? Is it easy to get to the ship from either one? Thanks in advance.

[Putterdude]

The Pan Pacific is a 5* hotel that forms part of Canada Place, the terminal that Princess uses. You merely have to call the bell desk and your luggage will be be transfered from your room to the ship. You will also be able to see your ship come in in the morning.

The Bayshore is also a wonderful hotel in the spirit of Westin, it is located a $7 to $10 cab fare west of Canada Place and very close to Stanley Park. If you get a north facing rooom you will have terrific view of Stanley Park, the North Shore Mountains, Burrard Inlet and the Coal Harbour Yacht Basin.

My choice of the two would be the Pan Pacific and that is no slight on the Bayshore.

[ell52]

It depends on what you're looking for. Both are wonderful hotels.

The Pan Pacific is more convenient to the cruise port (if your ship docks at Canada Place).

Westin Bayshore is closer to Stanley Park.

I've stayed at both and like both, but as PD says, I'd say Pan Pacific for proximity to the pier and downtown core.

[LeftcoastBC]

Info as above. Great hotels. Likely to be a bit of a price difference however.

[Keith1010]

We have stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel before a couple of cruises. As others have said it was very convenient as we could go from their to the ship. In our case, we just took the luggage over there ourselves. Yes, the hotel is nice but for us one of its biggest pluses was the location.

Keith

[PennyAgain]

I prefer the Pan Pacific if I am staying in that part of the city. It is an unhill walk to Robson St and all that shopping and dining, but the cruise port factor is a huge one. You can't beat it for convenience and ease.

[TexEm]

Thanks, everyone, for the quick replies--sounds like the PanPacific is the place for us (traveling with my 92 year old mom). I've checked online prices for both places, and actually the Westin Bayshore is more expensive for what we're looking for if we book it ourselves (if we don't do Priceline or Hotwire). If Princess books it for us, the PanPacific is about $50 more.

Thanks again. We've never been to Vancouver, so are looking forward to it!

[PennyAgain]

With Mom Pan Pacific will be so nice and easy! Very low stress situation. I adore getting up early to watch 'my' ship come in and having a calm breakfast when I know that others are in a mad rush to get to the same ship. I book my room to get the view I want, but if that fails then I have my breakfast in the dining room. If I have my room with a view, I order room service and start my vacation early.

The coffee in Vancouver really tastes good! Must be the water!

Bon Voyage!

[cdkempton]

How are tips handled for the stevadores on the dock if you have the bell hop handle your bags? Or am i being too naive?

[Keith1010]

Originally Posted by cdkempton

How are tips handled for the stevadores on the dock if you have the bell hop handle your bags? Or am i being too naive?

You should plan to give a tip to the person who helps you with the bags.

Keith

[ellbon]

I love the Pan. i have staryed in Westin hotesl but it seems so depressing from the outside compared to the Pan. I walked everywhere from the pan.

[cdkempton]

Originally Posted by Keith1010

You should plan to give a tip to the person who helps you with the bags.

Keith

Thank you. I realize that the bellman would get his tip but I have always tipped the stevedores that are loading the bags onto the ship and I was wondering if the bellman would share a tip with them. That's why I said "am I being a bit naive?" Maybe we'll take our own bags down before breakfast and know the stevadore is taken care of. I like receiving my bags in our stateroom early.

[PennyAgain]

You will need to walk with your bags so they can be checked in at your ship. You will have plenty of time and opportunity to tip both the bellman and the stevedore. In any case you will arrive on your ship feeling like gentleman. A rare feeling in travel these days.

[Putterdude]

Actually you do not need to accompany your luggage to the dockside porters. Just attach your cruise ship luggage tags and the rest will be looked after for you by the bellman. You will be asked to remain in your room until the bellman picks up your luggage but that is only to indemnify the hotel. If you wish to carry on touring after that you may do so and if you wish to tip a porter just before you embark, that would be great as I suspect the tips go into a pool that are divied up amongst the dockside crew that include the fork lift operators and dare I say the foremen and other union bros......

[PennyAgain]

Putterdude, that's interesting because I was told that I had to walk with my luggage. OK, so things change. I'm mistaken. Sorry!

[cdkempton]

Thanks all. Getting excited now. Finally got our room assignment this morning. Our ship is full and we didn't get a chance for an upsell but that's o.k. We got our favorite table for 2 main sitting.