WeRockChalkKU

Thanks for the quick responses about the transit ticket books. Just checked out the seabus schedule and maybe we could take it over to Lonsdale Quay for a look around and a meal. Looks interesting. Any one have favorite food places there? thanks

You remember correctly. A book of 10 FareSaver tickets may be purchased at both the 7-11 and the Pharmasave which are located in the domestic portion of YVR and they will save you the YVR add-on fee of $5. However the add-on is only paid on the YVR to Vancouver leg, not on the return. So if there is only one or two of you and you do not intend to use transit other than that....then there is no economy in purchasing the ticket books....unless of course you want them for a scrapbook.

Thanks for your response. If we did purchase a ticket book can two of us share the same book? And if we had tickets left over couldn't we just give the remaining tickets to someone else? Appreciate everyone's helpfulness with all of this.

Also, does the 7-11 and Pharmasave allow you to use a credit card to purchase this or will we need Canadian money?

Am I remembering correctly that there is someplace at YVR that you can purchase Canada Line tickets at YVR and avoid the additional $5 fee for originating at YVR? Was it at a shop? If so where is it located from the arrival area for US passengers? Is it a long way out of our way? Or is it even worth it to save the $5 per ticket? Thanks for any info.

Has anyone purchased the soap from Glacier Smoothies? The testimonials all have great things to say and I wonder if any CC folks have any input. Thought it might be a little piece of Alaska (glacier silt) to bring home for others. Are there are "knock offs" of this idea even though they have a patent? Appreciate any input.

Love the photos and review. We'll be in Alaska in July & can't wait. Thanks for all your tips

Beachdreaming - That is EXACTLY what we have in mind! Thank you so much for that link, I will be emailing them today to find out if they sell in ports we are visiting.

 

I can already taste how wonderful our evening wine will taste in one of these :) In fact, we usually can't wait until we get home and use the glasses in our stateroom on the balcony as soon as we wash them up. THANK YOU for that link! :D

I thought they looked wonderful! Please post back here what you find out about stores. Thanks!

My husband and I collect souvenir wine glasses. We look for wine glasses with the name of the country or city we are visiting on them. Some are gorgeous, some are tacky, but we have a great time rehashing our trips when we have a glass of wine. We like to say "Where do you want to go tonight?" when picking out the evening's glasses :)

 

So....my question is: has anyone seen souvenir wine glasses in Alaska? If so, which port did you see them in and which shop (if you can remember)?

 

Thanks!!

You might want to check out the wine glasses on this site:

http://www.akwildernessetchings.com/

You could email them and ask what stores carries their products if you like what you see on their site.

Very easy walk with luggage. Leave the Hyatt and go left (north) down Burrard Street towards the waterfront. It's about 4 blocks to Canada Place from the Hyatt.

Thanks, it looked like a very short walk, just wasn't sure if it was an easy walk. Appreciate your response.

I would get off at Vancouver City Center, not Waterfront, if you plan to walk. Take the two escalators up to the street level then turn left. You'll walk three blocks (level) west along Georgia Street and you'll come to the intersection of Burrard and Georgia where the Hyatt is. You can see the RBC building from Granville and Georgia where you get off the train. The Hyatt is right next door.

Thank you for answering my questions. So, which is the easiest: 1) making a line transfer and riding over to Burrard station or 2) getting off at Vancouver City Center and walking to hotel?

Thanks

Plus - I'm assuming it's an easy walk with luggage from Hyatt Regency to Canada Place to board the ship? Maps list it as .34 miles? thanks

If I stay at the Hyatt Regency Downtown on Burrard, it seems there's a Skytrain stop across the street from hotel. Coming in from YVR it looks like I'd have to make a transfer at Waterfront. (Hyatt's website says transfer at Granville Station or Waterfront - not sure how Granville transfer would work) How much hassle is it to transfer at these stations with cruise luggage? Would it be just as easy to get off at Vancouver City Center or Waterfront and just walk to the hotel? Trying to figure out all this out ahead of time and seeing if I'm reading the maps correctly. Also, trying to decide if I should just take a cab in from airport.

Thanks everyone for being so helpful. Suggestions more than welcome.

Thank you everyone.

You'll be the first! I'm going 1 night in August. Please let us know how you like it.

 

I was excited to see Fresh Local Wild food truck featured on Diners Drive-ups and Dives is just a few blocks from hotel.

 

We're not arriving until 1 pm but if time and weather allow our plan is food truck. Then go a block or two further and pick up shuttle for the suspension bridge. Be back a few hours later and walk through Gastown for dinner. Head out the next morning for a real cup of coffee then go to pier around 11.

Change of plans (pretty common for me) I won't be staying at Days Inn (unless I can beat my newest price) - I remembered a work discount travel site and so now I've rebooked with Comfort Inn. It ended up saving $83 total from the Days Inn price so I figured I should go ahead and take it. Time will tell if I did the right thing or not. I hope someone will eventually be able to post about their stay at Days Inn.

As far as seeing Vancouver, we get in Friday evening and plan on doing the Hop On Hop Off trolley all day on Saturday but would love to find that food truck too. Right now, if you buy your HOHO ticket on line the second day is free. So, maybe we'll do that just in case we don't get enough seen the first day. Part of that tour includes going to Granville Island and we want to spend some time at the Public Market there. I don't know if that means we should do do the main Vancouver tour on Saturday and then go over to Public Market on Sunday before we board or not. If anyone with experience with HOHO wants to give their thoughts about time needed for all that, I'd really appreciate it.

I've never stayed in either, but I think the location of the Days Inn is worth $20 a night more (NB: I assume you do mean the Days Inn Downtown on Pender, not the 'Vancouver Metro' one on Kingsway).

 

Also, I think you asked previously about arriving late, using Skytrain & on foot, and whether it was safe in downtown to do so? You're far enough away from the pubs & clubs of Granville or Gastown that you should be quite comfortable walking to the Days Inn late at night - and if for whatever reason you aren't comfortable, there should be taxis outside the Skytrain station. Shouldn't be more than $5 to get you the couple of blocks to the hotel.

Yes, it's the Days Inn on Pender. We now get into YVR at 7:30 pm so I don't know how long it will take to get our luggage etc before we take the 25 minute Skytrain trip to downtown. I have no idea how busy YVR will be on a Friday evening with 2 ships leaving the next day - Zuiderdam and Diamond Princess. Anyone have any estimates about what time I'll actually be at my hotel that evening? No matter what, it's going to be a long day. Now if I can just remember to pack less so that I don't have heavy luggage to transport.

I've been doing quite a bit of research and am close to booking Days Inn on Pender. 3 blocks from Canada line train. It's cheaper than Comfort Inn on my dates and closer to the pier. They offer a free shuttle to Canada Place, but you could easily walk there too. Reviews look good with the worst being said that the rooms are very small and some look out to brick wall. I checked on Yelp and there are plenty of breakfast and dinner options in walking distance.

 

They offer packages but just up the base price so IMHO don't seem worth it. See http://www.daysinnvancouver.com/downtown-hotel-packages.html for coupon codes. The cruiseship package is the same price as the breakfast package - the shuttle is already free.

 

I know I could get a higher star by bidding but don't feel comfortable with that. I think Days Inn is the lowest clean place I can get near the Pier.

 

The only piece of the puzzle I'm missing is I haven't found a CC person who has actually stayed there recently. Anyone?

When are you staying in Vancouver? One of us might end up being the first CC'er to post about the Days Inn. I'm there July 19th - 21st.

Thanks everyone for the info. It's really appreciated.

Both of these downtown locations appear close to Skytrain and Canada Place.

Final price for 2 nights ends up that Days Inn is a total of $40 more. I think Days Inn is closer to Skytrain and Canada place. Comfort Inn has a continental breakfast and slighlty further from Skytrain and Canada Place.

Not sure if I'm correct on the distances but wonder which is a better place and location to stay for 2 nights pre cruise.

Thanks for any input.

Our current plans are to arrive YVR around midnight and stay somewhere downtown. Is taking the Skytrain and then walking a few blocks to a hotel on a Friday night (with luggage) a safe thing to do? Or should we just take a cab and not have to think about all of this?

Also, we sail on HAL on Sunday from Canada Place (I think) and wonder how many blocks is considered walkable/managable with luggage from a hotel to the pier. We are walkers and are usually content to take public transportation and walk. Is downtown a walker/luggage handling friendly area?

Thanks so much for any input.

Not sure if this has been addressed or if it is still an issue:

If you need to fill up with gas before returning your rental car and your credit card isn't set up with the embedded micro chipped - the filling station by the airport used to close for an hour or so in the middle of the afternoon. No way to pay cash at that time but you can use the embedded credit cards.

You said on the Oosterdam : No Master Chef's Table (the $89/pp event in the Pinnacle)

Is this the same thing as Dining with the Chef on the Westerdam - where you sit around the cook/stove counter in the Culinary Arts area and the chef cooks fo 10 passengers - great food and wine parings? I saw by the deck plans that the O still has the Culinary Arts area in the Queens Lounge. Dos this also mean that the Queens Loung on the O is also where they show thier movies?

Thanks for any help with this.

Thanks for the link. More info is always appreciated.

Love all of this. Thanks so much for taking the time to do it. We've cruised Hawaii before but think a land stay would be our next trip to Hawaii.

sorry-but it is not funny to me-perhaps you left out a line????????

You'll need to go back and read all the posts before Tuna's post to get the full effect.

Don't know if you're interested in this but they advertise they will pick you up at the pier - http://www.thaneorehouse.com . I read several positive reviews.

We might give it a try

Does anyone know anything about the cost of this service? Anyone use it before? All I know is that it is for same day storage 8AM - 4 PM anyday a cruise ship is in port. They have a phone number but it isn't open until the ships start up again this season.

Thanks fo any help.

As your first 2 weeks ends.....Hope your cruise experience was awesome and that you are looking forward to doing it again as you had planned.

Thanks for your amazing posts.

Keep us updated about everything..you have our email.

Les & Terri