Victoria 7-midnight, worth getting off ship?

[lilacbirman]

Our ship will be in Victoria from 7 to midnight on a Saturday in July. I have read posts stating that the line to disembark is crazy long and could be time consuming, then shuttles will be very busy.

 

I love Victoria but wonder if it's more of a hassle than it's worth since we will be there for such a short stop. There are six of us to include my mom who is 83.

 

Thoughts on timing?

[LeftcoastBC]

If your ship is on time..

There is always lots of time to enjoy the shuttle into the inner harbour and have a look around at the inner core of Victoria, the Empress Hotel, and Legislature buildings etc. Lots of daylight in July. Shuttle 7$ return and frequent to start and get things going.

[trophy_23]

We are from Vancouver and even we got off the ship last week to explore Victoria. It is a beautiful stop and well worth getting off the ship for, especially if it is a sunny day!

[scottbee]

Our ship will be in Victoria from 7 to midnight on a Saturday in July. I have read posts stating that the line to disembark is crazy long and could be time consuming, then shuttles will be very busy.

 

I love Victoria but wonder if it's more of a hassle than it's worth since we will be there for such a short stop. There are six of us to include my mom who is 83.

 

Thoughts on timing?

 

Totally not worth it.

 

I mean Victoria just like any other city on the west coast with a population of 300,000. Don't they all have lots of history (more than any other city in Western Canada), beautiful architecture, gorgeous capitol buildings, world-class gardens and museums, and fabulous street entertainers along the harbour front?

 

Oh wait, maybe it's worth visiting.

[Putterdude]

Sounds like you are familiar with Victoria and so you know that it is a beautiful city. There are of many things to do in Victoria even in the evening. Things to do may be as simple as a horse drawn carriage ride with an 83 year old mother or sitting on a bench on the causeway and watching the buskers perform and then seeing the BC legislature buildings being illuminated as it gets dark.

www.victoriacarriage.com/

http://www.tallyhotours.com/

http://www.causewayartists.ca/[url=http://www.causewayartists.ca/welcome.html][/url]

[lilacbirman]

Sounds like you are familiar with Victoria and so you know that it is a beautiful city. There are of many things to do in Victoria even in the evening. Things to do may be as simple as a horse drawn carriage ride with an 83 year old mother or sitting on a bench on the causeway and watching the buskers perform and then seeing the BC legislature buildings being illuminated as it gets dark.

 

www.victoriacarriage.com/

 

http://www.tallyhotours.com/

 

http://www.causewayartists.ca/

 

Yes, I've been to Victoria before and enjoyed it very much. I guess my bigger concern was the actually disembarking of the ship and mom having to stand in a long line.

 

We will most likely get off since there are three others in our party who have never been there. Guess I'll cross my fingers for a quick disembarking and transportation to Front St. Thanks for the links! :)

[Langley Cruisers]

Totally not worth it....

 

Oh wait, maybe it's worth visiting.

 

 

Haha, ya had me going there for a minute... :p

[Smeecanada]

We will most likely get off since there are three others in our party who have never been there. Guess I'll cross my fingers for a quick disembarking and transportation to Front St. Thanks for the links! :)

 

If you are wanting to go to the Empress/Inner Harbour - you want to go to Government Street.

[Keith1010]

Victoria is absolutely beautiful. Yes, you should get off the ship to visit it. The town is wonderful to walk around and you could also visit places like Butchart Gardens.

 

Keith

[Langley Cruisers]

^ Butchart Gardens is beautiful, yes, but on a Saturday night with the fireworks and only a few hours, I'm not sure I would recommend it. Traffic is a nightmare trying to get out of there on Saturday nights.

[quincytoo]

Haha, ya had me going there for a minute... :p

 

LOL, Me too :D

 

I was thinking that I might be biased cause I live here but I would so be getting off that ship even if just to go to Inner Harbour and stroll around.

Buchart Gardens on a Saturday night with that limited time frame not so much.

[Putterdude]

Given their arrival time, I don't think that I would adivse a Butchart Gardens tour unless they do it on ship's sponsored tour.

[Sally Forth]

Victoria is a beautiful walking around city, and it will be quite bright (bright enough to see where you are going) until around 10 p.m.

[Whirlybird]

We will be in Victoria from 7p - midnight on July 3. Did this 2 years ago but decided not to exit ship. Ate dinner in the main dining room, there were only about 10 people dining in there, it was almost completely empty. Learned our lesson. Even if it takes some time to disembark, must see Victoria at night this next visit.

[cruiseryyc]

I'm not sure why it would take any longer to disembark in Victoria than another port. It is worth getting off even if you just walk around the Inner Harbour area.

[Putterdude]

I'm not sure why it would take any longer to disembark in Victoria than another port. It is worth getting off even if you just walk around the Inner Harbour area.

 

I am not sure either but it does. First off are all those on ship excursions then everyone else. And of course everyone wants off at once. Then once ashore everyone has to file by 2 or 3 customs officers and it all just takes time.

[APDMOM]

TWO QUESTIONS:

 

1. What is the best way to get from the ship to the Empress Hotel Area? Taxi or shuttle or other?

 

2. Is Market Square worth a visit at night?

 

[Putterdude]

2nd question first, Market Square is really not worth a visit in the evening...the manager of the square is a personal friend and she is going to kill me for that.

Your options for getting to the Empress:

Transit which is just outside the terminal gate...take a #30/31 bus for $2.50 pp each way, tell the bus driver where you are going and he will let you off...but you will have to walk a little.

Taxi $10 each way including tip.

Shuttle $7 pp return.

Walk, about 20 mins.

It really doesn't matter which you use.

[APDMOM]

2nd question first, Market Square is really not worth a visit in the evening...the manager of the square is a personal friend and she is going to kill me for that.

Your options for getting to the Empress:

Transit which is just outside the terminal gate...take a #30/31 bus for $2.50 pp each way, tell the bus driver where you are going and he will let you off...but you will have to walk a little.

Taxi $10 each way including tip.

Shuttle $7 pp return.

Walk, about 20 mins.

It really doesn't matter which you use.

 

Thank you for the great info! Very helpful! What would you suggest for an evening visit to Victoria?

[JAMS1]

We love Victoria

When in for a short time we take a taxi to the Inner Harbor area walk around, its a beautiful area to stroll, lots to see

Have a after dinner drink at the Empress on then share a horse drawn carriage back to the ship

Makes for a very nice 2-3hrs or how ever long you have

[joyadvtr]

I now live in Victoria just moved here one year ago. http://www.tourismvictoria.com/ Walk into the downtown core follow the map from the cruise ship, or turn left and walk around the water front. Or you can walk straight up the street to town just follow the signs. If you turn left to go into town you will pass by a sign to a pier and fresh fish. Take this little detour - there are some fabulous "Boat houses" in beautiful colors, all decked out with plants, and other quaint things. You can also buy fish and chips on the wharf from two different restaurants. Both have been there for many years and very reputable. Who knows you might even see the harbour seals. There is so much to see and do. Lots of people as there will most likely be 3 ships in port. The weather for the weekend is going to be around 25 - 29 celsius. Take a light jacket or sweater if you are walking around at night as the breeze off the water is cool. Walk down to the Parliament buildings they are lit up at night, along the seawall there are various vendors, musicians, mimes, artists etc. A must see is the mime bronzed lady at the far end of the pier up on the sidewalk. She is amazing. Walk thru the Empress for a look at history. I would not recommend the wax museum or under see gardens, I have been to both and they bore me. Take the harbour ferries tour, they are little boats with ample seating for all. About $20 to $30 for the grand tour, well worth it in my opinion. They take you all through the harbour with various stops along the way. You can board these little boats right at the marina in front of the Parliament Buildings On Saturday night many of the shops stay open due to the cruise ships in town. There are British pubs, live music. Butchart Gardens is beautiful if you like gardens and the dancing waters show at night is truly spectacular, but there are only so many flowers shrubs and bushes one wants to see. There is a butterfuly gardens near the Butchart Gardens. I have been once it was interesting.

 

There are lots of horse and buggies $50 for 15 minutes, or pedi cabs / kabuki cabs, rickshaws, that are a little cheaper http://www.kabukikabs.com/

Hire one of them to take you back to the ship or grab a regular cab, it isn't far. Walk up government street, you will see various shops and vendors and more street,musicians. On Saturday night about 8Pm many vintage and classic cars gather at "Francellis coffee" in a local mall and then cruise down to meet the cruise ships. There is also a local company that rents old cars that you can drive. Most of our city buses are double decker sightseeing buses - you need to have the correct change $2.50 but you can hop on the bus and tour around.

 

If you walk out of the cruise ship terminal you can turn right and keep walking. Beautiful views of the water, lots of people walking, cycling, dog walking etc.

 

The Imax theatre is just down from the Parliament Buildings http://www.imaxvictoria.com/index.cfm Dinasours Alive is Playing or Ironman II last show at 8PM

 

The BC Provinicial Museum is open until 10PM Friday and Saturday night - that is also next to the Parliament Buildings, a true must see - not your run of the mill museum. http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

 

Hope this gives you some good ideas - it is a very easy walk to downtown. It is clean, safe, and almost magical at night. Everyone is tourist friendly and very willing to give directions, and tell you what to see and do. Enjoy your trip.

[floridafolks]

I have questions about how long it would take to go on city bus outside port area to get into town? Also is there a bus to get to Butchart Gardens from town? How long would it take? Is there a bus from the gardens back to the ship- or would you have to go back into town and then catch bus to port? How far is the port from town? How far is the port from the gardens? How far is it from town to gardens? --I am trying to decide whether to take ship's excursion or try it on our own, so we can see things at our own pace.

[trophy_23]

I think with such a short port time it it worth doing it through the ship but that is just my opinion. It is quite a distance from town.

[Putterdude]

I have questions about how long it would take to go on city bus outside port area to get into town? Also is there a bus to get to Butchart Gardens from town? How long would it take? Is there a bus from the gardens back to the ship- or would you have to go back into town and then catch bus to port? How far is the port from town? How far is the port from the gardens? How far is it from town to gardens? --I am trying to decide whether to take ship's excursion or try it on our own, so we can see things at our own pace.

 

There will be a shuttle into town and back at a cost of $7 rtn. There is also a municipal transit stop just outside and to the left of the terminal gates, the fare is $2.50 each way, $1.65 if over 65 and they only accept Canadian currency. The junket into town is less than 10 mins.

As for the Burtchart Gardens, if your ship is arriving at 6 or 6:30 then the only viable way of doing this excursion is with ships excrusion. The travel time out to the gardens is about 40 mins +/- and the bus municipal bus service becomes only hourly in the evening.

[scottbee]

I have questions about how long it would take to go on city bus outside port area to get into town? Also is there a bus to get to Butchart Gardens from town? How long would it take? Is there a bus from the gardens back to the ship- or would you have to go back into town and then catch bus to port? How far is the port from town? How far is the port from the gardens? How far is it from town to gardens? --I am trying to decide whether to take ship's excursion or try it on our own, so we can see things at our own pace.

 

The city bus (#30 or #31) runs along Dallas Rd (right in front of Ogden Point pier), and into downtown (and beyond) every 10mins or so, and takes about 5 mins (its about a mile). You could take a city bus to Butchart (30/31 changing to a 75), but the bus ride is about an hour, as the gardens are about 15-20 miles out of town, and the buses are exactly direct. The local tour buses take about 25-30 mins to get there

 

map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=100934763039761071004.0004665d7f3e28f06866d&ll=48.416897,-123.378482&spn=0.020679,0.039525&z=15