Pre-Cruise - spend the day in Seattle or Vancouver?

[Heather_K]

Hi! We will be sailing to Alaska from Vancouver in May and I was wondering if we should spend the day in Seattle (where we will more than likely be flying in) or Vancouver. Does anyone have any suggestions for what to see in each of those cities?

 

I was looking at Pike Place Market and Kerry park in Seattle or the Capilano suspencion bridge in Vancouver...

 

Any help would be appreciated!

[capriccio]

We spent a beautiful day in Seattle last May on a cruise (sun shining, in the 70s) and did Pikes Market on our own and a ship's excursion to nearby wine country that included a drive through the city. I'm sure if you to to the Seattle tourism board web site you'll see lots of stuff to keep you busy.

 

That said, we've been to Vancouver 3 times (tacking on extra days to the beginning or ending of cruises) and love it. We spent a full day exploring downtown; another exploring Stanley Park; and another 1/2 day at the Suspension Bridge and then returning to revisit some downtown areas (Gastown, Yaletown) for the rest of the day.

 

Another thing to consider - since your cruise is leaving out of Vancouver I would think you would want to be there the day before - just to be on the safe side.

 

Have a great time -- the Alaska cruises are wonderful!

[Heather_K]

Was it your cruise in May that you visited Alaska? This is my first time, and I am a little nervous we will be there too early in the season. Our cruise is May 12 - May 19

 

Also, IF I can swing it I would like to fly into Seattle 2 days before the cruise. Stay in Seattle Friday night, take the shuttle to Vancouver Saturday morning and leave for the cruise Sunday. If we can do this, then we won't have to choose and we can do it all!

 

Did you think that the suspension bridge was worth it? I hear mixed reviews only because of the hugh cost....

 

Thanks!

[capriccio]

Was it your cruise in May that you visited Alaska? This is my first time, and I am a little nervous we will be there too early in the season. Our cruise is May 12 - May 19

 

Also, IF I can swing it I would like to fly into Seattle 2 days before the cruise. Stay in Seattle Friday night, take the shuttle to Vancouver Saturday morning and leave for the cruise Sunday. If we can do this, then we won't have to choose and we can do it all!

 

Did you think that the suspension bridge was worth it? I hear mixed reviews only because of the hugh cost....

 

Thanks!

 

Heather - our May cruise was a Pacific Coastal from LA to Vancouver (moving the ship north for the Alaska season). I like your idea of splitting two days in each city if you can swing it -- that would be the best of both worlds! While we really enjoyed the suspension bridge (even though I'm afraid of heights), if you have only one day in Vancouver there is plenty to keep you busy downtown and in Stanley Park. I would save the suspension bridge for your next visit :D.

[LMZinSC]

Was it your cruise in May that you visited Alaska? This is my first time, and I am a little nervous we will be there too early in the season. Our cruise is May 12 - May 19

 

Also, IF I can swing it I would like to fly into Seattle 2 days before the cruise. Stay in Seattle Friday night, take the shuttle to Vancouver Saturday morning and leave for the cruise Sunday. If we can do this, then we won't have to choose and we can do it all!

 

Did you think that the suspension bridge was worth it? I hear mixed reviews only because of the hugh cost....

 

Thanks!

 

You are not too early. We have been that week twice and had wonderful weather. Loved seeing the snow covered mountains.

 

Seattle and Vancouver are both fantastic. If you can do both, do it! I have a slight preference for Vancouver though. Best tip we ever got was to go to Lynn Cannon instead of Capilano. They have a suspension bridge there too and it is FREE. Other great things in Vancouver - Granville Island (my favorite), Vancouver Lookout, Grouse Mountain (more snow than I have ever seen), Hop on hop off bus. We will be there May 16th and board the Radiance May 17th. Can not wait!!!

[Heather_K]

Heather - our May cruise was a Pacific Coastal from LA to Vancouver (moving the ship north for the Alaska season). I like your idea of splitting two days in each city if you can swing it -- that would be the best of both worlds! While we really enjoyed the suspension bridge (even though I'm afraid of heights), if you have only one day in Vancouver there is plenty to keep you busy downtown and in Stanley Park. I would save the suspension bridge for your next visit :D.

 

Thank you! I guess we'll see how much time we actually have there after I book my flights and go from there.

 

Flight prices are scary high right now, it's making me wish I booked a few weeks ago when it was $200 less :eek:

 

You are not too early. We have been that week twice and had wonderful weather. Loved seeing the snow covered mountains.

 

Seattle and Vancouver are both fantastic. If you can do both, do it! I have a slight preference for Vancouver though. Best tip we ever got was to go to Lynn Cannon instead of Capilano. They have a suspension bridge there too and it is FREE. Other great things in Vancouver - Granville Island (my favorite), Vancouver Lookout, Grouse Mountain (more snow than I have ever seen), Hop on hop off bus. We will be there May 16th and board the Radiance May 17th. Can not wait!!!

 

That makes me feel much better! Did you experience much wildlife when you were there this week?

 

I actually did see Lynn Canyon as an option to save some money. Is it just as easy to get there/close to downtown?

[Putterdude]

Call me biased being a native Vancouverite but I have also spent many many days in Seattle and I would definitely spend my pre-cruise day in Vancouver. What there is to see is countless and you will hardly scratch the service in a day. Vancouver has a different culture than Seattle and with its mountain back drop is much more picturesque. A trip over to the North Shore to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge and the Grouse Mountain SkyRide is time well invested and both offer free shuttles from convenient locations in the downtown area. Another way to see a lot of the city attractions in a day is to take a HOHO tour, there are several companies dong offering this, however the one I would recommend is the Vancouver Trolley which offers live narration of what you are seeing.

[mapleleaves]

If you can swing both, great; if not I prefer Vancouver. Vancouver has so much more to see within the city and closeby. I can easily spend a day in Stanley Park. If you're short on time, consider taking the evening train from Seattle; you'd still have daylight for most of the trip.

For things to do in Vancouver, check out the list from BCHappyGal in this thread. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1238430

The weather in Vanc or Seattle is a crapshoot. It can be windy, rainy and 50 or it can sunny and 75. We usually have one wonderful week in May; hopefully you'll get it.

[vbmom87]

I have cruised out of both and spend time in each city. They are both great. If I were you, I would look at what each city has to offer and then go with the one that seems to have more appeal to you. That said, if it were me, I would want to be in my port city as soon as possible. I just like knowing I have arrived where my cruise ship is sailing out of. Stuff happens and I like that security blanket of knowing I am where I need to be. JMHO

[Kesstral]

It might be nice to spend a day in each city but it also depends at what time you get into Seattle and then how long it's going to take to get from Seattle to Vancouver.

 

You haven't mentioned how you are getting to Vancouver. A bus ride can take a long time with a stop for customs. For example looking at the Quick Shuttle schedule it would be about 5 hours to get from SeaTac to Downtown Vancouver. There is Amtrak which I believe runs in the morning and evening to Vancouver, or a rental car (and you still have to factor in a wait at the border).

 

It may eat up a good chunk of your day to get between the two cities and cut into your sightseeing time. Personally I'd rather get all my travelling done on the first day so I'd have one whole day to enjoy Vancouver instead of one evening in Seattle and one in Vancouver. (I am from BC so a bit biased ;) )

[Heather_K]

Thanks so much for all of the responses!

 

We live in Pittsburgh, and I am pricing flights both straight into Vancouver and into Seattle with a Quick Coach ride into Vancouver afterward. If flight prices stay the way that they are right now, it will be very close in cost to fly directly in vs. fly to Seattle and adding the cost of the shuttle. A few weeks ago it was a noticable difference which is why we were planning on doing it that way.

 

So.... if it stays like this, I will obviously fly straight in an skip the extra travel time. I didn't add customs into the amount of time for the shuttle and was thinking it would be more like 3 hours.

 

I'm glad to hear that we won't be disappointed with either choice. We have definitely found things in both areas that we would like to see. I think the reason that I am pushing so hard to see Seattle is because I have a "50 states by 50" goal and I would like to cross Washinton off the list. :) We rarely get to the West coast with flight costs the way that they have been