Pub tours with ship in Victoria

[Missouri travel girl]

Has anyone done the pub tour with Princess? If so, what was your opinion?

Thanks

[Keith1010]

I would also post this on the Princess Board.

 

Keith

[Urban trekker]

She has and no responses yet.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Victoria's downtown is quite small and compact so most of the pubs are walkable on your own...a few would require a $5/$7 cab fare. Here is the beginning of a list:

 

http://darcyspub.ca/

 

http://www.irishtimespub.ca/

 

http://www.strathconahotel.com/TheStickyWicketPub.aspx

 

http://www.bedfordregency.com/pub.htm

 

http://www.bardandbanker.com/

 

http://www.canoebrewpub.com/

 

http://www.spinnakers.com/gastro-brewpub

[scottbee]

Has anyone done the pub tour with Princess? If so, what was your opinion?

Thanks

 

if you like beer, Victoria is a fine city. Spinnakers and Swan's (Buckerfields brewery) are two great places to start (excellent brew pubs), plus it's an easy trip to Vancouver Island Brewery and Phillips Brewery if you're looking for a full brewery tour.

 

Other places to consider would be the Canoe Club (brewpub) and The Sticky Wicket (while not a brewpub, the largest pub in Victoria)

[talltimbers]

Has anyone done the pub tour with Princess? If so, what was your opinion?

Thanks

I live in Victoria and there are lots of pubs in the downtown area close to where the cruise ship docks. We have a beautiful walkway around the inner harbour, with museums, shopping, restaurants and pubs all within easy walking distance. It is the best way to visit Victoria-on foot. There are taxis waiting at the cruise ship terminal and it is only a five minute drive to the inner harbour-you won't be disappointed.

[martincath]

Sorry, another indirect recommendation against the Princess tour!

 

Unless they've changed it up you'll visit Spinnakers, then the Penny Farthing, then the Moon Under Water (for the brewery tour) - you can do your own research on review sites to decide if these are places you want to visit...

 

From a purely financial perspective, paying $79 to visit 3 places on a restricted timetable makes very little sense when you could take a cab between your choice of downtown pubs for $10 or less a trip, pay < $10 incl tax for a sample tray of several beers that you choose instead of being prearranged. Assuming you left a 20% tip at each of three pubs you'd end up spending the same or less than the tour cost - and that's doing it solo... Split a cab with even one other person, walk between some of the closer-together pubs, and you've got cash left over to buy more beer!

 

Frankly I've never enjoyed the atmosphere of any pub when a busload of people roll in at the same time, so I'd be inclined to visit places *not* on the Princess tour if you want a better experience - but everyone had a different idea of what a good pub 'feel' is for them so take that with a pinch of salt.

 

Spinnakers does have a great reputation, though I give the edge to Swans (these are the only two pubs I'm aware of for many, many miles that actually serve beer properly - cask-conditioned *and* at 8-10 Celsius rather than 4 or less). Of course if you don't like 'warm' beer, both Swans & Spinnakers also have a normal North American temperature cellar.

 

Given the usually short port time in Victoria, I'd stick to the brewpubs where you know the beer is local and fresh - Swans, Canoe and Spinnakers in that order IMHO - and if your timing works take a tour of Phillips or VIB (both close to the heart of downtown). Personally I'd suggest perusing the most recent results of the Canadian Brewing Awards, picking your preferred style of beers and visiting the folks who won awards for that style.

[Steve H]

I would agree with Martincath. You would be much better off going it alone, stick with Spinnakers, Swans, and the Canoe Club. I would maybe throw in the Irish Times also, it"s very busy but worth a stop. All these are within walking distance of each other except Spinnakers which is were I would start. I happened to be at Moon under Water when there was a tour there and I found it to be not worth stopping at, there is no atmosphere there at all. I would cab it to Spinnakers from the dock and cab to Swans and walk to the others from there.