Putterdude

That’s a very good question, I would think that there has been a significant reduction of bridge officers. I have no idea if the furloughed officers are being compensated.

My crystal ball is about as cloudy as anyone’s. However, I do know people in the pharmaceutical biz and their best guess is it will be August 2021 before a vaccine for CoVid is widely available. With that, I doubt there will be any cruising much before then. 

We have stayed at both hotels on a number of occasions. There is nothing wrong with the CP but it is just another urban hotel. The DTI on the otherhand is in a quiet park like location overlooking the LA Yacht Club and marina. If you book a room overlooking the water I am certain a person will be very happy.

Do they have good eating areas and last min shopping

We have stayed there and found the room to be very quiet and comfortable. The lobby was dated but I believe they have updated it in the last year or so. They do (or did) offer free airport pick up and to the cruise port. Shopping was not particularly handy however there is a great Italian restaurant kitty corner to the hotel, called Petrinis http://petrinis-sandiego.com/ Enjoy!

We just got an email from Princess titled a message from your captain on your Aug 2 sailing on the Pacific. Only thing is the Capt spot was signed "Your Captain". No real name whatsoever. Weird!!

I am thinking that this could be one of 2 things, how many times have got those notices and there was a change of captains or it is a security issue. There was a time the convenor of a M&G could get an officer list, but for security reasons that is no longer the case.

Putterdude.

 

Good to see you back on the boards.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

Thanks Dennis, I don’t spend much time on Cruise Critic unless it relates to a cruise of ours. I find it rather tedious to read the verbose one.

Wow - thank you so much for the quick reply. Is the Trolley the best bet for a site seeing or is there something better in the way of a tour company. As I mentioned there are 7 of us and we only have the one day in Vancouver so want to get the best we can. I so appreciate your help as this is absolutely the last thing I have to schedule for this trip.

Given you limited time on the ground a HOHO tour is likely the best bet. There are a couple of HOHO services however I have always leaned toward the Vancouver Trolley, it was a pioneer service in Vancouver, operates year round and has live narration.

Good afternoon all!! We (7 adults) will be arriving in Vancouver on the Carnival Legend on Thursday 9/13/18. We are taking the early (635 am) amtrak out of Vancouver on Friday 9/14/18. From reviewing as much of the 152 pages as I could - I understand we should do the trolley to see the most of Vancouver in one day. But the question continues to burn me is a clean, decent place to stay that is not several hundred dollars. The 200 dollar range is fine as that is what we are paying in seattle - but we have not been successful for vancouver yet. Thank you in advance for any advice from the experts/experienced in Vancouver.

The Blue Horizon on Robson Street is showing rates as low as $215 USD per night for 9/13/18. Its an excellent, clean, well managed property and a big favourite with cruisers. Its on a stop for the Vancouver Trolley and has many restaurants near by.

It's really a matter of personal choice, however Granville Is. is, depending what you want to see and do, about a 3 to 5 hour junket, so I would be inclined to go there on the Sunday and take advantage of all the shops being open. With Monday being Thanksgiving, the larger shops will be open but the smaller mom & pops and smaller shops and galleries may well be closed.

Thanks for the taxi information - last time there we were on the Hop/On-Hop/Off bus. No problem getting there, but for the return to our hotel, there was a huge line-up of people waiting. The first bus to arrive quickly filled, and we barely made it onto the second one. It's nice to have the taxi option and we'll be prepared for a wait. We'll be there early in October, so hopefully it won't be so crowded.

In October you shouldn't have a problem unless you are there on a weekend and particularly on our Thanksgiving Weekend which this year is October 7- 9th.

Anyone with recent experience of FlyOver Canada in Vancouver? We would like to take the ride but not sure about time involved. We will be arriving fairly early on our departure day, wondering if it's feasible to take the ride after dropping off luggage but before boarding or is it better to take it post cruise when we have more time? We have transportation back to our hotel, where our car will be parked during the cruise but wondering if there is someplace secure at the cruise terminal to store luggage while we ride.

 

 

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Yes it entirely feasible to see the Fly Over Canada on you embarkation morning. The luggage porters normally start accepting luggage at Canada Place at about 0930 so you can check you luggage and carry on the show. This link will provide you with a great deal of information and answer most of your questions.

https://www.flyovercanada.com/hours-pricing/

Help! I've been through Canada Place numerous times and have experienced horrendous delays in 'the never-ending lines' leading to the ships! BUT, this time I am traveling with someone who cannot tolerate getting up and down nor stand for extended periods. I plan on parking at ParkWest and will drop off luggage and said person before parking, but am told by Celebrity that pier assistance doesn't start until after security. All I remember is that there was a lot of waiting involved in getting on ships in the past and this person cannot stand like everyone else! Any info about wheelchair assistance from the curb through all the lines? We do not need a wheelchair on the ship (movement will be on our terms).........it's the long standing and timeframe to get on the ship that worries me. Have never needed this accommodation before and don't know if there is wheelchair assistance from the curb to Celebrity's assistance. Thoughts, experiences and assistance is welcome!!

Dudette has MS and before it came to the point that she must travel/cruise in her own wheelchair here is how we confronted the line issues at Canada Place and other terminals throughout North America, the UK and Europe. First I would contact or have your TA contact the Accessibility Department of Celebrity and advise them that your companion is in need of a "wheelchair assist" for embarkation and disembarkation; the suggestion that wheelchair assistance is only available post security is nonsense. Then upon arrival at Canada Place I would find your companion a chair and then locate a Celebrity representative that has a walkie talkie and advise them that your companion requires a wheelchair assist and that you have requested one thru the Accessibility Office. They will radio for one....you may have to wait awhile but one will be forthcoming. The pusher will advance you thru security, CBP and the check-in procedure in record time.....no problem. Even today with Dudette in her own wheelchair we request a "pusher" at any port of embarkation or disembarkation. Just a small postscript, pushers always appreciate a tip, say $5 to $10 depending how long he or she has to spend with you.

Thank you everyone for the great input. We will be arriving the day before so dropping luggage at port and then driving back to airport won't work this time but that is a definite option for the next cruise when we will have younger family members with us who can do the driving and luggage lugging! We decided on the Accent Inn as they offered round trip shuttle service directly to the cruise port and a very reasonable price for the complete package.

 

 

We have stayed at that property several times in the past 18 months and have left our car with them for 2 to 3+ weeks and always have been extremely happy. They properties are owned by a well known and highly respected family and to do a great job managing them. I am sure that you will be happy there.

We are driving up from Oregon for our Sept Alaska cruise and would like some where less expensive to park than the cruise port. I saw a previous post that mentioned the Accent Inn in Burnaby but they no longer offer the parking package. They referred me to their property at the Vancouver airport and quoted me just a bit more for a hotel stay, transportation to and from the cruise port and parking for the week then I was quoted just for parking at the cruise port. My only concern is the distance from the cruise terminal, any similar deals available from hotels a bit closer to the terminal? My friend and I are both senior ladies and have mobility issues so assistance with getting luggage from hotel to terminal is a must. Thanks for any help.

 

I am a bit surprised that the Burnaby Accent Inn no longer offers the package you are want but frankly having stayed at both properties a number of times we rather prefer the airport property for its quietness. Both properties have fairly large, clean and comfortable rooms. As your package includes transportation to and from the pier handling luggage will not be a issue for you.

Other hotels a little closer in to Canada Place offering stay, park and cruise packages would include the Hampton Inn - Downtown and the Coast Plaza Hotel in Vancouver's West End neighbourhood. The Executive Inn Vintage Park has offered the package previously however, I no longer see it listed....but you might care to give them a call. I rather suspect that at the end of the day the Accent Inn package is going to be the least expensive.

Had a ride on the new Polish built Salish Orca from Powell River to Comox today. I must admit that I had some apprehension about a ship built in Poland that had to go thru a lot of modifications before it was certified by Transport Canada. I understand that BCF flew 3 different teams of overseers first class with their wives and they still couldn't get right....even a number of doors had to be swapped out because they were not of the right classification, I mean what were the BCF overseers doing over there. The work that BCF had to do to be certified by Transport Canada has been discribed by Deb Marshall as 'warranty work'.;)

OK, that out of the way I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised with the ship particularly when compared to our last local ship building effort, the Island Sky, which still shakes and rattles like an unbalanced washing machine.

The Orca Spirt has a rather unique ramping system to two very well lit car decks. There are are two elevators for people who have difficulty with stairs....and they both work . We had some moderate seas and the ship rode very well and very quietly. The food service was decent and the crew friendly. The decor is very pleasant and the seating very comfortable. An new innovation is TV's on which a life jacket demonstration is shown just as the ship leaves the terminal. The windows on the passenger deck extend from the deck head to about 2 feet from deck so the cabin space is very bright. An point of interest to me was the height of the deck head on the passenger areas....I am 6’ and I could reach up and touch it. They need to get the air handling balanced but that is one if the few criticisms I would have of the ship. The other would be that every time an exterior door opens a buzzer goes off so it seemed for the whole trip buzzers were going off. However, other than these two things I must say that I was very impressed with the new Salish Orca and I am sure that her other 2 sisters will be equally impressive.

On a personal Dudette and I have sold our home in Sechelt and have purchased a home on the Crown Isle golf course in Courtenay. This move will occur next month and has been brought on by the 'aging process' and a recognition that we need to be closer to family, particularly with Dudette's MS condition. We are going to miss Sechelt and our lovely view over Georgia Strait but are excited about our new home.

Yes, he will be but he will need to get away on weekends.;)

I was reading about that contract last night and it occurred to me that this was a announcement of the previous government's shipbuilding program. However the need is much greater now that HMCS Protecteur had an engine problem off Hawaii a couple of years ago and had to be towed back of Esquimalt. Then last year HMCS Provider was deemed unseaworthy and paid off last year in Halifax. So the RCN's need is pretty great.

For those who may not know it, the good ship Persephone was restored a few years ago and has permanent resting spot in Gibsons (Landing) short few paces from Molly's Reach.

Just a couple of local lore, Bruno got caught sneaking on to the local,golf club so many times, he was forced to join the club or they were going to charge him with trespass. I know people who used to party with him and he was quite the partyer. When Constable Constable exited stage right the Gibsons RCMP detachment got a new sargent, Sargent Sargent....I kid you not.

Yep, just like Nick's boat.....but it's in a little trouble with the ALR folks. However, now that marijuana is all but legal us Coasters are looking for a new cash source.:cool:

http://www.persephonebrewing.com/

It's funny, I was recently in touch with DW and got a commitment for a scholarship for an educational foundation that I am on the board of. As for BCF, he is too busy building ships for the Royal Canadian Navy and Coast Guard and is referring all new BCF biz to Poland.:confused: Seriously, until I got going with Seaspan I didn't realize what a huge company it is and how much it impacts so many of us on the west coast. I'm rambling like Trump, but actually when DW is on the Coast we don't drink single malt, nothing but a growler of Persephone for us ..... it's beautiful.;)

I hadn't realized that the Q of B had been on the block since December and they only had the one bid that materialsed 48 hrs before bid closing. Evidently the price was $425k just $25k over the minimum bid. So is that breakup value or is she going to some emerging country or perhaps a logging camp? I guess we will find out in due course.

https://www.cheknews.ca/auction-closes-sale-bc-ferries-queen-burnaby-277181/

The purchase price is one thing, however moreage, maintenance and insurance would be a real killer.:) BCF spent a ton on her a few years ago, much more than then they budgeted, dealing with life safety and asbestos removal issues.....but she is old old old. I was on her bridge a couple of years ago and her nav package is old. They had to pull her out of service for a period this summer,she was leaking a lot of lube out of her prop shaft and finally DO&F said pull her or else. We said goodby to her In late October, the rust and the dogwood carpeting will be missed.

By way of an update, after numerous calls to no less then 5 Princess employees over some 6 months a cheque in USD finally arrived today refunding the balance of the OBA form our May/June Baltics cruise on the Regal. I am not angry, everyone who I spoke with was friendly and everyone except the first 2 people in the call center understood where I was coming from, for me it became pretty much a game.

Clearly Princess got caught with there pants down and what they did is certainly unfortunate. However, those of us who have sailed for years know what went over the side. The strides that the marine industry has made to protect the environment in recent decades has been remarkable, one only has to see the piles of recyclable materials that are off loaded at the end of a cruise to witness that fact. Personally I am glad they got caught, they have been made an example of, will make restitution and I for one am not going stop cruising or condemn Princess. I am sure this is not going to happen again in the CCL fleets.

We stayed at the BW Royal Santina about 2 years ago and were very pleased with it. It was about a block and a half from the Temini, the HOHO stopped and finished across the street, there were several nice restos nearby and a very friendly staff. The inclusive breakfast was a feast each morning. I haven't checked prices recently but we were in the $200 range and is a place we would go back to in a heartbeat. The hotel was accessible and our room was very accessible, clean quiet and comfortable.

http://www.hotelroyalsantina.com/

Vancouver's downtown is quite compact so all of the downtown hotels are pretty much within a mile of Canada Place. However, here is a list of many 3*+ hotels that are within 6 to 8 blocks of Canada Place:

The Pan Pacific (part of Canada Place)

Fairmont Waterfront (across the street from Canada Place)

Fairmont Pacific Rim

Marriott Pinnacle

Pinnacle Hotel-Harbourfront (not to be confused with the Marriott Pinnacle across the street)

Hyatt Regency

The Shangri-la

Fairmont Vancouver Hotel

Auberge

Coast Coal Harbour

Delta Suites

The Metropolitan

Four Seasons

Rosewood Georgia

Sutton Place (about 8.5 blocks)

Sheraton at the Wall Centre (about 10 blocks)

le Soleil

The Wedgewood

One hotel that I have left off the list and that is only because it is about a mile from Canada Place is the Blue Horizon. It has a great location on Robson, close to many restaurants, has HOHO stop out in front and is extremely popular with cruisers.

With most hotels in the downtown core you will find that about $10 will cover a cab fare to Canada Place.