Victoria BC

[3cruisingladies]

Victoria sounds beautiful! We want to go to fisherman's wharf, inner harbor, fisgard lighthouse. Any recommendations on the best way to get to these places? We are in port from 3-11.

[PNW Traveler]

The port also runs a water taxi to the inner harbor downtown area - another option in lieu of the shuttle bus.

[Floridanamaw]

How much are the water taxi's per trip? Are these the cute looking little boats?

[martincath]

How much are the water taxi's per trip? Are these the cute looking little boats?

Yes, the little brightly-coloured oval boats. Pricing depends where from & to - go look here.

[PNW Traveler]

The marine taxi is a shuttle from the port of Ogden Point to downtown.

http://victoriacruise.ca/page/shuttle

There are different water taxis that go from place to place on the inner harbor. The Ogden Point shuttle may be a new feature this year. It is certainly an interesting option in lieu of a shuttle bus.

[sportsmum]

Sorry if this has been answered and I missed it - I got really excited and my mind does flip flops when that happens!!

 

You can feed the seals. I buy the fish at Fisherman's Warf.

 

Is there a particular stall? Are there a few stalls? Are they well marked (for when I get excited and my mind does that flippy flop thing)?

[wegolf]

We love Victoria and will roam around the evening we are there in 2 weeks. As it is our only stop in Canada, I'd love to buy various candies, cigars & some pharmas that are not available in the US. Is there a big general drug store like Walgreens in the vicinity?

[martincath]

We love Victoria and will roam around the evening we are there in 2 weeks. As it is our only stop in Canada, I'd love to buy various candies, cigars & some pharmas that are not available in the US. Is there a big general drug store like Walgreens in the vicinity?

There's a Pharmasave easily en route between the two that's a fair size, but you may be better going to the Shoppers Drugmart just a little further into town than the Empress - bigger, longer hours.

[MightyQuinn]

We love Victoria and will roam around the evening we are there in 2 weeks. As it is our only stop in Canada, I'd love to buy various candies, cigars & some pharmas that are not available in the US. Is there a big general drug store like Walgreens in the vicinity?

There isn't anything comparable to Walgreen's within walking distance of the cruise pier. London Drugs on Yates would be most similar but it's a cab ride away. You can only get cigars at specialty shops. Old Morris Tobacconists on Government (next door to Murchie's Tea - also worth a poke) or Goodfellas Cigars on Store are both in the downtown core. For candies, you may want to consider Roger's Chocolates for locally-made chocolates or any of the Government Street souvenir shops for various maple syrup confections.

[Langley Cruisers]

but you may be better going to the Shoppers Drugmart just a little further into town than the Empress - bigger, longer hours.

 

Gosh, I clicked on your link and it brought back a lot of memories... :p that Shoppers is in a bit of a rough part of town, and coupled with it being open until midnight (poor staff!), well, I wouldn't go there on a port stop. The Pharmasave would be my choice for the articles mentioned in the previous post to which we are referring. Obviously, JMHO. :)

.

[martincath]

Gosh, I clicked on your link and it brought back a lot of memories... :p that Shoppers is in a bit of a rough part of town, and coupled with it being open until midnight (poor staff!), well, I wouldn't go there on a port stop. The Pharmasave would be my choice for the articles mentioned in the previous post to which we are referring. Obviously, JMHO. :)

I think we have rather disparate opinions of what constitutes 'rough' in an urban setting!

[Langley Cruisers]

I think we have rather disparate opinions of what constitutes 'rough' in an urban setting!

 

I said "bit of a rough". :) I lived in Victoria for over 30 years - when I lived and worked there, the SDM area on Douglas St. was a little rough/intimidating/scary - drug dealers/users, homeless, beggars, and so forth. And yes, we can agree to disagree on this.

[Urban trekker]

"was a little rough/intimidating/scary - drug dealers/users, homeless, beggars, and so forth. And yes, we can agree to disagree on this.

 

Care to name a large North American city that doesn't have that scenario.

 

Have you walked down Granville Street in Vancouver lately - Pioneer Square in Seattle, Market Street in San Francisco - ever see a person sleeping in Central Park in NYC or the Boston Common - never been bothered by a beggar at Fishermen's Wharf?

 

Unsightly and unsafe have different meanings.

 

I often stay at Paul's Motor Inn in Victoria and walk down Douglas to the Inner Harbour and never felt threaten.

 

As the saying goes - to each there own.

 

Have a great weekend and for those of us locals - enjoy the fireworks tonight.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

[martincath]

I said "bit of a rough". :) I lived in Victoria for over 30 years - when I lived and worked there, the SDM area on Douglas St. was a little rough/intimidating/scary - drug dealers/users, homeless, beggars, and so forth. And yes, we can agree to disagree on this.

Absolutely - different opinions being offered is a great thing on the boards! As a Brit I had a chuckle while reading the above - we have a very different definition of what "a bit of rough" is:D

 

Someone who's not comfortable with the 'big city sins' that UT describes would be well-advised to give your opinion more weight than mine - I recall how off the wall my views on downtown Montreal were compared to most during the whole student protests period...

 

Every visit to Victoria we've made in twelve years has involved walking between the Empress/harbour area up into Chinatown, almost always along Douglas, at various times of day and night. I can't recall any trips without seeing a few beggars or rough sleepers, but I've yet to see drugs being openly sold or consumed (unlike Gastown here in Vancouver!)

 

In short I'd definitely agree it's among the scruffier areas a Victoria visitor is likely to be near, but it's a lot nicer than a lot of other cities. Visitors are hopefully aware how comfortable they would be in such surroundings based on their own prior experiences.

[scottbee]

I said "bit of a rough". :) I lived in Victoria for over 30 years - when I lived and worked there, the SDM area on Douglas St. was a little rough/intimidating/scary - drug dealers/users, homeless, beggars, and so forth. And yes, we can agree to disagree on this.

 

I agree with you here. Douglas/Yates is a pretty rough part of town.

[quincytoo]

I agree with you here. Douglas/Yates is a pretty rough part of town.

 

I agree too and I live in Victoria

I was in front of the said shoppers last week

There was a young addict female clearly stung out waiting for her dealer

My heart broke she was so beautiful and young but clearly waiting for a fix

That stretch of Douglas is not great

I know compared to East Hastings it is a walk through a park