Vancouver - Hawaii in mid September?

[Extra Kim]

We asked our TA for pricing on 4 different cruises, Vancouver - Hawaii and Hawaii - Sydney on Radiance OTS or Ovation OTS. Turns out that they booked us on Radiance Vancouver - Hawaii (They booked the last available balcony cabin and we have the option to cancel until january 2.) Anyway, we decided to keep the booking.
We are a family of three, me, my wife and our daughter that will be 21 months old by the time.

We have never been to Vancouver or Hawaii and feel that we need to do some research.
We have cruised before, this will be my 15th, my wife's 13th and our daughter's 5th cruise. I think that we have that part covered, except for one thing: the weather. I do understand that it will be different from year to year, but how is the weather "normaly" in Vancouver and during the crossing to Hawaii? Would it be warm enough to use the (outside) pool or will the be an option only when we get close to Hawaii? I guess that Vancouver will be similar to Sweden during that time of year.

We will probably spend one night in Vancouver. Our goal is Hawaii, Vancouver will just be our starting point and we will be jet laged. With other words, we are just looking for a hotel that's located conveniently in relation to the port or maybe the airport. Our plan is to board the ship as early as possible. It doesn't need to be fancy, but no dump either. Breakfast is a plus. Tips?

How about transportation in Vancouver?

We plan on staying a couple of nights in Hawaii after the cruise is over, the cruise ends in Honolulu on Oahu. Since we never have been to Hawaii we feel a bit lost. We are not into big cities, shopping or clubbing. We are more beach people, history and some nature. With close to 400 000 residents, my guess would be that Honolulu isn't for us..? Is there any place that you would recommend instead of Honolulu?

I would like to visit Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona Memorial and the sites for the 1941 attack. Any tips about days with less people and other things that would be good to know?   

[Shmoo here]

17 minutes ago, Extra Kim said:

I would like to visit Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona Memorial and the sites for the 1941 attack.

Well, for starters, the USS Arizona Memorial is not accessible currently.  They've had issues with the stability of the memorial.  The shoreside exhibits are still open, but you can't go out to the memorial itself.

 

 

[Silver Sweethearts]

17 minutes ago, Extra Kim said:

We plan on staying a couple of nights in Hawaii after the cruise is over, the cruise ends in Honolulu on Oahu. Since we never have been to Hawaii we feel a bit lost. We are not into big cities, shopping or clubbing. We are more beach people, history and some nature. With close to 400 000 residents, my guess would be that Honolulu isn't for us..? Is there any place that you would recommend instead of Honolulu?

 

Maui.  Google it to see all it has to offer.  Bon voyage.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Honolulu is L.A.

Only a couple of days in the Hawaiian Islands is IMO a waste of time. Spend a week on Kauai- you'll never regret it. If you're budget restricted, check out the relatively new Hilton Garden Inn in Ka'pa'a. 

[Extra Kim]

8 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Well, for starters, the USS Arizona Memorial is not accessible currently.  They've had issues with the stability of the memorial.  The shoreside exhibits are still open, but you can't go out to the memorial itself.

 

 

It's around 10 months until we will be there, a lot can happen until then.

[Extra Kim]

8 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

Maui.  Google it to see all it has to offer.  Bon voyage.

 

8 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Honolulu is L.A.

Only a couple of days in the Hawaiian Islands is IMO a waste of time. Spend a week on Kauai- you'll never regret it. If you're budget restricted, check out the relatively new Hilton Garden Inn in Ka'pa'a. 

We are talking about 5 nights, but since we both work we don't have unlimited time to spend. The cruise is 10nts, add one night in Vancouver and then one night getting back to Sweden. We leave in couple of days for a Caribbean cruise and will spend a total of 10nts during this cruise and we are planing on doing another cruise during the 2019/2020 winter. With other words our vaccation days add up fast.

8 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

Maui.  Google it to see all it has to offer.  Bon voyage.

I will, have heard others talking about Maui. Thanks.

Edited December 31, 2018 by Extra Kim

[CruiserBruce]

Some research on the Hawaii, West Coast Departures and Canada (Pacific Coast) boards would be very beneficial.

 

IMHO, Honolulu definitely is not LA. But, I haven't found a lot of things of interest to keep us there more than 3 or so days. It depends on your interests.

[Grandma Dazzles]

You are correct that Honolulu is very crowded.  You will spend a lot of time fighting traffic, people, lines, etc. especially in the tourist areas.

 

Personally don’t think you have time to fly to Maui - your time is very limited.  Maui is beautiful, but with only two days would suggest getting out of Honolulu and checking out Kapolei.  Nice resorts, including Disney’s Aulani and Marriott.  Plenty to see and do and more relaxing. 

 

Keep checking on Pearl Harbor Arizona Memorial.  There is still plenty to see and do there.  It’s just the actual Memorial site that you take a launch to that is closed.  The USS battleship Missouri is still open for tours.

[Extra Kim]

I might have worded it wrong, we plan on staying for five nights (might be less and might be more). We have decided to stay on Oahu, we don't want to spend more time traveling. Even if Maui sounds nice, I think it's better to spend more time on one Island.

Traveling with a little girl takes a lot of time and it's harder to plan in advance. 

[Grandma Dazzles]

2 minutes ago, Extra Kim said:

I might have worded it wrong, we plan on staying for five nights (might be less and might be more). We have decided to stay on Oahu, we don't want to spend more time traveling. Even if Maui sounds nice, I think it's better to spend more time on one Island.

Traveling with a little girl takes a lot of time and it's harder to plan in advance. 

 

Not sure if you mis-read my post suggesting Kapolei. I agree you don’t have time for Maui.  Kapolei is on Oahu.  It’s about 25 miles fro Honolulu.  

[Extra Kim]

6 minutes ago, Grandma Dazzles said:

 

Not sure if you mis-read my post suggesting Kapolei. I agree you don’t have time for Maui.  Kapolei is on Oahu.  It’s about 25 miles fro Honolulu.  

I saw that, but I haven't had time to look at it yet.

[Heidi13]

Vancouver Airport is about 10 miles South of the Cruise Terminal. You have many options to downtown - cheapest is the Skytrain, which departs the airport and heads downtown, a short walk from the cruise terminal. However, it isn't the best option when travelling with luggage. You can also get a local taxi, with taxis being a flat fee based on zones. I believe the taxi is about $35 to downtown. Limos can also be hired at the airport, or pre-booked.

 

Downtown Hotels - all major hotel chains are downtown and close to the cruise terminal, with the Pan Pacific being located above the cruise terminal. Hard to actually suggest a specific hotel without knowing which loyalty plans you use & budget. You can also check the West Coast Departures Board for other visitor's experiences.

 

Weather in September can be very pleasant, however the closer you get to October the greater the risk of rain and/or storms. When clearing Juan de Fuca and entering the Pacific Ocean, I would plan on some wind and temperatures of 15 to 20 C by day. The ship is steaming into the predominant winds, so expect some wind over the decks for the first few days. Couple of days out of Hawaii you should encounter the NE Trades, so expect any wind from astern, which provides minimal wind over the decks. Approaching Hawaii temps increase to about 25 to 30 C.

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 hours ago, Extra Kim said:

 

We are talking about 5 nights, but since we both work we don't have unlimited time to spend. The cruise is 10nts, add one night in Vancouver and then one night getting back to Sweden. We leave in couple of days for a Caribbean cruise and will spend a total of 10nts during this cruise and we are planing on doing another cruise during the 2019/2020 winter. With other words our vaccation days add up fast.

I will, have heard others talking about Maui. Thanks.

Since you're coming from Sweden and apparently like the tropics, perhaps your future cruise plans could consider Polynesia or a trans-Pacific. Once you experience Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands (particularly Kauai - see pix), the Caribbean will become a distant memory.

[Extra Kim]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

Vancouver Airport is about 10 miles South of the Cruise Terminal. You have many options to downtown - cheapest is the Skytrain, which departs the airport and heads downtown, a short walk from the cruise terminal. However, it isn't the best option when travelling with luggage. You can also get a local taxi, with taxis being a flat fee based on zones. I believe the taxi is about $35 to downtown. Limos can also be hired at the airport, or pre-booked.

 

Downtown Hotels - all major hotel chains are downtown and close to the cruise terminal, with the Pan Pacific being located above the cruise terminal. Hard to actually suggest a specific hotel without knowing which loyalty plans you use & budget. You can also check the West Coast Departures Board for other visitor's experiences.

 

Weather in September can be very pleasant, however the closer you get to October the greater the risk of rain and/or storms. When clearing Juan de Fuca and entering the Pacific Ocean, I would plan on some wind and temperatures of 15 to 20 C by day. The ship is steaming into the predominant winds, so expect some wind over the decks for the first few days. Couple of days out of Hawaii you should encounter the NE Trades, so expect any wind from astern, which provides minimal wind over the decks. Approaching Hawaii temps increase to about 25 to 30 C.

Thank you!
I had a look at the Pan Pacific, but more then 500$ U.S/night is over our budget for a hotel where we only stay for a couple of hours sleeping. We land in Vancouver after a very long day (20hrs or more). We would rather spend more during our stay on Hawaii then in Vancouver. 

[Heidi13]

43 minutes ago, Extra Kim said:

Thank you!
I had a look at the Pan Pacific, but more then 500$ U.S/night is over our budget for a hotel where we only stay for a couple of hours sleeping. We land in Vancouver after a very long day (20hrs or more). We would rather spend more during our stay on Hawaii then in Vancouver. 

Kim - many of the downtown hotels, while not CAN $500 per night will be fairly expensive. Cheaper hotels can be found around the airport in Richmond or South Vancouver.

 

Before flying out of YVR, we often use the Coast Vancouver Airport. It is clean and comfortable. Down side is being across the river from the airport, so it is about 9 miles to the port. End of September should get rooms out by the airport for $100 - 120 per night.

[Extra Kim]

The Pan Pacific was CAD 683.00 or with the Alaska Cruise Package for CAD 759.00. I think that our budget is around CAD 300.00.

Found a hotel for CAD 230 near the port, might be worth booking.

[Heidi13]

10 minutes ago, Extra Kim said:

The Pan Pacific was CAD 683.00 or with the Alaska Cruise Package for CAD 759.00. I think that our budget is around CAD 300.00.

Found a hotel for CAD 230 near the port, might be worth booking.

That is very reasonable for downtown Vancouver.

[boulders]

September is low season in Hawaii. I wouldn't expect Waikiki to be crowded. 

 

The three main resort areas on Oahu are Waikiki, Ko Olina and Turtle Bay. Non-hotel accommodations outside these areas are likely to be illegal. I've stayed in all 3 locations and Turtle Bay was my favorite. It's the least crowded and is the least commercial/touristy. 

[CruiserBruce]

There is no low season in Hawaii...only shoulder and high.

 

September can be the warmest and most humid. We were there in September 2017. Even the locals were complaining how humid it was.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Waikiki is pretty much always crowded!  I agree there really isn’t a low season.  Traffic is very heavy especially in Honolulu.  Have visited in September/October/November (my son and family live there), and agree it was warm and humid. 

[Extra Kim]

After have spent some time on Google Maps, Youtube and TripAdvisor it looks like it might be better to spend the night close to the airport and the take train to Waterfront station the next day. Not sure if we are going to bring a car seat for our daughter or if we will be able to rent a car with a baby seat in Hawaii. If it's possible to rent a car seat in Hawaii, we have to stick to public transportation in Vancouver.

[CruiserBruce]

I don't think the train is functional yet. I can't see any schedules...best I can see is Phase one is supposed to open late 2020, with full build out in 2025.

 

Again, research on the boards that cover Hawaii and Vancouver would be helpful. 

[Extra Kim]

9 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

I don't think the train is functional yet. I can't see any schedules...best I can see is Phase one is supposed to open late 2020, with full build out in 2025.

 

Again, research on the boards that cover Hawaii and Vancouver would be helpful. 

2020 ? This is a (bad) video that's two years old..

 

[CruiserBruce]

I was thinking you were referring to the new train in Honolulu- my error, for which I apologize.. The Train in Vancouver is discussed on the West Coast Departures board regularly.

[martincath]

On 1/1/2019 at 6:17 AM, Extra Kim said:

After have spent some time on Google Maps, Youtube and TripAdvisor it looks like it might be better to spend the night close to the airport and the take train to Waterfront station the next day. Not sure if we are going to bring a car seat for our daughter or if we will be able to rent a car with a baby seat in Hawaii. If it's possible to rent a car seat in Hawaii, we have to stick to public transportation in Vancouver.

I'd agree that based on your other supplied info (arrive after a long day of travel, head straight to hotel, and try to board ASAP next day) that an airport hotel is a logical choice. All of those have free shuttles, and I haven't heard of any shuttles that will refuse to drop you at SkyTrain from the hotel. This saves you $5 per person making it always the cheapest way to travel, and easy as long as you can handle your bags by yourselves (there is storage space under every seat, and if the wee one is in a stroller you can roll that and any wheeled bags right from the platform onto the train as the gap is consistent and very small).

 

It should be safe to assume that you have Contactless credit cards being from Sweden, which means buying SkyTrain tickets is ludicrously easy - just tap one card per adult on the gates when you enter and again when you leave - the kid will be free. CAD$4.20pp, or $2.95 if it's a weekend. If you have a stroller and suitcases to wrangle use the disabled gate which opens wider and stays open longer, making it easier to get through.

 

You can take a cab if you prefer though - cabbies and limo drivers are exempt from the car seat rules in BC - but personally I wouldn't at the age your child is (rear facing seat makes a huge difference in neck support for a toddler). If you do bring your own seat, cabbies are legally required to wait while you install it without turning the meter on - but they don't have to help. Virtually all cabs should be new enough to have LATCH in the rear and all seats have shoulder belts. No fixed rates from hotels though - so assume CAD$40 to $50 for the ride depending which hotel.

 

With a toddler your plan to board early makes sense unless a late boarding works better around the kid's nap time. If you get to the pier around 9:30am you will very likely be able to drop bags and join the queue, but this does mean waiting in the first queue for probably 90 minutes to two hours before boarding actually begins. You'll flow through fast after that, but it's still much more efficient to arrive late (2 hours before the ship is due to leave). Peak wait times tend to be for folks arriving after 11am and before 1 or even 2 pm depending how many ships are in port that day. Arrive as close as possible to the final cutoff (90mins pre-departure) and queues are nonexistent - we average 20mins total from curb to cabin since we started arriving late! The other bonus of boarding late is that it gives you the entire morning to sightsee (or sleep in) and also time for a leisurely lunch.

 

Have a think about it, and if you do decide to board late then staying downtown becomes much more attractive - and for a simple, clean, safe hotel you cannot beat the YWCA Hotel which is even cheaper than airport hotels despite being downtown. The laundry & kitchen may not be much use for a single night stay, but you never know with wee ones... an upset tummy from airline food or a nappy leak and you might be very glad to be able to run a quick load of laundry or cook something familiar for breakfast;-)

 

Edit - re: the baby seat in Hawaii. Depending on pricing of rentals, it would likely be cheaper (as well as guaranteeing a brand new, quality seat that you KNOW has not been involved in any kind of collision) to simply buy one, then give it away. Walmart and other large stores carry Cosco Scenera Next seats for about US$50 - it's very easy to install even for a first-time user and highly-rated. I bought one of these for my nephew when my sister decided to visit us with him (at age 1) after checking out rental options, Which? reports, etc. They actually build to Swedish standards - the best in the world, at least when I looked into it ~18 months ago for the munchkin - but still have them tested in each different jurisdiction.

 

I read the instructions, installed it myself, took it to a testing centre to have it checked and had done it perfectly first time out, despite never having installed an infant car seat before in my life - so if you're used to installing a car seat already it should be a doddle as you'll know how to check the angles and how much it's supposed to move when pushed to test. I'd wait until Hawaii to buy because technically a Canadian spec seat isn't legal in the US, even though it's literally the exact same seat with a different label, as well as them costing significantly less in the US (thanks to our low population and requirement for different labels moulded onto the seat in French as well as English - adds a lot to production costs).

 

Lots of folks I know from the UK rent a car at the airport, head straight to Target/Walmart, buy car seats, then come back for the wife & kids. Rentals seem to run US$20+ a day most places, so for folks spending a fortnight around Disney it's cheaper to buy the sexiest car seats on the market and just throw them away!

Edited January 3, 2019 by martincath