Transport from YVR to hotel near port

[Whimsy88]

We're booked on Alaska Northbound on NCL leaving July 1.  Our flight arrives at YVR at 8:20pm on June 30 and we have reservations for the Buchan Hotel that night.  What are our best and/or cheapest transport options to get from the airport to hotel? 

 

Also, it LOOKS like we're close enough to the port that it's walkable the next morning so that we can sightsee a bit before boarding at 11:30 (steam clock, etc.).  We're only going to have a carry-on bag and "personal item" to tote around.  Am I correct?  And close by food recommendations would be appreciated as well!  Many thanks for the input - it's our first adventure in the area!

 

Kelley

[martincath]

Hands-down a cab is the simplest way to get to the hotel (well, a limo is equally-easy but double the price...) - SkyTrain goes nowhere near the Buchan, even carryon bags are difficult to manage on the WestEnd community shuttle buses (no luggage room and drivers actively prevent folks with luggage boarding - there's nowhere except your own lap that is legal to have a bag, as anywhere else blocks the aisle causing safety issues or takes up another seat which is also not allowed). Fixed fare to that part of downtown is CAD$38 per cab, drivers expect tips just like in the US, and you can pay with Visa or Mastercard.

 

Distance to the pier is almost exactly 1.5 miles by the time you head inside to bag drop. Personally I'd do that with your carry-on (assuming that anything crucial - medication, passports, tickets - all fits in your 'personal item) just to ensure maximum mobility while sightseeing. Rolling bags do not like the cobbles in Gastown, and even standing room at the Steamclock is a precious commodity when it's about to perform - I expect all four corners of the intersection to be packed with inconsiderate tourists holding up their phones throughout the summer and avoid the blocks immediately around it entirely during the day!

 

Dining near the Buchan - you have the whole of Denman Street available, which is one of the better food streets. A wide range of grub, many ethnic options as well as western. There aren't any very swanky spots any more so if you want to drop serious coin on dinner you'll have to head out of the West End - but Cactus Club at English Bay is certainly not to be sniffed at. The problem you'll have is that even if your flight is on-time and you get lucky with immigration, the earliest you can possibly get to the Buchan is going to be ~9:30pm (which will be after midnight tummy time). Honestly I'd be tempted to suck up airline food and eat on the plane a couple of hours before landing - that will help get your tums onto west coast dining time. Then make use of late night Happy Hour after getting to the hotel - generally these kick in at 9pm so your timing will be ideal unless you are delayed (many kitchens in Vancouver stop serving by 10pm).

 

Also be aware that 11:30am is a poor time to arrive - NCL, like Princess and others, like to suggest blocks of time to arrive in hopes that folks will spread themselves out across the whole embarkation period but it simply doesn't happen. Cruiselines are not allowed to to implement their own processes in Vancouver, as it's one shared space for all at every point in the process except the actual 'walk up the gangway onto the ship' final part! This means if you want to avoid lengthy periods of sitting or standing around you either show up before 10:30am (which means sitting in a big room until CBP authorise letting anyone through, could be not long after 11 or as late as noon, but once you are released you will quickly flow through the Security and CBP preclearance parts) or else showing up much later, after 2pm or even closer to 3pm (the sweet spot is 2 hours before your ship is scheduled to leave) when you will have no queues whatsoever with a tiny bit of luck and curb to cabin can be just 20mins.

 

Specific to your trip, July 1st is also Canada Day and three ships are in port - which means all the problems of a regular 3 ship day (ridiculous crowds and insufficient CBP staff to process them all efficiently) combined with a hundred thousand or more locals and non-cruising tourists centred on Canada Place where there is always a stage or two set up for bands and all sorts of family-friendly fun. There's even potentially a parade around noon! You'll miss the fireworks unfortunately which usually start at 10pm.  But due to those hordes of local folks in for the day, partial street closures occur very close to the pier, and crowds will make even walking unencumbered difficult let alone pulling a suitcase - so the regular advice of drop bags is doubly-important!

 

First-time visitors to one of the best cities on the planet I always strongly advise to stay on land as long as you can stand - be sensible and sightsee near the pier for the block of time before you board, so there is no risk of delays in traffic, but make use of every minute you possibly can in Vancouver! At 11:30am you are into peak arrival time, and while the Amtrak folks will not be adding to the queue until after you arrive you will find a horde of experienced cruisers who don't know about Vancouver's unique situation will have shown up at 11am like they do for cruises out of Florida. Canada Day makes it even busier.

 

Since you will wake up very early whether you want to or not next morning, I'd be inclined to head into Stanley Park which is super close, leaving your bags in the hotel. Grab a quick brekkie sammich and TimBits at Timmies to keep you going, walk over to the Totem Poles, Rose Garden and at least walk a bit of the Seawall before heading back to the hotel for your bags. Walk or taxi to the pier and drop them off around 10am (longshoremen should be accepting bag drops for folks boarding by then, and the crowds won't be anywhere near as bad as they will be by noon) and then head down into Yaletown or Chinatown first, working your way back through Gastown toward the pier as the day goes on. Have lunch around noon in Gastown, then if it sounds like the kind of thing you'd enjoy (exactly the same as Soarin' at Disney, but with Canadian scenery) book an advance ticket for FlyOverCanada which is right at the pier for 2pm. The ride itself with preshow is only 30mins, and a prebook means not waiting more than ~15mins to get in so you will be done by 2:45pm, the perfect time to head to check-in with minimal queues.

 

 

[Whimsy88]

2 hours ago, martincath said:

Hands-down a cab is the simplest way to get to the hotel (well, a limo is equally-easy but double the price...) - SkyTrain goes nowhere near the Buchan, even carryon bags are difficult to manage on the WestEnd community shuttle buses (no luggage room and drivers actively prevent folks with luggage boarding - there's nowhere except your own lap that is legal to have a bag, as anywhere else blocks the aisle causing safety issues or takes up another seat which is also not allowed). Fixed fare to that part of downtown is CAD$38 per cab, drivers expect tips just like in the US, and you can pay with Visa or Mastercard.

 

Distance to the pier is almost exactly 1.5 miles by the time you head inside to bag drop. Personally I'd do that with your carry-on (assuming that anything crucial - medication, passports, tickets - all fits in your 'personal item) just to ensure maximum mobility while sightseeing. Rolling bags do not like the cobbles in Gastown, and even standing room at the Steamclock is a precious commodity when it's about to perform - I expect all four corners of the intersection to be packed with inconsiderate tourists holding up their phones throughout the summer and avoid the blocks immediately around it entirely during the day!

 

Dining near the Buchan - you have the whole of Denman Street available, which is one of the better food streets. A wide range of grub, many ethnic options as well as western. There aren't any very swanky spots any more so if you want to drop serious coin on dinner you'll have to head out of the West End - but Cactus Club at English Bay is certainly not to be sniffed at. The problem you'll have is that even if your flight is on-time and you get lucky with immigration, the earliest you can possibly get to the Buchan is going to be ~9:30pm (which will be after midnight tummy time). Honestly I'd be tempted to suck up airline food and eat on the plane a couple of hours before landing - that will help get your tums onto west coast dining time. Then make use of late night Happy Hour after getting to the hotel - generally these kick in at 9pm so your timing will be ideal unless you are delayed (many kitchens in Vancouver stop serving by 10pm).

 

Also be aware that 11:30am is a poor time to arrive - NCL, like Princess and others, like to suggest blocks of time to arrive in hopes that folks will spread themselves out across the whole embarkation period but it simply doesn't happen. Cruiselines are not allowed to to implement their own processes in Vancouver, as it's one shared space for all at every point in the process except the actual 'walk up the gangway onto the ship' final part! This means if you want to avoid lengthy periods of sitting or standing around you either show up before 10:30am (which means sitting in a big room until CBP authorise letting anyone through, could be not long after 11 or as late as noon, but once you are released you will quickly flow through the Security and CBP preclearance parts) or else showing up much later, after 2pm or even closer to 3pm (the sweet spot is 2 hours before your ship is scheduled to leave) when you will have no queues whatsoever with a tiny bit of luck and curb to cabin can be just 20mins.

 

Specific to your trip, July 1st is also Canada Day and three ships are in port - which means all the problems of a regular 3 ship day (ridiculous crowds and insufficient CBP staff to process them all efficiently) combined with a hundred thousand or more locals and non-cruising tourists centred on Canada Place where there is always a stage or two set up for bands and all sorts of family-friendly fun. There's even potentially a parade around noon! You'll miss the fireworks unfortunately which usually start at 10pm.  But due to those hordes of local folks in for the day, partial street closures occur very close to the pier, and crowds will make even walking unencumbered difficult let alone pulling a suitcase - so the regular advice of drop bags is doubly-important!

 

First-time visitors to one of the best cities on the planet I always strongly advise to stay on land as long as you can stand - be sensible and sightsee near the pier for the block of time before you board, so there is no risk of delays in traffic, but make use of every minute you possibly can in Vancouver! At 11:30am you are into peak arrival time, and while the Amtrak folks will not be adding to the queue until after you arrive you will find a horde of experienced cruisers who don't know about Vancouver's unique situation will have shown up at 11am like they do for cruises out of Florida. Canada Day makes it even busier.

 

Since you will wake up very early whether you want to or not next morning, I'd be inclined to head into Stanley Park which is super close, leaving your bags in the hotel. Grab a quick brekkie sammich and TimBits at Timmies to keep you going, walk over to the Totem Poles, Rose Garden and at least walk a bit of the Seawall before heading back to the hotel for your bags. Walk or taxi to the pier and drop them off around 10am (longshoremen should be accepting bag drops for folks boarding by then, and the crowds won't be anywhere near as bad as they will be by noon) and then head down into Yaletown or Chinatown first, working your way back through Gastown toward the pier as the day goes on. Have lunch around noon in Gastown, then if it sounds like the kind of thing you'd enjoy (exactly the same as Soarin' at Disney, but with Canadian scenery) book an advance ticket for FlyOverCanada which is right at the pier for 2pm. The ride itself with preshow is only 30mins, and a prebook means not waiting more than ~15mins to get in so you will be done by 2:45pm, the perfect time to head to check-in with minimal queues.

 

 

I was counting on a quick, accurate and informational response from you!  I honestly think CC just needs to have a separate space on the boards - "Ask martincath about Vancouver!" Thank you!

 

[martincath]

3 hours ago, Whimsy88 said:

I was counting on a quick, accurate and informational response from you!  I honestly think CC just needs to have a separate space on the boards - "Ask martincath about Vancouver!" Thank you!

You're too kind - there are still some other locals and repeat-visitors with very useful info, I just happen to be more available than most!