Pacific Coast Repositioning Cruise

[lindaa]

Hi all - a couple of questions, please. We just booked a 3-day Vancouver to San Diego cruise and were wondering if there is a formal night on these short cruises? Also, we were thinking about flying into Seattle and taking the Amtrak to Vancouver (looks like maybe 3 hour trip) - any hints on that transporation mode? I always appreciate your help! Thanks.

[Druke I]

Check that Amtrak schedule/timetable closely. Most of Amtrak's service between Vancouver and Seattle is by bus, not train. Unless they have added trains this summer, the train connections were not particularly good for cruise ship passengers.

 

We have taken several coastals, both Princess and HAL, and often take Amtrak one way, staying overnight in Vancouver, and sometimes break up the trip with an additional overnight in Portland, OR.

 

Amtrak's food continues to worsen - almost down to level of airline food now.

Sleeping cars are great, track work continues to impinge on time-keeping!!

 

Sorry, don't recall answer to formal wear question for HAL repositionings. Not needed on Princess (usually).

[RedmondCruiser]

Normally the second night out is a formal night but on short, Pacific Coastal cruises, they may or may not have a formal night. We went on a 3 night cruise on the Oosterdam and a formal night was listed. When we got on the ship we found out that all nights were casual.

 

On flying into Sea Tac I would suggest the HAL bus trip from Sea Tac to Canada Place. Takes you right to the ship and you only have to drag your luggage once. Have a great time.

[Bramcruiser]

We did a four day Vancouver-San Diego coastal cruise last fall on the Oosterdam. I don't know about the three day cruise but our four day cruise did indeed include a formal night. Your ticket package will tell you but that is usually far too late to plan. I would definitely plan to include at least one formal night onboard anyhow.

 

I did the Amtrak train from Vancouver to Seattle three years ago. I believe they run one train out of Seattle first thing in the morning and then back to Seattle around dinner time. The rest of the service is simply buses that connect with Amtrak trains running south out of Seattle. I believe the train is something like 3 or 4 hours. I highly recommend the train if you can spare the time. It was a spectacular ride passing through very interesting scenery - much nicer than the Seattle to Portland run I did that same year. You'll pass along thw water, around mountains and even through a tunnel if I recall. The Talgo trains are all quite new and they run movies just like the airlines if you are interested in that type of thing. They also have a GPS system and they will occassionally show where the train is on the map displayed on the monitors in each car. Very high-tech.

 

Enjoy your cruise. Dress business casual for most of it but keep one formal outfit in mind. And I do hope you get to try the train. You'll arrive in Vancouver late in the morning and it'll be a short taxi ride over to the pier to catch the ship. Much shorter than going from the airport which itself is not all that bad.

[Bramcruiser]

Sorry i just reread and found out that you are planning to fly into Sea-Tac and then taking the train to Vancouver. You may be stuck staying overnight in Seattle if you do that. As I mentioned the one train of the day leaves first thing in the morning. Otherwise it'll be a bus ride to Vancouver.

 

A bummer. But if you are anything like me I'd likely be planning a side trip to Seattle at this point. No wonder I have no money! he he he

[kikiwik]

Hi all - a couple of questions, please. We just booked a 3-day Vancouver to San Diego cruise and were wondering if there is a formal night on these short cruises? Also, we were thinking about flying into Seattle and taking the Amtrak to Vancouver (looks like maybe 3 hour trip) - any hints on that transporation mode? I always appreciate your help! Thanks.

 

If your planning to fly in the day of cruise it's a bad idea to try and get from seattle to vancouver on the same day so many things could go wrong. I would fly into vancouver and enjoy the sites around the city before boarding the cruise ship. And besides it's not a very long drive from the vancouver airport to Canada Place and plus it's less stressful

[~Roses~]

DH and I did a one-night repositioning from vancouver back to seattle (we are from seattle area), and it was the start of a 21 day cruise from vancouver down to mexico/panama canal so formal nite is a possiblity.

 

We took the bus from seattle to vancouver, it left around noon, from seattle. It was actually a nice ride, and they took care of the border so it was no hassle.

 

GL!