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Vancouver hotels before cruise


jules67
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My family of 4 (taking two older in-laws with us) is taking an Alaska cruise out of Vancouver. We're looking for a nice but reasonable hotel where we can sight-see (no rental car) and get to the port. Only have one day in Vancouver.

Any suggestions? Never been to Vancouver before. Thank you.

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Hi there are lots of really helpful posts on the ports threads, I think the Alaska and also Canada/ Pacific threads??, although I might be wrong with that title.

There is lots of excellent info on hotels, places to visit, and good restaurants.

We stayed in the Four Seasons last August and it was really good. Location perfect and service and standards excellent. Also a few years ago were in Fairmont Waterfront, but we preferd Four Seasons. Jean.

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All though not the most reasonable, the two hotels at the cruise terminal are my fav. The Pan Pacific you can take the elevator down to embarkation. The Fairmont you can walk across the street to embarkation, in fact we borrowed the luggage cart and just pushed ours over. Plus, you are pretty central for sightseeing and the ferry terminal. The Vancouver police museum is a little known place, but well worth the visit. Gastown has a ton of great places to eat and walk around.

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Vancouver's best kept secret is Times Squares Suites. No shuttles to either the airport or the cruise port, but the money you will save on the room (a suite!!!) will more than make up the difference.

 

It is located at Robson and Denman, easy walking distance to many attractions (including the HOHO bus) and restaurants.

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I love the Pan Pacific directly on the port and the Fairmont Waterfront right across the street from the port. Both will take your bags to the ship for you, and both are walking distance of everything. The HOHO bus departs from the port, too, so you can use hat to see the other side of the city.

 

 

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My family of 4 (taking two older in-laws with us) is taking an Alaska cruise out of Vancouver. We're looking for a nice but reasonable hotel where we can sight-see (no rental car) and get to the port. Only have one day in Vancouver.

Any suggestions? Never been to Vancouver before. Thank you.

 

I guess since this is my hometown I should post something! :p Do you have a "full" day in Vancouver, or are you flying in the day before the cruise (thus not a full day)?

 

Re hotels, Vancouver real estate is one of the most expensive in North America, and thus your hotel costs will be as well. What is your idea of "nice", and then "reasonable"?

 

As far as one day in Vancouver, I always show off friends coming in for a day an excursion combining the Capilano Suspension Bridge/Park and Grouse Mountain. The view is world-class must see. You can buy tickets and board the direct shuttle right at the pier, so if you can get a hotel close to pier you will be in a win-win situation. Restaurants are one of the strengths in Vancouver and there are hundreds of top notch multi-national choices for dinner.... Carderos or cactus Club, again right down by the pier, give phenomenal views and great atmosphere, walking around downtown I the evening is great too. In the Morning you can then also take a taxi-tour (or bus + walk) around Stanley park the morning of embarkation before going to the ship. Just a few of hundreds of ideas.

 

Yes, check the port of Call forum that Bob added the link to in a prev post

In a previous post. Have a great cruise :D

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I guess since this is my hometown I should post something! :p Do you have a "full" day in Vancouver, or are you flying in the day before the cruise (thus not a full day)?

 

Re hotels, Vancouver real estate is one of the most expensive in North America, and thus your hotel costs will be as well. What is your idea of "nice", and then "reasonable"?

 

As far as one day in Vancouver, I always show off friends coming in for a day an excursion combining the Capilano Suspension Bridge/Park and Grouse Mountain. The view is world-class must see. You can buy tickets and board the direct shuttle right at the pier, so if you can get a hotel close to pier you will be in a win-win situation. Restaurants are one of the strengths in Vancouver and there are hundreds of top notch multi-national choices for dinner.... Carderos or cactus Club, again right down by the pier, give phenomenal views and great atmosphere, walking around downtown I the evening is great too. In the Morning you can then also take a taxi-tour (or bus + walk) around Stanley park the morning of embarkation before going to the ship. Just a few of hundreds of ideas.

 

Yes, check the port of Call forum that Bob added the link to in a prev post

In a previous post. Have a great cruise :D

 

My home town too and I would suggest you prioritize Stanley park, if the weather is fine, you can take a horse drawn carriage or the HO HO bus will drop you at various points. The Aquarium is world famous, one of the top in the world and worth seeing.

 

The Fairmont and the Pan Pacific are lovely, I have stayed in both but they are pricey. If you want to be close to the cruise pier there are no bargains to be had. There is a Marriott a few blocks further along, also nice or many others to chose from that are not right by the pier. Note there are 2 Fairmonts close to the pier and the one guests are referencing is called the Fairmont Waterfront. The suggested suites hotel is some distance from downtown unless you are spry but there are buses close. It is close to Stanley park as is the Westin Bayshore which has rooms with a lovely view of the harbour. Many cruise lines use the Bayshore in their cruise packages.

 

Also close to the pier, a short block and a half away is the terminal for the sea bus to North Vancouver. Lots of folks enjoy this ride which is essentially a pedestrian ferry across the harbour. Buy the ride and go across to Lonsdale Quay, take lots of nice pictures of the cruise ship docked, have a lunch or visit the craft brewery and ride back across the harbour.

 

I echo the suggestion of Cardero's for a meal. It's right on the water and has great seafood but is close to the Westin, not the cruise pier. The Pan Pacific has a lovely restaurant terrace that is wonderful to sit in on a sunny summer day.

 

Vancouver is famous for seafood and for our various Asian restaurants. Great Chinese food, wonderful sushi.

 

Chinatown is fun to see and a great place to buy a take away treat is the New Town bakery. Sweets or a Chinese steam bun with a meat filling. Visit the Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden. If you like contemporary art, book a free tour (you must book) online for the Rennie Gallery which is right across from the Garden.

 

Stay more than one day!

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Re hotels, Vancouver real estate is one of the most expensive in North America, and thus your hotel costs will be as well.

 

As a relatively frequent hotel-stayer in Vancouver, and as a person who has booked DH's hotels for half-the-year work travel, I gotta tell ya that that's not always true. Yes, cruising season is higher, and if anything else is going on it'll bring it even higher, but it's not *always* hugely expensive.

 

OP there are so many good hotels in downtown Vancouver. And everything in downtown Vancouver is either walkable (all of it is walkable to me) or a fairly inexpensive cab ride away from the port.

 

If you really want to splurge and get more than just a room, the Hyatt Regency Club level is amazing. And it's a 10 minute stroll to the port; and it is a gentle downhill most of the way, so bags could be rolled along if you really felt like it. :)

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Fairmont Waterfront and Pan Pacific are both fantastic and right adjacent to the Cruise Terminal and Gastown is just down the street. Both are pricey, monitor their websites for "sales". Ken

 

Gastown is the earliest part of Vancouver, the first town. Today it is home to many interesting shops and restaurants and a fun place to wander from the cruise pier.

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Make sure you know what dock your ship is at. We stayed at the rather expensive Pan Pacific for the convenience, only to find out a HAL ship was docked there and our ship was a taxi ride away. I would not have spent the extra money for the Pan Pacific if I had known our ship wouldn't be there.

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That must have been more than two years ago and you sailed from Ballantyne Pier - that pier isn't used any more - all cruise ships now use Canada Place where the Pan Pacific is located - also there were/are NO hotels near Ballantyne Pier so you have had to take a taxi anyhow.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

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  • 9 months later...

Once we had a visit to Vancouver, we stayed there at a suite for a couple of days. Just take a look at that. I hope that it would greatly impress you. That budget rooms that we rent would offer you wonderful sights of elegant landscapes, pines, and mountains. It is a wonderful place with an exquisite natural beauty.

There are a lot more to explore in Vancouver. Mountains, oceans, entertainment restaurants. That will give you good experience and a good time in Vancouver.

 

 

If you are looking for something less expensive, consider Vancouver Downtown.

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