vancouver tour thru princess

[hollon]

has anyone done the vancouver city tour thru princess, its 44.00 for three hrs, do you feel it was worth it or is there a better tour w/ more things to see, I like tours b/c I will have my handicapped sister w/ me and tours like this is just easier than "on your own"

[xlxo]

Thoughts.... is this a pre/post-cruise tour? I think Landsea operates them.... check out their website for description and price comparison....

• http://vancouvertours.com/
  
• http://vancouvertours.com/tour/vancouver/?sub
  
• http://vancouvertours.com/tour/pre-cruise-vancouver-city-tour/
  

 

In general... if you have limited time.... it is a good choice to see the highlights. If you have an extended stay.... I recommend the Hop On and Grouse/Cap shuttles where you have more free time at each highlight.

 

To clarify.... what disability does your loved one have? Is she walking with a cane? Travelling with a wheelchair? Issues with long waits and crowds?

Edited January 6, 2017 by xlxo

[Outatown]

We took that tour in August 2015. It was interesting for us since since we had no experience in the big city except for port to airport transfers. However, since we were staying at a hotel for a night post cruise this worked great. Ship to tour to airport, and then to hotel transportation from airport. There were a few interesting stops, one on a hill with great views. Walking distance will vary depending on tour bus traffic, it appeared to be a popular route. Interesting commentary from the guide, however he spent much time talking about how much the city had changed, via population growth, and that he was leaving. Sort of like the last day on the job.

[Outatown]

As for walking distances, I would say 30 feet to 300 feet. And yes, there was 1 restroom stop.

[martincath]

Generally the exact same tours from the exact same providers can be had for fewer $ booked independently in Vancouver - but $44, even if in USD, seems very low for a pre-/post-Cruise sightseeing tour which generally run CAD$75/~US$56 for 4 hours.

 

My guess is this is a cut-down version of the longer tours offered by local companies, specially for the cruiseline... and the 3 hour duration your mention might include 30+mins to get out to the airport. If you can link to the relevant tour on the Princess website I'll have a quick compare of route & highlights to see if I can confirm what you would miss compared to the longer tours but my best guess is that you would skip the Harbour Centre (with its rotating viewing deck), cutting ~30mins and $16pp off the tour, and perhaps just drive through Gastown rather than get off to see the Steamclock & Gassy Jack statue.

 

As xlxo mentioned LandSea are a big local tour company; it may also be WestCoast who are the other major player (indeed now the largest, since they amalgamated most of the HOHO tours under their company now too). Both charge in CAD - so they're an even better deal for most visitors these days.

 

Either one will pick you up from right outside Canada Place and they are likely to have their most experienced guides on 'their own' tours - since feedback will be about them specifically, not the cruiseline - rather than the subcontracted cruiseline versions where folks who give good and bad feedback talk about 'the Princess bus tour of Vancouver.'

 

Another factor - are you leaving same day? Do you need dropped-off at the airport? If so, a packaged tour like these may well be the best option for limited mobility folks with luggage to worry about as your bags will go with you, and can be loaded/unloaded by porters. If you are staying in town though, HOHOs offer much better value IMO - you can spend as much time as you wish at each stop, and they have more stops than traditional tours which tend to just do drive-bys of most sites. Drop luggage at hotel then tour unencumbered to avoid having to schlep bags on and off at each HOHO stop.

 

As well as WestCoast, the other HOHO provider is the Trolley - while they're smaller vehicles so you may be more likely to wait for a 'floater' at popular stops if there aren't enough seats to reboard, they go to more places than the WestCoast route for the same price.

[hollon]

Thoughts.... is this a pre/post-cruise tour? I think Landsea operates them.... check out their website for description and price comparison....

• http://vancouvertours.com/
  
• http://vancouvertours.com/tour/vancouver/?sub
  
• http://vancouvertours.com/tour/pre-cruise-vancouver-city-tour/
  

 

In general... if you have limited time.... it is a good choice to see the highlights. If you have an extended stay.... I recommend the Hop On and Grouse/Cap shuttles where you have more free time at each highlight.

 

To clarify.... what disability does your loved one have? Is she walking with a cane? Travelling with a wheelchair? Issues with long waits and crowds?

she uses a walker and she walks really slow and she has a nerve problem where she can fall easily. I'm thinking of taking a foldup wheelchair and just wheel her around or we won't get anywhere (I don't mean that to sound rude), she can use a few stairs only if there is a handle to pull herself up, I'm assuming the buses have a handle?

[hollon]

Generally the exact same tours from the exact same providers can be had for fewer $ booked independently in Vancouver - but $44, even if in USD, seems very low for a pre-/post-Cruise sightseeing tour which generally run CAD$75/~US$56 for 4 hours.

 

My guess is this is a cut-down version of the longer tours offered by local companies, specially for the cruiseline... and the 3 hour duration your mention might include 30+mins to get out to the airport. If you can link to the relevant tour on the Princess website I'll have a quick compare of route & highlights to see if I can confirm what you would miss compared to the longer tours but my best guess is that you would skip the Harbour Centre (with its rotating viewing deck), cutting ~30mins and $16pp off the tour, and perhaps just drive through Gastown rather than get off to see the Steamclock & Gassy Jack statue.

 

As xlxo mentioned LandSea are a big local tour company; it may also be WestCoast who are the other major player (indeed now the largest, since they amalgamated most of the HOHO tours under their company now too). Both charge in CAD - so they're an even better deal for most visitors these days.

 

Either one will pick you up from right outside Canada Place and they are likely to have their most experienced guides on 'their own' tours - since feedback will be about them specifically, not the cruiseline - rather than the subcontracted cruiseline versions where folks who give good and bad feedback talk about 'the Princess bus tour of Vancouver.'

 

Another factor - are you leaving same day? Do you need dropped-off at the airport? If so, a packaged tour like these may well be the best option for limited mobility folks with luggage to worry about as your bags will go with you, and can be loaded/unloaded by porters. If you are staying in town though, HOHOs offer much better value IMO - you can spend as much time as you wish at each stop, and they have more stops than traditional tours which tend to just do drive-bys of most sites. Drop luggage at hotel then tour unencumbered to avoid having to schlep bags on and off at each HOHO stop.

 

As well as WestCoast, the other HOHO provider is the Trolley - while they're smaller vehicles so you may be more likely to wait for a 'floater' at popular stops if there aren't enough seats to reboard, they go to more places than the WestCoast route for the same price.

 

Thanks, I'm staying at the marriott pinnacle, I was wanting to drop my things off at the hotel first, then grab an excursion. Westcoast seems good as well as HOHO, do you know if there is a handle to get onto the buses? I'd rather spend more money and get longer time to see things. If we're staying at the marriott post cruise, how do we get to westcoast or hoho?

[xlxo]

she uses a walker and she walks really slow and she has a nerve problem where she can fall easily. I'm thinking of taking a foldup wheelchair and just wheel her around or we won't get anywhere (I don't mean that to sound rude), she can use a few stairs only if there is a handle to pull herself up, I'm assuming the buses have a handle?

My mom had similar issues. The best thing we did was purchase an "aluminum" transport chair.

• the weight savings were worth the extra charges for quickly loading in and out of taxi's.
  
• Not designed for use outside with the small wheels, but I don't care... for travel it's perfect. We got to travel so much more with the transport chair.
  
• comes in handy when the cruise ship has problems with rough waters
  
• pay attention to the itinerary.... some ports may be inaccessible with "tendering". For Alaska.... some ships are tendered in Juneau when the docks are busy. Some cruise ships don't have wheelchair loading.
  
• The only issue was the cruise ship outside doors.... the weather seals were a little tough for the small wheels.
  
• when mom was tired... we put here in the chair and wheeled her to the nearest bathroom stall. Save her energy for inside the stall.
  
• http://www.airgomobility.com/Products-TC-Flip-More-E.asp
  
• there is no extra charges for wheelchairs in planes and a collapsible chair fits easily into a taxi
  
• there are more seniors travelling than ever before. Having your own wheelchair means you don't need to go looking for a empty seat.
  
• The buffet and MDR lines can be long.... being in a wheelchair makes joining the line much easier
  
• that transport chair I indicated above comes with fold up armrests. Makes it super easy going into restaurants.
  
• when the rider does not want to be in the chair... it makes a great luggage cart. Backpack across the handles, carry-on on the lap, second carry-on between the legs.
  
• a variation is a rollator/wheelchair combo. Great of walking, but also when tired... http://www.airgomobility.com/Products-Rollators-Fusion-E.asp
  

Wheelchairs are fine around Alaskan towns... however.... I notice a lot of the excursions are not wheelchair friendly. There is limited paved paths.... most are dirt and gravel. Check the images on Google Maps to get an idea.

 

In Vancouver.... I consider them a leader in wheelchair friendly attractions and services.

• lots of sidewalk ramps
  
• airport and cruise terminal boards are expedited when they see a wheelchair. Important with cruise terminal customs processing if your loved one is unable to stand for a few hours. Vancouver really respects and welcomes travelers with a wheelchair.
  
• skip the Capilano Suspension Bridge. 3/4rd of the park will be inaccessible to her.
  

Edited January 7, 2017 by xlxo

[hollon]

My mom had similar issues. The best thing we did was purchase an "aluminum" transport chair.

• the weight savings were worth the extra charges for quickly loading in and out of taxi's.
  
• Not designed for use outside with the small wheels, but I don't care... for travel it's perfect. We got to travel so much more with the transport chair.
  
• comes in handy when the cruise ship has problems with rough waters
  
• pay attention to the itinerary.... some ports may be inaccessible with "tendering". For Alaska.... some ships are tendered in Juneau when the docks are busy. Some cruise ships don't have wheelchair loading.
  
• The only issue was the cruise ship outside doors.... the weather seals were a little tough for the small wheels.
  
• when mom was tired... we put here in the chair and wheeled her to the nearest bathroom stall. Save her energy for inside the stall.
  
• http://www.airgomobility.com/Products-TC-Flip-More-E.asp
  
• there is no extra charges for wheelchairs in planes and a collapsible chair fits easily into a taxi
  
• there are more seniors travelling than ever before. Having your own wheelchair means you don't need to go looking for a empty seat.
  
• The buffet and MDR lines can be long.... being in a wheelchair makes joining the line much easier
  
• that transport chair I indicated above comes with fold up armrests. Makes it super easy going into restaurants.
  
• when the rider does not want to be in the chair... it makes a great luggage cart. Backpack across the handles, carry-on on the lap, second carry-on between the legs.
  
• a variation is a rollator/wheelchair combo. Great of walking, but also when tired... http://www.airgomobility.com/Products-Rollators-Fusion-E.asp
  

Wheelchairs are fine around Alaskan towns... however.... I notice a lot of the excursions are not wheelchair friendly. There is limited paved paths.... most are dirt and gravel. Check the images on Google Maps to get an idea.

 

In Vancouver.... I consider them a leader in wheelchair friendly attractions and services.

• lots of sidewalk ramps
  
• airport and cruise terminal boards are expedited when they see a wheelchair. Important with cruise terminal customs processing if your loved one is unable to stand for a few hours. Vancouver really respects and welcomes travelers with a wheelchair.
  
• skip the Capilano Suspension Bridge. 3/4rd of the park will be inaccessible to her.
  

 

Thank you so much for the advice, I'm trying to make this a trip of a life time, b/c she'll never get to go back just b/c of different reasons, thanks

[xlxo]

A wheelchair didn't just make mom's trip more manageable..... it allowed us to cram in more trips than we thought possible.

 

Sent from my Passport using Forums mobile app

[martincath]

Thanks, I'm staying at the marriott pinnacle, I was wanting to drop my things off at the hotel first, then grab an excursion. Westcoast seems good as well as HOHO, do you know if there is a handle to get onto the buses? I'd rather spend more money and get longer time to see things. If we're staying at the marriott post cruise, how do we get to westcoast or hoho?

Yes, you'll find that the coaches for all local companies, whether single- or double-decker, will have handles at the door if they have steps. WestCoast HOHO use large coaches, a mix of open-top and closed, but the Trolley HOHO vehicles are designed to look like Ye Olde Streetcars - they do have door handles, although their seats were hard wooden bench types on at least some of the fleet.

 

As to the wheelchair aspect, I'd definitely agree with xlxo that bringing your own collapsible model will be a boon in terms of never having to wait for a seat or trying to find a port wheelchair. Given the outdoors potential of Vancouver let alone the Alaskan ports though, personally I would recommend getting one with a more traditional 'two big wheels' format - we really struggled the first year my gran came over to visit us using a '4 small wheels' type as even on a bad sidewalk the wheels could 'catch' and threaten to tip her out! Gravel or off-road was simply a no-go.

 

On future visits we rented a more standard version, but with smaller 'big wheels' (20" rather than 24 or 26" - since she was never wheeling herself the lower efficiency for hand-spinning didn't matter, it was small enough to fit in the trunk of even a small car easily) and were able to wheel her over rough sidewalks, gravel, and even up and down a few steps without her having to get out, a huge improvement.

 

You can pre-book a wheelchair, transport chair or even powered scooters at the pier with these folks. Unfortunately online booking isn't available at Canada Place yet (it may be because cruise season hasn't begun so after April/May you can book online) but there's a free phone number to book with. You may get a better price at a regular rental place than through a pier franchise - try Pharmasave who will deliver rentals to local hotels etc. for a small fee (or cab fare from your hotel to them and back would only be about $15).

[hollon]

Yes, you'll find that the coaches for all local companies, whether single- or double-decker, will have handles at the door if they have steps. WestCoast HOHO use large coaches, a mix of open-top and closed, but the Trolley HOHO vehicles are designed to look like Ye Olde Streetcars - they do have door handles, although their seats were hard wooden bench types on at least some of the fleet.

 

As to the wheelchair aspect, I'd definitely agree with xlxo that bringing your own collapsible model will be a boon in terms of never having to wait for a seat or trying to find a port wheelchair. Given the outdoors potential of Vancouver let alone the Alaskan ports though, personally I would recommend getting one with a more traditional 'two big wheels' format - we really struggled the first year my gran came over to visit us using a '4 small wheels' type as even on a bad sidewalk the wheels could 'catch' and threaten to tip her out! Gravel or off-road was simply a no-go.

 

On future visits we rented a more standard version, but with smaller 'big wheels' (20" rather than 24 or 26" - since she was never wheeling herself the lower efficiency for hand-spinning didn't matter, it was small enough to fit in the trunk of even a small car easily) and were able to wheel her over rough sidewalks, gravel, and even up and down a few steps without her having to get out, a huge improvement.

 

You can pre-book a wheelchair, transport chair or even powered scooters at the pier with these folks. Unfortunately online booking isn't available at Canada Place yet (it may be because cruise season hasn't begun so after April/May you can book online) but there's a free phone number to book with. You may get a better price at a regular rental place than through a pier franchise - try Pharmasave who will deliver rentals to local hotels etc. for a small fee (or cab fare from your hotel to them and back would only be about $15).

 

Thanks so much, I'll give them a call