Need Vancouver 1 day pre-cruise suggestions

[wehavefun]

On Saturday, May 14th, 14 friends and family are arriving into Seattle about 1:00PM, renting 3 mini vans from Avis, driving to Vancouver. I understand the drive normally takes 2 1/2 hrs., but I plan on arriving in Vancouver about 5:30-6:00. Does this seem reasonable considering the drive, the boarder check and on a Saturday?

 

In Vancouver we are staying at the Ramada Limited on Pender. What is the area around the hotel like?

 

After we are checked in, I would like to visit Lookout tower while it is still daylight. Then we will head to a restaurant for dinner. We will still have the rental cars so could drive to nearby locations. Some of the people in the group are on more of a budget than others so I would like to find a place to eat that is not too expensive. Any recommendations?

 

After dinner, I would like to go back to Lookout tower for night pictures then take one or more of the rental cars for a drive around Vancouver to get other night pictures. How is the driving in downtown Vancouver on a Sat. night? What type of problems do you see with this?

 

In the mroning, I am considering taking a tour with one of two companies. The tour bus would pick up us and our luggage for a 2 1/2 - 3 hr tour then drop us off at the cruise ship. Isn't there a special place for tour companies to drop off? One of the tour companies I have talked to is Pacfic West Tours and the other is the Vancouver Trolley co who will give us a private trolley for our group. Either of these is cheaper then paying for 14 on some of the larger tour companies. Do you have any suggestions? Know anything about Pacfic West?

 

Thank you for any help. All ideas you have would be appreciated and hopfully make my life a lot easier.

[wehavefun]

I am still looking for information. Does anybody have ideas?

 

How is driving around Vancouver on a Sunday morning of a cruise ship leaving?

[grouchy]

lookout tower is?

[wehavefun]

observation tower located at the Harbour Centre Tower. www.vancouverlookout.com

My understanding, has a full view of Vancouver and has a glass elevator that takes you up to the observation floor.

[grouchy]

view of the buildings and parts of the Harbour. I think it is a tourist rip off and you would have better time and view if you went up to Grouse Mountain.They also have a fabulpus restaurant and if you reserve a table by the wind-you can watch the sun go down and maybe see some fireworks.

It is a fabulous view!

 

http://www.grousemountain.com/

[wehavefun]

Thank you for the info. I have never been to Vancouver and this is my first cruise in a looonnng time. I definitely wanted to see Grouse Mnt but not sure if we had the time for it.

 

We arrive in Seattle on Sat. at 1:00 PM..then pick up rent cars (3 of them there are 14 of us) and drive to Seattle. I anticipate our arrival into Vancouver to be about 5:30 - 6:00 at which time we will check into our hotel.

 

Our ship departs on sun at 5:30 PM; of course, boarding begins about noon. So I am not sure when we would have the time.

 

If you know Vancouver, I would be very appreciative of any help, suggestions, or agenda planning you are willing to offer.

 

Thank you.

[ell52]

Totally agree with grouchy. On a clear day, you'll be much better off going up to Grouse Mountain for a great view.

 

Is the Vancouver Trolley going to let you stay at each of the stops for as long as you want? Or is it more of a set time and pace? The usual trolley tour is hop on/hop off and you can stay for as long or short a time as you want at each stop. If they give you a private trolley and the flexibility of staying longer/shorter as you wish, then I'd go with the Vancouver Trolley company.

[grouchy]

then go to Grouse for dinner.That way you get to see the sites up there,have a good dinner and check out the view and the sunset.It stays light until after 800pm in the Summer. The next day do the trolley and see as much as you like. Then go to the boat and have a drink while the boat passes under Lions Gate bridge. Be sure to wave to all of us!

[wehavefun]

Thanks. Since I do not know about timing of boarding the ship and from boards I have read where many people board around noon, do you guys have an idea of when would be a good time to board?

[ell52]

People who board the ship around noon do it because they want to, not because they have to. They want to get onboard to get a feel for the ship, get into 'cruising' mode, etc.

 

Most cruiselines only requre that you board about a half-hour to an hour before sailing. So you can sightsee into the afternoon as long as you get to the ship by their designated time.

[wehavefun]

Oh thank you so much. Anything else you think I should know?

 

After talking to some of my traveling companions, I am not sure if we will feel like going to Grouse Mnt. Sat evening. I failed to mention, we are flying Sat. morning cross country into Seattle. After flying from very early morning and driving from Settle to Vancouver, I am not sure we will feel like going to G M, may want to just sit and relax for dinner at a place close to the hotel. When 14 are traveling together seems as if there are many ideas of a "nice time".

 

Thanks again for your help.

[ell52]

If all 14 of you are going to dinner at the same time and place on Saturday evening, I recommend you make reservations! Otherwise, you may have a very long wait for a table/area that will accomodate all of you.

[wehavefun]

Yes, you are exactly right. Thanks.

[c-to-sea]

Just a suggestion

 

For dinner for 14 people, you may want to think about Chinese. Vancouver is known

for it's Chinese restaurants and they are well equipped to handle large groups.

We haven't lived there for quite a while now but maybe some of the Vancouverites

can suggest some names for you, particularly in the Chinatown area.

Also, plan to ditch your rental vehicles as soon as possible on Sunday if you are

not planning to do Grouse Mountain. Downtown is much easier without a car and

you won't be spending a lot of time looking for parking, even on a Sunday.

[patca]

We are getting off our ship on May 14th and are also staying at the Ramada Limited. No one answered the question about the neighborhood - is it safe?

We will be taking the trolley tour and follow up the the suggestion of Grouse Mountain. We will not have a car - what kind of transportation is available to the mountain?

Grouchy - I posted on the Zaandam April 23 cruise, just realized that you live in Vancouver. Hope more people respond.

 

Pat

[wehavefun]

c-to-sea, thank you for the suggestion on Chinese. Does anybody have a suggested name of a Chinese restaurant? Also, somebody from another post suggest Steamworks, which seems to have an expansive menu. Does anybody know about them?

[ell52]

Since you will have rental cars, good Chinese restaurants in the city that I'd suggest are:

 

- Sun Sui Wah on Main Street

- Kirin Seafood on Cambie

- Pink Pearl on E. Hastings

 

Make sure you phone ahead because these are popular restaurants and may have banquets booked. The best Chinese restaurants are not in Chinatown.

[ell52]

Found these links for a couple of the restaurants I suggested:

 

Kirin and

 

Sun Sui Wah

 

Both are very good and have more than one location. If you like Mandarin or northern Chinese cuisine, you might like the Kirin on Alberni. Couldn't find a link for Pink Pearl, but it's probably #3 on the list anyway.

[Urban trekker]

Patca - there are two Ramadas in the downtown core - one on Granville and one on Pender - both are older properties that have been updated - if you will let us know which one you have booked perhaps us Vancouverites on these boards will be better able to answer your question

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[mlroberts23]

We just got back from a weekend in Vancouver and found the traffic downtown was really busy and very frustrating if you dont know your way around as there are alot of one way streets and alot of traffic!!! Parking is very hard to find for anywhere so if you can walk to a restarant it is much better.Parts of the downtown area(towards Burnaby) around Hastings street and Main stay away from. This is a bad part of town and even driving through there I was not comfortable. I lived there for 20 years but boy has it changed.For a drive the Stanley Park drive is nice and lots of places to stop and take some nice pictures.Have a great time but make sure you have a good map!:)

[learningtocruise]

This may be an "after the fact" suggestion, but if you do Grouse Mountain, they have a Lumberjack Show -- which is identical to the one in Ketchikan -- I mean, the exact same dialogue! Anyway, we ate at Hun's Wun Ton (or something very similar to that name) on Robson Street. It's a cheap, but immensely popular, Chinese food hangout. The food was plentiful, lots of long tables available and good service. Hope you have a great time!

[wehavefun]

Wow! Thanks. Such great info...I love you guys. Any other suggestions you have are very welcome.

[patca]

Hi Urban Trekker - We are staying at the Ramada on Pender the same hotel that We have fun is staying. Appreciate your help. We are there only 1 night, so I guess it is not critical. The hotel had good reviews on several boards, however, no one commented on the neighborhood. Pat

[Urban trekker]

It's in an older part of the business district that is starting to regenerate - you will notice some street activity - mostly panhandling but they generally leave people alone - there are now three educational institutes in the area and many ESL language colleges so you will see many students in the area.

 

This Ramada was for years known as the Niagara hotel which my uncle was general manager for many years - never spent alot of time there as he made us pay for our beer in the pub.

 

Gotham's steak house is a block away and you are only four blocks from Canada Place - if you are only intending on sleeping and spending the rest of the time touring you will be fine. Ramada would not select an area if they didn't deem it safe.

 

Cheers from Vancouver

 

Dennis

[gypsy'sfirstcruise]

I'm inclined to agree with the steak house close by. Your correc t in traveling with a group. Some are just outright bad sightseers. Good luck. Remember, sometimes it is better to have subgoups along the way.