mom says

Erm... it's right on the FAQs. If you want to bring it on board, you gave to hand carry it. You can't dump it with your checked luggage. 40 minutes in line -Next time bring a bungie cord.

You can check the FAQs, but basically you can bring on as much non alcoholic beverages that you can hand carry ON EMBARKATION DAY. Feel free to include bottled water if you wish; but the tap water on board is perfectly drinkable, and you can get a glass of ice water at any bar or dining room, or from he dispensers in the buffet. You might want to bring a reusable water bottle instead of disposable bottles.

It's usually fairly quick on arrival in port. But you will want to be at YVR 3 hours before your flight, as you must preclear US Customs and Immigration before proceeding through Security.

Excellent choices Len. The Sun Yat-Sen garden is certainly unique (or close to it) outside of China. I saw something like it in Shanghai, but the weather wasn't as favorable at the time. Bloedel is nice, but we have probably spent a lot more time in the Queen Elizabeth Park, which surrounds the Conservatory. There's a good reason why the QE park is a favored spot for wedding pictures.

Which ones?

I agree with the PP. While it is physically possible to take the ferry or fly to and from VANCOUVER Island as a day trip, it is very expensive to do. And most of that very long day will be spent just getting there and back. If you want to see beautiful gardens, then just visit the UBC Botanical gardens and the Nitobe Memorial Garden. Both in Vancouver.

Um, no thanks.

We try to book our cabin at least a year in advance. Overseas flights can wait til 6 months out. Flights to North American embarkations can wait til 3 months. Once the cabin is booked we research ports of call for excursion possibilities, booking as we find them. If you are brand new to cruising, and going solo, I'd really recommend finding a cruise specialist TA who can help you understand the solo supplement charged by most lines, or can steer you to ships with solo cabins. They can also help you find a cruise within your budget with an itinerary you want.

And your company would be fine with this? I'd clear that with either your boss or HR first. Every state has its own requirements that can be found by a Web search.

You will enter Canada, so you will need a passport. Or a passport card. Or a NEXUS card.

Look to the luxury lines.

I believe you are hunting unicorns. Most cruise lines (aside from the frequent Cunard run from Southampton to New York) only do their transatlantic cruises to reposition in the fall for the winter Caribbean season. You could certainly book your mother on one of those, and then the next sailing in the Caribbean (a back to back booking.) And then book yourself on that second cruise. You will have to research which lines have fly and sail packages. I believe P&O does to and from Barbados. You might find more info that is tailored to UK fly/sail packages on the UK cruising forum: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/543-uk-cruising/

The Carnival forum is here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/133-carnival-cruise-lines/

The Princess cruises forum is here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/119-princess-cruises/

Other sources classify it as temperate, subtropical.