Vancouver answers from a Vancouverite

[Putterdude]

Originally Posted by Poohx2

Welcome back Putterdude! Hope you and your wife are feeling better soon.

Thank you...but I really like the medicine I am on.

[CupKayke]

Thanks for the info/opinion Putterdude! I will check-in to the info on Hyatt later this evening! Btw, I've seen lots o' drinking on the golf course but never a cigar! Luv it!

[Poohx2]

Hi Putterdude,

I posted an question seeking advice on the bottom of page 125. When you are feeling better could you please look at it and tell me what you think? Thanks so much!

[Putterdude]

Originally Posted by Poohx2

Hi Putterdude,

I posted an question seeking advice on the bottom of page 125. When you are feeling better could you please look at it and tell me what you think? Thanks so much!

I have looked at your post and I think most of your questions have been answered except that relating to access to transit. Clearly the Pan Pacific wins...the Coast Coal Harbour isn't really on any transit routes so you will be walking or cabbing it. If you are looking for a hotel that is accessible to almost all transit then I would look at the Hyatt Regency which will also save you some serious money but you do give up the views that the Pan Pacific enjoys, the cab fare from the Hyatt to Canada place wouldn't run $10 incl tip.

If I/we have missed something...please come back.

[Poohx2]

Hi Putterdude,

Thank you so much for that information. I will look at the Hyatt regency.

[kjpabl]

I think I've read every page of this thread. You have answered most of my questions already, so first of all I want to say Thank You! My husband and I are traveling to your beautiful city to take our first cruise ever! We are going to Alaska. We will be celebrating our 32nd wedding anniversary while onboard the Volendam. We have reservations on the Quick Shuttle (thanks for the suggestion) from Sea-Tac to Vancouver on the 8th of August and will arrive at about 1:45pm. We have reservations at the Westin Grand, made on Priceline (saved a bit off rack rates there but a little too anxious so could probably have saved more, LOL, again thanks to this board). I purchased the Entertainment Book and will use as much as we can and leave the remainder for our housekeeper/maid. Great idea I borrowed from this board. Now for my question, finally. We have most of the afternoon and evening of the 8th, all day on the 9th and part of the 10th to check out as much of Vancouver as possible. We will leave Victoria for another trip. How should we apportion our days? The bridges and Grouse Moutain sound wonderful. And Stanley Park sounds like we could stay several days there. My only requirement is to get my husband to a good Korean restaurant for lunch or dinner one of those days. Even if we have to take a cab to Burnaby or wherever you suggest. I would like to pick up flowers for our room on board at the Granville Market on Wed. prior to boarding. Any suggestions? A bus pass is in our future, I'm sure, just need some tweaking of the timelines. Again this board has been invaluable to a overplanner like me.

[Urban trekker]

There are Korean style on just about every streetcorner in Downtown Vancouver so there is no need to go to far from your hotel - check out www.dinehere.ca for some ideas - enter Vancouver - downtown - Korean and see what comes up

There are four or five Korean restaurant further down Robson - near Denman and Stanley Park that seems to be busy all the time - we have a large Korean student population learning English here in Vancouver so there are lots of restaurants to serve them.

Hope this helps and some of the other locals will be around to offer there suggestions.

Cheers

Dennis

[Urban trekker]

Here`s a more direct link:

http://dinehere.ca/r/vancouver/korean#

Cheers

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Here is a broad timeline for you:

Stanley Park : allow a full half day, you won't see it all but it will be a good start.

Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mtn Skyride : can be combined on the same day as they are only about 10 mins apart by bus. Allow a full 30/40 mins for travel in either direction. At the bridge allow 90 mins to 2 hrs and on the mountain about 3 hrs.

Gastown: allow 90 mins to 2 hrs and if you go up to the Vancouver Lookout at Harbour Centre another 30 mins.

Granville Island: its a place you can spend a day...but just for the market allow a full 90 mins to 2 hrs.

I'll stay away from the Korean restaurants...it's not that I don't like Korean it's just that I have eaten very little of it.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I just found this thread & am very excited to see it! We are booked on the Sapphire Princess in 2012 for the Pacific Coastal Cruise. We are really looking forward to it as it will take us places we have never been, despite living in the Western USA for the past 10 years. I have been to LA quite a few times, Seattle several times & Victoria for a few hours, but that is it. Our cruise starts in LA and ends in Vancouver. We are thinking of staying in Vancouver a day or two & then taking Amtrack back to LA and driving or flying home from there.

Putterdude - are you in AZ now for the winter? I see you are doing the same coastal cruise in 2011. Are you considering it in 2012? I would love to finally meet you as I know we have chatted in the past.

I will continue to watch this thread during the next year & try to go back and read past posts after our Hawaii cruise this May.

[kjpabl]

You are all so quick with responses! Thanks and my husband has already bookmarked the dinehere.ca webpage for Korean restaurants. I'm just hoping I can eat something besides Korean food while there, LOL I want to hit AquaRiva and also dine on the wonderful combustibles at Granville Island. Thanks for the timeline ideas Putterdude, just what I needed. Always allowing for weather we can see it all, and find things we'll want to return to and experience in depth. Luckily, you are just north of us and a return trip is already on my 'bucket list".

[tadsmom]

Hi Everyone,
I am back with more questions.
So I think I have our hotel picked finally, The Coast Coal Harbor. Now I am wondering what type of transportation do we use to tour the city.
We want to do Granville Island, Grouse Mountain, and Stanley park. We are a party of 7 people that includes three kids so not sure how to get around.
Also we may have to stay a night after our cruise. Should we still stay at Coast Coal Harbour or something close to the airport? I am having a tough time trying to figure out all our options. We still want to do some sort of touring that day, whatever we did not get to before our cruise. Oh and what do we do with luggage? Can we take it to the hotel we stay at before actual check in and have them store it? I am still confused so bear with me. I had to rethink our plans because I waited too long to buy airfare and now have to stay the extra night. We probably will have just the afternoon before our cruise and then the day after our cruise. What is a reasonable touring plan? Can we see it all in just that amount of time or should I narrow it down? So many questions going around in my head. I am sure I will be back with more. Thanks for you help.

[dad23]

I am looking for some help on what hotel to stay at before our cruise.
I am looking at Hampton inn at the airport or downtown location or the Coast Coal hotel. Which is the best in terms of easy transportation to area attractions and to and from airport and cruise terminal. I would also like it to be close to places to eat. We are a family of 7 and have 3 little ones. Hard to determine which hotel will better suit us. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Winedogs]

We are planning to fly from LAX to YVR on same day of our cruise. Flight is non-stop from LAX and is scheduled to land at 12:30. We are planning to take the Canada Line to Canada Place. Our cruise departs at 4:30. How long to get through customs? Will this give us enough time? I would really like to save $$$ on hotel and one less night away from home.

Thanks for any advice

[Putterdude]

Originally Posted by Sunny AZ Girl

Our cruise starts in LA and ends in Vancouver. We are thinking of staying in Vancouver a day or two & then taking Amtrack back to LA and driving or flying home from there.

Putterdude - are you in AZ now for the winter? I see you are doing the same coastal cruise in 2011. Are you considering it in 2012? I would love to finally meet you as I know we have chatted in the past.

Yes, we are back in AZ now and will likely be here until mid-April. As for the 2012 coastal....it is a bit to early to say...this will be at least our 4th in a row so we need to think about it a bit.

As for staying in Vancouver, we would love to have you stay, there is just a ton to see and do in our city.

[Putterdude]

Originally Posted by tadsmom

Hi Everyone,
I am back with more questions.
So I think I have our hotel picked finally, The Coast Coal Harbor. Now I am wondering what type of transportation do we use to tour the city.
We want to do Granville Island, Grouse Mountain, and Stanley park. We are a party of 7 people that includes three kids so not sure how to get around.
Also we may have to stay a night after our cruise. Should we still stay at Coast Coal Harbour or something close to the airport? I am having a tough time trying to figure out all our options. We still want to do some sort of touring that day, whatever we did not get to before our cruise. Oh and what do we do with luggage? Can we take it to the hotel we stay at before actual check in and have them store it? I am still confused so bear with me. I had to rethink our plans because I waited too long to buy airfare and now have to stay the extra night. We probably will have just the afternoon before our cruise and then the day after our cruise. What is a reasonable touring plan? Can we see it all in just that amount of time or should I narrow it down? So many questions going around in my head. I am sure I will be back with more. Thanks for you help.

The easy answers first...I would be inclined to go back to the Coast CH. to go out to a hotel around the airport and then come back downtown IMO is a waste of at least an hour and more like 90 mins. By all means the bell desk at your hotel will be happy to store your luggage if your rooms are not ready for you. As for getting around with 7 of you, you have several options:

You could rent an 8 pax mini-van.
Most of what you want to do you can do buy transit and you can purchase all day passes.
You could take one of the HOHOs which would tend to be my preference.

Here are a couple of links for your convenience:

http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/
http://www.bigbus.ca/
http://tripplanning.translink.bc.ca/

[Putterdude]

Originally Posted by dad23

I am looking for some help on what hotel to stay at before our cruise.
I am looking at Hampton inn at the airport or downtown location or the Coast Coal hotel. Which is the best in terms of easy transportation to area attractions and to and from airport and cruise terminal. I would also like it to be close to places to eat. We are a family of 7 and have 3 little ones. Hard to determine which hotel will better suit us. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Your real challenge is going to be your luggage but if you can handle that then the Canada Line may be an option to look into...but if not then you all won't fit into even one mini-van cab so it will be two cabs or a limo. A stretch limo may be the answer an I will attach a link but do not make a reservation as there is a contracted rate with the airport and if you make a reservation they are not bound by the contract. The limo company also operates a shuttle service which may have some merit.

As for hotels the two you have selected are pretty much a pick'em. The Coast Coal Harbour is closer to Canada Place but is a bit challenge for family dining. The Hampton has the advantage of the free breakfast and the free shuttle to the pier and family dining will be closer. There are some suite hotels around the city which may appeal to you. As for getting around the city, one is no better than the other.

http://aeroshuttleyvr.ca/

http://www.yvr.ca/en/getting-to-from...imousines.aspx

[Putterdude]

Originally Posted by Winedogs

We are planning to fly from LAX to YVR on same day of our cruise. Flight is non-stop from LAX and is scheduled to land at 12:30. We are planning to take the Canada Line to Canada Place. Our cruise departs at 4:30. How long to get through customs? Will this give us enough time? I would really like to save $$$ on hotel and one less night away from home.

Thanks for any advice

If your flight is on time you will need at least 45 mins to collect your luggage and clear customs...allow an hour to be safe so that takes you to 1:30. You then have two options, one is to take a cab which will take 35 mins and cost you about $35. The other is to follow the signs at the airport to the Canada Line station, the Canada Line is a rapid transit elevated/subway system that will take you to Waterfront Station which is short 2 blocks from Canada Place....the cost is $8.75pp the actual travel time is 24 mins to which you should allow about 10 mins on either end for walking, waiting for a train and so forth. With either option you should be at the pier by shortly after 2 pm....but one hiccup and you are waiving good by to the ship. Frankly I would arrive the night before...we always do when we fly from YVR to LAX it just takes all of the stress out of the equation.

[Putterdude]

I have been waiting for Vancouver's cruise ship schedule to be available in PDF format...but I see that this year (maybe it was available last year but I have always relied on the PDF format) they have a feature where you can type in the name of the ship and all of the sailing dates appear...like magic. link

[Urban trekker]

You are a real great one - that`s a good find - was trying to confirm that the NCL Star will use Ballantyne for the fall coastal repo and voila - type it in and there it is.

Cheers

Dennis