Post cruise Vancouver ??s for BC Day

[cruisin'mama]

You're the best! Thanks for all the great info!!

[cruisin'mama]

Now that we will have a full day in Vancouver as opposed to just a long day until our flight left, I have been reconsidering what we should do with our time. As much as I would love to bike ride around Stanley Park, with all that's going on in Vancouver that weekend and the projected crowds, I am now thinking that since my son LOVES orcas, maybe we should do a whale watching trip that would also take us away from the crowds.

 

I found "Vancouver Whale Watch" that has a shuttle that would pick us up near Canada Place at 12:35pm. for a 2:00pm tour. I figure by the time we are off the ship, drop our luggage at the Pan Pacific, look around and grab a snack, it will be time to get on the shuttle. They say the trip could take anywhere from 3-5 hours, depending on how far they have to go to get to the whales. That would get us back between 6:30 and 8:30...time to get dinner, get to our room and settle in for a short night, since we have to catch a taxi at 3:30am :eek: for our 6am flight.

 

Does this sound like a good idea, given the crowded day we are there?

 

Thanks for your opinions!

Edited December 19, 2014 by cruisin'mama

[martincath]

Now that we will have a full day in Vancouver as opposed to just a long day until our flight left' date=' I have been reconsidering what we should do with our time. As much as I would love to bike ride around Stanley Park, with all that's going on in Vancouver that weekend and the projected crowds, I am now thinking that since my son LOVES orcas, maybe we should do a whale watching trip that would also take us away from the crowds.

 

I found "Vancouver Whale Watch" that has a shuttle that would pick us up near Canada Place at 12:35pm. for a 2:00pm tour. I figure by the time we are off the ship, drop our luggage at the Pan Pacific, look around and grab a snack, it will be time to get on the shuttle. They say the trip could take anywhere from 3-5 hours, depending on how far they have to go to get to the whales. That would get us back between 6:30 and 8:30...time to get dinner, get to our room and settle in for a short night, since we have to catch a taxi at 3:30am :eek: for our 6am flight.

 

Does this sound like a good idea, given the crowded day we are there?

 

Thanks for your opinions![/quote']

Well it would bypass the whole potentially busy downtown scene, and whale watching cruises are always good IMO.

 

Only thing I'd suggest is to check out all the different companies, not just plump for the first one you found - for example Wild Whales actually leave on their boats from Granville Island in Vancouver proper, whereas the others generally go from Steveston which is part of Richmond, south of the airport so you'll spend an extra hour or so on buses back & forth rather than on the boat.

 

I'd check Tripadvisor, Yelp etc. for reviews (I've only ever taken tours out of Victoria so I can't say anything specific about any of the Vancouver/Richmond companies).

[cruisin'mama]

Thank you, I will check into the other companies as well. Vancouver Whale Watch has the Lightship zodiac boat that looks like a fun time just in itself!